George Harrison: Essential Albums

Continuing with posting about essential albums by the individual Beatles, next I might cover other artists, in this post I want to share what I consider to be George’s best albums. George had many beautiful albums and he always wrote about his beliefs and not necessarily looking for hits. I believe George to be a very talented songwriter and an underrated guitar player, his guitar work was full of melodic and simple beauty. He was never flashy like Clapton or Page, but just as good an efficient.

Here goes my list of what I think are his essential albums to hear or have:

1. All things must pass -1970

It must have been hard for him to have so many songs and not being able to record them because he was the third songwriter in The Beatles, he once said that it would have taken a lot of Beatles albums just to release sons he had in 1965, this album proved that to be right as many songs were offered to be recorded by The Beatles. This album still stands as one of the best albums released by The Beatles as a solo artist and the first number one album by an individual Beatle. It is a beautiful album produced by Phil Spector and George. It is a triple album, now a double on CD, he finally released all the songs he had.

• Concert for Bangladesh

This is a live album and though not entirely George, he was the main artist and, in this album, you get to hear live versions of classics like While my Guitar gently Weeps and Here comes the sun, and the historic value of this concert is also worth mentioning. This was the first-time artists came together to perform for a cause, something that today is more common.

• Living in the material world

His next album after All things must pass, this album I think is more spiritual in the theme of the songs, but I have to say the melodies in this album are really beautiful.

• George Harrison – 1979

For a period, George released three albums that had good songs on them, I still like them, but there were not good when looking at them as whole albums. For this album, I think George came back to form. The album includes beautiful songs like Love comes to everyone, Blow Away and Faster. It is really a good album.

• Cloud Nine – 1987

After Gone Troppo in 1982, George did not release an album until 1987. The release of Cloud Nine brought back George to the spotlight with a number one song with a cool music video. And he began a productive time as he formed The Traveling Wilburys with greats like Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbinson and Jeff Lynn.

• Brainwashed – 2002

Released after his passing, the album was produced by Lynn and George’s son Dhani Harrison as they finished the album using the guides that George left. I love this album, even though he was going through a hard time, the songs are upbeat as well as retrospective.

Like I have said in the post about John and Paul’s essential albums, all albums are good and have great songs in them, these are the ones that are considered best as an album, that have few less than great tracks.