(Capitol)
(Capitol)
When George Harrison lost his battle with cancer last year, the world mourned not only one of the world's best guitarists, a wry comedian or even the Quiet Beatle persona he had worked so hard to shed. It mourned one of its own, a humble lad from Liverpool, England. He wasn't the King or the Boss. He was just George. But what's more important, he was our George.
Although intensely private, Harrison shared himself openly through his music during his 40-year career, treading subjects as personal as his spirituality and as general as the sunrise. With , his final album, Harrison leaves his most valuable musical gift, guiding his listeners through the end of his life. It can be painful and cynical, but at the same time, like George himself, exudes an undisputable joy of life.
Such joy is readily apparent in the first song on the disc, an upbeat, Dylanesque tune called \Any Road."" Like many of the songs on , the first track feels very much like a prayer, which lends the album an incredibly intimate feeling. It provides important insight into a man who later sings that he's a ""living proof of all life's contradictions,"" and puts the listener in the fortunate position of confidante to one of history's greatest songwriters.
Some of the best pieces come when Harrison lets his slide guitar do the singing for him. Harrison's intricate finger-picking often serves as a better medium for expression than his lyrics. This is especially true of ""Marwa Blues,"" the disc's only instrumental piece, which allows his musicianship to shine.
is colored not only by Harrison's masterful guitar, but also by his earnest search for spiritual peace. It is especially apparent in the mellow and meditative ""Pisces Fish,"" as well as the album's strongest song, ""Looking For My Life"" in which Harrison shares his struggles to continue his search. His frustration is palpable on songs like ""Stuck Inside a Cloud"" and ""P2 Vatican Blues,"" and culminates in ""Brainwashed."" With a chorus of ""God God God,"" Harrison lists sources of brainwashing, from the press to Wall Street, and the difficulty in overcoming them.
Fortunately, even in such darkness, Harrison finds hope. He shifts midway through the song to soothing readings from Hindu texts and finally, to Harrison and his son Dhani (the album's co-producer) chanting into silence. It is Harrison's last gift to his listeners, a final message that serves both as a warning and a comfort.
Harrison's former Beatle bandmate Paul McCartney offers comfort also, but does so by looking backward instead of forward. is a live collection from this year's American tour, and serves as a celebration of old friends and old songs. The two-disc set covers McCartney's substantial musical career, from his first Beatles song, ""I Saw Her Standing There"" to last year's ""Freedom"" anthem, with Fab Four, Wings and solo hits in between.
The album is a big treat for die-hard Beatles fans, with songs like ""Back in the U.S.S.R.,"" ""Hello Goodbye"" and the very first live recording of ""Getting Better"" from . Unfortunately, Beatles' songs are better suited for smaller settings and for the other three who used to sing them. ""All My Loving,"" ""Can't Buy Me Love"" and especially ""The End,"" suffer for the absence of the rest of the lads, although enthusiastic audience participation during ""Hey Jude"" manages for a moment to overcome it.
It makes sense that some of the best songs are from McCartney's post-Beatles' projects, for all the flack he's gotten over the years. Songs like ""Maybe I'm Amazed"" and ""Band on the Run"" translate well to a large-concert setting, and Denny Laine's absence doesn't cause the distress that John, George and Ringo's do.
It is Paul's earnest tribute to those absent, however, that brings this live set its soaring moments. ""Here Today,"" a song Paul wrote for John Lennon, is heartbreaking, and to hear him sing it alone in front of millions of fans makes it all the more so, while Paul's rendition of George's classic ""Something"" on the ukulele (Harrison's favorite instrument) is both touching, and, as the Beatles were often accused of being, appropriately cheeky.
For those brief moments, Paul's loss is our own, and instead of the Beatles being one of us, we are one of them. And when it comes down to it, the lads have always included us, good times and bad, in happy remembrance and sad goodbyes. It is the reason that they have always been special, and will continue to be missed.
