Just a caveat before I go further-this is not necessary my favourite ten albums and I have not included any compilations- the list would look a bit different in both cases! But not drastically.
I will discuss each album in order of when I was introduced to it. I also include a photo of my copy of the album (sorry in advance for poor quality).
Please note that this just me relating my personal reasons for loving these albums, not an analysis of these albums (in most cases!)
So here goes…
1. The Beatles – The Beatles (Apple 1968) – commonly known as The White Album
My copy of this album!
I must have heard this album first as a small child as I can clearly recall hearing the song ‘The continuing story of bungalow bill’ in the bungalow my family lived in when I was about five (I have written previously in this blog about my lifelong love of the Beatles)
I first became acquainted with the existence of this album when (bless his heart) Peter Young played ‘While my guitar gently weeps’ from the CD reissue on the radio one Saturday afternoon. According to Wikipedia this would have been in October 1987 when I was about 15. However I recall hearing this track over the summer of 1987. I remember being very haunted by ‘While my guitar gently weeps’ on a long car journey the next day. I also saw George perform the song at the Prince’s Trust concert 1987 (which happened on June 5/6 1987) on TV over the summer of 1987.
Here is a link to this performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITrQXES8kU
George Harrison 'While my guitar gently weeps' - Princes Trust concert 1987 - uploaded by Orise
I have written about how I became a big Fan of George in late 1987 a previous post so will not repeat myself here! Needless to say when I became a fan I scoured my parent’s record collection, which also included a number of tapes which were kept in our utility room. This included a tape of the ‘The White album’. I listened to this on my Walkman and it was love at first listen.
Every Sunday night for several months I listened to The White album, almost turning it into a ritual.
I love all the Beatles albums from Revolver onwards but it is the white album which remains my favourite and the album which has meant most to me since I first heard it almost 25 years ago- why?
I love the diversity of musical styles on this album (as David Quantick points on in his book about the album). Ironically for an album called ‘The Beatles’ it is the most untypical album in the Beatles cannon. As Beatles fans will also know, many of the songs were composed while the band where in India in early 1968. There are bootlegs of the demo sessions where John, Paul, George and Ringo introduced their songs to one another at Kinfauns, George’s then home. I would argue that this album gives each Beatle space to explore and share their voice in a way they don’t on other albums. I even like ‘Revolution No. 9’ which whatever way you look at it was a brave contribution to this album. Due to their enormous success, many people think they know the Beatles, and some write them off as ‘lovable moptops’ or at best the psychedelic bards of ‘Sgt. Peppers’. It would be this album I would point these people towards to show just how revolutionary a band the Beatles were and what riches there are to be discovered in their music.
Of course, I also love this album because of George’s wonderful contributions. ‘While my guitar gently weeps’ is rightfully lauded and for many marks George’s emergence as a song writing force to equal Paul and John. While I love the full rock version on the album with Eric Clapton’s guitar solo and Paul’s wonderful keyboard work, I and many seasoned Beatle fans love George’s haunting acoustic demo even more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRzy_qW10Uk
George Harrison- 'While my guitar gently weeps' from Anthology 3. Uploaded by HistoryRepeats01
However my favourite song on this album is Long, Long, Long, one of George’s many songs directed at God. It speaks of yearning and searching and finally peace. I have to listen to this track at least three times and have some time to recover after this! Thank goodness for mp3 players.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHcRlNkDFk
Beatles- 'Long, Long, Long' - uploaded by hk613
The one thing I think could have improved the album is the inclusion of the original version of ‘Not guilty’ – I love the hard rock play out on this track! I am delighted it was given a legal release on Anthology 3 along with the acoustic demo of ‘While my guitar gently weeps’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0lmqGT5s7Q
Beatles - 'Not Guilty (take 102)- uploaded by sameskybeatles
I have even attended an event about this album at the British Library, hosted by David Quantick. It was a fun evening and very moving to hear people talk about their favourite tracks from the album, and hear what the album has meant to them.
In recent years I have given three friends who are Beatles fans this album. I had a very good discussion with one about Revolution No.9 which she compared to eavesdropping on the band as they go about their work.
I was listening to the white album earlier today in preparation for writing this while walking around Regents Park. I often walk in Regents Park after work or on Sundays and over this is probably the album I listen too most while doing this.
I have been listening to this album regularly for 25 years and never once got tired of it. No matter how my musical tastes have changed it still speaks to me.
2. George Harrison- Living in the Material World (Apple 1973)
My copy of the 2004 CD reissue of the album
Here I am cheating a bit! I did put All things must pass in the original list but on reflection I would chose this.
I was familiar with the artwork for this album though a book about the Beatles I had borrowed from the Library. Then In early 1989 I had a very vivid dream about walking down a local street holding this album…
I had arranged to go round to my Girls Guide pack leader Mary to listen to some albums one Saturday in late January 1989 (it was late January as it was my Mum’s birthday). I could not believe it when I saw ‘Living in the material world’ in her collection! This was no coincidence- having been duly tipped off I must pay attention to this album I remember chatting about OM being included in the art work with Mary. I was familiar with OM through the logo for George’s record label ‘Dark Horse’ but it was some years before I found out its full importance! (As an aside I also heard Revolver for the first time that day). This was the first solo album by George I had heard after 'Cloud Nine' which had been issued in November 1987 and I was keen to listen to more of his solo work (Over 1989 -1990 I would buy 'All things must pass', '33 1/3, 'George Harrison' and 'Somewhere in England'.
I recall going up to my room and listening to this album while my family and one of my aunts gave my mum the bumps! I took my tape of the album with me when I visited this aunt that evening. I was smitten
I listened to this album frequently throughout 1989- I recall having to tell school mates when asked what my favourite record was that it was not the Madonna track ‘Material girl’!
My favourite track for many years was ‘Try some, buy some’. This was originally recorded by Ronnie Spector in 1971 and George reused the backing track with its Phil Spector production for his version. I got immediately that this was about a search for spiritual peace/God (Can the reader who is not familiar with George’s work begin to detect a recurrent thread in his work?). Glad that this song got some recognition from David Bowie who covered in in 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZYtuaD0yhQ
George Harrison 'Try Some, Buy Some' uploaded by R. H. Contreras
However in recent years I think that I prefer ‘Be here now’ (Oasis ‘borrowed’ the title for their 1997 album). The message about being at peace with the moment and understanding that in the words of a Flaming lips track I love ‘All we have is now’. I love the guitar playing on this track in particular.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He2yrzwgTtI
George Harrison 'Be here now'- uploaded by Piggies1
A bit about this album. It has been confirmed in recent year that despite the credits saying it was recorded at Apple Studios, it was in fact mainly recorded at Friar Park, the first of many albums George would record in his home studio. There is some lovely footage of the sessions in the ‘Living in the material world’ documentary. Klaus Voorman, who played on the album, spoke warmly of the relaxed atmosphere George created in the studio and this is reflected in the warm and intimate musicianship on this album. I think that I prefer this album to ‘All things must pass’ (wonderful, wonderful record that it is) due to this
This is undoubtedly a melancholy album and reflects George’s sadness at the state of affairs between his ex-bandmates (as reflected in ‘sue me sue you blues’) and his frustration at the confines of his role as an ex-Beatle (‘The light that has lighted the world’). George also makes no bones about his religious beliefs (‘living in the material world’, ‘The lord loves the ones’). While I do not share these beliefs I have enormous respect for George putting his neck on the line to share his beliefs. This may account for why it is less popular than ‘All things must pass’. But the album also offers compassion and hope (‘Be here now’ ,The day the world gets round’)
This is one of the few albums I own on Vinyl as well as CD. I brought on CD after George’s death and it was moving to get reacquainted with the album. I gave this CD to a friend who once met George when I brought the 2004 CD re-issue which includes a couple of lovely George rarities ‘Deep blue’ (which was about his mother’s final illness’) and ‘Miss O’Dell’
One of the many delights of reading Simon Leng’s book about George’s music ‘While my guitar gently weeps’ was his insightful and in-depth discussion of this album.
Again this is an album I have regularly listened to over 25 years. It is a delight that an album that meant so much to me as a teenager still has a lot to teach me about acceptance and moving on with life.
