Recorded - June-October 1970 (Both songs)
Released - November 27, 1970 (US), November 30, 1970 (UK)
#1 for weeks of December 26, 1970 and January 2, 9 and 16, 1971.
We end 1970 with a one two punch by the dark horse himself, George Harrison. After the breakup of The Beatles, the quartet all released at least one solo album in 1970. Ringo released an album of trad pop standards as well as a country standards albums, neither of which are worth getting excited about. Paul released McCartney, a mixed bag of strong tracks and filler, with him playing all the instruments. On a stronger note, John released the highly personal John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band later in the year.
But what of the so called "Quiet Beatle?" His two contributions to Abbey Road are the strongest songs on the album, and George had been stockpiling albums worth of material for years. Now that he didn't have to worry about competing with Lennon or McCartney for album space, George went all out and recorded a groundbreaking triple album, All Things Must Pass.
In my opinion, All Things Must Pass is the strongest solo album by a Beatle. The first eighteen songs range from upbeat to mellow, from slightly humorous to heavily spiritual. All of these songs feature a massive wall of sound production that gives the album an epic feel. The five "Jam" songs included as the third record of the album, may turn off some listeners. Yet, when you have Derek And The Dominoes jamming with George Harrison, there is certainly magic to be had.
Speaking of magic, the two songs chosen to be a double A-sided single, "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It A Pity" show just how much George had grown as a songwriter. Choosing which two songs to put out as a single must have been a nightmare, but I'd consider the two selected to be among his finest. First up is "My Sweet Lord".
My very first time hearing this song was on November 30th, 2001, the day after George's passing. Even though it was heard on a cheep car stereo, the experience and emotion was enough to bring me close to tears. "My Sweet Lord" was originally written in December of 1969, and given to Billy Preston, who recorded the first version of the song shortly after.
The exact group of musicians who played on Harrison's version of "My Sweet Lord" are disputed. George is credited for playing guitar, including the iconic slide part, as well as doing all of the lead/backing vocals. Eric Clapton, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Gary Wright, and Jim Gordon are among the other musicians who possibly performed on the piece.
The lyrics of "My Sweet Lord" manage to be spiritual, yet universal in tone. George includes the Hare Krishna mantra as well as "Hallelujah", which acts as a way for people of all faiths to celebrate their lord. The remaining lyrics are simple, as if to encourage all to sing along.
Musically, "My Sweet Lord" strikes all the right chords. George's vocal performance on this song is also among his best, and it only gets better as the song goes on. The song goes from a simple acoustic number to a massive soundscape, with swelling strings and booming drums. When the song changes key and the drums kick in, it's hard not to feel a bit uplifted.
Now, I'd be called out if I didn't address the elephant in the room. "My Sweet Lord" was the subject of an infamous court case due to its similarity to The Chiffons' "He's So Fine". The melodies undeniably share some similarity, and the structure of certain sections share common motifs.
Yet, I'll play devil's advocate by stating that there are hundreds of songs that share similar motifs or melodies. Plus, even if they melody is similar, I'm far more moved by a universally spiritual anthem than a simple girl group love song. No matter what the verdict was, I'd say in this case ignorance is bliss.
"Isn't It A Pity" was written as far back as 1966. John and Paul rejected it numerous times, most famously during the January 1969 "Get Back" sessions. Now that George was on his own, he finally was able to record the song as he intended. The basic instrument track of the song was done on June 2, 1970. Although since Phil Spector was the producer, this rhythm track was built up piece by piece, over several months into the gargantuan seven minute + opus we know today.
Much of the same musicians who appeared on "My Sweet Lord" appear on "Isn't It A Pity". The only differences are there is no Clapton and in place of Jim Keltner, there is none other than Ringo Starr on drums. While "My Sweet Lord" is very acoustic guitar heavy, "Isn't It A Pity" has piano as the dominant instrument.
As is the case with most of the All Things Must Pass songs, "Isn't It A Pity" starts off as an unassuming song with minimal instruments, and launches into outer space by the end. Much like "Hey Jude", "Isn't It A Pity" features a repeating sing-a-long chorus by the end. Yet due to the wall of sound production, "Isn't It A Pity" sounds even more epic.
The lyrics are certainly open for interpretation. Some may mistake the song's lyrical tone for being about the breakup of The Beatles. This is of course not all true as the song again dates back quite a few years. Instead, I view the song as one of George's many social commentaries. While John tended to write about his own life and Paul often wrote in the third person, George looked at the world as a whole, and depicted both the good and the bad sides of life in this world.
Although George never made another album as epic as All Things Must Pass, he still wrote many classic compositions throughout the rest of his life. His organization of the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh helped popularize the idea of rock music helping those in need. He also managed to secure two more US chart toppers throughout his lifetime, so our story will continue when we get to 1973.
Final Verdict - 1970 never ceases to amaze me. Just the fact that such epic songs were considered the cream of the crop shows how much the pop music lovers appreciated true artistry. Both "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It A Pity" are captivating opuses, with music tracks that are easy to get lost in. If you haven't yet, go out and buy yourself a copy of All Things Must Pass. It is an album that belongs on the top shelf of your record collection.
Coming Up Next - 1970 Reflection.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock. Isn't it a pity, isn't it a shame, that such a strong year-musically, must come to an end -
No comments:
Post a Comment