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The quiet Beatle he was not!

Just enjoying the compilation CD of George Harrison as selected by his wife, Olivia and friends. Guess they just come up with a scheme to get more money from Harrison's legacy! George, the unashamed practicing Vaishnavite Hindu (yeah, the vegetarian who willed a princely sum of his estate to an ashram in India) and the rather quiet one behind the scene, overshadowed by John and Paul, is my favourite Beatle. Ringo, I think, was quite comfortable sitting at the back banging the drums crazy.
I just picked up this CD when I was picking up some books for my small guy at Popular's. I wanted to educate myself on listening to rock and roll music by a legend whose musical potential only came forth after the break up of the Fab Four. Listening to a CD is truly rewarding experience, unlike listening to the radio - not just the lack of commercials but you can listen to it again and again and music quality and crisp is beyond definition.
No regrets on getting the CD. It kind of grows on you more and more as you go on listening to it. This one exhibits 19 songs which eventually get you hooked. In fact, the past one week I have been listening the songs again and again.... abandoning all other sorts of music!
The following is by no means meant to be taken as a literary analysis of the album. It is just a piece of gibberish sounding repertoire of a person who only knows how to enjoy his music but not play a single musical instrument, perhaps only Indian prayers percussion (jalra) and recorder in school days! I try to promote what I did not master through my kids, albeit at partially success only!
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Original Album Length
1. "Got My Mind Set on You" Rudy Clark; Cloud Nine 3:52 - I never knew all this while that it was a cover version. Originally written by Rudy Clark and sang by James Ray (nothing to with Ray Charles) in 1962, listen here!

2. "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" Harrison; Living in the Material World 3:35
Starts like an Eagles' like country rock then it progresses to a bhajan like song asking to be relieved of sufferings on earth, free from birth etecetera! I thought living on earth is a punishment for our sins.

3. "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" Harrison; All Things Must Pass 3:48

4. "My Sweet Lord" Harrison; All Things Must Pass 4:40
It is interesting how Halelujah later becomes Hare Krishna then Guru Sakshat Parabrahma and Hare Rama..

5. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Live) Harrison; The Concert for Bangladesh 4:46
Needs no introduction.

6. "All Things Must Pass" Harrison; All Things Must Pass 3:46

7. "Any Road" Harrison; Brainwashed 3:52
This is a profound song with message about life and its purpose, also with a tongue-in-cheek comment (quoting Wizard of Oz) about if you do not know where you are heading, any road leads you there!

8. "This Is Love" Harrison, Jeff Lynne; Cloud Nine 3:47
Another sad melodious song which keeps on humming in your brain.

9. "All Those Years Ago" Harrison; Somewhere in England 3:46
This is a tribute song to John Lennon after his assassination in 1981..

10. "Marwa Blues" Harrison ;Brainwashed 3:41
This instrumental got a Grammy for best instrumental music. Reminds me of a sad Tamil movie music score - the higher the notes of the sitar goes the more the tears well up in the tear glands! The sitar (and its predecessor, the veena) are truly magical instruments.  Very touching...

11. "What Is Life" Harrison ;All Things Must Pass 4:25
What is life, you tell me, people say it is curse yet they like to stay on the curse as long as they can. The bonds that you have in your life helps you stay sane, yet sometimes may go insane, paradoxically!

12. "Rising Sun" Harrison ;Brainwashed 5:27
A song with very powerful lyrics. It sounds like Rising Sun is the name of a half-way house of a rehab for alcoholics or drug addicts! read the lyric.. I guess it is the only song with the word DNA in it. And the guitar work sounds like Eric Clapton like 'slow-hand' type of lead guitar! Nice 'un!
On the street of villains taken for a ride you can have the devil as a guide crippled by the boundaries, programmed into guilt till your nervous system starts to tilt. And in the room of mirrors you can see for miles but everything that's there is in disguise every word you've uttered and every thought you've hadis all inside your file, the good and the bad. But in the rising sun you can feel your life begin universe at play inside your DNA you're a billion years old today. Oh the rising sun and the place it's coming from is inside of you and now your payment's overdue oh the rising sun, oh the rising sun.

13. "When We Was Fab" Harrison, Lynne Cloud Nine 3:51
Guess everyone has a time in their life they truly dear, for Harrison it must be with the Beatles! Forgive the bad English - artistic immunity.

14. "Something" (Live) Harrison The Concert for Bangladesh 3:10

15. "Blow Away" Harrison George Harrison 3:59

16. "Cheer Down" Harrison, Tom Petty Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack 4:06
Great guitar handiwork there, George! Lethal weapon was good too.

17. "Here Comes the Sun" (Live) Harrison The Concert for Bangladesh 2:54
Again, no introduction needed!

18. "I Don't Want to Do It" Bob Dylan Porky's Revenge soundtrack 2:54
That is why there was Bob Dylan's feel to it at the beginning of the song!

19. "Isn't It a Pity" (Version one) Harrison All Things Must Pass 7:07
This song was actually written during the Beatles' time but was rejected and vetoed for other songs. Later it  was released as a solo artiste and was voted as Harrison's best song!

Isn't it a pity that he has passed away? Well, in the immortal words of the mortal George Harrison - All things must pass!
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