When the song ‘Something’ first hit the ears of Beatles fans in 1969, the biggest group in the world was no longer about the two front men. There was someone new, emerging from the background as an artist in his own right. From ‘Abbey Road’ on, George Harrison was no longer the hippy lead guitarist who hung out with Eric Clapton or was allowed the odd song on other albums (‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ seems to be the exception and a masterpiece overlooked by Lennon and McCartney). It was late in The Beatles’ career, the end in fact, but it paved the way for Harrison.
He said himself that he started writing and recording his first album within months of The Beatles’ split in the same year as ‘Something’, perfecting songs he’d written as far back as 1966 (‘Isn’t It A Pity’) and in those black Beatles days (‘Let It Down’, written during the ‘Get Back’ sessions). Although he had released the instrumental concepts of ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Electronic Sound’, Harrison didn’t consider himself to be a solo artist until post-Beatles. But he jumped at the chance and was the first Beatle to release a solo album.
Now, almost forty years on, what he considers to be his solo debut is regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. Not only does ‘All Things Must Pass’ show Harrison to be a versatile song writer, one who mixes calming and serene melodies full of harmony and contentment with guitar-heavy anthems complete with Eric Clapton riffs, but it allowed him to branch out emotionally and spiritually. The album is a very unique mix of sounds and one that is very interesting to listen to. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is searching for something different yet beautiful.
