All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
Week 13 - Not Spoken About Enough Album
All Things Must Pass was the first album released by a member of The Beatles following their split in 1970. This was however the third of George Harrisons, proceeded by Wonderwall Music (1968) and Electronic Sound (1969), both released whilst the Liverpool boyband were still making headlines.
All Things Must Pass is a triple album, containing a whopping 23 songs and running 106 minutes in length. It is a collection of music built-up during Harrison’s time in The Beatles, where he only had a quota for one or two songs per album.
Top Songs
Isn’t It a Pity
Wah-Wah
Behind That Locked Door
My Sweet Lord
What is Life
All Things Must Pass was highly successful and most people of a certain generation will know it very well. However, entering the 21st century, much of the love for The Beatles still goes towards John and Paul’s writing. The release of All Things Must Pass very shortly after The Beatles split, quickly proved Harrison’s own ability and showed that he was more than just a supporting member.
Unfortunately, this album seems to have slowly been forgotten over time and unless you go out of your way to discover new music, is an album which is easily missed.
George Harrison famously had an affinity towards India and he had strong spiritual and religious connections to traditional Indian faith.
He released singles with devotees of the Radha-Krishna Temple in London and met Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the global Hare Krishna Movement. He delved into the culture of Hare Krishna singing their mantra everyday as a form of relaxation.
Harrison’s faith and belief heavily influenced his style of music, with Harrison spending time in India to learn about their music and teach himself the sitar. Many of his albums are heavily influenced by the Hare Krishna philosophy.
The music he produces on All Things Must Pass, although classed as a rock album, does not conform to your typical rock formulas. There is little in the way of big opening guitar riffs or solos and the percussion is measured and well thought through. Harrison uses a wide range of instruments on the album, often those which are less common in popular music, such as the maracas and tubular bells.
The music is relaxing to listen to, the lyrics are clever and Harrison’s introduction of slide guitar throughout demonstrates why Eric Clapton has described him as the best slide guitarist in the world.
The idea behind All Things Must Pass is to create something that is felt, not heard. Harrison’s connection to the music shines through in his pursuit of peace.
It is an album that lifts spirits and relaxes the mind. It uses instruments which are easy to listen to and gentle on the ear whilst the vocals have an essence of wisdom to them, providing comforting pieces of advice.
Harrison was known as the quiet member of The Beatles, and this album expresses that feeling. It is not here to show off or screams for attention.
It is the quintessential sound of George Harrison’s ethos, and demonstrates who he was as a person through nothing more than his own musical talents.
I’ve worked in a record store for years, and the Who’s-The-Best-Beatle discussion comes up every so often. Here’s my definitive answer:
Best solo song: John
Best solo album: George
Best solo career: Paul
Best human being: Ringo
This is one of my all-time favorite records. Incredible songwriting and production!