Customer Reviews

Dark Horse

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There comes a moment or two (or three) in an artist's life when he hits a trough and finds himself spiraling out of control. Back in 1974, when George Harrison embarked on the making of "Dark Horse", he was in the midst of preparing for a tour of the United States, which came on the tail of an infamous marital breakup. The man was human. Profoundly spiritual and conscientious of his commitments, Harrison damaged his vocal chords rehearsing, and struggled with his sound for months thereafter. Indeed, he was perhaps a bit lonely, became a little crazy, and momentarily lost sight of his devotion to God. However, through it all, he had a pocketful of songs that touched upon sadness, venom and ultimately, redemption.

This was a gravely underrated album. After the success of "All Things Must Pass" and "Living in the Material World", expectations were high for "Dark Horse". The album didn't soar in the charts, but that does not mean it was below standards. It was panned for his shot vocals; however, this was an unfair assessment. He voice cracks here and there, but it doesn't falter. It works well. He sounds soulful. The songs are melodious, driving, and beautiful. Never have fans heard such a contrast of emotion from Harrison on a record before. It starts in the kick off instrumental delight of "Hari Express" to the lament of "Simply Shady" where he realizes that "things aren't so simple anymore". Although the lyrics in "So Sad" are a bit self pitying, one can't help but love the catchy hook of the chorus, and feel deep empathy for a man who is virtually crying in his beer. The range of emotions continues in the venomous re-written version of the old Everly Brothers song "Bye Bye Love". This isn't your mother's version. It starts with a slithery bass, ready to pounce and confront. The new words express a bit of the macho Liverpool lad who is so hurt and furious, he's basically ready for a fight.

When his anger reaches it's peak, he slowly, but assuredly, begins to turn to God. "Maya Love" seeps in as personal reminder that physical love can be transient in this life, part of the illusion. Once that realization is sung to us, we sense he is starting to heal himself by his need to shed the past in "Ding Dong, Ding Dong", a tune so cheerful and fun, it can make anyone want to "ring out the old, ring in the new." In Harrison's book "I, Me, Mine", he explains that "Far East Man" was in fact about Ron Wood, a friend to whom he promised to write a song, and who particularly loved wearing a tee-shirt emblazoned with the words "Far East Man". It's a fun loving, jazzy, lounge-act romp, showing he still has devotion to a friend in need, and that his humor is still in tact. George finally ends right back to the "source", in his ultimate and joyous chant for God in "Jai Sri Krishna. Here he has found himself again, upon his return from the dark side, at one with God, open hearted, ready for anything the universe throws at him.

The album's focus is that he's a "Dark Horse", expressed in the title track, a beautiful, galloping song, where his voice shows the wear and tear. He's "a blue moon", not your average winner, rather, the underdog who comes through when the stakes are down, and no one is looking over their shoulder. The album is a culmination of the sadness, loneliness and failures he had to face during a low phase in his remarkable life. In the shadows of McCartney and Lennon, in the adversities of love and war, he will come through every time, just when people think he's beat. It's a heartbreaking, if not harrowing emotional rollercoaster from a spiritual man who was at a crossroads in life, and whose devotion to God was in dire need of being applied, and indeed, gracefully used.

Dark Horse was thoroughly trashed by the critics when it came out in 1974 and for years afterward; Rolling Stone's record guide was no kinder when their first edition came out in the early 80s.

But like fine wine and good whiskey, Harrison's entire catalogue and this album in particular have held up exceedingly well to my ears today. It's easy to see that the critics were small-minded, snobbish and wrong.

First, the critics were skeptical of Harrison's switch to A&M, which allowed him to run his own imprint and produce fine material by Splinter and others (when is this material coming out on cd?). Second, they were put off by Harrison's "preachy" hectoring about his religion and the problems of the world as Harrison saw them, which cut against the sex, drugs, and libertine lifestyle of L.A. and the music biz at that time. Third, they didn't care for Harrison's voice, which was shot due to a bad illness by the time many of these songs were cut and as he prepared for a tour of the United States. (Anyone who has heard the boot of George's performance in LA on his 1974 tour will know that, while the voice problems were very real, the alleged "hectoring" criticism was overblown and unfair.)

I don't see it in the music as I hear it today. The first song, an instrumental, rocks and serves as a perfect entree to the rest of the album. "Simply Shady" and "So Sad" bear some of Harrison's best slide work. I think if released today "So Sad" would be a blockbuster single. His pained and clever take on "Bye Bye Love," with lyrics changed to reflect Eric Clapton's romancing of Patty Boyd, provides an interesting glimpse on this tragic love affair when considered along with "Layla."

"Dark Horse" is the centerpiece, a wry pun on his shot voice but one of his better songs, an inspiring and encouraging message of hanging in there and prevailing at the end. I even like the song George claims to have written for Sinatra to sing, "Far East Man," an hilarious thought particularly if you imagine Joe Piscopo's Sinatra singing it. Throw in the Christmas single "Ding Dong Ding Dong" and you have a really solid George album that has stood the test of time.

This is a most underrated recording. While it won't make anyone's list of greats, Dark Horse contains a bevy of very fine songs. A sense of personal warmth really comes through here--not only in the songs themselves, but in the style they were recorded--as if you are in his house as they are played.

Dark Horse is mostly an album about the breakup of a marriage; all the songs on the first side cover this theme, as well as the second side's "Ding Dong" ("ring out the old, ring in the new!"). Despite the fragility of his voice, "Simply Shady" is, I believe, one of the best vocals he has ever done--sung with great feeling and sincerity. Guys who've been through the breakup of an important relationship may find words that speak to their feelings in "Simply Shady" and "So Sad."

"Bye Bye Love" is the only song that fails on this record; it starts out with great promise, rhythm guitar and synthesizer making a fine blend; but the song falls apart in the middle as George's newly written verses to this F&B Bryant classic don't follow its structure.

George has some crack musicians backing him here--roughly two groups: the L.A. Express (probably most noted as Joni Mitchell's band on "Court and Spark" as well as their own "Tom Cat") and a nucleus of Billy Preston, Willy Weeks and Andy Newmark. The latter combo, along with George and guitar, really hits a groove lick on "Maya Love"--reminding me that many great songs by Lennon, McCartney and (especially) Harrison were not recorded by the Beatles but instead were consigned to solo albums--with sometimes mixed results. But "Maya Love" and other songs here do not suffer for their musicianship.

"Ding Dong" is a Christmasy song and I always remember listening to this album in the winter (in the 70s and now). "It is He" (Jai Sri Krishna) is an infectious mantra, not unlike "My Sweet Lord" and the only overtly religious song on the album. "Far East Man." written with Ron Wood, strikes me as a very personal song--one might write about a close friend.

Those not already sold on George Harrison's music should certainly begin with "All Things Must Pass" but if you know you like his other stuff, "Dark Horse" should not be overlooked. It is arguably better than anything he put out later.

With All Things Must Pass, and Living In The Material World, George Harrison treated the world to a back-catalogue of material that was conceived while he was still in the Beatles, but never made it onto a Beatles album.

By the time Dark Horse came around, it sounds as though he were struggling to establish his own sound, separate from the Beatles, and it is apparent that (like the other Three) he needed them to complete his substantial gifts. It was only through the Dark Horse years, culminating with Cloud Nine, did he realize that his best music came when he embraced the Beatles legacy, instead of running from it (something that Paul McCartney finally figured out with Flowers In The Dirt, and that Ringo does better than anybody in his Mark Hudson records).

But, Dark Horse rates a three, only in comparison to Harrison's works (listed above), which are masterpieces. It is an album that I enjoy listening to regardless. I just would not recommend it to anybody.

Like a fool, I still cling to the notion that one day Harrison will be exonerated, that his talents will be seen for what they were, and that he stepped long out of the shadows of Lennon & McCartney as early as 1967. But I cannot get past people's perceptions, or their opinions, any easier today than yesterday. One day, Harrison may be seen for the true talent he was.

When this album was released, he was shat on from a great height. The negativity towards his work started here, and the complaints made about his spirituality, his songwriting talents, his voice, his choices, his notions and his place among his peers (Lennon & McCartney)helped make the man retreat from the public eye. Thanks Rolling Stone. Thanks NME. Some of the comments ignorant, some caustic, others seemingly vindictive, the press and media joined forces to make this man's life a living hell for picking up a guitar.

Its a shame as well, because one of George Harrison's best songs is on this album. "So Sad" is poignant and painful, but so beautiful. Many of the complaints made about this album is its obvious state of depression. Apparently, if you're going through pain and your a musician, you're not supposed to write about it.
It is one of the greatest things about "Dark Horse". It captures a moment in time when a man was very down, very hurt, but turns those things into beauty. "So Sad" captures that effortlessly. "Simply Shady" is a close runner-up, as is "Maya Love".

The complaints about his hoarseness have never really bothered me. To me, they add even more to his state of soul, and that the roughness of his voice only add more character to each track. Though "Ding Dong Ding Dong" does need a slightly cheerier vocal. But at this point the man could do no right in public minds. If he wrote spiritual songs he was knocked down for being preachy. When he wrote jovial, nonsense tunes, they were derided for being his worst songs. He could do nothing right.

In time, Harrison's work may be seen for how good it actually was. Of all the ex-Beatles I've found his work the most consistent, truest to the person's intents and drives, incredibly well crafted and recorded, and an amazing depth of perception in lyric and honesty. He stuck by what he said and didn't change his mind about his beliefs. Thats enough for me.

Dark Horse remains one of my top 5 favourite Harrison albums.
And is leagues better than most of Lennon & McCartney's work. I'm sorry, it just is. Someone said elsewhere on the net that Lennon was the brains, McCartney the talent, Starr the joy and Harrison the soul. When you lose your brains, your body can still function, when you lose your talent, you keep on living, when you lose your joy, there are other things, but what happens when you lose your soul?

I really can't believe more people don't consider Dark Horse one of George Harrison's best albums. Honestly, I think it's time to stop praising All Things Must Pass to the moon and start *really* listening to the albums he made after that one. George Harrison was WAY too good of a songwriter and emotional singer to care about only one of his albums, despite how much of a classic it might be.

Funny story- all these years I thought the song "Dark Horse" sounded so cool because George was deliberately giving the vocals a creepy dark feeling. Now I read he was actually having throat problems, so that sound was by total mistake! Interesting. Doesn't change the fact it's one of his best songs ever. Absolutely LOVE it. I remember the first week of 7th grade -BORED out of my mind because I hated school so much- and just singing this song to myself over and over.

"Hari's on Tour (Express)" is quite an instrumental that goes from jazz to hard rock, to just really good rock music. It's a memorable song for the way the song jumps around to different parts. It took me a couple plays to get into this one, I admit, and that's not really a flaw with the song- just my struggle getting into things the first time.

"Simply Shady" has some cool lyrics, and HIGHLY enjoyable vocals. Love the way the verse melody sounds dreamy (or drunk) and the chorus is really good too. "So Sad" is incredibly beautiful and emotional. Classic George Harrison. What a voice that man had.

"Ding Dong Ding Dong" is like a Christmas song, but I don't know if it's officially considered a Christmas song. According to a radio station that once played it, yeah, it is! "It Is "He" (Jai Sri Krishna)" kind of repeats that one chorus like crazy, but I don't care. It's melodic. The verse melody that occasionally pops up is really good too. "Bye Bye Love" is kind of forgettable though. But the rest of the album is great, so five stars is what I believe the album deserves.

Back in the early-1980s, while searching through a cabinet, I happened upon a bag full of cassettes that my dad used to have in his car but did not listen to any longer. One of the tapes in there (and there were many good ones) was this album by George Harrison, "Dark Horse". I was a huge Beatles fan, but to this point had never heard any of their solo albums, save for the few songs that were on the radio back then (i.e. "Ebony and Ivory", "Starting Over", "Woman", "All Those Years Ago", etc...)

So, it was with quite a bit of curiosity that I popped open the cassette case and threw it in the ol' tape deck. I had no expectations about this album, so I wasn't surprised that I liked most of the songs on it. My surprise actually came years later when I read that this record was universally panned on its release. Why surprise? Everything here is well played and even though George had laryngitis when recording this album, I really didn't give the scratchy nature of the vocals a second thought until it was pointed out to me. In fact, I like almost every song on this album, save for the version of "Bye Bye Love" which is in a minor key. The songs are catchy containing both jazzy inflections, and of course, the tremendous guitar playing of a certain Mr. Harrison.

Favorite songs here? I love the instrumental opener, "Hari's On Tour (Express)" with its jazz-fusion style and the great slide playing by George. "So Sad" is one of the best mellow songs I know - and it brings across the feeling of sadness very well, in a very plaintive, poignant way. The title track is extremely catchy and makes great use of the flute. Even the Jai Sri Krishna song at the end is very catchy - believe me, I'm no Hari Krishna, but I cannot help singing along with this tune. I suppose my absolute favorite song here is "Maya Love" which has a great driving rhythm to it...and makes great use of the electric piano (which, if you've read any of my reviews, is one of my favorite instruments...) and George's slide guitar. In fact, electric piano is used on many of the songs on this album, all to great effect - I believe (but am not sure) that it's Billy Preston playing that instrument.

As far as bad songs go, there are only really two clunkers in this bunch..."Ding Dong, Ding Dong" is one of them, and it isn't even that bad - it's just a bit silly. The other, and it's one of the worst things George Harrison has ever recorded (save for the entire "Extra Texture" album which is one of the worst things ever committed to vinyl) is his rendition, in a minor key, supposedly with backup vocals from Patti Harrison (his ex-wife) and her new found boyfriend, Eric Clapton (George's best friend...), of "Bye Bye Love". The song really does sound terrible.

All in all, however, this is actually a pretty nice album - I think it's one of George Harrison's two or three best (and I like most of his output as a solo artist). I'd say that there are six (of 10) really good songs, a couple of others which are pretty good and two which are pretty bad...Given that solidity, it is easy to give this album a solid 4 stars...RECOMMENDED - AN UNHERALDED CLASSIC ALBUM.

Almost from the day DARK HORSE was released, the critics shot it down, saying it was a shoddy performance, and George's voice was shot. True, George's voice wasn't in its best shape, what do the critics know? This is actually a very good album, (not as good as LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD, but let's not get technical) and has some classic George songs. "Simply Shady" and "Far East Man" are great songs. "So Sad" has three overdubbed guitars which makes it exceptionaly good. The only two sour notes are "Bye, Bye Love" (which musically is a different song than the Everly Brothers version), and "It Is 'He'," which we could be better off without. "Ding Dong, Ding Dong," is a great under-rated holidays song. This CD doesn't have the big orchestral arrangements of George's two previous studio efforts, and the only song his voice is really shot is "Dark Horse." To give the critics their due, George's music HAD become really preachy at this point. Fans of ALL THINGS MUST PASS may pass up this release, but it is truly a great album.

Who cares that it was not so graciously received by professional critics when it first came out... If you are a Harrison fan, you will want this cd. If you are interested because of his unfortunate passing, this is not the place to start (go for the gusts and get 'All things must pass'!). Once you have been hooked, then come back to this cd for the four or five great songs and the other ok songs. Though his voice is a little rough sounding on 'Dark Horse', it is the best song on here. 'Maya Love' and 'Sad Song' are also top notch. Hopefully, his cd's will get a remastering and bonus track treatment and where are those Traveling Wilbury cd's!!!!

This album has been criticized over the years, largely because of the terrible condition of George's voice, but most of the songs are quite solid. The backing musicians are stellar as usual with Clapton, etc. too. The only song here that isn't that great is the uninteresting Far East Man. You can also ignore the review on this page that says "he would never be able to equal the success of Lennon and Mccartney". That person really needs a dose of All Things Must Pass as soon as possible.