Customer Reviews

Electronic Sound

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

When it comes to the so-called 'synthesizer wizards', one would not usually think of Beatle George as being one of them. For a brief time in 1969 however, he was just that. Following a recording session for Apple artist Jackie Lomax, George expressed a high interest in what was then a relavtively new instrument. Immediately following this, he purchased a Moog synthesizer and assembled "Electronic Sound". Shortly afterwards, The Beatles were using the Moog for the sessions which became the "Abbey Road" album.
Originally released in May 1969 on the Zapple label, "Electronic Sound" was dismissed as uncommercial rubbish. Over 30 years after its original release, it's amazing to see just how far ahead of its time this album really is.
"Under The Mersey Wall" is the first of the two tracks which comprise this album. It begins with a series of racecar-like noises and various other sounds. At about the half-way mark, the piece shifts into a surreal meditative mood which floats like a strange unknown planet.
"No Time Or Space" is a 25-minute masterwork which goes all over the place. There has been a long-running controversy surrounding this piece. Synth-pioneer Bernie Krause has claimed in numerous publications that it was he, not George, who created this track. Indeed, Krause is credited as an assistant on this track but it is still a mystery as to who is actually creating the noises on this track. Either way, there is no denying that this piece is extraordinary. It begins with what sounds like a plethora of shotgun blasts. This then transforms into a series squaks, squeals and bursts of white noise. After several minutes of this, a giant galeforce wind of white noise comes in which leads into roughly 15-minutes worth of what sounds like aliens taking over a galaxy in a sci-fi cartoon. As the piece draws to its close, the chaotic space sounds turn into random belches, farts and crackles (No kidding). Then it's all over.
I must say that I was ecstatic when I found my original vinyl copy of "Electronic Sound". When it was made available on CD, I jumped at the opportunity as well. This is a genuine Beatles collectors item. If you only like George's melodic stuff and don't have an ear for experimental music, you may want to skip over this one. However, if you're a die-hard Beatle fan/collector and love something out of the ordinary, check this one out.
Electronic music has certainly grown and matured over years as well as the technology being used to create it. It certainly is fascinating to add George Harrison to the list of many musicians who helped pioneer the genre when it was just starting. Little did George know that we would have an evergrowing list of artists building upon what he did back in 1969.

OK, we all know what this album is, right? For the benefit of those who don't already know, this album was originally released in 1969 and was George Harrison's experiment with nothing more than a moog synthesizer. It's not what you'd call "music"...as the title suggests, it is "sound." That does not mean that it's in the same category as John Lennon's "Revolution 9" or his other experiments, however. This is 40-some minutes of sound created with a moog synthesizer--there are no vocals or voices in it whatsoever. You will also not hear any of George's guitar talent or even any actual rhythms.
This is a good album to listen to if you need some far-out background sound for whatever reason. You will not be able to memorize this like you would with regular songs, so the album sounds almost new every time you listen to it. If you like more modern industrial music, you might really enjoy this album, if not solely for its historical signifigance.
Listening tip: Wear headphones or have your speakers on either side of you to get that nice "surround" effect. Many of the sounds jump from side to side and it's much more exciting to listen to this way (as is pretty much anything recorded back when stereo was still a new thing).

Other people have given this LP negative reviews, but they obviously 1. Haven't listened to it close enough, or 2. Have no idea what experimental/avant garde music is all about. For anyone who ever bought Coil or Nurse With Wound albums, you will love this. I only give it a four star rating, because the 'art of noise' has come a long way since 1969. If you're just getting into this kind of music, I recommed starting with Nurse With Wound's "Thunder Perfect Mind," or ELpH vs. Coil's "Worship The Glitch," then move on to this. Sure, it's not like the rest of your George Harrison collection, but it is a wonderful LP and a lot of fun to listen to.

What would be the one album I would take to a deserted island? "Electronic Sound" by George Harrison. Made up of only two cuts...over 40 minutes long...and PURE NOISE. Then why do I love this recording? I love Progressive Rock, and George Harrison took it to the extreme.

Should you buy it? Yes! It is Non-Music at it's finest. Can I tell you what it sounds like? No! And you will hear why.

...Although his first instrumental solo album, '68's brilliant "Wonderwall" (mostly Indian music) could be called avant-garde by some, it is his second solo effort "Electronic Sound" (1969) which is truly of that genre. Given a Moog synthesizer, Harrison proceeded to record whatever sounds he managed to emit from it. It's not exactly music, but then again it is. Don't expect to hear any singing or lyrics or actual melodies, and you should enjoy this disc for it's sheer boldness. I like some avant-garde and of course I love Harrison, so this has always been a disc I appreciate immensely. It is CERTAINLY better than those three avant-whatever albums John and Yoko dumped on the public at around the same time. So while Beatles fans need those cd's as well to complete their collections, "Electronic Sound" is more than that. It is a surprising gem; George never released a bad record, and this is no exception.

If you are about to begin a collection of the solo output of the Beatles, this is not the place to start. This album was originally released in 1969 on the Zapple label (a subsidiary of Apple, which only released two albums) as an experiment in sound. It is George Harrison tinkering on a Moog synthesizer for three quarters of an hour. It does get old. I have this in my collection only for the sake of having a complete collection, and for that, it is essential. Understand, however, that I have listened to the CD once (the same is true for my original vinyl copy). If you want everything Beatles or George Harrison, buy it. If you want to listen to George Harrison's music, start with the absolutely brilliant ALL THINGS MUST PASS.

With nearly 44 minutes of ambient music, George Harrison explores the emerging potential of the Moog synthesizer in producing atmospheric sounds.

Released on May 9, 1969, on the Zapple label - with the cover art by Harrison - the two numbers, Under the Mersey Wall and No Time or Space, are pop art at its most impressionistic, with an assist by Bernie Krause on the latter.

Harrison forged an incomplete path with the synthesizer as a solo instrument - abandoning the release of such experiments - but it was sonic satisfaction, nonetheless.

Of course this is no masterpiece, and of course it lacks the very structured or meditative approach that makes electronic music interesting listening. All reviewers say Harrison played with a Moog, but the result is (acoustically) not very much different from electronic music of the fifties. He tries to make a soundscape that was radically different from his Beatles songs. At least George Harrison was very honest in his experiments (whereas Lennon was simply arrogant), and the cover makes it clear that he considered his music as a play. It makes an interesting journey in sound thought, and much more intuitive and organic than you would think at your first listen. If you don't like things like "Gesang der Jünglinge" by Stockhausen, you won't like this one, but if you do, you'll find a really surprising aspect of this multisided band that was the Beatles.

This is not a top ten lp or something you'll fined on the charts, It's just george playing at home on his new toy.

I have all Georges work on cd and I think this has to be one of the best, I love it I know its not like any of his other stuff not even Wonderwall Music. But its just two long crazy synthesizer songs, and I just think its great that someone so good at a guitar would make an album so different.