Customer Reviews

Gone Troppo

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The least assuming and least pretentious of the former Beatles probably had the best sense of humor, especially about himself. From the liner notes of both 1974's DARK HORSE (Get THIS: "Be kindly Wanderer through this Garden's ways. Nor let Thine indignation prompt thy Hand to cast Revengeful Stones. Because perchance an Imperfection Thou hast found. Some flower laid low or wan; Some tree Bearing no Fruit; Some scene o'erwrought; Some theme thy whim abhors, Some strange defect, Thy skill would ne'er let be, The Gardener wiled to make his Garden fair, Most for thy Pleasure.") and 1975's EXTRA TEXTURE ("OHNOTHIMAGEN" [oh not him again!]), and now the opening of GONE TROPPO ("Here I go again - Hear that knockin'? Won't you let me in?") (And later, his association with the Monty Python crowd.)

Of course, like ex-bandmates John and Paul, George was portioned out way more than his fair share of criticisms. Reviewers, as well as a good deal of the public in general, treated them all unfairly for failing to continue to be the Beatles. And though Macca bore the lion's share (and continues to for being so "pop"-py), George did not escape the break-up backlash. And this after the Mega-hit debut ALL THINGS MUS PASS (a mostly dark and forboding collection of songs) and the Grandaddy of Benefit Concert Albums THE CONCERT FOR BANGLA DESH. While his continued faith in Hinduism alienated him from many former fans, it mystically colored much of his music in many ways since 1966.

So . . . after a decade-long lifetime as a "Beatle," and nine solo albums of increasingly unjustified scathing critical reviews, GONE TROPPO was released in 1982 (Let's see, 10 albums, or 14 vinyl records, in 12 years - I guess he hadn't really dropped off the face of the earth after all.) Most people don't even know this album existed. The LP was released with absolutely no promotion whatsoever due to some record distribution company's impending backruptcy.

And so, at the height of one of the biggest musical voids in music history (Check this out - Billboard Magazine's top hits of 1982 were: 1. I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Joan Jett; 2. Ebony and Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder; 3. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor; 4. Centerfold - J. Geils Band; 5. Maneater - Hall and Oates; 6. Jack & Diane - John Cougar; 7. Don't You Want Me - Human League; 8. Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes; 9. Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band; 10. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago; 11. Truly - Lionel Ritchie; 12. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Hall and Oates; 13. Mickey - Toni Basil; 14. Who Can It Be Now? - Men at Work; and 15. Chariots Of Fire - Vangelis), George Harrison quietly releases THE HAPPIEST AND CATCHIEST ALBUM OF HIS SOLO CAREER. All songs (except the original closing song "Circles") are in major keys and up-tempo. All are tasteful, well-crafted, melodic, and beautifully performed, especially those with acoustic guitar in them. All of the songs fit together in a cohesive fashion album-wise. This album is much like finding a small TREASURE CHEST.

All-in-all this is an EXCELLENT album, and George largely avoids a the Krishna mysticism that bothers many people (I don't think there's even one sitar on the album)

Had this album been released by any other non-Beatle singer/songwriter/musician it would have heralded word-of-mouth acclaim. But George's career had always been saddled with the baggage of being an ex-Beatle, and the weird one to boot (Actually, John was REALLY "out there," but that's another story).

This is the least succesful album (in terms of sales and critics) of the 5 George Harrison albums that were re-released in the CD/DVD boxed set The Dark Horse Years in 2004. The reason is pretty clear, as there was almost no promotion whatsoever for this release, and thus only hardcore Beatles/Harrison fans did have the chance to buy and listen to this music. And some of the people who actually did find a time to listen and review it, found it a little over the top in production terms, and somehow lirically weak, too.

I can't honestly say that this is my favorite Harrison album, and I don't think it's amongst his best work either. I do believe, anyhow, that some of the criticisms that people have expressed over the years are somehow unjustified. While the production leaves a lot to be desired, especially because of the overuse of synthesisers, the songs remain, in a vast majority, being works of high quality, most of the times joined by excellent work in the vocal harmonies. The opening track (and single) from the album "Wake Up My Love" is a perfect showcase of that duality: the synthesisers conform the body of the musical work that puts a base to the tune, that exactly because of them seems so badly aged in these years; but when you listen to the passion of the vocals (almost never before heard in Harrison's previous work) and the fantastic lyrics that speak about the despair and disappointment in the search for the true meaning of one's life, you just can't ignore the fact that it's a great song. So I think it would have worked with a slightly different approach.

But then again the great songs sort of compensate the excesses in the works of the synthesisers: "That's The Way It Goes" is a very interesting social comment that went underrated and forgotten for a long time until Joe Brown did a precious version of it in the Concert For George CD/DVD (2004); "Greece" is a beautiful semi-instrumental with very Monty-Pythonesque lyrics ("Yugo to Slavia / Half past Armenia...") that go almost unheard in the mix, but the strumming of the electric and slide guitars are just sublime and a proof that Harrison was an expert in these instrumentals (remember that "Marwa Blues" won a Grammy in 2004); "Circles" was, originally a psychedelic demo from the era of The Beatles (and can be found in various bootleg sources), and it's now become, with this new interpretation, a classic in its own right, a precious reflective track about people's personalities and the obvious cycles that this search represents in itself, discovering that not everything is what it seems ("he who knows does not speak / he who speaks does not know"); and "Unknown Delight" deals, in its surface, with the joyful arriving of a son, and the gorgeous light that brings to a mature man and his lovely wife; but it's also a great song about the chances of finding coherence and trascendental thoughts in the everyday phenomena ("God has given you the key / To the hearts of everyone / That comes in sight of you").

Another paragraph deserves what's possibly the best song on the album, the autobiographical "Mystical One" ("They say I'm not what I used to be" reminds one of "I hear how some people have said that I've changed", the first verse of the 1973 tune "The Light That Has Lighted The World"), which precious italian-like arrangements (mandolines) and possibly the one and only song in which the production does a job of improving an already good track (we can hear the demo as a bonus track in this new edition) and taking it to a superior level, because here the use of those amounts of production is perfectly justified by the happy tone of the composition. Same can be said, even though in a slightly inferior level, about the title track, which invents yet again in strange languages, nice imageries about being holiday and 'not really caring' about the world (the industry), which is perhaps what Harrison felt when he was giving away this album ("Plant me in de Helicona / No thank meeting de peoples"). So when one listens to this song and other festive tracks in this relaxed album one truly understands what's this about.

Because in none other album a song like "I Really Love You" (which is not even SUNG by George Harrison, but by a chorus of four or five people in which he's in, and in which the most notorious voice is that of baritone Willie Greene) would sound just right in place. It's sort of a joyful throwaway and not much more than that; or the WAY overproduced "Dream Away", the playful song that belongs to the Time Bandits movie would be a highlight with these arrangements. Even the weakest track in here ("Baby Don't Run Away", to my understanding, one of the worst ballads that George ever wrote) finds some cohesion in terms of sounding and the projection of relaxed feelings - in the way of providing a small 'concept' for this album.

Overall the listening of the CD, especially in its remastered form, is a fantastic treat to one's ears, be it because of the great songs ("Unknown Delight", "That's The Way It Goes", "Mystical One"); the fantastic lyrics hidden underneath ("Wake Up My Love", "Circles", "Greece", "Dream Away"), or even because of those funny throwaways ("Gone Troppo", "I Really Love You"). The experience of coming from 1979's George Harrison (a gem in which every song was carefully thought and featured precious arrangements in most cases), to this should have been a letdown back in the day... just like coming from this to 1987's Cloud Nine was THE huge comeback that George Harrison experienced. But this serves to demonstrate that, even in his supposedly 'worst' musical times, he was capable of writing quality material and recording it to build an enjoyable listening experience... even if he didn't want to promote it later.

"Gone Troppo" remained Harrison's parting shot for a long time. It's not his finest album but does feature a number of under rated songs that have been overlooked by fans and critics. The opening tracks "Wake Up My Love" and "That's The Way That It Goes" provide a one-two punch with nicely arranged quality songs. Although the sythesizers and production sound a bit dated now, that only adds to the charm of both songs.

"Gone Troppo" with its lilting melody and "Mystical One" represent two other stand out moments on the disc. While much of the material isn't as inspired as the best moments on the preceding two albums ("George Harrison" and the hit album "Somewhere in England" that features "All Those Years Ago")

There's only one bonus track the demo for "Mystical One" which is a surprise given the wealth of material available on bootleg. It would have made sense to include various other demos but, perhaps, that's waiting for another boxed set. Regardless, hardcore Harrison fans will appreciate the fine remastered sound and nicely done 12 page booklet for the CD reissue.

Has the hectic pace of your life got you down and depressed? No time to take off to a tropic island for two weeks and wash the stress out of your life with sunshine, palm trees and drinks served in coconut shells? No problem ~ George has got you covered. Pop "Gone Troppo" into your player, and let the music take you away to a place where the biggest worries in life are sunburn and sand in your shoes.

No, it is not all steel drums and island rhythms, although there is some of that, especially on the title track. But mostly, this is just George Harrison relaxing with his friends and having a good time making beautiful music. The vibe is downright tropical. The overall production of the album is crisp and refreshing. The cover art is quirky and fun.

Highlights are many and include the doo-wop "I Really Love You" and a swaying instrumental called "Greece". "Wake Up My Love" opens the album with a bouncing beat, sound effects, synthesizers, and excellent slide guitar work. The harmonics banish negative feelings at the speed of light. "That's The Way it Goes" takes things down a notch, with a methodical rejection of the obsessive materialism of western culture that drags us down like a ball and chain.

What? You mean money and success are not important? Well, for the man who wrote "Something" and spent "all those years" as a Beatle, success and money are a given, at least so far as I can see. Yet it is impossible to comment on this album without replying to the trashing it took by the critics. It was widely reported that George Harrison was a "has been" and that this album was awful. To them, let me answer with George's own words, undoubtedly "borrowed" from his eastern teachings; "he who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know" ~ or with my own more confrontational style; your fake tan is fading and your shoes are too tight.

Why wasn't this successful? Gone Troppo is a pure pleasure to listen to. Much stronger than Somewhere In England, Gone Troppo and the album George Harrison are probably the two most underrated Beatles solo discs. While the George Harrison album did quite well in the charts, Gone Troppo was a major commercial flop. To quote Willie Greene in "I Really Love You": why, why?

Gone Troppo spotlights George's many talents. It has melody aplenty: "Mystical One," "Unknown Delight," "That's The Way It Goes," "Greece" & the title track are full of the memorable melodies that were characteristic of Mr. Harrison. "Circles" is a haunting song in the manner of the classics off of Living In The Material World. "Wake Up My Love," although bogged down by period synths, features some of Harrison's most powerful singing. George's fantastic guitar stylings are present throughout.

The only bummer tune on Troppo is the meandering "Baby Don't Run Away." "Dream Away" and "I Really Love You" are a little lightweight, but still tuneful. "Mystical One," "Unknown Delight," "That's The Way It Goes," and "Circles" are among the best in George's catalogue. The bonus "Mystical One" demo is a very interesting take. It hints of a certain sadness that is missing entirely on the album cut.

If anybody was looking for the sound track for the movie classic "Time Bandits"...it was never released..BUT; the closing song from the movie is on this album and is an underated classic !!! Peace & Love !!!

This is "Gonne Troppo", which is considered George Harrison's worst album ever. In fact, this album s great! Features many memorable songs: "That's the way it goes", "I really love you", "Wake up my love" and "Greece". The other albums released by "Dark horse records" are even better, though. If you don't want to buy this album, try "All things must pass", "33 and 1/3", "George Harrison", "Somewhere in England", "Cloud nine" or "Live in Japan" instead. Therefore, this is a very good album, but not one of his very best solo efforts.
Thanks for reading, again.

You know I have gone through my old vinyl copy of this album and have yet to find any of it's ten songs to be bad.
So critics my have dismissed this in '82 but IT'S BEEN REISSUED
has it not?There's a reason-tunes like the lightly New Wave
inflected "Wake Up My Love" genuinely bring the quiet Beatle into the 1980's while "I Really Love You" harkens but to the
50's doo-wop era of yore with good humor and zest.George's
instrumental "Greece" really point to how great a guitarist
he is too-simple,echonomical and very melodic."Dream Away" is
a tune from the fun and recommended flick 'Time Bandits' and is
a nice pop singalong.And as for the rest?Can't complain but I simply don't have th space to detail every song but I could.
This is a must have Harrison record and alot more musically
important in Beatle lore then any chart statistics let on.

This is a great album for Harrison fans that appreciate that Harrison had a fun loving side and did not just write dirges as critics procliamed when they fell asleep after the "Dark Horse" album. This is an album that has several upbeat tunes such as
"Wake Up my Love" and songs that are just a fun enjoyment like "I Really Love You" that features a deep barritone solo with Harrison and back up singers singing in support that make it sound like a tropical 50's rock tune that is truly fun. "Baby Don't Run Away" features Harrison teaming up with a beatiful female voice that works and harmonizes well with Harrison and takes the edge of his somewhat traditional wail. This is Harrison obviously enjoying himself with his friends making an album he enjoyed without worrying about commercial success. Its not "All Things" but its another turn in an artist's life that makes it unique and since it didn't have much commercial success, its a treat to listen to and own.

'Gone Troppo' has always been one of my favorite George Harrison albums. It's also usually overlooked, probably due to the absence of any promotion or publicity at its time of release in 1982.

There's a very fun and positive (not to mention, tropical) vibe running through most of the album, which makes it a blissful listening experience. I like hearing George in a happy mood, and the title track along with "I Really Love You," "Greece" and "Dream Away" are perfect examples of his upbeat and playful side. There's also the profound "Circles," which originally stemmed from the Beatles White Album era, but was never recorded by the band.

The remastered edition contains the original artwork in all it's glory (including the infamous cement recipe), and one bonus track -- a gentle demo of "Mystical One," with George on an acoustic guitar.

Highly recommended to anyone who might have missed this gem the first time around. It was here that the seeds were planted for his 1987 masterpiece, 'Cloud Nine.'