Customer Reviews

Harrison (Editors of Rolling Stone)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike nearly every other book on George Harrison, this is of the highest quality & doesn't wander off into gossipy corridors. George's memory is well-served by the book's mature analysis of his wonderful music and its respectful portrayal of George as a human being. I feel compelled to say that when I heard of George's passing, I was extremely upset. Not only was George an amazing songwriter and guitarist, he was also (from what I gather) an extremely gentle person. The world is a much poorer place due to his departure.

The book is finely illustrated with many rare pictures; I was delighted that it didn't gloss over George's neglected solo career. Another particular delight is the introduction penned by Mrs. Harrison. Like her husband, Mrs. Harrison is a very dignified, articulate person and I wish her the very best. Pictures of George's son (who looks just like him, by the way) are also included. Thank you for the music, George.

After the passing of this great musician, there were a lot of tributes to harrison...This book is an expanded hardcover edition of the magazine tribute to Harrison, by the editors of Rolling Stone...i still cherish the copy of the magazine i purchased last year..so far i think it's one of the better tributes i've seen thus far...this book has even more...
and is an absolute delight...perhaps what made me pick this volume up right away was the forward by olivia Harrison...it contains so far from what i've read her most in-depth thoughts about her husband...she has some amusing short ancedotes to tell, specially about harrison whistling disliked tunes to see if he could get them into his her head before finding another tune...also she writes about her husband's last unfinished recordings, left on every tape machine in the house...hopefully she will share these recordings with the world one day...a world which needs music of harrison's calibre more than ever now...picking up this book was special for me...it is full of photos, some of which i've never seen before...there is a rare family photo-harrison and olivia were a nice looking couple, and more so in their later years; they look so close to one another...and over the years olivia proved herself to be just as brave as she was beautiful...
...what brings my rating down a notch is i would have liked to see more in depth reviews of harrison's solo work. Also i must confess that i'm a bit tired of seeing beatle photos (there are plenty of volumes with those on the shelves, including the mammoth beatles anthology-which is an excellent source for harrison fans as well), i would have preferred a volume that would have shown more photos of solo harrison; although i should not complain; so far this is the best volume that a harrison fan pick up. I often turn through the pages whilst listening to his music...personally, i would love to see a book written by olivia harrison-her writing style is very appealing..perhaps an update of " i me mine' would be nice, covering the dark horse years from her perspective...alot went on afterwards- "all those years ago"...

Harrison is a coffee table book put out by the editors of Rolling Stone as a tribute to the late Beatles guitarist. What you have here is mostly pictures but there is text in the form of a short biography that scans over George's whole career. It features photographs from the 60s when Beatlemania was at its height and even offers commentary by the people who took those pictures. It also has pictures of his post Beatle career. It also has musical documentation of all of Harrison's output on his and other artist recordings. All of his interviews in Rolling Stone magazine are compiled in this book.

The picture of George that emerges after reading this book is of a man who ideally lives his life according to certain religious precepts but nevertheless has to live in the material world. Left to himself, George would have painted himself as a purely spiritual being. The pettiness of the Beatles in their breakup and how shamefully they all acted, including George himself, shows that no divine being can exist in human flesh. It seems he was always conflicted between being an entertainer and being somewhat of a divine monk. I don't think he ever reconciled the two.

An especially poignant moment is when an interviewer asks him about his relationship with John Lennon right before he was shot to death. George says that he felt John was trying to reconnect with him. He went to see him in New York and he could tell John wanted so badly to restart a relationship with him but because of his circumstances, probably Yoko's possessiveness of him, he could not communicate what he wanted to say.

It was also apparent that time heals most wounds and that George was at peace with his Beatles past, a past which at one time he hated. He seemed resentful that all his life was judged by a span of 7 short years. Remember, he was only 27 years old at the time the Beatles broke up. Paradoxically, he missed his old band, just like John, Paul, and Ringo did. Beneath all their spats in later years, they knew they had a good situation. They were the best band on the planet.

I must challege Candace Scott's remark in her review :

"But it's a stretch, to put it mildly, to place Harrison in the same league as Lennon & McCartney as a songwriter. Ouch! I love George as much as anyone, but still expect truthful history to be written"

I agree, George should not be placed in the same league as Lennon & McCartney because he was totally in his own league ! What is Candace making the comparison to here ? It was George, partially inspred by Pattie, his first wife, who led the other Beatles into the rich Vedic culture of spiritual India that inspired so many of their finest musical and lyrical masterpieces.

So in that context, the "truthful history to be written", is that George was even partially responsible for some of the finest compopsitions of Lennon and McCartney.George gave great emphasis to the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, as in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, as found in "My Sweet Lord", and "It Is He ( Sri Krishna )", which is the ultimate function of music, according to the ancient wise sages, gurus and spiritual masters . This Krishna mantra has helped millions of people to give up harmful drugs, animal killing, etc...How many song-writers are doing that with their music today ? George was the innovator, to turn scripture into pop songs. He was divinely empowered and had the integrity to do this, not caring if he was "fab" to the eyes of the masses, unlike anyone before him.

To minimize George's ability as a song writer in anyway only helps to disclose one's own superficiality, and lack of spiritual consciousness.

George's songs overflow with essential messages of the futility and temporality of things material, such as "All Things Must Pass", the dangers of becoming too materially attached "Beware of Darkness" , the concern for living in harmony with this planet "Save The World", etc...

In "Isn't It A Pity", George gives the essence of spirituality, by prompting us to develop equal vision and gratitude toward all beings, including animals :

"Some things take so long

But how do I explain

When not too many people

Can see we're all the same

And because of all their tears

Their eyes can't hope to see

The beauty that surrounds them

Isn't it a pity

I was very disappointed by Candace Scott's inabiity to see that "beauty that surrounds her" and lack of gratitude towards the very substantial and deep contribution George made through his music in transforming the lives of millions of people. I went on to become a Hare Krishna monk over thirty years ago because of his music, and devoted the best years of my life to feeding free vegetarian meals to tens of thousands of people, helping others off drugs, and so many other volunteer activities.

George Harrison is my first guru, and awareness of his contribution to the upliftment of the world will only increase as time goes by. Please read this book for it's deeper purpose.
gaura_acbsp@yahoo.com

If you love George Harrison, you will love this book. It contains excerpts from the people who knew George best, along with many great photos. A must-have for any Beatles fan!

Having been a "LLOG" (Lifetime Lover of George)I have read plenty about him. In general, his music is the best way to get to know George: it is unique, multi-textured, honest, witty, loving and spiritual. However, for reasons I certainly can't fathom, generally his post-Beatles work (with about two exceptions) got no respect!
Of course I loved the photos, but in my opinion the written tributes from his wife, Olivia, and his friends/fellow musicians are what sets this book apart. Paul Simon's is particularly descriptive: I felt as though I was visiting Friar Park (the Harrison's home in England) right along with him; walking through George's beloved gardens, sitting in front of the fire, listening to an impromptu ukelele concert, receiving a thoughtful surprise upon returning home to the U.S. "He wasn't particularly quiet, he just didn't DEMAND to be heard." Beautifully put. (Note to Paul Simon: you just might have a second career there; I would buy your first novel!)
This is also a great book for aspiring guitarists, as it gives mini-descriptions of particularly noteworthy ("Essential") Harrison performances, illustrating the subtleties and unusual but brilliant choices George made (at times even innovative or ground breaking) musically. People who previously believed that Lennon and McCartney were the ONLY geniuses in the Beatles will re-think that belief after reading this section particularly: they might even listen for certain passages in certain songs and think, "YEAH, WOW! That IS amazing!" They might give George's solo work (besides "All Things Must Pass") a listen and be pleasantly surprised. But we "LLOGs" have heard and appreciated the subtle brilliance of George Harrison all along.
This book is a must-have for any George Harrison or Beatles fan, or any guitar or rock history aficionado.

One could easily get the impression that this book was written by Olivia Harrison but that is not the case. While she wrote the foreword the rest of the book is from Rolling Stone magazine. The biography is short but good and the rest of the book is filled with photos, reprints of Rolling Stone articles and a discography. As other reviewers have noted, this is a coffee-table-book on George Harrison. What it is not is a biography of Harrison written by his wife.

This book is a true gem. It is sure to delight all readers from inveterate Beatles' fans to people becoming familiar with the indelible stamp the Beatles left upon the world at large.

The illustrations add to this masterpiece. The interviews by people who knew George Harrison personally are what makes this book so effective in reaching its intended audience. Each individual's voice rings clear and pure; one gets a sense of each person and how they were touched and influenced by George Harrison.

To the editors' credit, this book does not languish during the Beatle years; instead, it picks up speed immediately and maintains an even keel throughout the late artist's life. I like the way the songs are discussed and the influences that guided and created them.

This book is a sterling work. I highly and heartily recommend it.

I don't have much more to add from other reviews--they all express my sentiments about this book. I'd just like to jump on the bandwagon and urge Olivia Harrison to write her own book about George. Of all the essays, I thought hers was the most articulate and insightful. I relish reading what she has written. However, I appreciate the glimpses into George's character offered by his friends. Although all of the messages about George's character and his music stressed similar strengths and gifts, each one offered unique facets. A book to be read repeatedly and cherished.

Harrison has everything other biographies of him don't: More than a hundred photos(early days, Beatle days, solo career, and never before seen family photos), tributes by close friends who knew him, and a foreward written by his widow, Olivia Harrison(it's a beautiful foreward. She should write a bio on George. It's that good). This is for those who wasted their money on Marc Shapiro's biography, Behind Sad Eyes.