Let It Roll - Songs Of George Harrison [+digital booklet]

George Harrison | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 15, 2009
• Release Date: June 15, 2009
• Label: Capitol
• Copyright: (C) 2009 Umlaut Corporation/EMI Records Ltd This label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved. (C) 2009 EMI Records Ltd
• Total Length: 1:17:26
• Genres:
  • Pop
• ASIN: B002BAWIWU
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,620 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

232 of 250 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great collection of Songs By George Harrison June 16, 2009

By KV Trout

Format:Audio CD

George's widow Olivia had a lot of input into the selection of songs on this album, and it's a good set of songs. Many hard core fans believe this collection should have been a 2 cd set, and should have included songs like "Crackerbox Palace", "Bangla Desh" and "This Song". But, be that as it may, "Let It Roll" is a solid collection of Harrisongs, remastered by Giles Martin, and that's good enough for me.

It may have been helped by the remastering, because the lead song of this new collection (from his "Cloud 9" album) "Got My Mind Set On You" sounds better than ever to me, here. One of the three Harrison #1 singles represented here, this one went to #1 in the U.S. in January of 1988. This was, by the way, the last song by any solo Beatle (up to now, anyway) to go to #1 in the U.S..

"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" was the 2nd Harrison single to go to #1 in the U.S. (June 1973) and features an amazing backup band of Ringo, Klaus Voorman, Gary Wright, Jim Keltner and Nicky Hopkin. One of George's best songs, simple and direct.

"Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" was one many great songs from George's "All Things Must Pass" 3-lp set which went to #1 in at least half a dozen countries in 1970. Sir Frank Crisp was the former owner of George's home in the U.K. and Mr. Crisp was somewhat of an eccentric and carved sayings into statues and stones around the estate, which apparently gave George great delight. This song is one of the most memorable from "All Things Must Pass" and is a good lead-in to another of George's #1 Hits, "My Sweet Lord".

"My Sweet Lord" is probably George's signature song for various reasons. For one thing, it was his first #1 single, topping the charts all over the world.... But more importantly, I think, to George was that this song represented a spiritual philosophy and spiritual journey that began in 1965 when he met his friend and guru Ravi Shankar who introduced him to Hindu philosophy. The song celebrates God in His many forms, as George chants "Hallelujah!" and "Hare Krishna!" This represents an eclectic approach to spirituality that lasted throughout his life. George believed that by chanting the names of the Lord one could eventually come to know God directly, and this song was an attempt to share that with his fans.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is represented here by a live version recorded at the famous Concert For Bangladesh. This was a benefit concert that George organized to help provide necessities for refugees from East Pakistan, after Ravi Shankar asked George's advice on what might be done for these suffering people. George quickly pitched in by organizing the first concert of its kind ever in the world, a rock concert organized specifically for the purpose of raising money to help an important cause. This song features Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Ringo Starr playing live at that concert. While this is not the best version of the song (you'll find that where it was originally performed by George with his band mates, on The Beatles' "white album".) this is a soulful version that features some great guitar playing by George and Eric Clapton.

"All Things Must Pass" is of course the title track of that album, and represents George at his most philosophical. Reassuring us that "sunset doesn't last all evening / a mind could blow those clouds away" the song isn't just about sadness or pain, it indeed points out that ALL THINGS pass away. George sings, "none of life's strings can last", so the implication is that God, Love, or Enlightenment (depending on how you care to see it) is the only thing that can really endure.

"Any Road" is from George's posthumously released album, "Brainwashed" from 2002, but this song was originally written at the time of his "Cloud 9" album. It's a bouncy little ditty about life.

"This Is Love" was co-penned by George's friend, band mate, and sometimes producer, Jeff Lynne, and has a happy pop feel to it, just a nice little song about Love with a capital L.

"All Those Years Ago" is from George's lesser known "Somewhere In England" album, and is his tribute to former band mate and life-long friend, John Lennon. It features Ringo on drums and Paul and Linda McCartney on backing vocals, and it reached #2 on the charts in the U.S.. A beautiful lyric, he speaks glowingly of his recently murdered friend: "You were the one who Imagined it all / All those years ago." It has a bouncy and very nice production.

"Marwa Blues" is an instrumental from "Brainwashed" and features probably the best slide guitar playing of George's career. His guitar beautifully and gently weeps here, and the song needs no words. You can hear the influence of Ravi Shankar here, though it is in no way overtly an "Indian" tune. This song was awarded a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental.

"What is Life", the 2nd single released from the "All Things Must Pass" album, reached #10 on the U.S. charts. With a catchy guitar riff and a can't-get-it-out-of-my-head, upbeat melody, this was one of the more popular tracks from George's first solo release.

"Rising Sun" is another song from "Brainwashed" and is a perfect example of his writing about his life-long spiritual quest. Featuring George's son Dhani's perfect performance on the Wurlitzer, this represents one of the best songs from the album he was just finishing up when he made what he hoped would be his final journey, the journey to return to All That Is, God, Light, Love, Krishna, Enlightenment or whatever you choose to call It/Him/Her.

"When We Was Fab" is George's remembrance of the crazy days of being one of the world's most famous pop stars. He grew weary of Beatlemania very early on, back in 1965 or so, and this song is about that period. From "Cloud 9" the song was released as a single and reached the Top 30 but it is a favorite among fans, for its Beatles-related content and humorous and inventive music-video (not included here, but available on "The Dark Horse Years" box set).

"Something" is another track from the Bangladesh benefit and though not as eloquently produced and polished as the original Beatles recording from "Abbey Road", it does feature some excellent live guitar work and vocals with a nice arrangement for "big band rock and roll".

"Blow Away" is from the "George Harrison" album and it was a Top 20 hit in the U.S. and Canada in 1979. In an era when disco and punk music were the most popular genres, it was a breath of fresh air with it's simplicity and sweet lyrics: "All I got to do is to love you / All I got to be is, be happy / All it's got to take is some warmth to make it / Blow Away, Blow Away, Blow Away."

"Cheer Down" was written for the movie "Lethal Weapon 2" and allegedly the phrase came from something George's wife Olivia used to say to him when he'd get a little over-enthusiastic about something or other. Co-written by Tom Petty it was originally produced in 1989 and was formerly available on the now out of print "Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989".

"Here Comes The Sun" is the live version from the "Concert For Bangladesh" and features members of Badfinger on backup guitar, with George playing acoustic guitar and singing a clearly heartfelt rendition. Of the 3 live songs on this collection this one fares the best, as it is a rare pleasure to hear George sing with just a guitar (or 2 or 3), without bass, drums and keyboard. Without doubt one of his most beautiful songs.

"I Don't Want To Do It" was previously only on the "Porky's Revenge" soundtrack. It was written by his friend Bob Dylan who he later went on to record with as part of The Traveling Wilburys.

"Isn't It A Pity" is the 5th song on this collection from "All Things Must Pass" and that is fitting because many Beatles fans agree that George's 3-LP set was perhaps the finest album by any former Beatle. It certainly is in the Top 5 of Beatles solo albums, by anyone's count, and the unique "wall of sound" production by Phil Spector gave it a different sound than all of George's other albums, something he sometimes bemoaned, but frankly I can't imagine it any other way. In any case, this lyric speaks from George's heart and soul, so I'll end this with these words from George himself:

"Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity."

Oh, okay, sorry George, but I gotta get the last word in:
Buy this album! Not only because it's good, but because buying it will help insure the "powers that be" at Capitol/Dark Horse that we want MORE George Harrison albums! How about a "Part 2" featuring all the rare stuff and other great hits left off of this one?
p.s. And thank you George, for all this great music! Read more ›

87 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Greatest ! June 16, 2009

By docchalk

Format:Audio CD

George Harrison, no doubt is ,was , the most underrated single performer in pop music history. (This is my opinion of course). For all those who unfortunately, only see Lennon & McCartney as the Main Beatles, this is testament to my belief. George I feel was the most influential popular artist, quite possibly, of all time. Yet, in such a subtle and unassuming way. He pieced together all the masterpieces that the Beatles wrote and generally gave Beatles songs that Midas touch, that have made them the classics they are. Unfortunately most people remember the players that score the goals, not the workhorses (Dark horses) that make the championships happen. From exotic sounds, diverse chords, 12 string guitars, gorgeous harmonies, inspirational lyrics etc. etc. George's stamp on musical history is phenomenal. And this is in no way exclusive to only Beatles music or fans. Many of the Greats share this sentiment as well .That being said and without overtly trying to convert newer listeners. I feel this newly released set of Solo music has been long, long, long overdue.

This is not a perfect collection. Other writers are absolutely correct, this should have been at least a 2 cd set. His solo catalog deserves that. But for now it will due. Hearing the new remastering of these songs makes this a must set for devotees and newer listeners. Many of the tracks are so crystal clear, you'd think you're in the studio while George was recording them. Yes, some songs for whatever strange reasons are not here. You, Cracker Box Palace, Ding Dong, This Song and quite frankly countless more. But to avoid the negative and to emphasize the positive...

Listeners will be treated to a collection of some of the most inspirational, gorgeous, contagious pop music in history.... Delivered and performed by a man who has made living on this earth, a much more happier place. Mostly by being true to himself. His talent is overwhelming . His insights are classical. If you do not have most of these songs in your collection I would recommend to anyone to go out and buy this Cd right away. For my money and belief I feel you can not possibly go wrong. And if you call yourself spiritual and don't have most of these songs in your collection, I Guarantee your heart will open with great joy. I could go on and on but truly, let Georges music do the talking.

In conclusion I'd just like to say, much peace to you George. You have changed and helped shaped the lives of many people. I for one am grateful to have been able to listen to your music for many, many years now. Although you are gone on the physical plane your spirit and music will live on forever. Thank you, with the highest respect, love, and appreciation. Docchalk Read more ›

53 of 61 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Really Career-Spanning June 23, 2009

By Don Labonte

Format:Audio CD

While I enjoy all the music contained on this CD, and the remastering on many of these tracks sounds very good, I have to say that I believe the "career spanning" tag line being used to promote this collection is not just misleading, it is deceptive.

There are a number of LPs from Harrison's library that are completely ignored on "Let It Roll", and a substantial number of songs that charted over the years do not appear here. As other writers have noted, this should have been a two-Cd collection. Among the missing are the following songs: Bangla Desh, You, Dark Horse, Ding Dong, Crackerbox Palace, This Song, Cloud Nine, and Handle With Care.

I am a huge fan of Harrison's and bought this collection despite its shortcomings. After getting halfway through my first listening, I was struck by what a missed opportunity to really have a career-spanning collection this release is.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars our Sweet George! ...its something in the way he plays... June 16, 2009

By Richardson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I just picked this up and I'm not going to quibble about some of my favs that didn't make the cut...lets just say its a beautiful sounding collection and at 9.99 not only is the audio superb but the glossy full color booklet is also first rate all the way...truly a lovely collection by a lovely man.

I think the video that amazon.com has where Olivia discusses how it was they came up with the title and song list is perfectly stated.

Perfect for my car and I dare say it will be in rotation for a great deal of time.
Let it Roll indeed!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice collection, with some gaps June 19, 2009

By MusicFilm Fan

Format:Audio CD

As many reviewers have already said, a George Harrison "best of" collection could easily have been two discs. While not every album of his was a masterpiece like "All Things Must Pass," each album had some very good songs that deserve to be featured on a collection like this one, and some of those songs have been overlooked here.

But what's here is very, very good. There are George's major hits: "My Sweet Lord," "What Is Life," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", "All Those Years Ago," "Got My Mind Set On You". We also get "Cheer Down" and George covering Dylan on "I Don't Want To Do It," both rarities that deserve to be in any Harrison fan's collection. There's also the gem of a title track, "The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)," which isn't as well known as most of the other songs here, plus "All Things Must Pass" and "Isn't It a Pity" from the same album. Three of George's Beatle songs ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Something," "Here Comes the Sun") are featured in their great Concert For Bangladesh live versions from 1971, which I strongly prefer over the somewhat slicker Live In Japan versions of the 90s. And "When We Was Fab" wonderfully brings back the psychedelic days of George's first band.

Giles Martin did a great job with the remastering on this new collection, making these songs sound better than ever. The booklet provides some very nice photos on heavy, glossy paper, and Warren Zanes has written an insightful essay on George's solo career. (I do wish, however, that recording credits had been listed, as George played with quite an array of notable musicians, and it would be interesting to compare how the different bands gave him different sounds....)

Like others, I wish that a few songs here had been swapped for some personal favorites. Frankly, I can't understand how they could have left out the great "Crackerbox Palace," surely one of George's liveliest and most enjoyable songs of the 70s. (I still remember the thrill of seeing the first broadcast of the song's film with George and Eric Idle on Sat. Night Live, way back then.) I would also have liked this collection to include "Try Some, Buy Some" and the title track from Living In The Material World, as well as one or more of the best songs from the unjustly maligned Dark Horse album: the title track, "Simply Shady," and "So Sad." (George's voice on those may have been a bit rough as he overworked it in preparation for his one US tour, but the songs just have a great feel.) And "You" should have been included as one of his best, catchiest singles, with a Phil Spector wall-of-sound backing track.

While I like the songs from his last two albums that are on this collection, I think those two albums are over-represented here, and I would gladly have left out a few ("This Is Love," maybe even "Marwa Blues" or "Any Road," good as they are) in order to squeeze in "Crackerbox Palace" and one or two of the others mentioned above. Nothing against those recent songs -- I like them a lot, but don't think they're as strong as some of the omitted tunes. For that matter, I always thought "Stuck Inside a Cloud" was one of the best from Brainwashed, and should also have been included here before some of others from that album.

But I'm not complaining. The compilers, George's family and friends, did a very good job in putting together a single disc of George's songs, and gave us the gift of a couple hard-to-find tracks, plus exemplary remastered sound. The only big mistake was leaving off "Crackerbox Palace," but the rest is an enjoyable listen. Please bring on Volume 2! Read more ›