Thirty Three & 1/3 [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

George Harrison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00014TJ6G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,923 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

His 1976 Dark Horse debut, featuring the hit This Song and, now, the bonus track Tears of the World .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After two speed bumps, George gets back on smoother ground, June 27, 2005

By 

30-year old wallflower "Eric N Andrews" (West Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thirty Three & 1/3 (Audio CD)

While I have not heard much from 1974's DARK HORSE & 1975's EXTRA TEXTURE, the fact most fans do not hold these albums in very high esteem has already convinced me to hold off purchasing them until further notice. Taking that into consideration, George Harrison probably considered his next album to be a bit of a rebirth, what with a new distribution deal for his Dark Horse label & the voice problems that had marred DARK HORSE the album long gone. Of course, the album was to have been released on his 33 & 1/3rd birthday (in June of 1976), but was delayed until near the end of the year. When it did arrive however, it was clear THIRTY THREE & 1/3 was some of George's strongest work (solo or with the Beatles) in some time.

As some reviewers have rightfully claimed, George did not seem to care very much for chart success, unlike Sir Paul McCartney who owes his status as one of the richest entertainers in the world to constantly shooting for the top of the charts. So while his singles after 1973's #1 "Give Me Love [Give Me Peace On Earth]" only fared modestly well (he would not see the top 10 again for 8 years), we could be sure George was not losing any sleep over it. As long as he made music that reflected his inner being & beliefs, the commercial success was just gravy. That being said, THIRTY THREE & 1/3 just happens to be a personal effort with enough universality to win over the marketplace (evidenced by 2 top 40 hits).

Thanks to the highly insightful liner notes (from George's autobiography I ME MINE, which I must get someday), the songs on THIRTY THREE & 1/3 show just how his ideas for material can come from almost anywhere. The funk-blues of "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" opens things up, and its prominent clavinet would have certainly made it a candidate for Stevie Wonder's 1970s albums. A slight difference in his normal guitar-playing style brought about this song, and the fact it was written & played on a bottleneck slide is more than prophetic. George's 1980s music would feature a heavy amount of slide in his playing to the point where it became a late-period trademark. This song was the prototype.

George the spiritualist gets its obligatory workout on THIRTY THREE & 1/3 with "Dear One". Naturally, George's inspiration in Indian religion is often the make-it-or-break-it part of a fan's admiration of George's music. He can come close to proselytizing in a way that runs directly counter to a listener's more traditional beliefs, and that is often too much for them to bear. However, when you strip away the unconventional religiousness aside, "Dear One" works almost on its engaging instrumentation alone. Gary Wright's keyboards definitely make this song (especially the churchy organ), along with George's not-too-shabby dabbling in synthesizers.

George even began to dig back into his catalog for some unfinished gems to finally polish off. "Beautiful Girl" had originally been written by George for a Doris Troy album, but could not find a way to finish it at the time. Eventually, the tune came back to him, and made it to order on THIRTY THREE & 1/3. The song proves that even George can turn out a devotional love song like Paul, but with not nearly as much sentimentality as him. Even at its most celebratory, it is far from gushing.

1976 was also the year that George finally lost his battles with the publishers of "He's So Fine" with a judge claiming he had "unknowingly" plagiarized the tune for his own "My Sweet Lord". Royalties from "My Sweet Lord" would then be awarded to the publishers and the estate of the songwriter of "He's So Fine" (although I believe some years later, George would eventually win his own song back). With not much left to do but laugh at his troubles, George created the funny-as-hell "This Song", certainly one of the cleverest tunes he (or anyone else) has ever written. Daring to lift obvious melodies from The Four Tops & T. Rex (can you guess which?), it is clear George & crew were having a ball recording this one. Those who owned those songs probably were too busy smiling at the mood of "This Song" to ever think about calling their lawyers. But perhaps it was too clever for the general public, hence its topping out at #25. Surely, it deserved to go higher!

Another lost song rescued from the scrap heap was "See Yourself", George's commentary on the press brouhaha surrounding Paul's admission back in 1967 that he had taken LSD. George had started it at the time, but then forgot about until a decade later when he needed a tune for this album. Pretty sage advice from George saying "It's easier to tell a lie/than it is to tell the truth", showing that sometimes the truth does not necessarily set a person free.

A quarter century before saluting the American Songbook became a standard practice & career-reviver (are you listening, Rod Stewart?), George was doing it occasionally & with a surprising twist often enough. Cole Porter's "True Love" is given a vast rethinking with more syncopation & backbeat than Cole may have originally envisioned, but it actually works fantastically. George obviously knew when to be reverent towards the original article, but not be afraid to bend the rules just a tad.

The gently-bluesy and bouncy (thanks to Tom Scott's horn arrangement) "It's What You Value" is an interesting version of George's long-standing fascination with the materialism of humanity. He wrote it about his friend drummer Jim Keltner, who was asked to fill in during the 1974 Dark Horse tour on the condition that he received no payment for his services. George instead paid Jim by buying him a car, which ticked off the rest of his bandmates who merely got cash. The song seems to have George observing that there are people who value the green stuff, and others who are more practical and would rather have something tangible they can use. Even this early, George's fascination with automobiles was more than evident.

Being the humble guy he always was, George admits that he has been inspired by fellow greats himself. "Pure Smokey" was his tip of the hat to Smokey Robinson, who was certainly more than deserving of a tribute from somebody. Anyone who thinks this was a tribute to smoking drugs have definitely missed the point by a couple miles. As he himself claimed, George was right in saluting Smokey while he was still alive rather than waiting until he passed away, which is the only way to do a tribute song.

The second top 40 hit after "This Song" came with "Crackerbox Palace" (#19), and proves that even George can be a master pop craftsman when he wants to. It practically defines the term "catchy", much in the same way he would prove with "Blow Away" on this album's follow-up. Partly inspired by legendary proto-beatnik Lord Buckley, like "Dear One", its esoteric lyricism is made palatable by a melody that is literally inescapable. The term "Beatlesque" is often bandied about like mad, but "Crackerbox Palace" is one song that is deserving of it through & through.

THIRTY THREE & 1/3 closes out with the steady slow-dance of "Learning How To Love You", that George initially had written for Herb Alpert. Herb had shown with "This Guy's In Love With You" that he can indeed sing well, and George had hoped to create his own Herb vocal classic. Apparently, he liked it so much he kept the song for himself. George had divorced his first wife Patti by this time, so I wonder if he had discovered his new love for Olivia already, for this could definitely have been written for her.

Once again, the bonus tracks on the remasters of George's Dark Horse albums leave a lot to be desired, with the one on THIRTY THREE & 1/3 the most baffling of all. "Tears Of The World" is a fine, thought-provoking tune reflecting George's always-acute sense of world affairs, and was one of the infamous 4 songs that record-company politics forced off of 1981's SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND. The fact that it is being made available at all for the first time anywhere is commendable, but including it on an album made 5 years before makes hardly any sense. However, it is a song that would certainly feel right at home on SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND's bouncy, easily-digestible brand of topical pop.

Putting a highly-publicized court battle behind him, George Harrison was clearly ready to move on & get back to the music. THIRTY THREE & 1/3 is an album that certainly does not feature that fraction of top-notch material within. After apparently allowing middle- to bottom-drawer songs make up his previous two albums, George at last appeared to be returning to the peak of his powers.

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unending Melody, March 20, 2004

By 

Joseph Kimsey "Fareastnibelung" (Pac NW) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thirty Three & 1/3 (Audio CD)

George Harrison's 33 & 1/3 is the most melodic solo Beatles album. Even more so than Band on The Run, Ram, Imagine or Mind Games, Thirty-three and a Third is pure melody. Each tune is crafted with exquisite elegance & melodic sophistication, and George's vocals & guitar playing are at their very best.

There simply isn't a weak tune to be found here. "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" features some of Harrison's best slide work. "Dear One" is haunting in the great Harrisong tradition of "Long, Long, Long" and "Who Can See It." "Beautiful Girl" is an absolutely gorgeous song, with fantastic singing.

"This Song" is a driving tune full of acerbic comment & great guitar solos. "See Yourself" is an elegant, melodic song that effortlessly jumps through different time signatures. "It's What You Value" has a great R & B groove, while Harrison's version of "True Love" is, in my opinion, definitive.

"Pure Smokey" is a beautiful song with some absolutely sublime guitar solos; this is Harrison's most underrated song. "Crackerbox Palace" was a major U.S. hit, and deservedly so. With a catchy Reggae groove and fantastic guitar work, it's a classic. And as far as underrated love songs go, "Learning How To Love You" may be the ultimate example. This is truly an incredible song, and had it been released by the Beatles it would now be a standard.

The bonus "Tears Of The World" is actually from the Somewhere In England era. With it's serious social comment & a memorable melody, it's still a very welcome addition to 33 & 1/3. Enjoy!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thirty Three and 1/3 (1976), January 25, 2005

By 

Mr. S. St Thomas "suckerfly" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thirty Three & 1/3 (Audio CD)

This is the first album I ever bought with my own money.

I don't remember the time or place. It was definitely 1976, and it might have been SEARS. But I remember that by 1976, I was convinced that George Harrison just might be the coolest human being on the planet (apart from Batman, my grandparents, and whatever else is important to a 9 year old.) It was either hearing WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU or I ME MINE years before this that made a 7 year old think, this guy is saying something. I don't know what it is yet, but he's saying something that just might help. And it was from that point on that my attention and focus went to George Harrison in The Beatles, and following his solo career. I have more Harrison albums than Beatles albums.

Why was this one the first album I ever bought? Well, because I had the pocket money! But other than that, I remember hearing 'This Song' and 'Crackerbox Palace' on the radio that year, and really liking what Harrison was doing, even though the year 1976 suggests I could have listened to any number of artists. Harrison stood out, and he has for years in my world.
I remember waiting impatiently for his appearance on Saturday Night Live like it was Christmas, and you know how long that takes in a kid's mind and mental calendar. Harrison remains my one and only true musical idol. There are other artists I respect, admire, love and enjoy, but nowhere near how I feel about George Harrison.

Oh yeah the album!

Though I'm displeased with the remaster, I'm glad this album is back out on the shelves. My displeasure comes from Harrison's albums do not need to be made LOUDER, which is what this remaster does. These albums were recorded and engineered with great care, and with a quality that does not show up on Lennon or McCartney's albums, if sparingly (Double Fantasy/Plastic Ono Band/Milk and Honey/RAM/Back To The Egg to note the exceptions to poor recording quality in their work), and they did not need to be 'boosted' in sound. Mainly because if it works, don't fix it. Other reasons being, instruments when boosted start doing things to other instruments in ways that can become hard on the ears (clipping/distortion), and Harrison albums barely do that if at all. (Exception being the pedal steel guitar on one passage in the song All Things Must Pass that hits a frequency dentists would like . . . )

This album is a sentimental favourite, which is why I wanted the remaster to do it justice. I felt it didn't, but again, I was happy it was back at the market stalls and retail shops, where it belonged.

The songs themselves are all underrated gems, particularly ''Pure Smokey'' (dedicated to Smokey Robinson) and ''Learning How To Love You'', which puts many a McCartney ballad to shame.

One of the songs I got the most out of ''philosophically'' at 9 years old, was ''See Yourself''. This was a song already ten years old in Harrison's catalogue, which finally saw the light of day on this album. Sometimes it makes me glad some of his best work never went to The Beatles, at other times I find it criminal. '' See Yourself'' works on many levels, but on its simplest level is realising that all of the things being said can be 'acted' upon. Not one of the lines is a judgement on the listener. It's a suggestion by the artist that there's an option, you don't have to do it, but you can if you like. One I'd suggest is to try not killing a fly next time one is in your house. Resist that urge, or see how easy it is not to kill it. Then listen to the song again, and see if you do 'see yourself'. ''It's easier to kill a fly than it is to turn it loose''. And he wrote this song as early as 1966, when he was 23. Even at 7 years old, I think I knew George may have seemed ''quiet'' but he certainly seemed the 'wisest'. I wonder when Wisdom became a bad thing.

There are many such moments on this album, and if you're not into pondering the metaphysical (but do understand that only means 'after' physics, as in Aristotle wrote Physics, and then what he wrote after that was called AFTER Physics -- META), then at least listen to Willie Weeks playing Bass, and the great drumming of Alvin Taylor. He had great musicians working alongside him, and one thing that is apparent on all of Harrison's albums, is that he didn't inhibit anyone from giving him their best. Something he got quite used to in a former band. Ask any former musician who worked with him, they'll tell you.

Please buy a George Harrison album today. Or tomorrow.