Customer Reviews

Thirty Three & 1/3

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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.

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!

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.

I've just recently come back to this album on CD after *many* years. After 33 1/3 was released on vinyl in 1976 (the title's now a bit silly), I virtually played the grooves off it, finding that tunes like "It's What You Value", "Crackerbox Palace", "This Song", and even the meditational "Dear One" had smart hooks that stuck in my head like crazy. I was then -- and am now -- convinced that this album is a really fine example of Harrison's tunesmithing and production sense. As a working musician, coming back now brings new value. The players here are 1st rank: friends Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth) and Billy Preston on keyboards along with the late lamented Richard Tee on piano and even the now-legendary David Foster. Willie Weeks lays down great, funk-inspired bass lines (see "Woman Don't You Cry For Me", and Alvin Taylor (Eric Burdon, Frank Zappa, Elton John, etc.) has great rock sense. There are times when the Tom Scott (sax)/Richard Tee duo sound recalls the Saturday Night band sound or Paul Simon's "One Trick Pony" days. This is strong material, beautifully produced, and expertly played. There's also some very interesting Harrison guitar work (e.g. the solo in "Pure Smokey"), as every understated and tasty. Beyond "All Things Must Pass" this is my favourite George Harrison album. Well worth looking at.

Thankyou George for Crackerbox Palace. I suspected there were real faeries but you confirmed it. I love how George could step over that line between God and music and not be ridiculed as a religious fanatic. How subtle and subliminal messages about the Lord were construed into his rock n roll. Who can do that? I bet George lives in a big Palace in heaven just like the one he wrote about, with magic mushrooms for breakfast and beautiful woman that can fly. I think of warm Iowa summers in the seventies with the smell of lilacs blowing everytime I hear Crackerbox Palace.

Seeing this album being re-released was one of the greatest gifts that one could witness. Forced for years to hear low quality copies of the tunes from cassettes or other formats, the sound comes now clean with all of the CDs coming from the 'Dark Horse Years' boxed set. The changes are, however, most notorious, in Thirty-Three & 1/3, one of the greatest post-All Things Must Pass albums that George Harrison released.

Most of the complaints about this album in past ages have had to do with it being 'dated'. Sure, the presence of prominent wind sections and synthesisers couldn't belong to any other era rather than the late 70's, but this is no obstacle. With its new sound the recordings sound freshly added to the collage, and with the mixture of keyboards, pleasantly recorded guitars and excellent bass/drum tracks, the overall result is none other than tasteful.

Because, besides the instrumental quality of this CD, there's a huge difference between it and other 'dated' albums from the 70's: this is filled with great songs. From the funky opener, "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" (in which George uses slide guitar for the first time in his carrer, something that would become a trademark for upcoming albums); through the immense beauty of the prayer "Dear One" (featuring a heartbreaking organ part played by Billy Preston); and to the lovely ending of a ballad that was the biggest winner with the remastering, recovering all of its sentiment and passion, and also one of the greatest acoustic guitar solos that George ever palyed ("Learning How To Love You"), we are exposed to an amount of fantastic tunes. "Beautiful Girl" comes from early acoustic demos, and here, with a more 'electric' arrangement, it still doesn't lose its innocence and beauty, becoming a haunting ballad and one of the most precious moments in Harrison's solo carrer. "See Yourself" and "It's What You Value" are two great examples of how to incorporate tastefully some philosophical and ethical aspects to pop music albums, adding a distinctive touch to the lyrics. Other high points include the ironic pastiche that "This Song" is. Referring to the whole "My Sweet Lord" / "He's So Fine" lawsuit, and also being supported by a funnier Monty Python-esque video, in which George just laughs at the matter, not having another choice, really. "Crackerbox Palace" is another humorous addition to the album, and also another popular single with a funny video; and finally, the cover chosen for this time ("True Love", written by Cole Porter) is one of the best songs on the album, beautiful in its simplicityt and with just the perfect arrangement with great slide guitars. My least favorite tune would be "Pure Smokey" (because of the arrangement), a tribute to Smokey Robinson 'while he was still alive', just for him to know how influential he had been in the songwriter's life. The message and the intentions, however, are gorgeous.

All in all, more than having a 'point' to it, the album is filled with good songs, carefully crafted arrangements and production (very appropiate for their era, and that have aged well, too), and the continuation of a series of albums which incorporate Harrison's talent in writing passional, spiritual, helpful, tasteful, humorous and sometimes perfect lyrics.

This 2004 reissue of the album adds a Somewhere In England (1981) extra track, "Tears Of The World", which sounds a bit out of place but it's still a nice addition as a bonus track. Underrated CD, with precious music in it.

I am not surprised regards to his magical work of art and music. This album was......SIMPLY MAGICAL. I NEVER get sick of it listening over and over and over everyday, I am getting healthier calmer and happier daily. Thank you George, and his magic continue on.........

Thirty Three and 1/3 is George Harrison's first LP on his own Dark Horse label. It comes after a good many months of personal ordeal. Harrison made a concert tour with a show that mirrored The Concert for Bangladesh. East-West music. All the top Indian musicians opened the show, and then George and his band took over after the intermission. A bright highlight of the tour was a visit to the White House, as the guest of Jack Ford, son of Gerald Ford, President. This was perhaps the first visit to the White House by a Beatle.
About half way though the tour his voice was thrashed. He became sick with jaundice. To fulfill his EMI contract, he recorded Extra Texture (Read All ABout It), where he even made a joke at his own expense (Ohnothimagain, Oh, not him again). His wife left him for Eric Clapton. Drank a good amount of brandy. However his association with A & M Records(which was the parent company of Dark Horse Records BEFORE Warner Brothers Records took it under its wing), brought about his meeting Olivia Trinidad Arias, whom he married and had a son, Dhani.
So, this album represents a George whose life had just gone from the lower depths, to heaven, in just a matter of months. Other reviews have already given a good detailed description of the tracks on this album, so I won't try to duplicate those efforts here.
One of the photos that accompanied the original album art was one of Harold Harrison Sr., George's father, with George, posing outside Friar Park. George had his father, as well as his brother Pete, residing with him on his estate in Henley on Thames, just outside London. Pete stills resides there to this day. (12/06)

This late 1976 release was generally well-received at the time, with a renewed Harrison doing plenty of promotion (Saturday Night Live) and having songs such as "This Song" and "Crackerbox Palace" all-but-saturating the airwaves.
I remember the funky "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" playing over the PA at Kroger, where I worked back then. The assistant manager (who was in his 50s or 60s) boogied in the backroom to this tune! And recently, with the remastered CD in the car stereo, the opening bass line played as I entered a parking garage. The attendant said "Turn it up, I like that!" Of course, he probably had no idea who he was hearing...
It's too bad many just don't give solo George Harrison music a fair airing, and that includes the music press.
THIRTY THREE & 1/3 always was one of my favorite George albums, despite a production that gets cluttered with horns and keyboards.
Can you imagine how this Top 11, Gold album with two Top 30 singles would have fared had George toured in spring 1977, which had been rumored?
Even still, it is worth picking up now, in remastered form, with new liner notes and photos. The bonus track is the fine "Tears of the World," which should have been added to Somewhere in England instead of this one... It would have been nice to hear a 1970 demo of the excellent "Beautiful Girl" instead.
It falls behind ATMP on the pecking order of Harrison's career output, but it is right up there with Cloud Nine, the No. 1 Living in the Material World and the underrated 1979 album, George Harrison.
If you don't shell out for the highly recommended "Dark Horse Years 1976-1992," Harrison and Beatles fans alike should buy this one! You won't be disappointed!!!

Intended, at the time, as George Harrisons comeback, 33 1/3 (his age as well as the speed of lp's) had a lot riding on it. The career of this x-Beatle had gone somewhat sour in the middle of the 1970's. Just like the other two members who hadn't broken up the Beatles, his solo career had a stellar start. Soon after however, things started going down hill. He was sued for My Sweet Lord, he spent his momentum on the consert for Bangladesh, returned to dwindling interest with gradually less inspired records, his voice went during his one attempt at touring the US, and on top of all of that and divorce, he found it harder to write, and tougher to care. By the time he released Extra Texture things were supposed to look up. Free of the Apple contract, he signed with a new record company and set up his own label, Dark Horse Records. And then he set about recording the record that would bring him back where he belonged, on top.

33 1/3 is a great piece of work. It is far more optimistic than the last offerings, and a lot more coherrent. I personally think the record is quite sweet at times, with love being a recurring theme. Some songs are supposedly leftovers from the last days of the Beatles, but is still feels like a grown up George Harrison record. The guitarwork should be mentioned, it is simply lovely. There's also humour here. 'This Song' is a wonderful kick towards everyone who ripped into him during the 'My Sweet Lord' debacle. It shows a George who might be a bit bitter, but has taken a page from Monty Python in delivering his 'revenge'.

The production is also good, perhaps flawed by todays standards, but you know, I like the production from the 1970's. It's far more timeless than the production done on many records of the 80's, and flawed sounds more human that the production done today, where records are inundated with everything but the kitchen sink and are so loud you can't make out any nuanses.

When it came out, 33 1/3 was quite well received, but people didn't care to find out. The record did better than the last two, but George did feel dispondant about it all. The record company complained, relationships were ended, and George went to the racetrack and didn't pick up a guitar much for a couple of years.

This is my favourite George Harrison record. I find it a bit hard to explain why, but it just feels so complete.

Warmly recommended!