George Harrison
Living In The Material World

Mild, not particularly inclined to dialogue and endowed with a decidedly sharp sense of humor, this was primarily the character of George Harrison, eternal sidekick to his friend Paul and a curious and intrusive boy in John's eyes. The career of this character, decidedly outside the more classic rock canons, does not do justice to a talent that could have been exploited more continuously by the music world. Instead, history has given us a fabulous triple LP and a few other good albums, too few.

"Living In The Material World" is the second album by Harrison released in 1973, and at the time, it was not very well-received as it was considered inferior to the previous one. Nonetheless, Harrison delivers good work, in balance between Indian spirituality and lively songs, not yet showing the excessive burden of carrying his musical destiny alone. He neither has McCartney's entrepreneurial talent nor Lennon's outgoing and obnoxious character to face record companies and concerts, and soon he would be crushed by the music industry.

However, listening to "Give Me Love" is a pleasure, a beautiful song simple in its love message "...Give me love / Give Me Peace On Earth / Give Me Light / Give Me Life / Keep Me Free From Birth /...". Musically successful also are "Sue Me, Sue Blues", the title track constructed on a pleasant rhythm and a very successful sax intervention, with Harrison's voice still capable of reminding us of the glories of "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun". Thoughtful in their harmonies and lyrics, "The Light That Has Lighted The World" and "Who Can See It", still very well executed "The Lord Loves The One" with Harrison highlighting the beautiful melody with his never too intrusive guitar. Definitely Beatlesque "Be Here Now", a cosmic meditation by George punctuated by delightful acoustic guitar and piano lines, slow in its progression, perhaps too much so as to bring to mind another great song on religious themes, "Long, Long, Long" from "The Beatles", a song dedicated to none other than God. A faster piece with a nice opening "Try Some Buy Some", ruined and rendered gaudy by Phil Spector's orchestral arrangement, replete with harps and sugary strings.

An album highly recommended to better get to know the Beatle George in his post-Beatles years, while I would not recommend later works, "Dark Horse" and "Extra Texture", which see a decidedly lackluster Harrison producing works devoid of interest.