George Harrison's 'Let It Roll' compilation: Which song(s) would you remove?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by dbone828, Sep 29, 2016.

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  1. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    First of all, for all of you who voted to remove "I Don't Want To Do It" -- are you nuts?! It's the only track on the CD that's otherwise OOP, and it's a great track, AND it's the only thing from the "quiet years" of 1983-1986.

    Anyway, I voted to remove the three live Beatles tracks and "Marwa Blues" -- the latter not because I don't love it, but on a single-disc comp it's taking space away from one of the FOUR unrepresented George solo albums. I think a better single-CD George comp would look like this:

    01. My Sweet Lord
    02. What Is Life
    03. All Things Must Pass
    04. Bangla Desh (single version)
    05. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
    06. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
    07. Dark Horse
    08. This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)
    09. This Song
    10. Crackerbox Palace
    11. Blow Away
    12. All Those Years Ago
    13. That's The Way It Goes
    14. Dream Away
    15. I Don't Want To Do It
    16. Got My Mind Set On You
    17. When We Was Fab
    18. Cheer Down
    19. Any Road
    20. Horse To The Water

    This, imo, would be a very solid George collection for the casual fan. No regular album is left out, and it gives a decent overview of the most accessible portion of his solo career. If it HAD to be a single disc, I'd be happy with the above.

    Naturally, I'd prefer a 2-CD set -- something like this:

    01. My Sweet Lord
    02. Isn't It A Pity
    03. What is Life
    04. All Things Must Pass
    05. Bangla Desh (single)
    06. Give Me Love
    07. Be Here Now
    08. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
    09. Dark Horse
    10. So Sad
    11. You
    12. This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)
    13. This Song
    14. Beautiful Girl
    15. Crackerbox Palace
    16. Learning How To Love You
    17. Blow Away
    18. Your Love Is Forever
    19. Soft Touch
    20. If You Believe

    01. All Those Years Ago
    02. Life Itself
    03. That Which I Have Lost
    04. Save The World
    05. Mystical One
    06. That's The Way It Goes
    07. Dream Away
    08. I Don't Want To Do It
    09. Cloud Nine
    10. When We Was Fab
    11. Got My Mind Set On You
    12. Cheer Down
    13. Poor Little Girl
    14. Cockamamie Business
    15. Ride Rajbun
    16. Any Road
    17. Looking For My Life
    18. Stuck Inside A Cloud
    19. Brainwashed
    20. Horse To The Water

    This, he said modestly, is a very enjoyable and FAIR comp -- every album represented, all the highlights included, and several rare or OOP tracks welcomed home.
     
  2. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet Thread Starter

    Perhaps a little nuts ;) While I can't speak for everyone who voted to remove "I Don't Want to Do It," my reasoning is that on a single disc compilation that will fit 19-20 songs from George, rare and out-of-print or not, the song in question was a Bob Dylan cover and not an original composition that could have made room for another song that was a better representation of Harrison's solo career. Sure, it was a great rendition, and yes, "Got My Mind Set on You" was also a cover, but the latter was a #1 hit, while the former was, for lack of better words, a flop single. I do appreciate that Olivia Harrison wanted to include a few rarities for the fans (which she did by including this and "Cheer Down"), but there are a few other options (most notably the single version of "Bangla Desh" and Harrison's last song ever recorded, "Horse to the Water," both of which carry more historical significance to Harrison's musical career) that would have been just as, if not more welcome than "I Don't Want to Do It." When 4 of Harrison's 10 primary studio albums are being omitted, and half of hit Billboard Hot 100 hits are excluded, representing the "quiet years" (1983-1986) doesn't seem as important as representing the 1974-1978 era, whatever that may be called, and the Porky's Revenge number by default becomes one of the first people look to cut.

    That being said, I think it is great that "I Don't Want to Do It" has a home, and a greatest hits compilation seems like a fitting place for it since it was a single, but I would have reserved it for a 2-CD version only, which reinforces the idea that Let It Roll should have been more than just one disc (or at least should have offered a "standard" 1-disc version, and an expanded "limited edition" 2-disc version).
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2016
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  3. lavalamp3

    lavalamp3 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I totally agree, although I always much prefer this original mix from the 1985 single, rather than the remix which ended up on Let It Roll. Much more guitar to the fore and less of that 80's reverb which kind of spoiled many a mix for my ears! I remember ordering the single from the States and being rather disappointed that the b side was.... a Dave Edmunds track! :confused: (nothing against Dave, but...)

     
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  4. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    All fair points. In the context of the actual Let It Roll track list, including an obscure out-of-print single over ANY tracks from four of his actual albums seems a little crazy. Still, "I Don't Want To Do It" is a great track, and arguably better than anything on at least two of those omitted albums -- I wouldn't dare name which two -- and belongs on Let It Roll regardless of the CD's other shortcomings. Also, while it is a cover, it's a Dylan song that exists in NO other version other than George's own bootlegged 1970 demo. So it's entirely associated with George, and for fans who experienced it "live" in 1985, it seemed like a very "real" George Harrison song and (coincidentally or not) it seemed to perfectly express his ambivalence over his then-current semi-retirement.
     
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  5. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    I certainly wouldn't remove the live 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' - it's become my favourite version of the song (in part, thanks to being on this compilation).
     
  6. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    It's certainly a good version of the song, but it is still a Beatles song. George was always annoyed that half of his original Capitol Records "Greatest Hits" LP was Beatles tracks -- so including three of them on his posthumous "best of" CD seemed a little tone-deaf to me.
     
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  7. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    I don't care ;)
    As someone else pointed out, it's good that the Bangla Desh concert is represented, though 3 tracks is a bit much.

    But what exactly was George annoyed about in 1976? That EMI used Beatles songs at all (the usual theory), or that they used some Beatles songs that George didn't own the publishing on (my own theory). I'd be surprised if he was bothered about the Harrisongs-published Beatles tracks being on there (as he got almost 100% of the publishing revenue from those 'big' songs, whereas his deal with Northern Songs wasn't nearly as lucrative). I have the same theory about the Red & Blue albums too.
     
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  8. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    I don't think it was about the publishing; I think it was the fact that both John and Ringo got all-solo comps in 1975-76, and George's solo career was only deemed successful enough to fill one LP side. It could easily be interpreted as insulting.

    If the Let It Roll compilers wanted to represent the Bangla Desh concert, they could have included the live version of the single, which smokes the studio version -- which wasn't included either.
     
  9. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    True.

    Still, I'm happy that the live WMGGW got wider exposure on this (and that the POB Toronto version of 'Yer Blues' also did on the 'Gimme Some Truth' compilation).
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2016
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  10. jricc

    jricc Senior Member

    Location:
    Jersey Shore
    I would remove the 3 live tracks and Rising Sun.
    I would add Bangla Desh, Dark Horse, You and This Song.
     
  11. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet Thread Starter

    I had no idea that Dylan never actually did his own version of this song! Very interesting. That certainly does add more merit to the Harrison version.

    I would also agree that in terms of quality, "I Don't Want to Do It" does best a lot of the songs from the 4 un-represented albums. However, every one of the albums has at least one (and in most cases, two) songs that are far more recognizable or commercially successful than "I Don't Want to Do It."
     
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  12. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Now that is a mighty fine Harrison compilation!:righton:

    I never had any interest in Let It Roll, because not unlike Neil Young's Greatest Hits comp it passes over a significant part of his career. So I'd definitely lose the three Beatles songs, and add "Dark Horse", "You" and even though I'm not a fan of either, either "This Song" or "Crackerbox Palace". As far as I'm concerned, really, if it was on side two of the original 1976 travesty Best Of George Harrison, it belongs on Let It Roll. Even "Bangladesh".
     
  13. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    Yep -- "I Don't Want To Do It" is one of the more mysterious songs in Dylan's canon. We didn't even know for sure that it originated in the 1960s until George's "Beware of ABKCO" demo tape was booted in the 1990s. I think Bob was asked about the song once, and he said something like, "Oh that's something George found somewhere." Otherwise, the history of the song is a complete mystery.
     
  14. kozy814

    kozy814 Forum Resident

    I would have liked the studio versions of the Beatles tracks and a couple Wilbury's tracks too.
     
  15. ampmods

    ampmods Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    I'd lose the following 8...
    While My Guitar Gently Weeps [live]
    Something [live]
    Here Comes the Sun [live]
    Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
    Any Road
    Rising Sun
    Isn't It a Pity
    I Don't Want to Do It

    And I'd add 8 for a track list that looked like this:

    My Sweet Lord
    What Is Life
    All Things Must Pass
    Bangla Desh
    Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
    Dark Horse
    Ding Dong, Ding Dong
    You
    This Song
    Crackerbox Palace
    Blow Away
    All Those Years Ago
    Dream Away
    Got My Mind Set on You
    When We Was Fab
    This Is Love
    Cheer Down
    Stuck Inside a Cloud
    Marwa Blues
     
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  16. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Not sure why Rising Sun was included. There's already two Brainwashed songs, and they're more critically acclaimed, so they could have done away with it.
     
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  17. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    My 2 disc version:

    Disc 1 (1970/1976):
    My Sweet Lord
    Wah Wah
    Isn't it a Pity
    Beware of Darkness
    Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp
    All Things Must Pass
    Bangla Desh
    Deep Blue
    Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
    The Light That Has Lighted the World
    Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
    Dark Horse
    Ding Dong, Ding Dong
    You
    This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)
    Beautiful Girl
    This Song
    Crackerbox Palace

    Disc Two (1979/2002):
    Love Comes to Everyone
    Blow Away
    Faster
    Flying Hour
    Lay His Head
    All Those Years Ago
    Save the World
    That's the Way it Goes
    Dream Away
    I Don't Want to Do It
    Shanghai Surprise
    Got My Mind Set on You
    When We Was Fab
    This is Love
    Handle with Care
    Cheer Down
    Horse to the Water
    Any Road
    Marwa Blues
    Brainwashed
    Let it Be Me
     
  18. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet Thread Starter

    After giving it some more thought, I would remove the following:
    • Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)I absolutely love this song, largely in part due to its inclusion on Let It Roll prompting me to listen to it with a new set of ears, but unfortunately, there are other songs from his career that are more popular and recognizable. Plus, I think four songs from All Things Must Pass is enough. Even if I were including 5 ATMP numbers on a single-disc set, I'd probably look to more well-known numbers like "Beware of Darkness," "Awaiting on You All" or "Wah-Wah."
    • While My Guitar Gently Weeps [live]
    • Something [live]
    • Here Comes the Sun [live] – These three songs are essential Harrison compositions, but not the live solo versions. Including these inferior versions only reminds listeners how much better the original Beatles versions were. This is one of those few instances where I think The Best of George Harrison (1976) got it right by including Beatles recordings. I wouldn't be opposed to including the solo live tracks on a 2CD best of, but for a 1-disc set aimed at more casual listeners curious about the ex-Beatle's solo career, I'd skip these.
    • I Don't Want to Do ItAgain, a track I would easily include on a 2CD version, but rarity or not, its being a Dylan-penned tune and a non-hit single recorded for a non-hit film, doesn't exactly put it on my shortlist of contenders for a single-disc compilation, especially at the expense of nearly half of his bonafide hits.
    • Rising SunAn excellent album track, and a fan favourite from the beloved posthumous Brainwashed album, "Rising Sun" unfortunately falls behind "Any Road" and "Stuck Inside a Cloud," which are more obvious selections to include, in my opinion.
    • Marwa BluesWhat do Santana's "El Farol," Eric Clapton's "Reptile," B.B. King's "Auld Lang Syne," Joni Mitchell's "One Week Last Summer," the Eagles' "I Dreamed There Was No War" and Jeff Beck's "Nessun Dorma" all have in common? Like "Marwa Blues," they all won the Grammy Award in the so-pointless-it's-now-defunct Best Pop Instrumental Performance category, and despite such, nobody looks for these songs on best of compilations. Aside from its Grammy win, the inclusion of "Marwa Blues" over many other songs cannot be justified. In my opinion, this is the biggest head-scratcher on the Let It Roll track listing.
    I would add the following:
    • Bangla Desh Either the studio single version or the live album version would be welcome. The former because it was the hit version, somewhat of a rarity, is more polished and wouldn't interrupt the flow of studio recordings, the latter because it has more punch and a better vocal and instrumental performance than the studio version, and would represent The Concert for Bangladesh without the urge to include three Beatles covers.
    • Dark HorseWhile the infamous state of his vocals on this track could be a turn-off, it is catchy, a Top 15 hit, and may offer a unique sound that could add to the argument of Harrison's diversity.
    • YouSure, the lyrics are far from inspired, but it is incredibly catchy, and one of only eight songs that became a Top 40 hit for Harrison on both sides of the Atlantic. Like "Dark Horse" is to its namesake album, "You" is an equally obvious choice to represent the Extra Texture album.
    • Crackerbox PalaceThe knee-jerk reaction is to include both "Crackerbox Palace" and "This Song," the lead single (and Top 25 US hit) from Thirty-Three & 1/3, but there is a reason the latter has not been included on any Harrison compilations: it is a blatant reminder of the "My Sweet Lord" plagiarism lawsuit, which at the time was a tongue-in-cheek response to what was going on, but in a career retrospective, it might not be the best idea to shine a light on it anymore. On top of that, the idea of including 2 songs from Thirty-Three & 1/3, but only including 1 song apiece from Living in the Material World and George Harrison is kind of misleading to newcomers. That being said, if I had room to include one more song, "This Song" would have been it.
    • Dream AwayI would prefer to include the Time Bandits version (what an excellent buildup!), to kill three birds with one stone: to represent the Gone Troppo album, to include another slightly rare track to appease fans, and to include a song that fans of the beloved Time Bandits would recognize.
    • Horse to the WaterWhile it may have been omitted for a few reasons (Features Dhani on guitar instead of George? Contractural disagreements? Seen as more of a Jools Holland song than a George Harrison song? Less money from royalties to be made by the Harrison estate?), the historical significance of this being the last song George wrote, sang and recorded, and being unavailable on any official Harrison release should carry some weight. That and the song is awesome.
    • Stuck Inside a CloudIf you would have told be that three songs from Brainwashed would be included on a career-spanning compilation, I, like many others, would automatically assume that "Stuck Inside a Cloud" and "Any Road" would without a doubt make up 2 of those 3 tracks. Unfortunately, the lead promo single, and Dhani Harrison's personal favourite from the album, "Stuck Inside a Cloud," was snubbed in favour of "Rising Sun" and "Marwa Blues." The emotional significance of Brainwashed being Harrison's last album is probably most lyrically evident in "Stuck," which was also the only song from the record to crack any of the Billboard charts, peaking at #27 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
    For what it's worth, here's what my complete track list would look like, presented (as they probably should have been) in chronological order:
    1. My Sweet Lord (1970, All Things Must Pass)
    2. Isn't It a Pity (1970, All Things Must Pass)
    3. What Is Life (1970, All Things Must Pass)
    4. All Things Must Pass (1970, All Things Must Pass)
    5. Bangla Desh (1971, single [studio version] / The Concert for Bangladesh [live version])
    6. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (1973, Living in the Material World)
    7. Dark Horse (1974, Dark Horse)
    8. You (1975, Extra Texture – Read All About It)
    9. Crackerbox Palace (1976, Thirty-Three & 1/3)
    10. Blow Away (1979, George Harrison)
    11. All Those Years Ago (1981, Somewhere in England)
    12. Dream Away (1982, Gone Troppo [album version] / Time Bandits film [soundtrack version])
    13. Got My Mind Set on You (1987, Cloud Nine)
    14. When We Was Fab (1987, Cloud Nine)
    15. This Is Love (1987, Cloud Nine)
    16. Cheer Down (1989, Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989 / Lethal Weapon 2)
    17. Horse to the Water – with Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra (2001, Small World Big Band)
    18. Stuck Inside a Cloud (2002, Brainwashed)
    19. Any Road (2002, Brainwashed)
     
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  19. ralph7109

    ralph7109 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Franklin, TN
    Easy - the live songs that also don't belong on a George Harrison solo compilation.
     
  20. Gramps Tom

    Gramps Tom Forum Resident

    I seldom post on negative-premise threads, yet two pages in, the fact that Olivia created the compilation hasn't even been mentioned prompts me to do so.

    As for myself, I respectfully honor her perfect choices with gratitude.

    Love the photos, esp. the guitar close-ups.

    GT
     
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  21. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    I'll amend this in retrospect:

    If it was on side two of The Best Of George Harrison, it belongs. Ditto for if it was included on the old Best Of Dark Horse compilation (well, maybe not "Poor Little Girl" and "Cockamamie Business"!)
     
  22. Sean Murdock

    Sean Murdock Forum Intruder

    Location:
    Bergenfield, NJ
    Olivia didn't compile the album by herself; Dhani had a list and the label had a list. Her list was for two CDs, and she reluctantly oversaw the editing until it was down to one disc. So I don't think she'd mind our speculations on how to improve it -- she might even agree.
     
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  23. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    CLARIFICATION NEEDED: Olivia did have two lists. But one was the track list for Let It Roll, while the other list was for groceries... ;)
     
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  24. Mainline461

    Mainline461 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tamiami Trail
    For a taste of his early writing I would install "Don't Bother Me", for some reason I just love that song. Oh and how about "Old Brown Shoe", love that one too.
     
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