George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle - Forthcoming book by Philip Norman (October 2023)

Can't see a press release but here is the blurb from Amazon:

From the the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle.

Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.

Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun’, and his solo debut album ‘All Things Must Pass’ achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.

Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her.

Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.

Release date is 24th October 2023.

 

I liked Shout and the Lennon bio by Norman. The McCartney book was very superficial I thought, and tried very hard to pander to Paul in a total act of reversal from how negatively he was made to come across in Shout. All said and done, I generally like Norman and am looking forward to his take on George.

 

I don’t care for Smith’s books either but Philip Norman’s books are alright.

 

Which music critics place Harrison alongside Page or Hendryx?? That's just silly. He was a great guy, but to paraphrase Lennon, he wasn't even the best guitarist in the Beatles.

 

George was no Hendrix jamming or improvising but he inspired a zillion kids to play guitar and created well thought out solo’s . That’s just as important.

Anytime I hear a Beatles cover the guitar solo has to basically follow George’s template or it just sounds wrong.

And as always, there was no quote from John regarding anyone being better than anyone else in the Beatles.

The quote about Ringo not even being the best drummer in the Beatles is falsely attributed to John but it was a line from a British comedian.

 

…thanks!!!

 

Loved "Shout" when it first came out, but I'm not really much of a fan of his research or style any more and "Shout" now seems riddled with opinion and, in places, completely false.
IMHO.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I get that. Thanks.

But you didn't answer the question.

 

I didn’t answer the question because I don’t have to.
I never said that any music critics place Harrison alongside Page or Hendrix ( correct spelling )

I also don’t care what music critics think about George’s guitar playing because most of them are clueless about guitar playing. George was very humble about his guitar playing and never aspired to be a guitar hero.

If I did a bit of internet digging though, I could certainly find quotes from other well known guitar players who mention what a huge influence George was and that they liked his playing.
.
I respect their opinions more than music critics because they know more about it.

Here’s one fairly well know guitar player :

Eric Clapton described George Harrison as “magical” and “a genius” at how he brought music to life with his guitar, and he also marveled at how he could create the illusion of playing the guitar in such a way.

And again, your Lennon paraphrased quote wasn’t actually from Lennon.

 

Pass

 

(All Things Must) Pass

 

vibe i get from philip norman is that he really dislikes george harrison...particularly his obit. "hey i think i'll spend years writing a book about someone i don't like." whatever.

 

... Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page. ...

Hmmm. Most of the modern critics that I know place George in the pantheon alongside Eric Idle, Nona Hendryx, Renée Richards, and Jimmy Durante.
And that's one heck of a diverse pantheon...

 

I think the book will be a gas. It will pass gas.

Seriously, I look forward to this book.

A deep dive into his life will be a fascinating read.
George was an interesting character to say the least.
Gleefully enjoying the naughty material world while always talking about his spiritual beliefs, when he wasn’t at auto races, etc.

Thinking out loud for a second, did anyone in show biz before George have a super over the top residence before George bought Friar Park?

Now many of the stars like Oprah and Ben and JLo and on and on have houses bigger than many hotels. Graceland etc., were nice but not obscenely huge.

Did a Beatle start this trend also?

 

He he

I can’t with another Phillip Norman book. It might have been a worthwhile read in 1984 but not now. Not even worth killing time while Big Mark is finishing volume 2 of Tune In, Dying Out. Apparently, Mark is visiting all of the gas stations in the UK that the Beatles touring van stopped at in 1963.

 

Jasper Carrott

 

love George's quote on Philip Norman: "That Philip Norman wrote that book because he was desperate to have an identity is probably closer to the truth..

Fans Say Beatles Biographer Philip Norman’s Obituary for George Harrison Is ‘Obnoxious’ ‘Drivel’ (msn.com)

 

Thank you! I was too lazy to look it up.
I knew I had read in a thread or two here that the comedians name has been mentioned a few times but couldn’t remember his name .

 

I disliked Shout, but enjoyed Norman's Lennon and McCartney books. I think I'll hold off on a purchase pending reviews.

 

[QUOTEDespite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.

cocaine addict[/QUOTE]

I know Amazon are going to build this up,but I can`t believe George Harrison was the butt of jokes in The Beatles because he was lower class than them! And one or two songs on a Beatles album is okay,even if you don`t get the single...very nice royalties. And he was a cocaine addict?

I enjoyed the Lennon bio,but don`t remember much of a long-lasting impression really. Philip Norman`s 80 this year,he`s gonna have to put a march on for the Ringo biog.

 

Liberace had a pretty plush place,but I think in the US after the Beatles,wasn`t the trend to actually design and build your own palace/castle type abode,on the European model? They don`t have old dilapidated ruins to renovate like Europe does. Or they all seem to move into a house that once belonged to some previous star?

 

Will it be like Shout! and his obituary for George, meaning George will get continually and repeatedly trashed or will it be like his McCartney biography, where the supposed subject gets a superficial once-over and the real focus is the author himself? Maybe both! Either way, one of you will have to fill me in because I won't buy this trash. Phillip Norman can **** all the way off.

 

It’s interesting how Shout has fallen out of favor over the years; when it first came out, it was pretty highly praised. I wasn’t aware it had come out when I chanced upon it in the early eighties so my copy is a paperback (oversized). I remember really enjoying it at the time but our minds can certainly chance through the lens of hindsight. Maybe time for a re-read (after I finish McCartney Legacy which I very highly recommend to all fans).

 

Yes, I think the Oprah’s and Kenny Rogers’s etc., of the world had to build from scratch.

These things seem excessively over the top to me, but it’s not my money so they can do what they want .
Did Kenny really need a house this big? I don't know for sure but it might be much bigger than Friar Park.

 

Wow! That`s the size of Friar Park and the surrounding village.