Solo Beatles-it would've been a masterpiece "IF"

Memory Almost Full

1. Dance Tonight
2. Ever Present Past
3. See Your Sunshine
4. Only Mama Knows
5. You Tell Me
6. Mr. Bellamy
7. Why So Blue
8. In Private
9. That Was Me
10. 222
11. House of Wax
12. The End of The End

I replaced "Gratitude," "Vintage Clothes," and "Feet In The Clouds" with the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition, and nixed "Nod Your Head" completely.

 

A unique thought! I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that before.

 

Not to put myself on any pedestal, but...
My second CD (I record long tracks and make mp3 discs, release under the moniker Oenyaw) included a track titled "Cicadas Lullaby". It didn't come out as planned, and I considered scrapping it, until someone who actually listened to my music wrote that it was their favorite. So, my attitude about it was "Who am I to say what people will like or dislike."
I have read an interview with Bob Dylan where he said if he was trying to make a perfect album, he would still be working on his first. Write a song, record it, release it. I can imagine (lol) McCartney writing another silly love song and thinking wtf, someone will like it. I can also imagine Bach writing, listening, and saying "Not quite it", picking up the quill and starting over.
My point is, how tragic it would have been for the world if, after the Brandenberg Concertos didn't sell, Bach would have gotten frustrated and burned them.

 

"IF" ....... more people considered them masterpieces.

 

I absolutely adore the version of "Grow Old With Me"!!! The sparse arrangement, the work done to double track tge vocals. "Nobody Told Me" & "Grow Old With Me" are not just the best songs on that album, they are rhe best tracks- where thr loose-ness/limitations issues actually arguably enhance the work.

Lennon's 1980 material remains my fave work of his, so I favor a more is better approach here. The only song I would drop, for sure, is "Forgive Me (My Little Flower Princess)" & I would add "Real Love" (prefer The Beatles Anthology 2 version, but the previously released Imagine filn soundtrack version works too) in it's place.

A shorter, slightly tighter, option is to cut the weakest track on "Double Fantasy" ("Dear Yoko") & the two others from "Milk & Honey" where their unfinished status is more questionable ("I'm Stepping Out" & "Borrowed Time").

Level I:
Woman
Watching The Wheels
Grow Old With Me
Nobody Told Me

Level II:
(Just Like) Starting Over
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
Clean-Up Time
I'm Losing You
I Don't Wanna Face It
*Real Love

Level III:
I'm Stepping Out
Borrowed Time
Dear Yoko

Edited Out:
Forgive Me (My Little Flower Princess)

 

Ringo's Time Takes Time

its practically the same but the song What Goes Around is replaced by You'll Never Know which was recorded and given to the curly sue soundtrack

I probably would have changed it even more if there was more than just 3 songs from the sessions out and about

 

Combining album sessions was brought up here in regards to "Tug Of War" (one of his strongest) with "Pipes Of Peace" (his absolute weakest album).

That works well for two sets of Harrison albums for me. His weakest works, for me, were released back to back (Somewhere In England from '81 & Gone Troppo from '82)- combine those for the best possible results & a truly formidable, very good album emerges... for me, the shorter the better probably... only 3 songs from "Gone Troppo" make the cut for me (2 great & 1 very good)- season with the most potent from "Somewhere In England" for best results- 8 songs are now very strong & you can add 2-4 more, as needed/preferred.

Level I:
Life Itself
*Lay His Head
Dream Away
That's The Way It Goes

Level II:
*Flying Hour
*Sat Singing
Writings On The Wall
Mystical One

Level III:
Baltimore Oriole
That Which I Have Lost

Level IV:
All Those Years Ago
Teardrops

 

Not sure if I completely agree, but it's definitely the best solo album by any Beatle.

 

Waiting & combining material would have been brilliant for Harrison in making two problematic, shorter albums (Dark Horse & Extra Texture, released back to back in '74 & '75) into one terrific album that highlights all the fine tracks they both had to offer, that got lost, for many folks, within their issues as as album experiences as they were originally released.

Level I:
Hari's On Tour (Express)
Ding Dong, Ding Dong
You
The Answer's At The End

Level II:
Far East Man
It Is He (Jai Sri Krishna)
Dark Horse
Maya Love
Grey Cloudy Lies
Tired Of Midnight Blue
World Of Stone

 

And ironically it's one of the solo albums I'd least want to listen to as a whole. It's a harrowing experience. I do though listen to many of the songs individually.

 

Lennon's best material from '73 & '74 stands up to hos best from '70, '71 or '80... it's just that there's more lesser material muddying up the final listening experience of both "Mind Games" and "Walls & Bridges". I've CD-R's combining them up, while adding, at least "Move Over Ms.L" & "Here We Go Again" (others might consider the Lennon versions of "Goodnight Vienna" & "I'm The Greatest"). I stop at Level II here myself, but for those who want more, I've included more- since although I might stop short with my listening, I always fill out my CD-R's to maximum length.

However you slice it, using the best material feom both these fine albums to create a Mind Bridges/Wall Games combo platter really ends up resulting a full fledged classic!!

Level I:
Mind Games
You Are Here
#9 Dream
Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

Level II:
I Know (I Know)
Tight A$
Intuition
Bring On The Lucie (Freda People)
Going Down On Love
Old Dirt Road
Suprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
*Move Over Ms. L
*Here We Go Again

Level III:
Meat City
Scared
Nobody Loves You (When You're Down & Out)
I'm The Greatest
Goodnight Vienna

 

I'll bite... close to yours, with a few minor changes... 12 tracks probably- even though the short 9 track version is tempting being that much tighter... for me 10 tracks is shorter (14 longer) & going less feels iffy ("Band On The Run" being the 8/9 song breaker of this guideline)

Level I:
Tug Of War
Take It Away
Ballroom Dancing
Wanderlust

Level II:
Here Today
Somebody Who Cares
The Pound Is Sinking
So Bad
Through Our Love

Level III:
What You're Doing
I'll Give You A Ring
Pipes Of Peace

 

You & I don't agree on a lot of what are the best tracks.

Nonetheless keep it going !

Here's a better imo-Harrison, combining 33/1/3 with the few good ones on Extra Texture

1-Crackerbox Palace
2-You
3-Beautiful Girl
4-See Yourself
5-Woman Don't You Cry
6-This Song
7-This Guitar Can't Keep
8-True Love
9-Its What You Value
10 Tired Of Midnight Blu

 

Right on! For me "Thirty-Three & 1/3" is George Harrison's "other masterpiece" & an album where I couldn't drop a single track!! It's as strong a single album solo Beatle release as I can think of!

If I was going to attempt any fusion with "Extra Texture", without dragging "Thirty-Three & 1/3" down, I'd cut nothing & add "You" & maybe "The Answer's At The End". At least you dug 7 out of 10 for "Thirty-Three & 1/3"!! That's a pretty good batting average! And, just for the record, for me "This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)" is the weakest on "Extra Texture" (like "Bye Bye Love" is to "Dark Horse").

I'm curious too... if we don't agree on thr best tracks from "Tug Of War"/"Pipes Of Peace"... what are your top tracks? Mine are listed in Levels vs. you creating virtual albums.

I see our albums as much more similar than different myself, with 8 tracks in agreement (mine- "Somebody Who Cares", "So Bad" & "I'll Give You A Ring" vs. yours- "Keep Under Cover" & "Get It") so the differences must be in which ones you love the most or least... curious about your favest of faves? Mine- Tug Of War, Take It Away, Ballroom Dancing & Wanderlust vs. Yours- ????

Also, in retrospect I would consider, at least "Ebony & Ivory" as a potential addition (2 Stevie collaboration tracks feel better than 1) & maybe even "Get It" and "Be What You See"/"Dress Me Up As A Robber"- they are lesser to me, but still interesting & unique & so much better than pretty much anything (save for the 2-3 tracks I chose) on "Pipes Of Peace"... still boggles my mind they were recorded concurrently & that quality control (he, George Martin & the record company) allowed something so weak to follow something that strong.

 

^^^^^
Why is everyone dropping "Learning How To Love You" from their lineups of fantasy George albums? Am I the only one who loves this song? Gorgeous jazzy melody, incredibly original chord progression, beautiful playing and singing, and insightful lyrics. Even the bridge is fantastic.

Had George wanted, he could have reworked his whole career around this proto-Lite Jazz style and beaten Michael Franks at his own game.

 

I didn't drop it!!! As I said, I think "Thirty-Three & 1/3" is his "other masterpiece" (right up there with "All Things Must Pass") & I wouldn't change a thing about it!.

I think both "Pure Smokey" (with it's great electric, non-slide, solo) & "Learning How To Love You" (with it's gorgeous acoustic solo) are amazing soul-jazz ballads of the highest order & they totally help shape side two of this great album into the unique listening experience it is.

"Learning How To Love You" is a perfect album closer & a song that George Harrison himself thought was his best since "Something"!!! It ended up B-side for both the "This Song" & "Crackerbox Palace" singles- so he did his best to get it out there as a favored track.... "Pure Smokey" was the B-side for the "True Love" single too BTW.

 

I kind of like the faux blues of Three Legs myself.

 

I have a hard time getting thru any of his albums, like a lot of his 45s though.

 

Sorry, I missed that. I agree 33 and 1/3 is fantastic and that "Pure Smokey" is sublime. I also think he improves "True Love."

 

Ram and POB are both masterpieces already. Don't touch 'em.

 

All good... I appreciate your passion for such a truly great Harrisong! Obviously, I deeply share that passion of opinion! But, for the record, only one person dropped the song (along with Pure Smokey & Dear One too)

I'm a huge fan of many pre-Rock songwriters, with the Gershwins & Cole Porter being absolute top shelf for me, and I agree George just transforms & transports the already terrific "True Love" into something truly sublime as it is pure pop heaven for now people!

 

Tug of War
Take it Away
Somebody Who Cares
Rainclouds
Here Today

So Bad
Ballroom Dancing
Wanderlust
The Pound is Sinking
Dress Me Up as a Robber
Pipes of Peace

Single: Ebony & Ivory / What's That You're Doing
Single: Say Say Say / The Man

 

Well mainly when you wrote Pipes of Peace the song was weak, I disagreed with.

To me the following songs

Tug Of War
Pipes Of Peace
Ballroom Dancing
Pound Is Sinking
Wanderlust
Keep Under Cover
Here Today
Through Our Love

Are the equivalent of McCartney's Beatles contributions Pepper thru Abbey Road. Ram has a couple tunes like that too. But simply re-teaming with Geo Martin & Geoff Emerick, & getting Ringo on there... Those 8 songs are his grown up Beatles songs..

But youre right we agree on 70-80%, but some we disagree on are significant. I also put No More Lonely Nights, In that group & add Take it Away & maybe No Values to get at least 3 rocking numbers..

The R&B stuff they did with Stevie & Michael Jackson, & Dress Me Up, all that stuff is superbly done, but styles I don't like..maybe So Bad could work too . Trouble using just the Beatley Ones makes too many ballads, Ballroom & Pound Sinking are the only two with any oomph, so Keep Under Cover is 3, Maybe Average Person to make it 4 rocking tunes. Or Not Such Bad Boy, same difference.

Sure I dig Stevie Wonder & What's That You're Doing, but who wants a funk song thrown in with Sgt Pepper sounding Beatley tracks ?

Another thing I'll mention you dig I'll Give You A Ring, I do too, but it's not a TOW song, it dates from Venus or before. Martin only scored the clarinets to an old track. Now Rainclouds is TOW era, & fantastic, but that was done with the Chieftons & Denny Lane, prior to the McCartney/Martin sessions.

 

I didn't mean "Pipes Of Peace" the song as weak (read again)... I meant "Pipes Of Peace" the album was the very weakest he ever released. The song itself finishes a fairly distant 3rd place on the album for me, but it's the last track I find of any much value at all.

Understand on going more Beatles sounding material. I do that myself when making post-breakup virtual Beatles albums from solo works. With just individual solo artist releases, I don't do that personally.

I don't understand the inclusion of the Broad Street material in your answer?? Help me out there please. But, since you brought it up... I'd put "No More Lonely Nights" on a top shelf & "Not Such A Bad Boy" on a shelf just below it. They are two great original song highlights from the ill conceived venture (not a fan of "No Values"- love the band assembled, don't hate the song... just doesn't reach me)

Thanks for the heads up on "I'll Give You A Ring"- more of a last Level, B-side afterthought, but still worth it - totally forgot about it's earlier origin!

I may not feel quite as strongly as you (material doesn't equal his later era Beatles work for me), but of the 8 you adore... I adore 3 of them & dig 3 more nearly as much...
... plus "Take It Away" in my top adore pile (you mention it later, but wasn't sure if it made top shelf for you) & 2 others are on my second shelf- a total of 9 I may love less than you do... but love them a lot I do!

 

Tug of War
Take It Away
Somebody Who Cares
I'll Give You A Ring
Here Today
Ballroom Dancing
The Pound is Sinking
Wanderlust
Pipes of Peace
So Bad
Through Our Love