Welcome to the final Split Record Review of the year! It’s been quite a year for James and I, full of music and Skrillex discourse. I’d like to extend a special thanks to James for being a great friend and doing this column with me. For this week, we’re going with a symbolic record to celebrate the end of the year, George Harrison’s seminal “All Things Must Pass.”
An album full of emotion, “All Things Must Pass” was released as a triple album in 1970, just months after the Beatles’ split. Most of the tracks here were written during Harrison’s tenure in the Fab Four, however most were shot down as Beatles songs. Therefore, this album acts as both a showcase of his talent and revenge against his former bandmates.
“I’d Have You Anytime” is a sly and smooth love song, gently introducing the listener into this nearly two-hour experience. However, this quaint song is overshadowed by the next track, “My Sweet Lord.” One of the biggest songs of any solo-Beatle career, this track epitomizes George Harrison’s style completely. Full of slide guitar and spirituality, it introduces many ideas and concepts that would appear throughout the record. A chorus made of Harrison’s voice chants “hallelujah” in between each line, eventually broken up by the Hare Krishna mantra. Most of “All Things Must Pass” was informed by Harrison’s spirituality and devotion to Hindu beliefs.
It’s here that we get the first taste of the quiet Beatle’s complex feelings towards his bandmates. The breakup of the Beatles had an enormous impact on Harrison, and nowhere is it more evident than the song “Wah-Wah.” The track was written on January 10, 1969, after a particularly tense practice session with the Beatles. Documented in the film “Let It Be,” Paul McCartney and Harrison engaged in a verbal spar, ending in Harrison leaving the band that morning.
“Wah-Wah” is the result of this spat. The track’s opening riff is angular, sounding like a shout. Harrison croons, “And I’m thinking of you, all the things that we used to do,” as a direct reference to his bandmates. The track is energetic, angry and one of the catchiest on the record. Eric Clapton provides backing guitar, and Harrison brings the slide guitar back for a solo duet with a saxophone.
“Isn’t It a Pity” sees the singer calm down, showcasing his ability to write a heartfelt ballad. The seven-minute track is more introspective than the former “Wah-Wah,” lamenting the singer’s history with the group, while still downplaying their experiences. These two tracks are some of the most vulnerable songs from Harrison’s 40-year career, rivaling the emotional pieces by songwriting titans Lennon/McCartney.
Things get significantly happier with “What is Life,” a celebration of love and life that is overtop a full orchestra, conducted by lifelong collaborator George Martin. The song ages somewhat poorly when analyzing Harrison’s adultery around this time, especially as it is attributed to Pattie Boyd, who was Harrison’s wife at the time. The track features Eric Clapton once again, making it even more awkward in retrospect when considering Clapton later stole Boyd from Harrison. Drama aside, the track is one of my personal favorites from the album.
“Behind that Locked Door” is a love letter from Harrison to American country. The track exudes ’70’s Willie Nelson vibes, years before he released “Shotgun Willie.” “Run of the Mill” is another introspective, acoustic-led ballad. While the track is incredibly lush, the stripped-down demo version is my favorite rendition of this song. The rasp in Harrison’s voice is mostly absent from this track, likely due to his improved health after the Beatles’ breakup.
Side two opens with “Beware of Darkness,” another slow piano and guitar driven ballad. While it’s not my favorite on the record, it’s full of emotion and has some of the best vocals from Harrison on the record. Things pick up with “Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll),” another folk-rock banger. The name is a reference to the former owner of Harrison’s estate, Friar Park. The track features Beatles collaborator and legendary pianist Billy Preston, as well as longtime friend, Klaus Voormann, who plays bass on most of the record.
Now onto the title track, “All Things Must Pass.” This song was infamously shot down by Lennon during the “Get Back” sessions, however he did contribute to the line, “A mind can blow those clouds away.” One can only wonder how the track would turn out had it been included on “Let It Be” or “Abbey Road.” However, the track is a quintessential Harrison number that’s hard to imagine any other way. This is the most reflective piece on the album, tackling the transition to a solo artist finally able to have complete creative control of his own music.
The last track I’ll talk about is “Art of Dying.” It’s energetic and mysterious, soundtracking Harrison and John Lennon’s first LSD trip in 1966. The group’s introduction to the drug proved to be a huge change to their creativity and lifestyle, kickstarting the psychedelic movement of the late 1960’s. The song wouldn’t sound out of place in a James Bond movie, and Harrison’s lyrics deal with human nature and the mind itself.
“All Things Must Pass” is one of the greatest albums ever made, in my opinion. Harrison shows off his songwriting ability, and it serves as a therapy session for the trauma he experienced in the Beatles. I can’t wait to see what James has to see about this record in this last edition of Split Record Review. Thank you for reading all our endless musical yapping, hopefully we showed you at least a few cool records along the way!
Rating: 5/5
Featured Photo by Israel Palacio/Unsplash