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Album : Thirty Three & 1/3

Rating : 3 Stars

Release Date : Nov 24, 1976

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

Having suffered the humiliation of being sued successfully over "My Sweet Lord," George Harrison turned the ordeal into music, writing "This Song," a Top 25 hit. Even better was "Crackerbox Palace," which would have fit in nicely on any Beatles album. The rest was slight, although Harrison covering Cole Porter's "True Love" is an interesting idea. This was Harrison's first album on his Dark Horse custom label, formed after the completion of his contract with EMI/Capitol in June 1976 and initially distributed by A&M. [Thirty Three & 1/3 was reissued in 2004 with "Tears of the World" as a bonus track.]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Woman Don't You Cry for Me Harrison 3:20

2 Dear One Harrison 5:07

3 Beautiful Girl Harrison 3:42

4 This Song Harrison 4:14

5 See Yourself Harrison 2:51

6 It's What You Value Harrison 5:08

7 True Love Porter 2:44

8 Pure Smokey Harrison 3:55

9 Crackerbox Palace Harrison 3:58

10 Learning How to Love You Harrison 4:14

11 Tears of the World Harrison 4:03

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Album : George Harrison

Rating : 3.5 Stars

Release Date : Feb 14, 1979

 

Review by Richard S. Ginell

 

George Harrison is, except for the overdubbed London strings, a painstakingly polished L.A.-made product — and not a particularly inspired one at that. It's an ordinary album from an extraordinary talent. "Love Comes to Everyone" leads it off on a depressing note, a treadmill tune with greeting-card verses, and there are too many other such halfhearted songs lurking here, although some are salvaged by a nice instrumental touch: a catchy recurring guitar riff on "Soft Touch" and some lovely slide guitar on "Your Love Is Forever." Compared to the original, tougher Beatles version that was left off The White Album, the remake of "Not Guilty" is an easy listening trifle, though it was a revelation when it came out (the original had to wait until 1996 and Anthology 3 for an official release), and the succeeding "Here Comes the Moon" is a lazy retake on another Beatles song. "Blow Away" would be the record's most attractive new song — and a number 16 hit — but "Faster," a paean to Harrison's passion for Formula One auto racing, probably better reflected where his head was at this time. There are a few quirks: "Soft-Hearted Hana" is a strange, stream-of-consciousness Hawaiian hallucination and "Dark Sweet Lady" is a Latin-flavored tune written for his new wife, Olivia. Finally, the inevitable spiritual benediction "If You Believe" offers some thoughtful philosophy to ponder, if not an especially memorable tune. [George Harrison was reissued in 2004 with a demo of "Here Comes the Moon" as a bonus track.]

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Love Comes to Everyone Harrison 4:36

2 Not Guilty Harrison 3:34

3 Here Comes the Moon Harrison 4:50

4 Soft-Hearted Hana Harrison 4:03

5 Blow Away Harrison 4:00

6 Faster Harrison 4:47

7 Dark Sweet Lady Harrison 3:22

8 Your Love Is Forever Harrison 3:48

9 Soft Touch Harrison 3:59

10 If You Believe Harrison, Wright 2:57

11 Here Comes the Moon [*/demo version] Harrison 3:38

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Album : Somewhere in England

Rating : 3.5 Stars

Release Date : Jun 1, 1981

 

Review by Richard S. Ginell

 

This record had a troubled birth, for when George Harrison originally submitted it for release in November 1980, Warner Bros. rejected it, claiming that four songs — "Flying Hour," "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing," and "Tears of the World" (once available on the bootleg Ohnothimagen) — were not worthy of being issued. Harrison was forced to go back into the studio to cut four new tunes, delivering a bitterly barbed thrust at his record label in "Blood From a Clone" (which they did release) and a tune originally meant for Ringo Starr but rewritten as a remembrance after John Lennon's assassination ("All Those Years Ago"), as well as "Teardrops" and "That Which I Have Lost." As a result, the most compelling issue of this album is the contest of wills between the artist and the suits. Now how do the four deleted tunes stack up against the ones that replaced them? The four missing tunes are of generally even quality, even similar in sound, although "Tears of the World" is a strident attack against corporate and political masters that probably unnerved the executives the most. Actually, the six tunes that Warner Bros. spared should have been more likely candidates for the hook, including the curious covers of two Hoagy Carmichael songs, "Baltimore Oriole" and "Hong Kong Blues." Yet in general, the new ones are indeed superior and more varied, with more of a punch than the ones they replaced. The bouncy "All Those Years Ago" is a definite gain, being the most heartfelt song on the record as well as a de facto Beatles reunion (Starr plays drums and Paul and Linda McCartney overdubbed backing vocals), and it was justly rewarded with a number two showing on the singles charts. The official release is slightly preferable over the bootlegs of the original. [somewhere in England was reissued in 2004 with a different cover based on Harrison's original intention for the cover, plus a demo of "Save the World" as a bonus track.]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Blood from a Clone Harrison 4:04

2 Unconsciousness Rules Harrison 3:37

3 Life Itself Harrison 4:26

4 All Those Years Ago Harrison 3:47

5 Baltimore Oriole Carmichael 3:59

6 Teardrops Harrison 4:09

7 That Which I Have Lost Harrison 3:46

8 Writing's on the Wall Harrison 4:01

9 Hong Kong Blues Carmichael 2:56

10 Save the World Harrison 5:00

11 Save the World [*/demo version] Harrison

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Album : Gone Troppo

Rating : 1 Star

Release Date : Oct 27, 1982

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

Although George Harrison's solo career had faded from its early promise, through 1981 he could be counted on to turn in a gold-selling, Top 20 album containing a Top 20 single every year or so. Then came the disastrous Gone Troppo, a half-baked affair led by the minor single "Wake Up My Love" that failed to make the Top 100 LPs. Clearly, Harrison could no longer treat his musical career as a part-time stepchild to his interests in car racing and movie producing if he wanted to maintain it. As it turned out, he didn't; this was his last album for five years. [Gone Troppo was reissued in 2004 with a demo version of "Mystical One" as a bonus track.]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Wake Up My Love Harrison 3:36

2 That's the Way It Goes Harrison 3:37

3 I Really Love You Swearingen 2:57

4 Greece [instrumental] Harrison 4:02

5 Gone Troppo Harrison 4:27

6 Mystical One Harrison 3:45

7 Unknown Delight Harrison 4:18

8 Baby Don't Run Away Harrison 4:04

9 Dream Away Harrison 4:31

10 Circles Harrison 3:47

11 Mystical One [*] Harrison

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Album : Cloud Nine

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Nov 2, 1987

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Teaming with legendary Beatles obsessive Jeff Lynne, George Harrison crafted a remarkably consistent and polished comeback effort with Cloud Nine. Lynne adds a glossy production, reminiscent of ELO, but what is even more noticeable is that he has reined in Harrison's indulgences, keeping the focus on a set of 11 snappy pop/rock numbers. The consistency of the songs remains uneven, but the best moments — "Devil's Radio," "Cloud 9," "Just for Today," "Got My Mind Set on You," and the tongue-in-cheek Beatles pastiche "When We Was Fab" — make Cloud Nine one of his very best albums. [Cloud Nine was reissued in 2004 with two bonus tracks from the Shanghai Surprise soundtrack: the title song and "Zig Zag."]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Cloud 9 Harrison 3:16

2 That's What It Takes Harrison, Lynne, Wright 4:01

3 Fish on the Sand Harrison 3:24

4 Just for Today Harrison 4:06

5 This Is Love Harrison, Lynne 3:49

6 When We Was Fab Harrison 3:59

7 Devil's Radio Harrison 3:53

8 Someplace Else Harrison 3:52

9 Wreck of the Hesperus Harrison 3:33

10 Breath Away from Heaven Harrison 3:35

11 Got My Mind Set on You Clark 3:54

12 Shanghai Surprise Harrison 5:09

13 Zig Zag Harrison 2:45

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Album : Live in Japan

Rating : 2 Stars

Release Date : Jul 1992

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

George Harrison returned to the stage for the first time in years in 1991; that Japanese tour is documented on the fine double-disc set Live in Japan. Backed by a stellar supporting band led by Eric Clapton, Harrison turns in surprisingly strong versions of his best solo material; it easily surpasses Paul McCartney's double-disc Tripping the Live Fantastic or Paul Is Live. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like to give concerts.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 I Want to Tell You Harrison 4:33

2 Old Brown Shoe Harrison 3:50

3 Taxman Harrison 4:15

4 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) Harrison 3:37

5 If I Needed Someone Harrison 3:50

6 Something Harrison 5:21

7 What Is Life Harrison 4:47

8 Dark Horse Harrison 4:20

9 Piggies Harrison 2:56

10 Got My Mind Set on You Clark 4:56

11 Cloud 9 Harrison 4:22

12 Here Comes the Sun Harrison 3:31

13 My Sweet Lord Harrison 5:41

14 All Those Years Ago Harrison 4:26

15 Cheer Down Harrison 3:53

16 Devil's Radio Harrison 4:24

17 Isn't It a Pity Harrison 6:32

18 While My Guitar Gently Weeps Harrison 7:08

19 Roll Over Beethoven Berry 4:45

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Album : Brainwashed

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Nov 19, 2002

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

George Harrison went quiet not long after the second Traveling Wilburys album, surfacing only for the Beatles' Anthology in the mid-'90s. He was recording all the while, yet he died before completing the album that would have been the follow-up to 1987's Cloud Nine. His son, Dhani, and his longtime friend/collaborator Jeff Lynne completed the recordings, released late in 2002, nearly a year after George's death, as Brainwashed. Given its baggage it's easy to be suspicious about the merits of Brainwashed prior to hearing it. Posthumous efforts often feel incomplete, Harrison's albums were frequently inconsistent, and Lynne favors ornate, cinematic productions that run contrary to George's desire for this project to be simple and low key — nothing that would suggest that Brainwashed would be a success. Defying all odds, Brainwashed isn't just a success, it's one of the finest records Harrison ever made. Yes, it doesn't achieve the splendor of All Things Must Pass, nor is it quite of its time like both Living in the Material World and Cloud Nine were, but it's a quiet, subtle gem, one that strikes close to the heart of Harrison's music. It's intimate, alternately insightful and cheerfully lightweight, balancing his trademark black humor with silliness and good humor. Anyone searching the album for his views on mortality — as he faced not only cancer, but an attacker that nearly took his life — will surely find it, but this is not a somber album, it is a warm album, the sound of someone enjoying life without losing his wry sense of humor. This same spirit carries over to the music, with Harrison abandoning the idea of getting a hit and simply relaxing, primarily by playing a lot of ukulele and guitar. There aren't any major songs here and perhaps a tune or two could be pegged as throwaways by the cynical, but there are no down moments and it all holds together well — better than most Harrison albums — and it's a fitting way to say goodbye, every bit as good as Double Fantasy and, in some respects, even sweeter.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Any Road Harrison 3:52

2 P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) Harrison 2:38

3 Pisces Fish Harrison 4:52

4 Looking for My Life Harrison 3:49

5 Rising Sun Harrison 5:27

6 Marwa Blues Harrison 3:41

7 Stuck Inside a Cloud Harrison 4:04

8 Run So Far Harrison 4:05

9 Never Get Over You Harrison 3:25

10 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Arlen, Koehler 2:34

11 Rocking Chair in Hawaii Harrison 3:07

12 Brainwashed Harrison 6:07

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Album : The Concert for Bangladesh [bonus Track]

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Oct 25, 2005

 

Review by Richard S. Ginell

 

Hands down, this epochal concert at New York's Madison Square Garden — first issued on three LPs in a handsome orange-colored box — was the crowning event of George Harrison's public life, a gesture of great goodwill that captured the moment in history and, not incidentally, produced some rousing music as a permanent legacy. Having been moved by his friend Ravi Shankar's appeal to help the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Harrison leaped into action, organizing on short notice what became a bellwether for the spectacular rock & roll benefits of the 1980s and beyond. The large, almost unwieldy band was loaded with rock luminaries — including Beatles alumnus Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Badfinger, and two who became stars as a result of their electric performances here, Leon Russell (the medley of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Young Blood") and Billy Preston ("That's the Way God Planned It"). Yet Harrison is in confident command, running through highlights from his recent triumphant All Things Must Pass album in fine voice, secure enough to revisit his Beatles legacy from Abbey Road and the White Album. Though overlooked at the time by impatient rock fans eager to hear the hits, Shankar's opening raga, "Bangla Dhun," is a masterwork on its own terms; the sitar virtuoso is in dazzling form even by his standards and, in retrospect, Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Alla Rakha amount to an Indian supergroup themselves. The high point of the concert is the surprise appearance of Bob Dylan — at this reclusive time in his life, every Dylan sighting made headlines — and he read the tea leaves perfectly by performing five of his most powerful, meaningful songs from the '60s. Controversy swirled when the record was released; then-manager Alan Klein imposed a no-discount policy on this expensive set and there were questions as to whether all of the intended receipts reached the refugees. Also, in a deal to allow Dylan's participation, the set was released by Capitol on LP while Dylan's label, Columbia, handled the tape versions. Yet, in hindsight, the avarice pales beside the concert's magnanimous intentions, at a time when rock musicians truly thought they could help save the world. [The Concert for Bangladesh was reissued as a deluxe edition in 2005. It was packaged in a small, CD-sized box bearing different artwork (a photograph of George from the concert) and containing an expanded booklet, good remastered sound, and a bonus track of Dylan performing "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" tacked onto the end.]

 

 

Tracks (Performed by George Harrison unless stated)

 

 

1 Introduction by George Harrison & Ravi Shankar Harrison, Ravi Shankar 5:18

2 Bangla Dhun Ravi Shankar ... 16:39

3 Wah-Wah 3:30

4 My Sweet Lord 4:35

5 Awaiting on You All 3:00

6 That's the Way God Planned It Billy Preston 4:20

7 It Don't Come Easy Ringo Starr 3:00

8 Beware of Darkness 3:35

9 Band Introduction 2:38

10 While My Guitar Gently Weeps 4:53

11 Medley: Jumpin' Jack Flash/Young Blood Leon Russell 9:26

12 Here Comes the Sun 2:58

13 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall Bob Dylan 5:44

14 It's Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry Bob Dylan 3:07

15 Blowin' in the Wind Bob Dylan 4:06

16 Mr. Tambourine Man Bob Dylan 4:44

17 Just Like a Woman Bob Dylan 4:48

18 Something 3:42

19 Bangla Desh 5:01

20 Love Minus Zero/No Limit [*] Bob Dylan 4:19

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Album : The Best of George Harrison

Rating : 3 Stars

Release Date : Nov 8, 1976

 

Review by Bruce Eder

 

The Harrison material is matched with some Beatles numbers (the first seven tracks) in a good but routine collection.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Something Harrison 3:03

2 If I Needed Someone Harrison 2:23

3 Here Comes the Sun Harrison 3:07

4 Taxman Harrison 2:38

5 Think for Yourself Harrison 2:21

6 For You Blue Harrison 2:32

7 While My Guitar Gently Weeps Harrison 4:47

8 My Sweet Lord Harrison 4:39

9 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) Harrison 3:36

10 You Harrison 3:42

11 Bangla Desh Harrison 3:59

12 Dark Horse Harrison 3:54

13 What Is Life Harrison 4:20

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Album : The Best of Dark Horse (1976-1989)

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Oct 10, 1989

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

George Harrison's albums have been notoriously uneven, but despite the rough patches, his talent for songcraft never really left him, as the compilation The Best of Dark Horse (1976-1989) proves. A 15-song retrospective covering five albums, The Best of Dark Horse contains nearly every gem from 33 1/3, George Harrison, Somewhere in England, Gone Troppo, and Cloud Nine, including "Crackerbox Palace," "All Those Years Ago," "Got My Mind Set on You," "Cloud 9," "When We Was Fab," and the lovely "Blow Away." For most casual fans, the record will be a welcome summation of a hit-and-miss era of Harrison's career.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Poor Little Girl Harrison 4:32

2 Blow Away Harrison 3:58

3 That's the Way It Goes Harrison 3:34

4 Cockamamie Business Harrison 5:14

5 Wake up My Love Harrison 3:32

6 Life Itself Harrison 4:24

7 Got My Mind Set on You Clark, Harrison 3:50

8 Crackerbox Palace Harrison 3:56

9 Cloud 9 Harrison 3:14

10 Here Comes the Moon Harrison 4:07

11 Gone Troppo Harrison 4:24

12 When We Was Fab Harrison, Lynne 3:56

13 Love Comes to Everyone Harrison 3:40

14 All Those Years Ago Harrison 3:44

15 Cheer Down Harrison, Petty 4:07

TRAVELING WILBURYS

 

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Biography by William Ruhlmann

 

Reversing the usual process by which groups break up and give way to solo careers, the Traveling Wilburys are a group made up of solo stars. The group was organized by former Beatle George Harrison, former Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison, thus representing three generations of rock stars. In 1988, the five (who had known each other for years) came together to record a Harrison B-side single and ended up writing and recording an album on which they shared lead vocals. It turned out to be a way to transcend the high expectations made of any of them as individuals, and a delighted public sent the album to number three, with two singles, "Handle With Care" and "End of the Line" hitting the charts. Unfortunately, Orbison died of a heart attack only a few weeks after the album's release.

 

Two years later, the remaining quartet released a second album, inexplicably titled Vol. 3. Although it didn't match the success of the first Wilburys album, it was another million-selling hit. Throughout the '90s, there were rumors of another Traveling Wilburys record in the works, but no new albums from the group surfaced. Harrison and Lynne did re-team in 1995, when Lynne produced and reworked two John Lennon demos with the Beatles for their Anthology rarities collection.

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Album : Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Oct 25, 1988

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

There never was a supergroup more super than the Traveling Wilburys. They had Jeff Lynne, the leader of ELO; they had Roy Orbison, the best pop singer of the '60s; they had Tom Petty, the best roots rocker this side of Bruce Springsteen; they had a Beatle and Bob Dylan, for crying out loud! It's impossible to picture a supergroup with a stronger pedigree than that (all that's missing is a Rolling Stone), but in another sense it's hard to call the Wilburys a true supergroup, since they arrived nearly two decades after the all-star craze of the '70s peaked, and they never had the self-important air of nearly all the other supergroups. That, of course, was the key to their charm: they were a group of friends that fell together easily, almost effortlessly, to record a B-side for a single for George Harrison, then had such a good time they stuck around to record a full album, which became a hit upon its 1988 release. Looking back, the group's success seems all the more remarkable because the first album is surely, even proudly, not a major statement. Even under the direction of Lynne, who seems incapable of not polishing a record till it gleams, it's loose and funny, even goofy. It's clearly a lark, which makes the offhanded, casual virtuosity of some of the songs all the more affecting, particularly the two big hits, which are sunny and warm, partially because they wryly acknowledge the mileage on these rock & roll veterans. "Handle With Care" and "End of the Line" are the two masterworks here, although Roy's showcase, "Not Alone Anymore" — more grand and moving than anything on the Lynne-produced Mystery Girl — comes close in the stature, but its stylized melodrama is a ringer here: it, along with Dylan's offhand heartbreak tune "Congratulations," is the only slow thing here, and the rest of the album just overspills with good vibes, whether it's Tom Petty's lite reggae of "Last Night," Jeff Lynne's excellent Jerry Lee Lewis update "Rattled," or Dylan's very funny "Dirty World," which is only slightly overshadowed by his very, very funny Springsteen swipe "Tweeter and the Monkey Man." These high times keep The Traveling Wilburys fresh and fun years later, after Lynne's production becomes an emblem of the time instead of transcending it.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Handle With Care Traveling Wilburys 3:20

2 Dirty World Traveling Wilburys 3:30

3 Rattled Traveling Wilburys 3:00

4 Last Night Traveling Wilburys 3:48

5 Not Alone Anymore Traveling Wilburys 3:24

6 Congratulations Traveling Wilburys 3:30

7 Heading for the Light Traveling Wilburys 3:37

8 Margarita Traveling Wilburys 3:16

9 Tweeter and the Monkey Man Traveling Wilburys 5:30

10 End of the Line Traveling Wilburys 3:30

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Album : The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3

Rating : 3 Stars

Release Date : Oct 19, 1990

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

The Traveling Wilburys built upon George Harrison's comeback with Cloud Nine and helped revitalize the other supergroup members' careers, setting the stage for Bob Dylan's 1989 comeback with Oh Mercy, Tom Petty's first solo album, Full Moon Fever, produced by Jeff Lynne (sounding and feeling strikingly similar to this lark), and Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl, which was released posthumously. Given the success of this record and how it boosted the creativity of the rest of the five, it's somewhat a shock that the second effort falls a little flat. In retrospect, Vol. 3 plays a little bit better than it did at the time — it's the kind of thing to appreciate more in retrospect, since you'll never get another album like it — but it still labors mightily to recapture what came so effortlessly the first time around, a problem that can't merely be chalked up to the absence of Orbison (who after all, didn't write much on the first and only took lead on one song). Where the humor flowed naturally and absurdly throughout the debut, it feels strained on Vol. 3 — nowhere more so than on "Wilbury Twist," where Petty implores you to put your underwear on your head and get up and dance, the epitome of forced hilarity — and the production is too polished and punchy to give it a joie de vivre similar to the debut. That polish is an indication that Lynne and Petty dominate this record, which only makes sense because they made it between Full Moon Fever and Into the Great Wide Open, but it's striking that this sounds like more like their work, even when Dylan takes the lead on "Inside Out" or the doo wop-styled "7 Deadly Sins." Both of these are quite good songs and they have a few other companions here, like the quite wonderful country stomp "Poor House," but they're songs more notable for their craft than their impact — nothing is as memorable as the throwaways on the debut — and when combined with the precise production, it takes a bit for them to sink in. But give the record some time, and these subtle pleasures are discernible, even if they surely pale compared to the open-hearted fun of the debut. But when paired with the debut on this set, it's a worthy companion and helps support the notion that the Traveling Wilburys were a band that possesses a unique, almost innocent, charm that isn't diminished after all this time.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 She's My Baby 3:12

2 Inside Out 3:33

3 If You Belonged to Me 3:11

4 Devil's Been Busy 3:18

5 7 Deadly Sins 3:14

6 Poor House 3:14

7 Where Were You Last Night? 3:00

8 Cool Dry Place 3:33

9 New Blue Moon 3:15

10 You Took My Breath Away 3:18

11 Wilbury Twist 2:59

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Album : Traveling Wilburys Collection [Deluxe Edition]

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Jun 12, 2007

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

There never was a supergroup more super than the Traveling Wilburys. They had Jeff Lynne, the leader of ELO; they had Roy Orbison, the best pop singer of the '60s; they had Tom Petty, the best roots rocker this side of Bruce Springsteen; they had a Beatle and Bob Dylan, for crying out loud! It's impossible to picture a supergroup with a stronger pedigree than that (all that's missing is a Rolling Stone), but in another sense it's hard to call the Wilburys a true supergroup, since they arrived nearly two decades after the all-star craze of the '70s peaked, and they never had the self-important air of nearly all the other supergroups. That, of course, was the key to their charm: they were a group of friends that fell together easily, almost effortlessly, to record a B-side for a single for George Harrison, then had such a good time they stuck around to record a full album, which became a hit upon its 1988 release. The Traveling Wilburys was big enough to convince the group to record a second album, cheerfully and incongruously titled Vol. 3, two years later despite the death of Orbison. Like most sequels, the second didn't live up to expectations, and by the time it and its predecessor drifted out of print in the mid-'90s, with the rights reverting to Harrison, nobody much noticed. A few years later, though, it soon became apparent that the Wilburys records — mainly, the debut, widely beloved thanks to its two hits, "Handle With Care" and "End of the Line" — were out of print, and they soon became valuable items as the Harrison estate dragged its heels on a reissue. Finally, the two albums were bundled up as a two-CD set simply called The Traveling Wilburys and reissued with a DVD containing a documentary and all the videos in the summer of 2007 (there is also a deluxe edition containing a longer, lavish booklet).

 

Looking back via The Traveling Wilburys, the group's success seems all the more remarkable because the first album is surely, even proudly, not a major statement. Even under the direction of Lynne, who seems incapable of not polishing a record till it gleams, it's loose and funny, even goofy. It's clearly a lark, which makes the offhanded, casual virtuosity of some of the songs all the more affecting, particularly the two big hits, which are sunny and warm, partially because they wryly acknowledge the mileage on these rock & roll veterans. "Handle With Care" and "End of the Line" are the two masterworks here, although Roy's showcase, "Not Alone Anymore" — more grand and moving than anything on the Lynne-produced Mystery Girl — comes close in the stature, but its stylized melodrama is a ringer here: it, along with Dylan's offhand heartbreak tune "Congratulations," is the only slow thing here, and the rest of the album just overspills with good vibes, whether it's Tom Petty's lite reggae of "Last Night," Jeff Lynne's excellent Jerry Lee Lewis update "Rattled," or Dylan's very funny "Dirty World," which is only slightly overshadowed by his very, very funny Springsteen swipe "Tweeter and the Monkey Man." These high times keep The Traveling Wilburys fresh and fun years later, after Lynne's production becomes an emblem of the time instead of transcending it. (The album contains two bonus tracks in this reissue, the excellent Harrison song "Maxine" — a low-key waltz that should have made the cut — and "Like a Ship," a folky dirge that builds into ELO-esque pop which is pretty good but doesn't have the effervescence of the rest.)

 

The Traveling Wilburys built upon Harrison's comeback with Cloud Nine and helped revitalize everybody else's career, setting the stage for Dylan's 1989 comeback with Oh Mercy, Petty's first solo album, Full Moon Fever, produced by Lynne (sounding and feeling strikingly similar to this lark), and Orbison's Mystery Girl, which was released posthumously. Given the success of this record and how it boosted the creativity of the rest of the five, it's somewhat a shock that the second effort falls a little flat. In retrospect, Vol. 3 plays a little bit better than it did at the time — it's the kind of thing to appreciate more in retrospect, since you'll never get another album like it — but it still labors mightily to recapture what came so effortlessly the first time around, a problem that can't merely be chalked up to the absence of Orbison (who after all, didn't write much on the first and only took lead on one song). Where the humor flowed naturally and absurdly throughout the debut, it feels strained on Vol. 3 — nowhere more so than on "Wilbury Twist," where Petty implores you to put your underwear on your head and get up and dance, the epitome of forced hilarity — and the production is too polished and punchy to give it a joie de vivre similar to the debut. That polish is an indication that Lynne and Petty dominate this record, which only makes sense because they made it between Full Moon Fever and Into the Great Wide Open, but it's striking that this sounds like more like their work, even when Dylan takes the lead on "Inside Out" or the doo wop-styled "7 Deadly Sins." Both of these are quite good songs and they have a few other companions here, like the quite wonderful country stomp "Poor House," but they're songs more notable for their craft than their impact — nothing is as memorable as the throwaways on the debut — and when combined with the precise production, it takes a bit for them to sink in. But give the record some time, and these subtle pleasures are discernible, even if they surely pale compared to the open-hearted fun of the debut. But when paired with the debut on this set, it's a worthy companion and helps support the notion that the Traveling Wilburys were a band that possesses a unique, almost innocent, charm that isn't diminished after all this time.

 

 

Tracks

 

1 Handle with Care [DVD] 3:19

2 Dirty World 3:29

3 Rattled 2:59

4 Last Night 3:51

5 Not Alone Any More 3:24

6 Congratulations 3:29

7 Heading for the Light 3:36

8 Margarita 3:16

9 Tweeter and the Monkey Man 5:27

10 End of the Line [DVD] 3:29

11 Maxine [#/*] 2:49

12 Like a Ship [#/*] 3:30

13 True History of the Traveling Wilburys [multimedia track]

14 Handle with Care [DVD]

15 End of the Line [DVD]

16 She's My Baby [DVD]

17 Inside Out [DVD]

18 Wilbury Twist [DVD]

19 She's My Baby 3:15

20 Inside Out 3:35

21 If You Belonged to Me 3:13

22 The Devil's Been Busy 3:18

23 7 Deadly Sins 3:17

24 Poor House 3:16

25 Where Were You Last Night? 3:03

26 Cool Dry Place 3:37

27 New Blue Moon 3:20

28 You Took My Breath Away 3:18

29 Wilbury Twist 2:58

30 Nobody's Child [*] 3:28

31 Runaway [*] 2:30

RINGO STARR

 

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Biography by William Ruhlmann

 

Ringo Starr, born Richard Starkey, was the drummer in the Beatles from 1962 to 1970 and thus one of the most famous musicians of the '60s. Though the least prominent member of the quartet, he distinguished himself as an occasional singer of good-natured material and as an actor. Upon the group's split, Starr went solo with two novelty projects: the first, an album called Sentimental Journey, found him covering pre-rock standards, and the second, Beaucoups of Blues, was a country music collection.

 

Starr then scored Top Ten hits with two non-album singles, "It Don't Come Easy" in 1971 and "Back Off Boogaloo" in 1972. In 1973 he paired with producer Richard Perry and, with assistance from the three other ex-Beatles, made Ringo, which featured two number one hits, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen." "Oh My My," a Top Ten hit, was also included. Almost as successful was the 1974 follow-up, Goodnight Vienna, which featured the hits "Only You" and "No No Song."

 

Starr continued to release albums through 1981, though with diminishing success. His 1983 album Old Wave did not find a U.S. distributor. Starr was also suffering from the excesses of his lifestyle, but by the late '80s he had cleaned up, and in 1989 he toured with his "All-Starr Band." In 1992, he signed to Private Music and released a new studio album, Time Takes Time. Vertical Man, his first album for Mercury, followed in 1998, as did a disc culled from his performance on the VH1 Storytellers series. Starr's first seasonal effort, I Wanna Be Santa Claus, appeared a year later. Two studio records appeared during the early 2000s: Ringorama from 2003 and Choose Love two years later. In 2006 he made a guest appearance on Jerry Lee Lewis' album Last Man Standing and toured with another edition of his All-Starr Band, this time featuring Sheila E. and Edgar Winter. The 2007 release PBS Soundstage Live featured a show recorded two years earlier in Chicago.

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Album : Sentimental Journey

Rating : 3 Stars

Release Date : Mar 27, 1970

 

Review by Richie Unterberger

 

Ringo actually started recording his first solo album in late 1969, before the Beatles had officially split. Partially to please his parents, he set out to record an album not of rock & roll, but of standards from the 1930s and 1940s, with help from a bellyful of top arrangers (Richard Perry, Chico O'Farrill, Maurice Gibb, Klaus Voorman, George Martin, Quincy Jones, Elmer Bernstein, Oliver Nelson, and Paul McCartney). Savaged by some critics, it's really not all that bad. But it ain't rock & roll, it's not what Ringo does best, and it's not an essential part of anyone's collection, Beatles fan or otherwise, though it rose into the U.K. Top Ten and U.S. Top 30 when it was released, largely on the strength of Starr's then-fresh association with the Beatles. Reissued on CD in 1995.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Sentimental Journey Brown, Green, Homer

2 Night and Day Porter

3 Whispering Grass Fisher, Fisher

4 Bye Bye Blackbird Dixon, Henderson

5 I'm a Fool to Care Daffan

6 Stardust Carmichael, Parish

7 Blue Turning Grey over You Razaf, Waller

8 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Fain, Webster

9 Dream Mercer

10 You Always Hurt the One You Love Fisher, Roberts

11 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You Wiseman

12 Let the Rest of the World Go By Ball, Brennan

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Album : Beaucoups of Blues

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : Sep 25, 1970

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

Ringo Starr had a demonstrated affinity for country music, as heard on such Beatles recordings as "Act Naturally," and he sounded as modestly comfortable on this Nashville-recorded session as in any other musical context. The cream of the city's session players backed up the former Beatle on a set of newly written songs, and the result was a typical country effort, pleasant as long as you didn't expect too much. Of course, this was the second straight genre exercise for Starr, following his pop standards album Sentimental Journey, and now he had tackled two styles that depend on vocal stylists for much of their appeal. On both, Ringo was Ringo. But with the Beatles fading into history, his suddenly front-burner solo career was starting to look like a series of dabblings rather than a coherent follow-up to the group's success. What could be next, an album of Motown songs? Wisely, he returned to Beatles-style pop/rock in subsequent releases. [beaucoups of Blues was reissued on August 1, 1995, by Captiol with two bonus tracks, "Coochy Coochy," which had been released as the B-side of the single "Beaucoups of Blues," and the six-and-a-half-minute impromptu instrumental "Nashville Jam," which was previously unreleased.]

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 Beaucoups of Blues Rabin 2:35

2 Love Don't Last Long Howard 2:47

3 Fastest Growing Heartache in the West Dycus, Kingston 2:36

4 Without Her Pickard 2:37

5 Woman of the Night Pickard 2:24

6 I'd Be Talking All the Time Howard, Kingston 2:13

7 $15 Draw Pickard 3:29

8 Wine, Women and Loud Happy Songs Kinston 2:21

9 I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way Howard 3:00

10 Loser's Lounge Pierce 2:24

11 Waiting Howard 2:57

12 Silent Homecoming Pickard 3:58

13 Coochy Coochy Starr 4:48

14 Nashville Jam Buchanan, Daniels, Drake 6:39

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Album : Ringo

Rating : 4.5 Stars

Release Date : Nov 2, 1973

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

With Ringo, Ringo Starr finally put his solo career in gear in 1973, after serving notice with back-to-back Top Ten singles in 1971 and 1972 that he had more to offer than his eccentric first two solo albums. Ringo was a big-budget pop album produced by Richard Perry and featuring Ringo's former Beatles bandmates as songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists. On no single track did all four appear, though George Harrison played the guitars on the John Lennon-penned leadoff track "I'm the Greatest," with Lennon playing piano and singing harmony. But it wasn't only the guests who made Ringo a success: Ringo advanced his own cause by co-writing two of the album's Top Ten singles, the number one "Photograph" and "Oh My My." The album's biggest hit was a second chart-topper, Ringo's cover of the old Johnny Burnette hit "You're Sixteen." Songs like "Have You Seen My Baby," a Randy Newman song with guitar by Marc Bolan, and Ringo and Vini Poncia's "Devil Woman" were just as good as the hits. Ringo's best and most consistent new studio album, Ringo represented both the drummer/singer's most dramatic comeback and his commercial peak. The original ten-track 1973 album got even better in 1991 as a 13-track CD reissue, the bonus tracks including the 1971 gold single "It Don't Come Easy" and its B-side, "Early 1970," a telling depiction of Ringo's perspective on the Beatles breakup.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 I'm the Greatest Lennon 3:21

2 Have You Seen My Baby? Newman 3:44

3 Photograph Harrison, Starr 3:57

4 Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond) Harrison 2:45

5 You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful and You're Mine) Sherman 2:48

6 Oh, My My Poncia, Starr 4:16

7 Step Lightly Starr 3:15

8 Six O'Clock McCartney 4:08

9 Devil Woman Poncia, Starr 3:50

10 You and Me (Babe) Evans, Harrison 4:59

11 It Don't Come Easy [*] Starr 3:02

12 Early 1970 [*] Starr 2:20

13 Down and Out [*] Starr 3:04

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Album : Goodnight Vienna

Rating : 4 Stars

Release Date : Nov 15, 1974

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

Goodnight Vienna was very much a follow-up to Ringo, on which Ringo Starr called upon his bevy of musical buddies. Most prominent among them was John Lennon, who again wrote the leadoff track, "(It's All Da-Da-Down To) Goodnight Vienna," and played on three songs; also included are Elton John, who wrote and played on "Snookeroo," Dr. John, Billy Preston, Robbie Robertson, and Harry Nilsson. Richard Perry again produced, bringing his strong pop sensibility to the diverse material. The only real fall-off was in the songwriting; the album's Top Ten hits were "Only You," the old Platters song, and Hoyt Axton's novelty number "No No Song," which winked at intoxicants, but little else on the set stood out. Goodnight Vienna was another enjoyable Ringo record, but it lacked the star power and consistency of its predecessor. Still, compared to the rest of his '70s albums, it was a masterpiece.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 (It's All da-Da-Down to) Goodnight Vienna Lennon 2:34

2 Occapella Toussaint 2:56

3 Oo-Wee Poncia, Starr 3:46

4 Husbands and Wives Miller 3:36

5 Snookeroo John, Taupin 3:29

6 All by Myself Poncia, Starr 3:24

7 Call Me Starr 4:08

8 The No No Song Axton 2:34

9 Only You (And You Alone) Ram, Rand 3:27

10 Easy for Me Nilsson 2:21

11 (It's All da-Da-Down to) Goodnight Vienna (Reprise) Lennon 1:21

12 Back off Boogaloo Starr 3:22

13 Blindman Starr 2:44

14 Six O'Clock [Extended Version] McCartney 5:23

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Album : Ringo's Rotogravure

Rating : 2.5 Stars

Release Date : Sep 17, 1976

 

Review by William Ruhlmann

 

The formula that had worked for Ringo and Goodnight Vienna was followed again on Ringo Starr's Atlantic Records debut. Arif Mardin replaced Richard Perry in the producer's chair, but he hewed to the bouncy, eclectic pop style Perry had pioneered for Ringo, and the drummer called in such name help as Peter Frampton, Dr. John, Melissa Manchester, the Brecker Brothers, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Eric Clapton. The last three all contributed songs, too, as did George Harrison. As usual, there was an oldie, Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby," which came out as a single, as did the leadoff track, "A Dose of Rock & Roll." The latter was the only Top 40 hit, as the times seemed to be passing by Starr's happy-go-lucky style. Or maybe it was just time for a new formula.

 

 

Tracks

 

 

1 A Dose of Rock & Roll Groszman 3:24

2 Hey! Baby Channel, Cobb 3:11

3 Pure Gold McCartney 3:15

4 Cryin' Poncia, Starr 3:17

5 You Don't Know Me at All Jordan 3:16

6 Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love) Lennon 3:42

7 I'll Still Love You Harrison 2:58

8 This Be Called a Song Clapton 3:15

9 Las Brisas Andrews, Starr 3:34

10 Lady Gaye Poncia, Starr 2:59

11 Spooky Weirdness 1:26