"Let It Roll - Songs By George Harrison" - Reviews

[FPSHOT]

Ok let's talk about the actual album here.

First of all; what is really new?

Welll to start of something I am always interested in which is the booklet.

The front picture you have seen.

Page 2 has the tracklist and has a beautiful picture of young George and I have not seen this one before. I believe it is from one of his first trips to India because I have a similar picture of his dressing and hair-cut (short) and it is like he is in some sort of canyon

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q97/handset/CD_LetItRoll-bkpag2-3.jpg

The text in the booklet is written by Warren Zanes in April 2009 and describes George's life.

Page 3 has an awesome picture of George also from the Beatles days, I think 1968/1969 which also I have not or not often seen.

From the same time and same shot looking at his clothes - an awesome white kind of shirt - is again a picture from 1968/1969 which may be a little surprising, but still is just so special to have. He is standing and playing guitar with his face downwards, so plenty of that hair.

Page 6 has George from 1970-ish with a denim shirt on in which he has hidden a gnome.

Page 7 has George sitting on a chair with the What Is Life lyrics and notes from I Me Mine mixed in the picture, it is a picture of him which we know but.... there are trees and hills there too and that part is really new.

Page 8 has a very rare Dark Horse album time picture with the hat including a flower in it and curly long hair (did I say that)

Next page has drums with the Dark Horse logo and he following one is from the Bangla Desh concert, George in his suit.

Next is one I also never saw before and his from one of the US 74 shows and has George from the back thanking the audience who you see clapping.

Then there is one from the Cloud 9 albums shoots, which is George sitting down is a light suit with blue socks with prints on it and sandals... and his guitar.

Following is a picture of the mix table at FPshot.

And the last is George from the Got My Mind Set On You Video taping.

OK now music, I have not had a chance to listen to the entire album, it is all like as if you hear it again for the first time...George... this amazing feeling I can not describe..

I do notice differences with the other albums, even the remastered ones, but should listen more to give a real review.

Various songs just flow in to eachter without some silence between them. Well, I actually quite like it, it is a bit like Sgt Pepper and like LOVE and that is one of the nice things about this album, to have something different.

Like When We Was Fab ends with an applause and gets to Something from Bangla Desh. I really like it.

The bonus track from I-Tunes is awesome. I have quite some versions of Isn't It A Pity but this one I don't think I have but even if I do, it will never be the same sound quality which is provided here.

More later !

[Legs]

Won't write a real review since I haven't got it.
Ofcourse the songs are great, and as fan I am sure you would have no problems listening to the cd, however as discussed on previous thread, it's an uneven and uncomplete compilation.

It's hardly an overview of George's complete sollo career, as it's falsly advertised to be. There are mixed reviews about the sound quality, with some claiming the compilation sounds to compressed. Therefore I wait a bit longer till I read more reviews.
I don't like the idea of the songs being crosfaded into each other, it's something I can do myself if desired, however I rather have the complete songs, and not having seconds choped off because of an crossfade.

I am sure the photo's are nice to look at, but it's not a good enough reason to buy this cd for me.
Ofcourse the extra track can only be downloaded as part of the whole album, an practise I dislike. I am sure I will get it from someone who already has it, and by the looks of it that would be from you FPSHOT.

[ringo_rama]

Yeah, the crossfade idea is pretty awful. Especially if you're trying to copy it to an MP3 player. Still too annoyed by the only unreleased track not even being included on the CD (yeah, that makes sense) and just generally think it's a crappy excuse for a compilation (not the songs themselves, but the selection) to buy this for the time being but I'm a completist so I'll have to buy a used copy eventually. Don't want them to get the royalties from my sale.

[FPSHOT]

The crossfading is only in a few tracks and if you play the songs individually, which I have actually done, you do not notice anything missing or anything being incomplete or anything from a previous or next track.

On many tracks the time between songs is about 4 or 5 seconds.

[Pepperland Kamer]

Bonus track on itunes? Damn it...

[FPSHOT]

it's 2009, those things happen.

Would we have been in the 60's here I am sure people would have said "why didn't they put Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields on Sgt Pepper, now I have to buy the single as well "

[ringo_rama]

That's not a fair comparison though. It's more like if they added PL and SFF on one retailer's edition of the album and on no others...and that retailer only sold 78s.

FWIW, I would be annoyed but willing to purchase if they put the demo as a bonus track on, say, the Best Buy version of the CD. As long as it was on CD.

[hibgal]

I agree. It's not like you can buy this bonus track separately like you would an EP in the 60s. I think that's what bothers me the most. If you want the CD version as well as the bonus track you must, in addition to the physical disc, ALSO purchase the CD as a full download. Besides, it sends a rather weird message, as if we won't buy the download without dangling a carrot in front of our noses. Why penalize people that prefer the actually disc to downloading?

[darkhorse23]

"Let It Roll" is #1 on Amazon's Internet Sales as I write this.

[darkhorse23]

I've uploaded the instrumental track to The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll). To listen, go to

http://www.4shared.com/file/52146334/bb349e02/George_Harrison_-_Let_It_Roll.html

Hit the play button, it'll take a few seconds to buffer, then play. Do not hit download button, it's an ad.

[FPSHOT]

I believe people who complain about the CD content so much should not even bother about a bonus track.

I believe it is a beautiful compilation chosen in the end by Olivia who knows about what will follow after this. That's more than good enough for me and to know it was her final choice where she will have had to make tough decisions only makes it very special to have.

I certainly hear the remaster differences which is a joy to my ears and heart.

And yes I have taken the i-Tunes version as well, additionally, for instance for the bonus track and for instance for having the booklet on large format and the booklet really is - to me - amazing.
Those two things were more than worth the 9 euro investment to me which was the first money spent on any Beatles item in a long time, apart from the CD which is on it's way to me by mail.

[ringo_rama]

I believe people who complain about the CD content so much should not even bother about a bonus track.

I'd get the CD if it had that demo on it. It makes zero sense to include the one previously unreleased recording as a digital album-only bonus track.

I just wish there wasn't so much blind acceptance of everything from George fans (and no, I'm not accusing you of this, FP, you know I respect you man). This compilation ultimately amounts to "Songs Olivia Likes" and the iTunes thing is a complete rip-off but only a handful of vocal complainers are out there. If the iTunes thing hadn't been brought into it, I would still think it was a weak compilation (selection-wise, not the songs themselves)...but I would just avoid it altogether until I found a cheap used copy. The iTunes bonus track is an insult because it's the one thing that is actually a selling point for the hardcore fans who already have everything else...and it's not even included on the actual CD.

[FPSHOT]

I always appreciate your comments cause I know you a little mister ringio rama and so much love having you here :smile1:

I believe the acceptance - your word - comes with a feeling.

You all will know my acceptance for George's music is different than to most here and elsewhere because to me it is more than just an album.

It being Olivia's wish - which I btw doubt is to be a general conclusion towards the songs chosen - makes it for me an album I will hold to my heart, no matter which other songs I love to hear, but as the Harrisons keep saying, there will be more.

OK so I will have to get used to this new album, but I am delighted to know they come from Olivia in just this case and I am sure more will follow.

[ringo_rama]

Ok, just for FP I have programmed up all the tracks from LIR in order and I'm going through them. Obviously it's not exact because I'm not getting the crossfades and all that but I figure for all the complaints I've done about the track selection, I might as well check it out in one fell swoop. I will report back later. :smile1:

[Zimmerman The Gnome]

I bought and listened to the album today and really enjoyed it. Not an album I'd put on a lot but good. Not too keen on the live tracks being on there, they dont improve on the beatle versions in any way so kind of pointless.
Highlights include Any Road and Rising Sun, two of his final songs which stand up with anything he ever did. Good to here I Dont Want To Do It, Cheer Down sounds great.
Nice to have a George collection and if I'd never heard of him before, this album would probably be amazing to me.

[hibgal]

Just out of curiousity, Gnome, did you get the CD or did you download it?

[Zimmerman The Gnome]

I bought the CD, I would download more if I had an iPod/MP3 player but never get round to getting one

[John Cee]

I haven't picked up the CD yet... but here's what reviewer Dave DiMartino says on Y (Yahoo) Music (in the preceding article, DiMartino makes the preposterous proclamation -- he must be joking -- that the Jonas Brothers are the "new Beatles" !!!):


George Harrison: Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison (Capitol/EMI)

In some ways a member of the Jonas Brothers of his era, but with longer hair, George Harrison made lots of interesting records after leaving his baby band the Beatles! This new collection of hits spotlights many of his best known songs--including "My Sweet Lord," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" and "All Those Years Ago"--as well as live versions of his classic Beatle tracks "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun"--and is the sort of thing you'd want to have around your house just on general principles! Valuable for refreshing our memory about Harrison's upbeat and compelling post-Beatles material, which often stood in the shadow of solo material by his former bandmates Paul McCartney and John Lennon, this collection is classy, formidable, hook-filled and wry! You know what? He wasn't bad!

[Legs]

I think you can put on any song on a George collection and you would enjoy listening to it. It's dificult to choose, and it's nice that Olivia has choisen her favourite songs. However I am more thinking from a fan points of view, and I also don't feel the need to defend the record company, which I am sure had their reasons to release things like they do.

From a fan points of view having to download the whole album again, for one bonus track, is bad practise period. As for who is to blame, that's a different matter. Had you been able to download the demo version of "Isn't it a pitty" serperatly then I wouldn't have any doubts about it and would have just bought the track through Itunes.

Also I much rather buy a physical product then to listen to mp4 or aac files. And had they put the bonus song on the cd they would have least sold one extra copy, if not many more. The only reason I still want to get this cd one day is to hear what it sounds like. The "All things must pass" tracks I hear are finally in great sound quality. You still have to listen to the vinyl for the rest of the songs as both the first cd release and the 2001 remastered version aren't really masterd well.

[Legs]

I believe people who complain about the CD content so much should not even bother about a bonus track.


Not sure what you mean by that.
The bonus track is of more interest to me, then the cd content.

[John Cee]

Bought it over the weekend... like it a lot!
I'm surprised there are no songs from "33 & 1/3" on here (I've always loved "Crackerbox Palace" and "Love Comes to Everyone" -- and "This Song" isn't bad either).....but it's great to hear all these songs again in such clarity.. especially that great Harrison slide guitar work in "Give Me Love" and "Blow Away"..... and I still think "Isn't It a Pity" is George's masterpiece... good way to end the CD....

[ringo_rama]

"Love Comes to Everyone" is on George Harrison, not 33 & 1/3.

[Legs]

I have given this some more thoughts.
I've been mainly thinking about how much of this release is just a record company product, and how much is it something put together by Olivia and Dhani out of love for George.

It's not like George has had many greatest hits compilations, it's only his third. There are only a few songs missing, Bangla Desh, is still the one I feel really should have been on it, but it's a beautiful collection of George's songs. I've decided to go the 2009 way all the way with this release and I've downloaded it through Itunes. A couple of reason for this. As FPSHOT said, it's great to have the booklet it bigger format on your computer screen, you still can look and read through something of a booklet almost as big as vinyl. I didn't have any George on my mp3 player to travel around with, and "Let It Roll" is an near perfect George collection to carry with, and the bonus track which I still wanted to have in an legal way.

[Jerry]

Bonus track on itunes? Damn it...

Premium Forum....

[darkhorse]

I will not order this online, so I will only buy it if it ever comes around these parts of the world... So I do not hesitate.

As for the bonus track, terrible idea. EMI/Capitol is taking it really wrong with this.

And on the same topic - as I am too lazy to check if you've already mentioned it, Let it Roll was George's highest chart entry in about 35 years (since Living in the Material World), since it debuted at #4 in the UK charts... Pretty impressive. It also debuted at #24 on Billboard's Top 200... Just for reference, The Best of George Harrison came at #31 in 1975, and Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 hit #132... Brainwashed, his last album, hit #18 in 2002.

Also, before Michael Jackson's death (all albums from 1 to 15 are his at the moment I write this), George's album was in the higher positions of Amazon.com's sales, enjoying a brief stay as the #1 CD, and currently sitting at #22.

[george_on_cloud9]

Is this the new album?

[FPSHOT]

Not the one Jeff will be working on but yes it is the latest, released round June 12, 13, officially 16th

[Wilbury Chick]

The album is excellent but I'd have expected more songs on it. I'm glad that I don't want to do it was there as well as some others but I'd have liked to hear Poor little girl, Mystical one, Someplace else and Soft-hearted Hana among others. I know, I know, we all have our favourites and I am sure many of you would have also liked to have your top favourites chosen! Anyway, although it's short, the songs are great.
Now, I've been reaidng some of the comments but from the moment I opened the booklet I was surprised, schocked. I have the impression that some of the pics do not actually show George but Dhani. Have a look at the picture on the back cover: I really can't believe that that is George. The same happens to me with the picture on page 2: I know that Dhani looks like George in many ways and there were times where Dhani's looks were almost exaclty like George. I remember seeing this photo shoot with a model. Anyway, have a closer look. these pictures do not show "George"'s face clearly...I really think it's Dhanim but it's just my opinion, have you noticed the same?:afraid2:

[beatlebangs1964]

Dhani does indeed resemble George and Harold Sr.

This is an excellent collection of genuinely beautiful songs and "Soft Hearted Hana" is in a class by itself.

[beatlelover45223]

I love this CD, I would love to have seen Your Love Is Forever on this one, George sounds quite clear and crisp, his voice is very out front on my studio speakers that I have hooked up to my computer, Marwa so out front, enchanting and thought provoking for me!

[beatlelover45223]

I just thought about another I would like to have heard, Just For Today, I agree, a larger album would have been great, how do you pick ?