The Dark Horse years reviews - 33 & 1/3 and perhaps a bit.

To me what is important with the boxset is that all the albums are out there again.
It’s great to see that people get the chance to listen to all these songs, either for the first time or again since a long time.

The albums themselves had there reviews and critigue, good and bad, when they were released back in their days. But as not everyone has got the chance to buy the albums, or like me only had most of them on vinyl and hadn’t heard them in awhile, now is the chance to re-discover them again.Here’s the first of the Dark Horse albums review. Starting ofcourse with 33 1/3

I always had a preference to the sound of George’s albums with EMI, more acoustic, real instruments where the songs don’t get lost in the production, one can argue about the production of ATMP ofcourse still I love the feeling of that album.
33 & 1/3 had a new sound, but in case of the opening songs it’s really refreshing.
The funky “Woman Don’t You Cry For Me”, starts of the album in a great way.
Willie Weeks, bass sound is among the best I have heard, George’s guitar woven throughout the song shines throug, as does George confident vocal.

George’s lyrics are thankfully almost everytime great, as he shows again on "Dear One".The combination of George singing
“You hear My Spirit Sing to you
You see creation at your feet
You feel my feelings calling you… “
.. with the music is enough make shivers run down my spine. This uplifting song, is one my favourites from George, and one still that doesn’t suffer from the production.

And we got three great songs in a row, with "Beautiful Girl". The wonderfull warm melody of this song, beautiful slide guitar parts, two parts that chalange eah other. Lyricaly simply but not a simple (there is a diference) love song to Olivia.

“This Song” just gained my appreciation with the boxset, having seeing the silly but great clip, and hearing the great sound on the cd. It just didn’t came of well listening to it from my vinyl.

Nothing wrong with the lyrics to “See Yourself” again among one of George’s best, but here is where the production and heavy synths burries a good song.Gary Wright, Billy Preston and Richard Tee are all being credited as keyboard players.

“It’s What You Value” has a great riff going. And was one of my initial favourites of 33 & 1/3.

George was interested in many different musical style’s and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he would choise to do a cover of this song. But I am not really fond of this cover.
It hasn’t got anything, apart from the fact that George obviously liked the song and some guitar parts that desperatly tries to climb above the heavy mix, that I can cling to as being a George Harrison song. In short, the words are not George’s the music is not my style.

The next song is again different, a nice laid back soul mood. As the title sugest the song is a tribute to Smokey “you really got a hold on me” Robinson. The music is the best tribute,lyrically the opening lines are pure George, but then George also goes into putting a song title of Robinson into the song, “He really got a hold on me”.

“Crackerbox Palace” is George’s translation for the world and growing up. With other people you might think that the lyrics are made up, but everything came from George’s own experiences. Musicaly again uplifting, as you can describe the whole album.

“Learning How To Love You” has a mellow mood to it, one can almost imagine singing this song in a jazz club, with wonderfull acoustic guitar work. Another one of George’s finest work, musically and lryically. “No truth could ever fear me, and left alone with my heart. Learning How To Love you.

Overall a great album in a upbeat mood, with a mix of different musical directions. Still one of my favourite albums, the sound of the re-released cd is very good, so I won’t repeat that with every review. In this case I will not say anything about the bonus track, as I don’t feel it’s part of the recordings of the original albums.

Next is George Harrison.

[size="1"][ Mar 14, 2004, 08:05 AM: Message Edited By: Legs ][/size]

Wonderful review, as usual. I agree it is great to have these 'out there' again. The ones I had on vinyl didn't get played enough and it was my first listen of Gone Troppo.

As for 33 1/3 it is not one of my favorites but thanks to your review I have pulled it out again to listen to. Off this album I have to pick the 'humor' songs. Just me I guess.

Legs, this is a great review, thanks so much, this challenges me to write one myself which also will include my thoughts about your review. I will do that tomorrow.

Better hurry up, cause the one for George Harrison is coming, albeit I still need perhaps one more hour or so.

Sorry Legs, I am out tonight, as of 20 minutes, but oh well then I will do both tomorrow, how does that sound [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

Originally Posted By FPSHOT:
Sorry Legs, I am out tonight, as of 20 minutes, but oh well then I will do both tomorrow, how does that sound [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Looking forward to reading them FP.

Same for your new one Le [img]graemlins/wink1.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

In case you were going to write the 'George Harrison' review in this same topic, do me a favor please and make a new topic for the other album, then we can continue on this album here. In case you were not going to that ... well then.. [img]graemlins/thinker.gif[/img] then this remark can be put in the Cracker Box [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

Thanks for that review Legs. I agree with you about preferring maybe a more acoustic sound that George had with his EMI albums, without all the synths and keyboards. He kind of got back to that with Brainwashed but that's another topic. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I enjoy his Dark Horse output as well though.

And 33 & 1/3 has some of my favorite George songs on it such as Woman Don't You Cry For Me, Beautiful Girl and Learning How To Love You. I love the feel and sound of Pure Smoky too. Beautiful guitar work in those songs. Unlike you though, I enjoy his cover of True Love. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I can't wait to get this box set.

I'm sure FPSHOT will give us a great review as well.

[size="1"][ Mar 15, 2004, 08:09 PM: Message Edited By: Savoy Truffle ][/size]

This album, 33 1/3 is a bit like “The Return Of George Harrison”

George coming out of not his best period in life was very happy about this album and his life at the time. I have an interview – thanks HC [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img] – with George about this album and he speaks very open about having been sick, having been in court, but ‘now’ feeling very happy

“I feel sensational, haven’t felt better in two and a half years” George says in the interview.

Between Extra Texture and 33 1/3 George spent Xmas in England, then went to Cannes for the Midem, went to court for the MSL case, went to California for some business about Dark Horse, also did some editing for a Dark Horse road show, the holiday in the Caribbean. Then went recording for this album, but got sick ‘hippy-Titus’ as he says himself [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img] . Also a case about Dark Horse records was settled between parties.

Legs refers to his preference for the EMI albums, well Legs “George Harrison” is a Warner Bros album and also rather ‘acoustic’ ?

“Woman don’t you cry for me” – yeah some opening huh [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

When I heard this the first time – and it was 1976, which was a bit of a ‘disco’ music year – I thought “wow, “George goes Funky” [img]graemlins/dance.gif[/img]

Can we call it a bit the “American Coast” sound? With the bass, the special drum style, the keyboards..

Richard Tee’s keyboards make it a funky sound. George met Richard Tee in New York, he is a very well known session musician and after musical study for 12 years joined Motown Records and played with the likes of Marvin Gaye (that’s his real name, as George would say [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img] ) Carly Simon, Joe Cocker, Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon (also on tour), Roberta Flack, James Brown, he played a lot with Roxy Music, and he played on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” a song which was years later screamed in to the charts by someone from Houston.

Richard Tee died in 1993 from prostate cancer age 49.

Alvin Taylor on keyboards also has a Motown background.

George refers in the liner notes to the bottleneck guitar sound, well that is very clear to hear and that we also know from “Sue Me Sue You Blues”. It’s from a guitar George got from Clapper and makes him think of the skiffle sound he heard when he was 13, 14. You only had to know 2 or 3 chords which is easy. That song was made when George was not really playing guitar very much, but played sitar mainly. So Eric gave him a guitar to sort of get catch up and there he started doing slide for his “old pall Clapper”

Rather straight forward lyrics I’d say, very direct..
” I'm gonna leave you here I'm gonna leave you at the station”
“Take care of yourself baby C'mon won't you let me be”

But a very nice song and I thing thé opening to a beautiful album, it makes you sit down and see what else comes up.

Well the first thing which comes up is the wonderful

“Dear One”

It’s been said here at the Palace before, the words “Dear One” come from Swami Yogananda and are now still spoken by “Sri Daya Mata” in openings of her letters to readers of the SRF Magazine (which I am subscribed to) , a wonderful woman I admire a lot and who is since 1955 president of SRF.

George says ”I never met Yogananda… in this body”

It’s like a prayer and the realization of the appreciation for Yogananda. That becomes clear in the lyrics.

I love the acoustic sound of it. The guitars with the keyboards soft backing makes it very spiritual, however the middle part, with the heavy bass is a great interval and even a bit further the musical badge is even a but funky again.

I love this song for various things, the spiritual content, but also the music around it, the nice double and sometimes triple vocals..

Legs, you have no idea maybe how beautiful your words are here when you say “make shivers run down my spine” .. maybe you know, but the ‘spine’ is a very ‘spiritual world’ word relating to Yoga and Meditation and the combination of your words is just beautiful to describe what a song can do to you..

“Beautiful Girl”

is about total beauty, say the inside and outside beauty of a person, in this case a girl.

What makes this song special to me is the use of chords themes, I played it often and it’s very musical.

All the slides through the song make it the first song on the album to have real slide parts, different than the bottleneck guitars in the opening song.

Legs, you describe it very nice, the ‘wonderful warm melody’ is the perfect match to the intention of the lyrics.

“This Song”

George wrote this right after the court case.

When I hear it now, it makes ma laugh because I think of the video [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

Ok, let’s swing [img]graemlins/dance.gif[/img]

Cool Billy Preston intro [img]graemlins/smile2.gif[/img] and Richard Tee on piano does great work too, it’s just a very cheerful song

Billy’s part was actually mixed in later whereas at the time of the recording of the album with the other musicians, Billy was touring with the Rolling Stones.

The always-present Tom Scott adds great saxy parts to this song and oh that Eric Idle voice is just groovy, who else comes up with such a thing in a sing.

Watch the video !!!!!

The bit Clapper-ish guitar maybe in honour of Clapper?

“See Yourself”

I love the opening, with both Gary Wright and Billy Preston on keyboards, Richard Tee on piano, but other than for instance on Somewhere In England, they don’t control the song.

Pay some attention to the drumming in this song, it’s very special, so many different drumming bits in this one.

The backing vocals are so clear on this re-issue.

The lyrics carry this song for me, they are really interesting to mirror yourself.

“It’s What You Value”

about Jim Keltner

I used to have Tom Scott’s album “New York Connection” and recognize so much his sound here which is also know from various police/detective series on TV.

Richard Tee made the opening tune on piano, which is a quite funky riff also known from funky songs round 1975/6.

I love the bit echoed vocal.

The marimba is cool on this song, it’s not used that much on George’s records I think?

“True Love”

George is unique in covers. Also this piece he made very special to by changing the rhythm from the somewhat Xmas sound of Bill Cosby to a song which you can sing to your love any time of year and then when you dress like George in the video, it will even be a blast hahaha

David Foster’s electric piano here gives a special sound, which makes me think of what Dhani did on Brainwashed with the Wurlitzer.

A very nice love song and again the bottleneck guitar is used for the solo. I love bottlenecks J but also other slide guitars come in through the song.

Awwww such sweet lyrics ........

“Pure Smokey”

This is the title of a 1974 Smokey Robinson album, Pure Smokey.

But the lyrics also are related to the Lord, saying ; ‘thank you’..

The opening is so warm and the horns give a Smokey taste to it.. whereas the opening guitar solo is amazing.

The rhythm guitar plays a very funky/soul sound, which makes it close to Motown with the horns and the vocals… very nice

The middle guitar solo is like music in my ears hehehe

The vocals show George being concentrated because of his feelings for Smokey and the Lord.

What an atmosphere, I would have loved to see this played live with a 4 man horn section… oh man..

“Crackerbox Palace”

Ha, our Palace’s Title song [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

George wrote on a cigarette box the words “Crackerbox Palace” because what George says ”The world is a very serious and often sad place, but at the same time it’s such a joke [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

A great single.. listen to the drumming, Alvin Taylor is really some other player than for instance Ringo or Jim.

Again, playing the songs makes me look at the cool Monty video shot at Friar Park.

The singing slide guitars lift the song up to a very fun song.

“Learning How To Love You”

Well from a romantic point, this is the highlight of the album to me. Why didn’t some jazz singer cover this one. Legs you say it well, that is the mood of the song. A smoky night club… nice band.. soft lighting… midnight… and then on an almost empty dance floor dance to this music… wow

Okay back to reality… this is my favourite of the album. The maybe best-ever acoustic guitar solo… just the sound of the song.. it is just very special to me. I adore this song.

Then, listening to what George sings in to our hearts, it is also interesting to think about the title. Learning how to love you .. versus Learning how to love you.. two different things.. both beautiful, but different.

I do have some trouble with the ending.. it’s like it’s not finished. Like I still want more, but it appears like the band “has left the building”.

A great album as a whole, my favourites vary per mood. But the last song is sure the romantic favourite; the fun favourite is This Song.

“Tears Of The World”

oh, buckets full of them…

I don’t really see why this song is added to this album, it has different musicians on it, is from a few years later..

But it’s a nice one still, not on my favourites list, but it makes me think a bit of the Shanghai songs George did at the same time, and the Somewhere In England left ones.

I am really happy to have this album on CD now, I love it.

Originally Posted By FPSHOT:
a song which you can sing to your love any time of year and then when you dress like George in the video, it will even be a blast hahaha

George wrote on a cigarette box the words “Crackerbox Palace” because what George says ”The world is a very serious and often sad place, but at the same time it’s such a joke [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif">Dress like George in the video! hahahahaha!!! You're funny!!!

I love what George says about Crackerbox Palace, too. It's like he says, "I'm serious, but not what people think I'd be serious over"...something like that. I think that is so true of him, I can really see that.
And there he talks about Crackerbox Palace being form Lord Buckley. He says everything was royal, positive, and 'up' with Buckley...and that that was what Buckley called his home, Crackerbox Palace, because it was 'grand' (to him!) but so so small! Buckley is great, really ahead of his time, I think.

This is a fab review! It's interesting to read a bit more details, how you talk about the music because I usually am so focused on the vocals/words, sometimes even after the zillionth listening, I can not notice the more subtle things, particularly from the other musicians?

Very cool! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

Legs; about your review, a few things

What you say about "the sound of George’s albums with EMI, more acoustic, real instruments where the songs don’t get lost in the production"

"George Harrison" is a Warner album, but still very acoustic. I believe the only 'overexposed, commercialized' album is "Somewhere In England" which according to what I know is also the only album he had 'problems' with where it comes to 'being told' things regarding the choise of songs which made George feel he wasn't 'handled with care' [img]graemlins/wink1.gif[/img] even though him being Pisces (thanks, 'source' [img]graemlins/wink1.gif[/img] ), he most likely shook his head and continued, while inside he was boiling.

Willie Weeks indeed is an amazing bass player, I often see him as the slide bass guitarist, whereas on various songs, he makes the bass sing like George does on his slide guitars.

Like what you say about "This Song" , "hearing the great sound on the cd. It just didn’t came of well listening to it from my vinyl." - I have that too, I played all these songs hundreds of times and still, now with the CD, I hear new things, fresh sounds [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img]

"True Love" is indeed something you can not have a preference of. I can see that. What attracks me mainly is the way he turned this song which the pucblic knows as that soft mellow Xmas Movie tune, in to a cheerful thingie, it still being just simple words of love. However the combination with the fab video makes me smile and appreciate it more.

But yeah Legs, you being a poet, I can see very well how you look at these lyrics.

“Crackerbox Palace” - yes the lyrics are so George’s reality and experience, but the way he combines words amazes me.

“Learning How To Love You” - I agree completely [img]graemlins/smile1.gif[/img] those lyrics exceed the level of "True Love" huh.

It would be nice to continue here, also because of the topic Harbidge opened about the album.