Anyone who doesn’t have George Harrison as their favourite member of The Beatles needs to have a serious word with themselves, and Living In The Material World is one of the key reasons why he should be. It’s an amazing record which surpasses even All Things Must Pass, for me, as the greatest album ever put out by a solo member of the Fab Four.
Beginning with the irresistibly charming ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)‘ – a US Billboard number one, no less, we’re left with the impression that this is going to be an album full of optimism, although that thought is quashed almost immediately with ‘Sue Me, Sue You Blues‘, a fabulously rootsy number that has its origins in the unhappy legal disputes that plagued his former band in their later years, while ‘The Light That Has Lighted The World‘ is a gorgeous lament bemoaning those who cannot accept or embrace change, and who take a negative stance toward anyone who dares to do so. It’s a beautifully expansive song, despite being fairly stripped back in terms of instrumentation. Following that, ‘Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long‘ is often cited as a highlight of the record, thanks to its summery feel, which is perhaps best described as The Beach Boys if Phil Spector had produced them.
The heartfelt ‘Who Can See It‘ has a touch of Harry Nilsson about it, and then the jauntier title track supplies us with some soul-searching, with George hoping that he won’t get lost in the consumerist society of the modern world, eventually acknowledging Krishna as his saviour from slipping into the abyss. That ends Side One, and the theme is continued on the flip, with ‘The Lord Loves The One (That Loves The Lord)‘. Now, I’m not particularly religious myself, but I can appreciate a great song when I hear it, and this track is gold, George’s slide guitar elevating it to new levels, and the general honky tonk style is such a delight.
One of my personal picks as a standout though, is the stark, acoustic ‘Be Here Now‘ (in complete contrast to the over the top bombast of the 1997 Oasis album that was named after it), its lyrics poignant and still absolutely relevant in 2024. ‘Try Some, Buy Some‘ is almost classical in its composition and makes you sway and swoon in equal measure, and similarly, the peace anthem ‘The Day The World Gets ‘Round‘ seems to borrow its mood, affectionately, from the late, great Burt Bacharach.
The stunning ballad ‘That Is All‘ sees us out, weary and emotional, Harrison just stopping the song short of becoming mawkish with a superb middle eight that instead helps it to become one of his most affecting pieces and putting to bed an album that ought to be held in the highest esteem.
But you probably knew all that, so let me also point out that this is a double record, the second vinyl disc containing all manner of interesting versions of songs on the album, as well as ‘Miss O’Dell‘, which was the B-side of ‘Give Me Love…‘ and kind of reminds me of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band‘s ‘I’m The Urban Spaceman.’ It features a highly amused George chuckling about something several times, though I am unsure what!
Of those alternate versions, Take 18 of ‘Give Me Love…‘ reveals an endearing vulnerability within his voice not hitherto apparent in the finished final take. It’s also fascinating to hear George giving directions at the beginning of Take 5 of ‘Sue Me, Sue You Blues‘, while Take 22 of ‘The Day The World Gets ‘Round‘ is a lovely acoustic rendition that actually sounds more like McCartney than Harrison in its construction here. ‘Living In The Material World‘ itself sounds raw, joyous and alive, and Take 24 of ‘That’s All‘ is arguably even more emotive in this incarnation than the one that made the cut.
This is all packaged beautifully with a double sided poster of George accompanying the first vinyl disc and a fascinating booklet tucked in with the second, with lovely memories from his widow Olivia, and extensive liner notes from respected journalist John Harris.
An absolutely stunning piece. This is how all anniversary editions of great albums should be presented.
Living In The Material World – 50th Anniversary Edition is released via Dark Horse Records/BMG on 15th November, and is available on vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray sets.
