What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "dark horse" vinyl 1974.

Georgie's fifth solo set.
album cover has an almost Monty Python thing happening LOL.
ive nooticed with his albums, especially the '70s ones he is searching for "the answers" to life etc and this is no different.
another interesting album from George, its bookended with two Krishna songs, a faith he practised.
opening track is a nice instrumental with sitars etc, the final track is half sung in english and the rest is a mantra.
one song is co-written with soon to be Rolling Stone Ron Wood, that one has a blues feel happening.
elsewhere there is an interesting almost unrecognisable cover of Everly's "bye bye love" which i love.
i love just about everything on here but the critics were divided on it both then and nw, me, i dont care because when im listening to it its my call.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM

going for this one as favourite:





Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé
Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé

He whose eyes have seen
What our lives have been
And who we really are
It is 'He'
Jai sri krishna

Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé
Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé

He whose sweetness flows
To anyone of those
That cares to look His way
See His smile
Jai sri radhé

Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé
Jai krishna jai krishna krishna
Jai krishna jai sri krishna
Jai radhé jai radhé radhé
Jai radhé jai sri radhé
He who is complete
Three worlds at His feet
Cause of every star
It is 'He'
Jai sri krishna

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "Thirty Three & 1/ॐ "  vinyl, 1976.

his seventh, 
first on his own Dark Horse label after the legal crap with Apple Records concluded.
was unsure where this one was going after the blip that was Extra Texture...
i neednt have worried, its full steam ahead here...
a slight change in style here where he goes a bit funky and almost disco on a couple of tracks.
one cover on here, True Love, the Cole Porter classic, 
George changes it enough to be unrecognisable and actually sound like a George Harrison song, i love it.
the two singles, "this song" and "crackerbox palace" are at different ends of the spectrum, the first one is a sarcastic look
at artists being sued for unintentional plagarism, ie: his court case over My Sweet Lord. then theres the latter one, which can be taken
a number of ways from his admiration of an old comedian,spiritual meaning a combination of both yet whimsical at the same time.
either way just as good at  "living in the material world" and "dark horse" for me
I LOVE THIS ALBUM

favourite and lead off track: (George gets all funky on us here)





I'm gonna leave you here
I'm gonna leave you at the station
I've got a long way to go, baby
Woman, don't you cry for me

Now, I can't take no more
Now, I don't need no complication
I've got a long way to go, baby
Woman, don't you cry for me

There's no one place I want to be
Attachment only hurts you
Take care of yourself, baby
C'mon, won't you let me be?

There's just one thing I got to see
That's the Lord got to keep him in sight
Take care of yourself, baby
C'mon, won't you let me be?

There's no one place I want to be
Attachment only hurts you
Take care of yourself, baby
C'mon, won't you try to see?

There is just one thing I got to see
That's the Lord got to keep him in sight
Better take care of yourself, baby
C'mon, won't you let me be?

Now, baby, here's the door
I don't need no aggravation
I've got a long way to go, baby
Woman, don't you cry for me

I'm gonna leave you here
I'm gonna leave you at the station
I've got a long way to go, baby
Woman, don't you cry for me

I've got a long way to go, baby
Woman, don't you cry for me

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "george harrison" vinyl, 1979.

his eighth studio album...
my first time listening to this album.
guest spots from Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton and of course Ringo Starr.
a bit of jazz, a bit of music hall and easy listening/soft rock.
album is filled with love songs, the dude seems content and rightfully so...
he got married not long befor he recorded it and became a father also...
a good solid breezy album
I LIKE THIS ALBUM

favourite isnt a love song, well it is really, its a song about his love of F-1 motor racing and a tribute to F-1 friends Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda :





Chose a life in circuses
Jumped into the deepest end
Pushing himself to all extremes
Made it, people became his friend

Now they stood and noticed him
Wanted to be a part of it
Pulled out some poor machinery
So he worked 'til the pieces fit

The people were intrigued
His wife held back her fears
The headlines gave acclaim
He'd realized their dreams

Faster than a bullet from a gun
He is faster than everyone
Quicker than the blinking of an eye
Like a flash you could miss him going by
No one knows quite how he does it
But it's true, they say
"He's the master of going faster"

Now he moved into the space
That the special people share
Right on the edge of do or die
Where there is nothing left to spare

Still the crowds came pouring in
Some had hoped to see him fail
Filling their hearts with jealousies
Crazy people with love so frail

The people were intrigued
His wife held back her fears
The headlines gave acclaim
He'd realized their dreams

Faster than a bullet from a gun
He is faster than everyone
Quicker than the blinking of an eye
Like a flash you could miss him going by
No one knows quite how he does it
But it's true, they say
"He's the master of going faster"

No need to wonder why
His wife held back her fears
So few have even tried
To realize their dreams

Faster than a bullet from a gun
He is faster than everyone
Quicker than the blinking of an eye
Like a flash you could miss him going by
No one knows quite how he does it
But it's true, they say
"He's the master of going faster"

No one knows quite how he does it
But it's true, they say
"He's the master of going faster"

[Ruby]

Country pop almost, more than rock from the late 80's. Restless Heart - Wheels - for the helluvit. Think Firefall, Eagles, Poco, etc. Nothing to knock the socks off - easy listening, comfy songs - no angst at all and nothing offensive either IMHO. They made a couple of songs that will no doubt be familiar to a fairly wide audience, I'd think - some ring faint bells for me but I haven't wittingly listened to them before. Not quite as much fluff as you'd be forgiven for imaging there might be. Larry Stewart is the lead vocalist - nice voice. 

Heard this one on the radio earlier and thought I'd investigate ... 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "gone troppo" vinyl, 1982

his tenth studio set.
one of only three or four i'd never heard previously so i was keen...
i should have avoided it, abysmal is the only word for it.
uninteresting, uninspiring and lacklustre....
not sure whether he was still grieving John at this stage which affected the album.
but he was in a battle with Warner Bros label over control and direction and he was dissatisfied with the industry in general.
an obscure cover (Stereos 1961 track "i really love you" which im not familiar with) and which i didnt like.
only a couple of things on here i remotely like, his worst vocal album by far.
I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

something in the back of my mind tells me this was written around the "white album" sessions but i could be wrong.
either way, its the best thing on the album.





Friends come and friends go
As I go round and round in circles

Love someone change your mind
Decide he was a swine
As you go round and round in circles

He who knows does not speak
He who speaks does not know
And I go round in circles

Dislike someone and will not bend
Later they may become your best friend
As life it goes around in circles

He who knows does not speak
He who speaks does not know
And I go round in circles

Soul takes on a body with each birth we make our date
With life and death along the road the soul reincarnates
The show goes round and round in circles

When loss and gain and up and down
Becomes the same, then we stop going in circles
Round and round in circles

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "cloud nine" cassette/cd/vinyl  1987.

his eleventh studio album.
last to be released in his lifetime.
the reasoni have three formats is because i bought the cassette whilst in the Navy, bought the cd later and the vinyl is in the boxset released after he died.
anyway,
a different sound to his music here, althought he wrote most of the tracks and its full of his signature slide guitar the production is crisp, clean and fresh due to Jeff Lynne being in control.
also helps when you have an all-star lineup of Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Ringo Star, Elton John etc....
it was during the sessions for this album that the idea for Travelling Wilbury's emerged due to George writing "handle with care" as a b-side to the lead off single.
not his best but a move in the right direction and anything Jeff Lynne touches ends up being gold.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM

too hard to pick a favourite off this one but i do like the video for this one:






Back then long time ago when grass was green
Woke up in a daze
Arrived like strangers in the night
Fab - long time ago when we was fab
Fab - back when income tax was all we had

Caresses fleeced you in the morning light
Casualties at dawn
And we did it all
Fab - long time ago when we was fab
Fab - you are my world you are my only love

And while you're in this world
The fuzz gonna come and claim you
But you mo better wise
When the buzz gonna come and take you away
Take you away
Take you away

The microscopes that magnified the tears
Studied warts and all
Still the life flows on and on
Fab - long time ago when we was fab
Fab - but It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Fab - long time ago when we was fab
Fab - like this pullover you sent to me

Fab
And You Really Got A Hold On Me
fab - long time ago when we was fab

[CRAZY-HORSE]

just a change of pace before i post the last George Harrison studio album....



JULEE CRUISE "floating into the night" CD, 1989.

wasnt sure where to put this one, alternative, classical or jazz...
i went ofr jazz because theres enough subtle moments to suffice...
her debut of four.
had actually forgotten i had this one
in fact, couldnt remember any tracks off it...
aha!, then i remembered, "floating", the theme song from Twin Peaks,
thats why i bought it!, weird-ass series i couldnt get into, but i love the song.
nothing else on here comes close but it has its charming monents.
I DO NOT LIKE THIS ALBUM

[CRAZY-HORSE]

GEORGE HARRISON "brainwashed" cd/vinyl 2002.

twelfth studio set.
his last recordings.
posthumously released a year after his death.
Jeff Lynne just finished it off to release it.
most of the songs are quite good, a couple a bit iffy.
typical Harrison sounds here, with a hint of Travelling Willburys on a couple of tracks.
best thing for me is the 6+ minute title track which ends the album.
it is a rocker with a break int he middle for a reading of the Hindu "how to know god" book, and at the end
the song finishes with a Hindu Hari Mantra...its everything George stood for and was known for, a fitting end presented respectfully, honestly and beautifully by Lynne and Dhani harrison.
Damn thing bought a little tear to my eye after this career spanning look at his music over the last week.
I LIKE THIS ALBUM

favourite track:





Brainwashed in our childhood
Brainwashed by the school
Brainwashed by our teachers
And Brainwashed by all their rules
Brainwashed by our leaders
By our Kings and Queens
Brainwashed in the open and brainwashed behinde the scenes.

God God God
A voice cries in the wilderness
God God God
It was on the longest night
God God God
An eternity of darkness
God God God
Someone turned out the spiritual light.

Brainwashed by the Nikkei
Brainwashed by Dow Jones
Brainwashed by the FTSE
Nasdaq and secure loans
Brainwashed us from Brussels
Brainwashing us in Bonn
Brainwashing us in Washington
Westminster in London.

God God God
You are the wisdom that we seek
God God God
The lover that we miss
God God God
Your nature is eternity
God God God
You are Existence, Knowledge, Bliss.

The soul does not love. It is love itself
It does not exist. It is existence itself
It does not know. It is knowledge itself
How to know God, page 130**.

They brainwashed my great uncle
Brainwashed my cousin Bob
They even got my grandma when she was working for the mob
Brainwash you while you're sleeping
While in your traffic jam
Brainwash you while you're weeping
While still a baby in your pram
Brainwashed by the military
Brainwashed under duress
Brainwashed by the media
You're brainwashed by the press
Brainwashed by computers
Brainwashed by mobile phones
Brainwashed by the satelites
Brainwashed to the bone.

God God God
Won't you lead us through this mess
God God God
From the places of concrete
God God God
Nothing's worse than ignorance
God God God
I just won't accept defeat.

God God God
Must be something I forgot
God God God
Down on Bullshit Avenue
God God God
If we can only stop the rot
God God God
Wish that you'd brainwash us too.

(**The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali**)

Namah Parvati Pataye Hare Hare Mahadev
Namah Parvati Pataye Hare Hare
Namah Parvati Pataye Hare Hare,

Shiva Shiva Shankara Mahadeva
Hare Hare Hare Hare Mahadeva
Shiva Shiva Shankara Mahadeva
Shiva Shiva Shankara Mahadeva.

Namah Parvati Pataye Hare Hare
Namah Parvati Pataye Hare Hare
Shiva Shiva Shankara Mahadeva
Shiva Shiva Shankara Mahadeva

[CRAZY-HORSE]

if i was a something-late teen back in the late 60s in the US i would have made my way to California for sure.
wpuld have probalby have ended up at Spahn Ranch with "the family"...who knows...
so into the music of that era with these guys, the byrds, CCR, buffalo springfield and CSN leading the way...
awesome stuff IMO

[CRAZY-HORSE]

ALBERT HAMMOND "it never rains in Southern California" cd, 1972

love this guy,
his debut.
i have the first two and a compilaiton...
singer/songwriter dude.
Cat Stevens might be a good comparison for starters,
album contains his original version of "the air that i breathe", i love it, the equal of Hollies version IMO.
excellent artist with a songwriting credits list a lot of writers would envy:  Albert Hammond - Wikipedia[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hammond#Songwriting_credits][/url]
I LOVE THIS ALBUM

could pick jst about anything off the album but i'll go with this one as ive never posted it:






You had your faults, I had mine. Nothing's perfect, is it, baby?
If we'd given it the time, could have worked things out, well, maybe
Came to thinkin' what the hell
Not to dwell up on the problems
Our bodies came together well
And that was all we cared

More and more and more and more
More of the people gave up looking for
Avenues to happiness. You hear them say
"The road to understanding was just too far away"

While we watched the little things getting out of all proportion
There was so much more at stake, but we paid it no attention
I suppose if we had tried
We'd have saved the pot from boiling
But we went and let it slide
Until we lost control

And more and more and more and more
More of the people gave up looking for
Avenues to happiness. You hear them say
"The road to understanding was just too far away"

What was bad got worse, what was good just got forgotten
Could have stopped it there and then, but, girl, we didn't cotton
In the end we didn't care
All the love flew out the window
And I guess, just like you said
It all got outta hand

And more and more and more and more
More of the people gave up looking for
Avenues to happiness. You hear them say
"The road to understanding was just too far away"