Harrison (Editors of Rolling Stone) by
Editors of Rolling Stone
George Lives
George Harrison was one of the most adored and accomplished
musicians of the rock & roll era. His brilliant, understated guitar playing
helped define the sound of the Beatles, and his songs -- including
Something, Here Comes the Sun and While My Guitar Gently Weeps --
are among the groups finest. Harrisons lifelong quest for new sounds had
a profound influence on the Beatles; he introduced the sitar and other
Eastern instruments into the group -- and to rock & roll. In the late sixties
he also led the Beatles to explore Eastern religion and embarked on a
personal spiritual journey that continued for the rest of his life. In 1970,
following the Beatles breakup, Harrison released a solo masterpiece, All
Things Must Pass, and the next year he pioneered rocks first large-scale
charity event with the Concert for Bangladesh. Harrison launched a solo
tour in 1974 and made a series of wonderful solo albums and side projects
with friends like Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar and fellow Beatle Ringo Starr.
In the late eighties he formed the Traveling Wilburys with his friends Bob
Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne, but Harrison spent most of

that decade and the nineties at home in England and Hawaii, tending to his
garden, playing the ukulele and enjoying a quiet life with his wife, Olivia,
and son, Dhani. ROLLING STONE featured George Harrison on its cover
three times for his post-Beatles work and eight times as a Beatle. He was
also featured on the cover of a special commemorative issue, as well as
on the magazines regular edition, following his death from cancer at age
fifty-eight, on November 29, 2001. Now, in a definitive tribute that features
a new foreword by Olivia Harrison, the editors have drawn on their
archives and hundreds of photographs, both the iconographic and the
rarely seen, to celebrate the life and career of one of the most important
musicians in rock & roll history. Compiled by the editors of ROLLING
STONE, Harrison chronicles the guitarists life before, during and after the
Beatles. Contributing editor Mikal Gilmore offers an expansive, thoughtful
new essay, The Mystery Inside George. ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award
winner and ROLLING STONE senior editor David Fricke tells the stories
behind Harrisons best-known songs, and offers a guide to twenty-five
essential Harrison recordings. Harrison also features news stories and
interviews with the guitarist from throughout ROLLING STONEs history --
from his first Q&A with the magazine, in 1968, to his last, a 1987 interview
with ROLLING STONE contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis. Harrison
also collects more than one hundred photographs -- from intimate, never-
before-seen family photos to iconic images of Harrison as a member of the
worlds most photographed band. The work of nine renowned
photographers is featured in a stunning sixty-page gallery. Included among
them are German photographers Max Schelers and Jürgen Vollmers early
photos of the bands wild days in Hamburg. There is also the deeply
personal work of Astrid Kirchherr, who shot the Beatles earliest formal
portraits in a Hamburg fairground and became a close friend of Georges.
P.J. Griffiths photographed the band for a newspaper article in 1963 on the
Liverpool scene. David Hurn shot the filming of A Hard Days Night and
Help! Curt Gunther was one of the few photographers allowed to travel
with the group during their 1964 North American tour. And Mark Seliger
shot what became the definitive late-period portrait of Harrison for
ROLLING STONEs twenty-fifth anniversary issue in 1992.
Personal Review: Harrison (Editors of Rolling Stone) by Editors
of Rolling Stone
Having been a "LLOG" (Lifetime Lover of George)I have read plenty about
him. In general, his music is the best way to get to know George: it is
unique, multi-textured, honest, witty, loving and spiritual. However, for
reasons I certainly can't fathom, generally his post-Beatles work (with
about two exceptions) got no respect!
Of course I loved the photos, but in my opinion the written tributes from
his wife, Olivia, and his friends/fellow musicians are what sets this book
apart. Paul Simon's is particularly descriptive: I felt as though I was visiting
Friar Park (the Harrison's home in England) right along with him; walking
through George's beloved gardens, sitting in front of the fire, listening to an
impromptu ukelele concert, receiving a thoughtful surprise upon returning
home to the U.S. "He wasn't particularly quiet, he just didn't DEMAND to

be heard." Beautifully put. (Note to Paul Simon: you just might have a
second career there; I would buy your first novel!)
This is also a great book for aspiring guitarists, as it gives mini-
descriptions of particularly noteworthy ("Essential") Harrison performances,
illustrating the subtleties and unusual but brilliant choices George made
(at times even innovative or ground breaking) musically. People who
previously believed that Lennon and McCartney were the ONLY geniuses
in the Beatles will re-think that belief after reading this section particularly:
they might even listen for certain passages in certain songs and think,
"YEAH, WOW! That IS amazing!" They might give George's solo work
(besides "All Things Must Pass") a listen and be pleasantly surprised. But
we "LLOGs" have heard and appreciated the subtle brilliance of George
Harrison all along.
This book is a must-have for any George Harrison or Beatles fan, or any
guitar or rock history aficionado.
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Harrison (Editors of Rolling Stone) by Editors of Rolling Stone 5 Star Customer Reviews
and Lowest Price!