What does it sound like?:
Living In The Material World is a lovely, lovely LP that defined the George Harrison sound for the rest of his career. From conception to execution, it is quintessential George, capturing his struggles to reconcile his deeply held faith with the trappings of an ex-Beatle. All the guitars are played by him: acoustic, Leslie’d electric rhythm and lead, plus his signature slide. He also plays sitar. His singing is the best of his career. He doesn’t have the natural vocal talent of his ex bandmates but he can hit a wide variety of notes with accuracy and, more importantly, he expresses himself with genuine feeling. A choir is deployed sparingly but he sings the rest of the backing vocals, too. In addition, he is the sole producer. Phil Spector gets a credit for the backing track for Try Some, Buy Some, recorded during an aborted Ronnie Spector project, but, otherwise, George is decisively in charge.
Perhaps as a reaction to the extremes of All Things Must Pass, on which there were at least twenty-four musicians, he gathered together a trusted few. Nicky Hopkins and Gary Wright play keyboards, Klaus Voorman bass, and Jim Keltner drums with Ringo appearing as and when his film career allowed. Zakir Hussain plays tabla on the title track, Jim Horn features on, erm, horns twice, and John Barham provides orchestral and choral arrangements for three songs. The musicianship is of breathtaking quality, particularly the interaction between guitar and piano: graceful, melancholic, ecstatic, gritty or becalmed as the songs require.
These melodies aren’t flashy, dramatic earworms but are quiet, beautiful constructions that take their time to mature. Still in his twenties, an ordinary young man, who was worshipped as a god, put together a collection of songs with an emotional depth and clarity of vision beyond his years. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) pulls off the trick of My Sweet Lord, a hymn for humanity, an unfussy acoustic guitar and gorgeous slide work lifting our heavy load. Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long is a tasty confection that could equally be offered to a deity or a lover, as is the case for the more heavily orchestrated That Is All. Be Here Now and The Lord Loves The One (That Loves The Lord) overtly express, both musically and lyrically, George’s devotion to Hinduism and the Krishna Movement. Living In The Material World is equally Eastern spiritually but includes witty references to his fellow Beatles, and The Light That Lighted The World has a foot in both worlds. Sue Me, Sue You Blues is a square dance reflecting the legal shenanigans post breakup and Who Can See It is a declaration of independence as powerful as any of Lennon’s on Plastic Ono Band. The Day The World Gets ‘Round purrs with the success of the 1971 charity concerts for Bangladesh and grinds with frustration over government indifference and intransigent tax laws. He understood very well contradiction and the impossibility of pleasing everyone.
The early takes and acoustic versions reveal a very happy and relaxed George, the exhaustion of his charity work behind him. Stripped of overdubs, George’s singing sounds even better and Nicky Hopkins’s perfectly judged, subtle manipulations of the tunes are more evident. Just as with All Things Must Pass, many of the extras are as enjoyable as the final studio versions and well worth listening to repeatedly. Give Me Love is just George singing and strumming his acoustic. It’s more breathtaking than the demos of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something and All Things Must Pass on Anthology. The vocal on Be Here Now (take 18) is simply exquisite. Perhaps George should have moved further away from the wall of sound.
Paul Hicks has remixed from the original tapes. It’s as though he’s taken out each part, given them a good polish, and carefully placed them back into their correct position. Everything can be heard more clearly, the vocals especially. Barham’s orchestrations tend to be a bit too much for Who Can See It in the middle of side one, and The World Gets ‘Round and That Is All weighing down the end of the end of the album. Hicks lightens the load. It’s a remix that upgrades and mordernises the sound without being too adventurous while retaining George’s spirit. He is respectful of the original production, probably the best of all George’s albums. It’s a definite enhancement, a dreamy, delicious cream of sound that soothes away the troubles of the world.
You can buy it in a number of forms. The remix is available as a single CD or LP. You can get the vinyl in purple if you prefer. Double CD and LP add the early takes and acoustic versions with Miss O’Dell and Sunshine Life For Me, recorded with members of The Band, tacked on at the end. The big box, limited to 5000 copies, brings together both the double CDs and LPs, a Blu-Ray with all the mixes and Dolby Atmos, a 7 inch single of Sunshine Life For Me and an sixty page book. It’s a shame that the Bangla Desh single and its B side Deep Blue are missing. Perhaps we have to wait for the Concert For Bangladesh remix.
George donated his publishing royalties and the copyright for all bar a couple of these songs to his Material World Charitable Foundation to ensure it received a regular income in perpetuity. The album’s blockbusting commercial sales in 1973 far exceeded expectations, making him the most successful ex Beatle since the split. The whole package captures a warm, kind, loving, imperfect human being maturing as an artist and striving to better understand the divine. It’s a treat for the ears and a blessed antidote for these conflicted times. Living In A Material World is an album you should hug close to your heart.
What does it all *mean*?
Not everything worked well on the mostly excellent 2020 All Things Must Pass box. It does here. A lovely album has just been made lovelier. The definitive Harrison solo LP has been affectionately refreshed and it is a beauty to behold.
Goes well with…
A belief in reincarnation.
Release Date:
Out now
Might suit people who like…
George Harrison. If ever an album can encapsulate a person, this is it.
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) Take 18
You had me at Nicky Hopkins and Jim Keltner. I don’t know the album but as ever with your reviews it motivates me to give it a try. I’ve always considered GH to be a bit of a wimp – nice, but lightweight. Also a complete breadhead for all his hippy affections. Let’s see.
Maybe start with the second disc? Less Jim and some are just George but you can hear Nicky more clearly.
Spotify only has a 2 disk version but I’ve played it a few times now and it’s rather nice. Much better than I expected actually and somehow sounds quite familiar as his guitar playing, especially the slide, is so embedded in my DNA without being aware of it. I’ll certainly play it again.
Marvellous. I’m so pleased you found it rather lovely.
I’m with you @Twang. Only think I like is the neo Derek And the Dominoes band stuff on the expanded All Things Must Pass.
As ever, definitive. You have a gift, Tigs.
You are too kind.
*blushes*
I predicted this would be reviewed this morning by this reviewer.
Not a huge fan of the album it is way too one paced and serious. Has great moments though. May pick up the 2CD version as once again the big box is very highly priced with hardly any extra audio material.
I have to ask: if you’re “not a huge fan of the album”, why would buy any of the versions?
Like I said it has it’s moments and no need for you to worry about what I am buying or not
Not worried in the slightest: just interested. Still, never mind…
https://brutallyhonestrockalbumreviews.wordpress.com/2024/11/15/album-review-george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world-50th-anniversary/
That’s an interesting review, quite a counterpoint to Tigger’s enthusiasm. I assume that your approach is summed up by this quote from the second paragraph:
“So a 50th Anniversary edition of Living in the Material World comes along, and for reasons I don’t fully understand myself I have to have it. I don’t even really like the album all that much, but I like it enough that I have to have to have to have it.”
I’m pleased he thinks the remix is fantastic. I think it beats Plastic Ono Band and Let it Be for best ‘Beatles’ remix.
The pre-released Be Here Now sounded good. As usual the Hoffmanites are complaining. I didn’t buy it (yet).
Have this year’s archive releases of John and Paul in basic formats. Never considered the $1100 Mind Games box which for me is the most ludicrous box set ever. At least the similarly priced All Things Must Pass one starts with a decent album
$1100…
If anyone has the patience and/or technical ability, there surely can be no better opportunity to post a picture of Bob mouthing “How much?!” to Thelma in the boutique from “The Likely Lads” film.
Big fan as I am of George, I find this album a mixed bag. I love a lot of it but some of the songs are just a bit dreary to my ears and some of the lyrics a bit portentous. That said, I would definitely buy the 2CD “deluxe” edition if only it included Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond) – which is great. But that’s only on the super deluxe edition so I’ll have to find something else to waste my money on.
The only outtake on the two disc versions is Miss O’Dell.
Here is the song you like. They had fun with it:
It’s a pity that George and The Band didn’t do more together.
It was more Ringo working with Band members for the “Ringo” album and George doing a guide vocal for him I think.
Isn’t it…😏
I have the rather nice clamshell boxed 2008 remaster with a DVD, and the same version is in the Apple Years box set, so really wondering if I need another version of an album I don’t particularly rate very highly. As with all of George’s albums (yes, including ATMP) there are highs and lows – I just never really thought there were enough highs on this one. It hasn’t had a spin for a while, so will give it another listen (maybe stream the new mix) and see if my opinion has changed following the glowing review up top! As always, a lovely read Tigs.
Certainly try the new remix.
Substitute lightweight for lovely.
Is there no end to these bloody box sets?
And the most annoying thing of all? Tigger writes so damn well. Shouldn’t be allowed. C’mon Mods, ban him!
The box set is daft but limited and for people with a CD player, a deck and a Blu-Ray.
The two disc editions are excellent value.
Not being obstreperous for the sake of it but no way is the 2cd thingie “excellent value”. Ripping off gullible oldies more like.
I’m apparently one of few people who loves this album, and I really enjoyed reading your review Tigger, but I won’t be buying this.
These editions (of any artist) give me nothing, it doesn’t matter if objectively they sound better, to me they sound worse, because it’s no longer the album I fell in love with. Acoustic versions, added tracks; I don’t want them.
Leave my old albums aloooone! 😉
I do enjoy an old album I love given an upgrade. It makes me hear it a different way, appreciating nuances I had missed for fifty years. And I still have the old version to turn to.
I do agree with you about most early takes. They are kept in the can for good reason. However, George is an exception. I thought the ATMP early takes were really moving and it’s true here too. He allegedly lacked confidence, but just him, an acoustic guitar, perhaps a bit of percussion or a tinkle of ivory, is magical. I could put together just a single disc of Beatles outtakes, from Anthology and all the boxes, and George strumming an acoustic would take up three of my favourite five.
I sort of agree, but it just can be novelty. You hear different things for a while. When I first heard The Sgt Pepper remix I thought. Wow! But that’s just because it’s a bit different. Now if I want to hear it I just go back to the original version, mono of course 😉 I am slowly learning, didn’t even bother to buy the substandard Revolver box which would mostly have fit on 2 discs and no surround sound mix, and only picked up Abbey Road and Let it Be when they were ridiculously cheap, mainly for the 5.1 mixes and the books.
On each Harrison album there are a couple of nice songs and lots of pretty duff ones that are sometimes wrapped in an enticing production and delivery. But it strikes me that he only ever had a couple of songs on the Beatles albums because he was only really capable of a few good songs at a time and he struggled to make the others sufficiently weighty. Sunshine Life for Me is a lovely sounding song with a cool hooky main melody. But back and back to the same lyrics he goes. Chorus followed by chorus. The others didn’t overlook him; the songs they chose from him were his best songs. All Things Must Pass was available for Get Back but George rescinded it. So we find here that on the very first album after ATMP there aren’t enough good songs, actual songs. Oddly, it’s not all that different from McCartney’s immediate post Beatles problems – some good ideas but unfinished. But overall, still, with a higher ratio of finished songs.
He used up so much of his backlog on ATMP, I think he struggled for great material after that. Exceptions being “George Harrison”, 33 1/3 and Cloud 9 (with the help of Jeff Lynne) for me. This album probably comes in 5th for me (not counting Brainwashed)