Farewell, George Harrison

Farewell to George Harrison. As someone who grew up on the Beatles, it was a shock to hear that he'd passed away. I can't pretend to be special in my attachment to the Beatles, but that is part of their enduring success as musicians and a collective band - just about anyone who talks of the Beatles immediately gets a look of protective defensive 'fandom.' "Oh, I LOVE the Beatles. I grew up on them." Just about any serious fan feels as though they "get" the songs in a way that is unique, or that certain songs somehow fit their life in a way that is more exact than for anyone else. I can vouch for this in myself, certainly.

The fact that their #1 album was the only album to touch InSync last year in sales is also a testament to their enduring vitality. It's unfortunate that just as we were hearing this message again, George left us. His passing on the heels of the Twin Towers attack was like a dull punch on an already bruised body. The subsequent loss of innocence from the terrorist attack and the ensuing war in Afghanistan was still ineffable, and was for me and undoubtedly many other fans, intensified with George Harrison's death.

Why was I affected? Did I know him? No. Did I love ALL his music? No. But a lot of it was really, really good.

A hard thing about his passing is that George was the only songwriter from the Beatles that wasn't part of the Lennon/McCartney collaboration and competition. George was the one member who we could see progress musically in a straight line, without having to do crazy Beatles-calculus trying to figure out if Paul wrote this song or if John did, did John write the bridge or the verse, and weighing all that depending on whose story you believe - Paul's in his over-the-top biography, or John's bitter tirades in Playboy.

George on the other hand started off writing crap. He sounded great, especially on the early Chuck Berry numbers, but his early songwriting efforts were miserable. Aside from a few lucky ones, like "If I Needed Someone," "Taxman," and "All Too Much," George took his time blossoming, but when he finally did, he had found a unique, strong songwriting voice. By the White Album, he was undeniably his own man musically. And yes, Frank Sinatra is quoted as saying that George's Abbey Road song,"Something" was the best love song of the twentieth century. Not small praise from a legendary crooner to - um - a hippie.

I also wonder where that leaves the rest of the Beatles - my first thought was, "Oh, now they'll never be able to get back together," and then, after looking at the remaining Beatles, thought, "Oh Christ, now they are definitely going to get back together. I cringe at the cheesy possibilities of Paul and Ringo. Perhaps now is the time for that Ice Capades Beatles show, or a Beatles line of tennis shoes, or "trainers" for you limeys.

Yes, George was the other serious one, and truly where the heart of my sadness for his absence lies. The two serious, cool Beatles died first, and now we're growing old with the dorkier half of what has helped shape and influence so many of us - as if it weren't bad enough just getting older and dorkier naturally.

So yes, like just about anyone else who mourns the loss of George Harrison, I do not mourn the loss of the man, unfortunately. I mourn the passing of time and the empty place that is left where he was in this world.



Comments, or suggestions for albums or events to review? Send an email to: jboyte@ululation.com