Sometimes when Daniel goes away, it's a chance for me to do nothing very much.
When he's here we hang out or I have to carve time to do things that seem 'important' or 'meaningful'. Paradoxically he's also trying to encourage me towards relaxation and ease. But it's only when he goes that I truly let my mind swivel about.
I follow YouTube wormholes. I browse Apps for my iPhone. I pootle around reading this or that.
But this evening I went down a Beatles wormhole. It started with a random appearance of Revolution 9 on my earphones. (Surely the world's most famous piece of musique concréte.) And then after a Wikipedia dive into Tomorrow Never Knows, I ended up - as I often do - landing on George Harrison.
I love the solo George. Free from the underdog status. Winging it out into the sky.
And I love the intimate, fragile, early-morning, sunshine across the lawn of Friar's Park feel of his music from the early 70s.
I'd never heard it before but Be Here Now from the second solo Album Living in the Material World is just beautiful. He barely sighs his way to the end and as always his lyrics are so simple and true:
A mind that wants to wander
Round a corner
Is an unwise mind
I’d love to know your thoughts about George Harrison. Drop me a message with any thoughts, comments, questions, queries or insights that pop up while reading the blog. I’d love to hear from you!
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Continuing the Beatles vibe, I was listening to My Personal Beatles podcast with Adam Buxton and he was asked what his controversial opinion about the band was. He answered: "They're underrated".
And as evidence he talked about the track I want you (She's so heavy) on Abbey Road as looking ahead to heavy metal, grunge and avant garde noise bands like Sonic Youth. And when I listen (full volume) to that track right to it's shivery end, I can't help but agree.
My favourite re-find from their catalogue.
Ah, the wonderful George, my favourite Beatle. His songwriting prowess was often overshadowed by Lennon and McCartney but, for me, his songs are brilliant. ' This is love' also showcases his slide guitar work. Nobody does it better. He makes that guitar sing ! And when it comes to The Traveling Wilburys, well, what can I say? Super dooper group !! George and Jeff Lynne .... Superb !
Next time, try the new sprawling Peter Jackson documentary, 'Get Back' — at least the first part, both to hear George wisely pushing back against the hucksterism and to catch sight of his robed Krishna friends sitting & rocking back and forth as the band rehearses.
George Harrison is EVERYTHING. I remember reading that at the height of Beatlemania, before he was introduced to meditation (and more spiritual ideas and practices), he wrote a letter to his parents saying, in essence, 'There has to be more than this...' Very wise for someone in his early 20s who by material standards seemed to others to 'have it all.' How much George gave to the world in his music and spirituality...