Let It Roll: The Best of George Harrison [PA] [Digipak]

Performer: George Harrison
Engineer: Paul Hicks; Paul Hicks
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Audio Remasterers: Ray Staff; Giles Martin. Liner Note Author: Warren Zanes. Photographers: Gered Mankowitz; Chris Cuffaro; Henry Grossman; Barry Feinstein. George Harrison had two periods of great commercial success, separated by 15 years and two record labels. This extended gap is the chief reason there hasn't been a career-spanning Harrison collection until 2009's LET IT ROLL: SONGS BY GEORGE HARRISON, the first-ever disc to gather songs from George's stints at both Apple and Dark Horse, and only his third-ever hits collection (following 1976's Beatles-heavy THE BEST OF GEORGE HARRISON and THE BEST OF DARK HORSE, released in 1989 in the afterglow of CLOUD NINE's comeback success). LET IT ROLL balances these two periods, swapping any Beatles-era song ("Something," "Here Comes the Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps") for a live version from THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH, then mixing it all up chronologically, so the set starts with the pristine bounce of "Got My Mind Set on You" before giving way to "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)." If anything jars, it's the sounds of the times, as Jeff Lynne's clean, manicured arrangements don't necessarily fit with Phil Spector's lush, magisterial productions, but that's a minor quibble about a useful compilation that consolidates all of Harrison's signature tunes on one very enjoyable disc.

Spin (p.92) - "Harrison forged a unique sound from quavering vocals, layered acoustic guitars, and melodic slide playing." Record Collector (magazine) (p.82) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Got My Mind Set On You' and 'What Is Life' are near perfect pop, there's spirituality on display in 'Give Me Love' and 'Blow Away,' and folky optimism in 'Rising Sun' and 'Any Road.'"

George Harrison was always a fluid guitarist, but his voice and his skills as a songwriter came to full flower in the post-touring years of the Beatles. He became the first from that defunct band to release a work that was justifiably hailed as a masterpiece, the epic ALL THINGS MUST PASS. With his passing in 2001, the rock world lost one of its most deeply spiritual voices, whose signature slide-guitar style and early experiments with incorporating Eastern influences into rock were enormously influential.

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