The Quiet One...

The Beatles is one of the best loved and popular bands in modern music, and also one of my favourites. George Harrison was the lead guitarist alongside Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. He was regarded as the "Quiet One" in the band and living largely in the shadows of the songwriting powerhouse duo of Lennon/McCartney. However, Harrison's musical progress was evident and peaked towards the end of the band's mere eight years of wonderful music making.

On a band's retreat to India, George Harrison found interest in Hinduism and learned to play the Sitar under renowned Sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar. This was to have a profound impact on his life, thinking and ultimately on his music for the rest of his life. His compositions start to find a prominent place in the Beatles releases from "Rubber Soul" onwards with "Norwegian Wood" and subsequently in "Love You To", "Taxman", and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", featuring his sitar playing and thus, introducing this mystic sounding Indian musical form into maintream music. His songs start to give Lennon/McCartney a run for their music songwriting. Their last album "Abbey Road" have Harrison contributing to "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun", two of the best Beatles songs ever in their music catalogue.

After the band's breakup in 1970, Harrison pursued on a solo career and released a triple album "All Things Must Pass" to critical acclaim. His solo compositions start to see a surge of Beatles fans paying close attention to this once "Quiet Beatle." I read in a music magazine once that polled readers to vote their favourite Beatle and his music after the group's disband. When i read Harrison at the top of the list ahead of favourites John Lennon and Paul McCartney, i wasn't in the least surprise, he is indeed that good. His tuneful songs along with a masterful touch of slide guitar playing and messages of love, consciousness and peace, make them stand out from the rest of his bandmates post-beatles music. He remains my favourite Beatle always.

I like to revisit George Harrison songs and feel a sense of spirituality and peace. If there is an artiste who makes me believe in the existence of a higher power, George Harrison is the one. Largely shaped by Hinduism right till the end of his life, his constant search for God was reflected in his songs such as "Life Itself" and "My Sweet Lord", the latter being one of his best solo hits. He wrote this beautiful line of his image of God in "Life Itself" :

"They call you Christ, Vishnu, Buddha, Jehovah our lord...
They call you Govindam, Bismillah, Creator of all..."


Check out "Blown Away", "Poor Little Girl", "Love Comes To Everyone", "Crackerbox Palace" and "Cockamamie Business." He had a huge catchy hit in the 80s too with "Got My Mind Set On You"

George Harrison passed away in 2001 due to cancer. After his death, his family released this statement that says :

"He left this world as he lived in it: conscious of God, fearless of death and at peace, surrounded by family and friends."

One of his last words before his death were :

"Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait"

I really believe if there is ever a heaven or higher being, then Harrison must be happily playing his music still in the afterlife now and much loved. Although he died young at the age of 58, he lived a complete life and most of all, he left a legacy of music that will never be forgotten by his fans. He sang this true and earthly line :

"All things must pass...all things must pass away..."

I am still learning...