Better Late than Never - Mix Reviews Volume 14

Damn! I can't believe that I'm the first person to wade into the domain of King George. So be it.

First, some notes on the write up:

Clearly there is some strong interest here to inspire this burst of scholarship and a greater dimension of scholarly MT mixed with the prancing fauns and sylvan glade MT will be welcomed and encouraged, but it is a bit of a shock. Out of the gate with allochronic, a word not previously part of my vocabulary, and one that having looked up I can't quite jive with the point you're making, though it matters little. This makes me eager for the once and future blog.

From my knowledge of history, the British, while clearly as successful as any colonial power in recent memory (none of the Enlightenment era powers matched the classical powers - from Macedonia, Rome, and Persia or even the later Mongols and Islamic Caliphate), were far less about conversion than the Spanish in particular. The British imposed their particular views of order and propriety (making the trains run on time) in places that probably weren't ready for it. But they were more likely to bend the local cultures rather than breaking them the way the more militantly Christian powers did. Not to say that they didn't do shitty things - they most certainly did, but their impact through the long lens of history will likely be seen as much more benevolent. The Spanish plundered, converted, and left little behind. The British at least left the trains.

In their current role they occupy the metaphorical role of wise grandfather, having seen most of what there is to see, and having made the mistakes we young'uns seem unwilling to acknowledge as nothing new under the sun. If only our dear leader had read some TE Lawrence we might be living in a better world. But alas, everything changed, and so we are left to watch the world spin once more, back to where it started. And poor puppy Blair, like so many unable to recognize that reason held no place in the strategic thinking defining our course.

But enough ranting...bring on the music.

Track 1 - Rocking Chair in Hawaii
I like the feel and the words of this song a great deal, though his vocal delivery is a bit too Droopy Dog at times. (the first ..take me my rocking chair.. is a perfect example)

Great lyrics:
"I love those sideways glances, your shoulder and your thigh..."
"If you don't get the picture you won't have the depth of field..."

I'm not sure whether George has any sort of connection to Hawaii, though I suspect he had a guitar part that had a bit of a ukulele feel to it and the song built from there. It definitely has a bright blues vibe running through it, no matter the contradiction in that statement. It's bluesy without being heavy, either through lyrics or through arrangement.

Generally the music moves along effortlessly, subtly in the backgound - simple drum part, gentle guitar - and then it kicks into the Hawaii feel full blast in the chorus. I'm not sure what the method for achieving the ukulele/steel drum sound presumably from the guitar, but it's pretty interesting.

I give it a thumbs up. And most of what I say matches your write up, so...I guess we are in agreement.

Track 2 - Ski-ing
This is pure late 60's George, at least my impression of what that era was for him. The stereo effects in this are pushed to my level of tolerance. I suspect being stoned might improve ones appreciation of it. Dark room lit by lava lamp, bong, beads, girl in a tie-dyed bikini, free love. Good times.

The engineering makes this song, in the sense of meshing all these bits together in a way that the musicians probably never heard them. Listening to that main guitar riff gets tiring in this even as it runs back and forth through my brain. This is a jam, manipulated into perhaps a sum greater than its parts, and perhaps possible only due to years of Beatles experimentation, and then ultimately free reign in a recording studio.

Enjoyable as part of the collection, but now as it runs through my head for the 4th time as I write this, it grows repetitive.

Track 3 - How to Know God
The book to which she refers is Deepak Chopra - uber guru to millions. All three statements about 'the soul' are interesting (love, existence, and knowledge) but where does it go from there? This is no place for a thorough fleshing out of the concept of soul (other than the soul of James Brown perhaps) so I will leave further insights for another venue.

Track 4 - Wah-Wah
This feels like a jam to me - less a song about anything specific to start with - and more of a bunch of great musicians letting it all hang loose. The lyrics, while intriguing for their possible references and otherwise general good sense, are mostly superfluous to me.

I definitely dig the horn parts and the whole thing has phenomenal energy once it gets cranking, but then it lingers perhaps a bit too long, like the last party guest struggling to find their way to the door. You’re cleaning up the wreckage, wiping down the counter, turning off the extra lights, and there they are, still telling the story you heard five hours prior. It's a GOOD story, but man, time to go.

Definitely heard what could be a car at the end.

Track 5 - Pisces Fish
In your "water place", the water is milky, though salty like the ocean.

I like the feel of this song, but it has some lyrics in the first verse that are jarring and unexpected.

"Canadian geese crap along the bank?"
"the chain is wrapped around the crank? (where's it supposed to be?)
"his mad cow's being put to sleep?"

Otherwise I dig it quite a bit, and if that's George doing all the vocals, he sounds amazingly feminine in some of those incarnations. Especially on some of the mmmm's.

Track 6 - Party Seacombe
One might get the sense from this (and Ski-ing) that old George spent a lot of time with that other George - Sir Martin as it were. For a guy whose image is one of the eastern philosopher and likely Beatles gateway drug provider, he definitely comes across as as much of a studio wonk as anyone. It's not like he cranked out some hard-driving but simple guitar songs for his first album. No, he used all those tricks and vibes he'd been advocating for on the Beatles albums back to Rubber Soul and Revolver. And this has lots of them, with a full dose of stereo effects. Throw in those other three 'lads' along with some lyrics and you've got a full blown Beatles song. Leaves me thinking King George was far more influential than I ever gave him credit for.

Track 7 – All Things Must Pass Away
Agreed, a lovely song. Nicely weighted, balanced and a great, if melancholy, listen.

I’m not sure it’s truly sad however, more like what I speculate is the true nature of Buddhism. What ol’ Siddhartha learned sitting under the lotus was that this life is it, and once you accept that this is the only shot you’ve got, then everything becomes much clearer. Reincarnation is a dodge to get people to behave better lest they next find themselves a parasite in an elephant’s intestine. Too many people need the threat of eternal (or at least a lifetime of) torment to overcome their nature to take advantage of others for their own personal gain. True enlightenment is knowing that doing good is the best reward of all. Now if only that were easier to achieve….

Not much to comment on musically. I just like it. And I believe this is the first of three that I know.

Track 8 – George on Ringo
Seems like George bullshitting an answer to a question he has no good answer for. He shouldn’t have to defend Ringo, and screw anyone who makes him.

Track 9 –When We Was Fab
The second song I know.

I hope we’re all being Fab.

It’s almost unimaginable to have been part of something like the Beatles, and then not. While the end for them may have dragged on longer than we realize, their apex covered a phenomenally short period of time and presumably was impossible to see from the inside. Simply an explosion, followed by a gentle fire (or smolder) that lasted 4 or 5 times longer. Crazy to imagine having their memories of moments.

It’s a song I’ve always liked, both for its musicality and for its healthy outlook. It seems like a happy, slightly wistful, journey back by someone not longing to repeat those moments, but simply glad to have been part of them. No bitterness here. And a bit of a Beatles retrospective, with sounds and effects that could have come from many different albums.

Track 10 – Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
The third song I know, though I’ve never heard the version by George.

A true golden oldie that’s stood the test of time. Harold Arlen wrote lots of great songs of that era, including Over the Rainbow. Another song of his may feature on a future collection of mine.

This is a pleasant enough version, and the fact that the ukulele is featured certainly does tie it back to Rocking Chair. Did George spend time in Hawaii? I find it hard not to like – it moves along well – and the piano part floating around in the back gives it a nice lift when it kick in.

I should hate you, but I guess I love you – that’s tough stuff, though given the choice, the deep blue sea seems fairly obvious to me – even thinking that drowning would be a horrible way to die.

Track 11 – On the Bed
Almost a late addition to Danbient.

I like how it builds, particularly at the beginning. Once it achieves full flower it does less for me though it’s still quite likable. I’m not sure what the instrument is that kicks it off, slightly piano-like but clearly something else. And the obvious Indian inflections from a man quite influenced by what he found there.

It is too bad for the dolphins. They were noble creatures.

Track 12 – Isn’t a Pity
This is a man that can take a weighty topic, sing it straight up the middle and keep it from being hackneyed. He avoids the trap of overselling – not using words and phrases that seem more poignant while in fact stuffing it with pretension. This is simple and elegant, just like All Things Must Pass, and I like it a lot. There are lots of times when melancholy songs are something I seek out, like listening to the blues when your sad, and this would be a welcome addition to that collection of songs.

Like ATMP, nicely weighted and balanced, all the parts helping the whole. Solemn, majestic, and sad. Just lovely.

Conclusion
I’m not sure I feel I was as verbose or eloquent as perhaps I had hoped to be. I have no explanation for this, other than I said what I wanted to say and left it at that. Many of these songs were ones that I trouble breaking down into bits – they affected more holistically – even more than usual perhaps for someone who doesn’t ‘hear’ the same way as some of the others. I did enjoy hearing more from King George, and I look forward to the next installment of Mighty Tom’s History of the World.

BS – Close, but probably ATMP, with IIAP ready to fill in should he falter.

SIWHI – I don’t feel qualified based on the few other GH songs I know.

Bring on Pac Man Fever!