All Things Must Pass

There’s probably a 4 or 5 star album buried in here but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend another 2 hours trying to find it. A more selective approach might’ve resulted in a shorter, better album. All things must pass quality control

Sacrilegious to many, but I might like this better than any Beatles album.

57/100: There are two pretty good reasons why most artist don’t throw 11 minute long instrumentals on their albums: few artists wants to slot away a fifth of their album to one song with no lyrics and if you’re instrumental is going to be 11 minutes long, it’s got to be really fucking good, which is hard to do. Well George Harrison found a nifty loophole to avoid that first reason—just make your album 2 hours long so the monstrosity of an instrumental only takes up a tenth of your album. Unfortunately, he found no such loop hole for the second reason. “Out of the Blue” would be a good 4 minute long song, maybe even 5 minutes. But to force listeners to listen to that track for 11 minutes is the most blatant masturbatory stroke of an artist’s own ego I’ve ever seen. Actually, no I take that back. Having a second, 7 minute long instrumental on top of an 11 minute instrumental objectively beats that. Well, actually, throwing two versions of the same song on your album might trump that. Come to think of it, nevermind. Pumping out a 2 hour long triple album takes the cake. We get it, George. You had something to prove because Paul and John were mean to you. One album would have sufficed. Keep “What is Life,” “If Not For You” (a Bob Dylan cover anyway, albeit a nice one), “All Things Must Pass,” “Art of Dying,” just one version of “Isn’t it a Pity,” “Hear Me Lord,” and cut “Out of the Blue” in half then get rid of literally everything else. You’d have yourself a pretty damn good album then. I can’t in good conscience call this album as is a good album though, and I really wanted the plot line of George Harrison, the mistreated musical genius of the Beatles, to be true. Based on this album, it seems like George was treated by the Beatles about as well as he should have been. There are some seriously shocking production decisions on this album, namely in that it appears George Harrison takes so much pride in all of his works that he feels they all are good enough to make an album’s final cut. Just imagine how he’d react when Paul or John told him to ditch a song idea. I mean how dare they insult his musical talent, don’t they know every song he writes is golden? In fact, he has so many golden songs, he should make a 2 hour long triple album, that’s a great idea.

If you think about what this record is, it's all the songs Harrison wrote between roughly 68 and 70 that John and Paul didn't think were good enough to put on a Beatles record. "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun" were good enough. So was "I Me Mine" (yeesh). So basically what you're listening to is a dump of B-sides that weren't quite as strong as "I Me Mine". And it sounds like it. Harrison's solo material is missing a couple of the really critical things that makes the Beatles CDs work. One is that they have two exceptionally talented lead singers, neither of whom is George. Another is their incredible production - Harrison uses some instrumental diversity here, but generally the sound is kind of monotonous, and nowhere near as creative as peak Beatles. And last is their relentless, infectious optimism - the Beatles records are so joyous and fun that little children instinctively sing along with them, even if they've never heard rock and roll before. But this record is generally a downer, and aside from being less fun to listen to as a result, that also puts it into an extremely competitive bracket (early 70s downer rock music being some of the best ever made). I don't even think it holds up on its own merits, but certainly not relative to contemporaries. There are some nice songs here, generally the more upbeat ones. "Wah-Wah", "What is Life" and "The Art of Dying" are all fun, if a little unremarkable. But some of the other hits like "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It a Pity" are just whiny and slow - for whatever reason Harrison must've liked "Isn't It A Pity", it appears on the record twice, despite being one of the weaker tracks. And the whole thing is really chock full of filler and waaay too long - this album took me two days to get through. That plodding feeling is exacerbated by the fact that a lot of the songs themselves are long and slow. "Beware of Darkness" kicks off the 2nd CD at a rollicking 65 bpm clip - many of the others are in that neighborhood. The wheels just totally come off towards the end ("Johnny's Birthday"? Alternate versions of "Isn't It a Pity" and borderline of "My Sweet Lord"?? Four consecutive 12-bar blues instrumentals???). Harrison employs some nice harmonic tricks on a lot of these songs, but he doesn't do much creatively with the production, and the pacing, moodiness and his own weak voice kind of drag it down.

I have heard all the arguments against this album. The production is too messy; the Apple Jam record is unnecessary; even without the Apple Jam, it’s too long. Anyone who thinks this way is certainly entitled to their opinion; not only do I respectfully disagree with these sentiments, but the jaw-dropping strength, beauty, and magnitude of All Things Must Pass are too much for me to consider ranking anything else as my favorite solo Beatles album. To those points, I won’t pretend that I’m always in the mood for the Apple Jam, but I don’t believe its presence in any way detracts from the greatness of the album. On top of that, I always enjoy it when I do listen to it, especially “Out Of The Blue,” which has never felt 11 minutes and 13 seconds long to me. Jim Gordon (drums), Gary Wright (organ), and Bobby Whitlock (piano) all groove spectacularly on this track, and George and Klaus Voormann provide some extremely interesting guitar work. The musicians subtly shift gears multiple times and truly interact with each other, unlike other jams that meander aimlessly and exist only to showcase individual players’ solos. Taking the Apple Jam out of the equation, yes, it’s a long record. But because every song is so good, it never feels tiring to me. The weakest song may be “I Dig Love,” and I think it’s a blast. The main riff, courtesy of George (slide guitar), Whitlock (piano), and Wright (electric piano), is super playful, and the drum fills provided by old friend Ringo Starr add some additional whimsicality. It also features some great organ work from Billy Preston and a nice, understated solo from George. And yes, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production is massive; George himself later said he felt there was “too much reverb.” For my money, I think this album’s defining sound is ultimately a huge asset. George’s slide work on “My Sweet Lord” is obviously sublime, but it is aided greatly by the layered acoustic guitars provided by himself, Eric Clapton, and Badfinger’s Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland. “What Is Life” is notable for George’s catchy riff and outstanding vocal, but the horns courtesy of Jim Price (trumpet) and Bobby Keys (saxophone), as well as John Barham’s magnificent string arrangement, provide it with a spectacular energy. Price and Keys also lend some pep to “Awaiting On You All,” which boasts another fantastic riff, awesome drums and percussion from Gordon and Mike Gibbins, and exuberant backing vocals from Harrison, Clapton, and Whitlock. The broad arrangements mirror not only how important this album was, but how great the content is; I can’t imagine being bothered by how enormous these songs sound because they’re all so enormously good. Even the one song that George didn’t write is a highlight. Bob Dylan is my second favorite artist of all time, and I rarely agree with the opinion often espoused by his detractors that his songs are better sung by other people. Bob’s rendition of “If Not For You” on his New Morning record is lovely, but George’s version here is so clearly the definitive one. Every acoustic and slide guitar is perfectly placed, the lead vocal is superb, and the keyboard work (Wright on piano, Preston on organ) fills out the soundscape beautifully. Dylan’s influence is felt elsewhere on All Things Must Pass, of course. George spent some quality time in upstate New York with him and the Band in late 1968; it was during this time that the two co-wrote the stellar “I’d Have You Anytime.” Dylan was intrigued by Harrison’s grasp on unique chord progressions and time signature changes, both of which are incorporated into this song. Knowing that perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time was suffering from writer’s block, George’s pleas to “let me into your heart” are a touching offering to his friend. Bob’s lyrical response is even more heartwarming: “All I have is yours, all you see is mine/And I’m glad to hold you in my arms/I’d have you anytime.” It’s a brilliant album opener, especially because Clapton’s guitar intro is particularly welcoming. The celestial “Behind That Locked Door” finds George once again encouraging Bob to share his talents with the world. It’s another perfect sonic backdrop; Pete Drake’s pedal steel performance is out of this world good, Wright contributes more solid piano, and Preston’s organ playing, especially when he joins in on the main figure, is marvelous. As he does for most of the album’s tracks, George stacks his vocal harmonies to wonderful effect on this song as well. And “Apple Scruffs” may not be about Dylan, but its acoustic guitar and harmonica-driven nature is certainly reminiscent of him. Even if you love the sound of this record as a whole like I do, this stripped-down number is certainly a welcome addition. As an ode to the hardcore Beatles fanatics of the late 60’s, it is also nice to hear something positive related to George’s former band. Which brings us, of course, to the most fascinating aspect of the record. In the aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup, All Things Must Pass not only revealed to the world how much amazing material George had in his back pocket, but expressed how stifled he felt by the group in their final years of existence. “Wah-Wah,” named after a slang term for a headache, paints John Lennon and Paul McCartney to be just that: “Now I don’t need no wah-wah’s/And I know how sweet life can be/If I keep myself free of wah-wah.” George delivers these lyrics with one of his most impassioned vocals ever, and his guitar work is even better. His opening riff boasts a perfect tone, and is matched by an equally impressive performance from Clapton and his apt use of the wah pedal. The two trade off searing solos, where George also gets an opportunity to show off his slide prowess. It’s a miraculous cacophony of sound, with Price (trumpet), Keys (sax), Preston (electric piano), and, somewhat ironically, Starr (drums) contributing notable parts to the soundscape. “Run Of The Mill” is slightly more stripped down; clearly influenced by his time spent with the Band, it features some of George’s best acoustic work on the record. Wright shines once more on piano, Carl Radle provides a great bass line, and Price and Keys’ horn work is delightfully melodic. Lyrically, however, it is just as biting. Written following the Get Back sessions, when John and Paul more than ever were not appearing to take his songs seriously, he sings, “Tomorrow when you rise, another day for you to realize me/Or send me down again.” They eventually gained more respect for George for standing his ground during these sessions, and subsequently recognized that “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” were incredible compositions and deserved inclusion on Abbey Road. Still, when you hear the songs on this record that were ultimately passed over by the Beatles, it makes you wonder: how did they not realize his growing genius? “Let It Down” features an enticing chord progression to match its salacious lyrics. It also features the most magnificently heavy soundscape of George’s career. He and Clapton are both unforgiving with their guitar playing, Wright contributes some fiery organ work, and Price and Keys lock in perfectly with the relentlessly pounding rhythm section of Radle and Gordon. The track is further aided by Gary Brooker’s excellent piano and Barham’s perfect string arrangement. While that song was given up on after a few disinterested run-throughs by the Beatles, the band gave a bit more consideration to what became the title track of this record; Lennon suggested the lyric “A *mind* can blow those clouds away,” rather than *wind*. But yet again, it was somehow not deemed a priority. Their loss was this album’s gain in so many ways; “All Things Must Pass” ended up as an appropriate title track in the wake of the band’s split, and George seized the opportunity to ensure it received the proper recording. His acoustic guitar figure glides by heavenly against Preston’s piano and Barham’s strings. Typical of the rest of the record, the horns courtesy of Price and Keys are majestic, and Drake’s pedal steel soars brilliantly. George’s lyrics and vocals hit like a ton of bricks, especially when Clapton and Whitlock join him to deliver the stately chorus. It is a perfect composition and recording, and there’s a strong argument to be made for it being the greatest solo song by any Beatle. If it’s not the greatest, it’s because that title belongs to “Isn’t It A Pity.” Written in 1966, Harrison had sat on this song longer than any other, and correspondingly had it rejected multiple times by the Beatles. Perhaps, then, he was trying to make a point by including two versions of it on this record. The second version is nice, particularly due to the fine performances by Clapton (guitar), Whitlock (organ), and Tony Ashton (piano), but the first version is immaculate. Ashton’s piano work is also great here, and although his contributions to the album are top-notch all around, Barham’s orchestral arrangement on this track is his most extraordinary. In the song’s first instrumental interlude, the strings supply a breathtaking ascending melody before the horns immediately answer with a terrific descending line of their own. It is during this section that George’s slide work begins to shine as well, as it continues to through the remainder of the song. His vocals, including his harmonies, are as strong as ever, and there is no song in his entire catalog that better illustrates his dynamic ability to write gorgeous melodies over unconventional chord progressions. Some may complain that the outro goes on too long, but it could last for years and I wouldn’t mind. The swirling guitars, strings, and layered vocals are absolutely stirring and divine; it is a splendid ending to a truly remarkable piece of music. The wealth of flawless songs and recordings on All Things Must Pass is almost incomprehensible. Of the 14 tracks I have mentioned already in this review, only “Apple Scruffs,” “I Dig Love,” and “Out Of The Blue,” as much as I enjoy them, would not qualify as my favorite song on any given day. The other 11 are so ungodly good that they may qualify for that title. And on many days, it might be “Beware Of Darkness” taking the crown. Between its unfairly good chord progression, beautiful lyrics, and superb guitar work from Harrison and Clapton, it is undoubtedly one of his greatest songs. “Art Of Dying” might even be a dark horse candidate (no pun intended). This is one of the tracks featuring the band that would soon become Derek and the Dominos - Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon - and all four musicians are outstanding on it. Clapton’s guitar performance in particular is his most virtuosic on the record; his electrifying wah-laden intro crashes marvelously into Price and Keys’ bombastic horns to powerful effect. Hell, I can’t even name anything wrong with the mysterious “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” or the harrowing “Hear Me Lord.” Every single song on the first four sides of this album is unbelievably good, and yes, I quite like the Apple Jam as well. Given some of the songs’ subject matters, it’s difficult to totally disregard this album’s historical context, but even taking that aspect out of consideration as much as possible, it is still tremendous. I am completely in awe of this record, and as much as I would have loved to provide a hot take here, I have to be honest. All Things Must Pass is one of the greatest albums of all time, and most definitely the greatest of all the Beatles’ solo albums. 5+/5

Streaming and CDs really do this album dirty. It's billed as a triple album but it was released as a double album with a bonus Instrumental LP (labeled as 'Apple Jam'). The 2014 remaster on Spotify also adds four bonus tracks to disc one and then ends with Out of the Blue which is supposed to start Apple Jam. Do yourself a favor and listen to this one as it would have been on vinyl. Each side has a great little arc to it. I'm looking forward to picking up a pressing because I can totally see myself listing to single records or even single sides from time to time. This is a ton of music on one album and I think it was meant to be listened to in chunks as much as a complete record. All in all the quality of the album is very high. Too many great tracks to list. I don't think I'll every do all three records again, but I'll be coming back to it frequently.

I’ve heard George Harrison was the best songwriter from the Beatles. Although saying that, the only song I know he wrote for them was Here Comes The Sun. Songs I already know: My Sweet Lord Favourite after listening: Apple Scruffs Overall: 9/10. Was nearly a 10/10 but the last few songs were annoying stoner jamming Some songs make me wants to join a hippy drum circle. Other songs make me want to take my clothes off and dance.

My Sweet Lord do I hate double albums. This is arguably the best solo album any of them ever made and I’m finding it incredibly uninteresting. I think I’m just burnt on the Beatles. I mean it’s a good record, the songs are all great, the musicianship in on point, but… …I get it, the Beatles were great but how are we, collectively as a society, not tired of them by now? It’s like Marvel movies, ubiquitous to the point where i can’t understand why people even care anymore. There’s nothing on this record that is going to surprise me, because I’ve heard it, even if I haven’t actually heard all of it. You know what I mean? 41 years on this earth and it’s still all about the Beatles. Beatles, Beatles, Beatles….I’ve grown so tired of them, it’s exhausting trying to make it through their records. For real, did I need to hear “Apple Scruffs” before I die? Absolutely not. That song is the poster child for why I hate double records. Who is that for? And how could I live without “Sir Frankie Crisp”? No one earth has ever added those songs to a playlist. It’s a scientific impossibility… Fuck me, I just realized this is actually a TRIPLE ALBUM. Sorry, George, you were easily the best Beatle, but I just can’t anymore. There’s so much other music out there, I can’t pretend that everything you 4 did is the greatest thing to ever happen to music. 3 stars because it’s 3 LP’s.

I could be given a 3 second glimpse at the album cover from 5 meters away and be able to name the album, but I don't remember ever listening to the whole album or even an entire side. My loss. This is a very good album with contributions from Rock and Roll's royalty and production by Mr. Wall of Sound before he became Mr. Fuckhead. Well, perhaps he was already Mr. Fuckhead, but he was not yet the gun slinging murdering Mr. Fuckhead. I can't talk about all the songs but will mention a few: My Sweet Lord is a classic and the nod to the hare krishnas wasn't a minute to late for the most ridiculed religion of the day. Yeah people still shook their heads and sighed when they would see them but at least they had the validation from this wonderful song. Wah-wah is also quite good although I admit I have a thing for songs written to torture Paul. Happy Birthday Johnny. I didn't know that song. It's only a month until my birthday. Timing is everything. Three albums worth huh. Most of his compositions were dismissed by John and Paul for so many years, I guess once the seal was broken, there were a lot to pour out.

This project has taught me that no musician requires a double or triple album because songs could and should be cut. But George Harrison isn't any musician and is the exception to the rule. Even before the Beatles broke up, he was overflowing with creativity and thusly we were blessed with a triple album in the year of our George 1970. Every song has purpose, and together all songs are beautiful. The third disc comes across as a jam session due to the instrumentals, but how can I be mad when vibing to brilliant music? A big part of Harrison's music is his religion. "My Sweet Lord" is his most well-known song and is on this album, and that is a rather obvious choice. "Art of Dying" covers reincarnation, "Hear Me Lord" has Harrison asking for forgiveness, "Beware of Darkness" advises caution toward those who distract from one's spiritual journey--and those aren't the only examples available. His lyrics are always evocative and poignant, but even more beautiful when singing about religion. Even for someone who is nonreligious, I recognize something powerful about his songs and lyrics. Also, I found it interesting that, if you omit Apple Jam, "My Sweet Lord" and "Hear Me Lord" are nearly bookending this album. Harrison always came across as serious, perhaps because he wasn't as loud as the other Beatles, but I was surprised at how playful he could be. "I Dig Love" is absolutely straight from the brain of someone who lived through the sixties as he alternates between singing "I dig love" and "I love dig." "Thanks for the Pepperoni," though an instrumental, has such a goofy title. I read these choices as not taking his music too seriously. I already mentioned Harrison's lyrics, but I must come back to them because his songwriting was unbelievably special. The title song in particular hits hard; Harrison reassuring you in difficult times is emotional, or at least it is for me. Harrison always wore his heart on his sleeve, and that's never more evident with lyrics like that song. When Harrison doesn't sing about spirituality, like his meaning isn't abstract, the impact is still strong. The second side of the first disc in particular contains that realistic aspect. The range Harrison covered on All Things Must Pass is incredible. Mostly he explores rock music, but there are spots of jazz, like in "Out of the Blue" and "Art of Dying," or blues in the aptly named "Out of the Blue". There is a folk presence too, which is definitely Bob Dylan's influence, and Harrison's voice allows folk to be so smooth. He created a glorified five minute jam of "Roll Over Beethoven" that slaps five decades later. He created different kind of sounds, like the guitar through the wah-wah pedal, or the frequent use of the slide guitar. And there's that steady, muted guitar beat in "What is Life." I just love the different kind of sounds he included. This album, as Harrison's first since the Beatles break up, is full of nuances and layers. By themselves, the songs are amazing but also are longer, deeper, and more creative when compared to Beatles' tracks. I must believe there is still plenty to uncover, even with however many books, articles, and reviews have been written on this album.

Can't believe some of the scores here... The 'Apple Jam' tracks are a novelty bonus, and I'm not considering them in my score. The main album is 18 tracks and 76 minutes of quality tunage. No question that it's five stars from me.

Je connaissais l'album mais je n'avais jamais prit le temps de l'écouter au complet. 2h5 c'est un peu long pour une seule écoute donc je ne m'y était jamais attardé. Les albums post beatles de John (Plastic Ono band, Imagine) et Paul (McCartney, Ram) sont tous les deux des chef d'oeuvre et celui-ci n'a pas à en rougir car il est dans la même classe. 5

George!

this album is such a fucking VIBE

There's too much quality on this album for me to give it a negative rating (when it's good it's amazing) but for the most part I didn't particularly enjoy this, it's too long. White Album works because George has two other great songwriters working with him, each with their own styles. This album very much feels like if the White Album only had songs like Long Long Long, Savoy Truffle, and While My Guitar.. on it. The songwriting is quality but there isn't much variation, and it lasts for almost 2 hours. If you like long pop rock/folk rock/blues rock albums then this'll be your thing, but don't expect much variety than that.

A classic post Beatles entry into the pantheon of historic albums.

Yes

Good af

Well that was quite a trip. Phenomenal guitar playing throughout, a true showing of what George Harrison brings to the table (it's a lot). Don't know why the version on spotify randomly has bonus tracks in the middle of the album, but outside of that it was a fantastic listen

Outstanding!

A loooonnggg boy, but a goooood boy! 7/10

"Ok boys it's a wrap, we've got a stone cold classic on our hands." "Wait, wait, what if.... bear with me, what if we add a whole extra album with over 30 minutes of nothing but directionless jam-wankery, but like with totally cool cats and we had a really cool time?" "Is there any enjoyment for the casual listener, who wasn't in the room, to be had?" "Little to none." "3 LP's it is!"

It's really interesting to see Harrison with the restrictor plate off and just feeling free. I also love when you get to hear the reject songs, the ones that didn't make the cut. McCartney and Lennon may have been right, but Harrison was also amazing. Crazy that the stars aligned to bring them and Ringo together.

Much hay is certainly made about poor good George having been repressed by the evil John and Paul, and needing this album to break out of his Beatles-imposed prison. We sure do like to choose sides, don’t we? But why did “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” become massive timeless hits, and “Isn’t It A Pity” and “Wah-Wah” and “What Is Life” did not? The simple answer is they’re just better songs. And this album is full of songs that aren’t as "good" as what George published with the Beatles. Music is entirely subjective, and while these songs might not generally be perceived to rise to that level, they seem to be regarded by passionate Georgites as all-time rock classics, fumbling over themselves to praise everything from the lyrics to the chord structure to the individual players to the PICTURE ON THE COVER. Sycophants! My view is what this album needed more than anything else on "All Things Must Pass" was EDITING. “Isn’t it A Pity” is lovely, but at 7:10 it's far too long. If there’s one thing the Beatles understood, it was economy: when to get out of a song and “leave ‘em wanting more”. Or when to use length to subvert expectations, like how “She’s So Heavy” keeps building and building and you can’t believe it’s getting even uglier until suddenly “Here Comes the Sun” starts. It’s perfect. Here we get “Wah Wah”, “Pity” and others just meandering on too long; even the snappy “What Is Life” could be nearly a minute shorter. There’s no need for a cover tune, George. Especially when the original is better. “Behind that Locked Door” is nice but feels like pastiche, “Let it Down” tries to make up for being unfinished by being extra extra loud half the time. “Run of the Mill” is a hidden gem. 100% George, odd meter, catchy, not belabored. “Apple Scruffs” is good clean fun, a throwaway treat. “Frankie Crisp”? Unnecessary. “Awaiting”? Can barely hear it under the production. God the production sucks in a lot of places and on "Awaiting" it's the worst. There's probably a cheesy song hiding under the murk, predicting “Got My Mind Set on You”. “All Things”, the song, just never fully gelled. It’s so close. “I Dig Love” is a cool, goofy 2-minute lark dragged out to 5 minutes. Now I’M droning on almost as long as this record does, and I haven’t even mentioned the extra “blues jam” tracks. In the end, this is still absolutely worth hearing, it’s worth winnowing down to its best tracks, it’s worth a Steven Wilson remix to undo some of the damage Phil Spector did to muddy up the mix. Despite it’s flaws it’s nearly worth 5 stars.

Its understandable if you take this triple-LP's title and cover photo together to suggest a meditation on constipation played out in real time, and it's certainly understandable if George approached this project feeling a bit backed up, having spent the previous decade being allowed only as many songs on those records as Ringo, which as much as I love Ringo is kind of insulting. Less than 5 minutes in he kinda fucks himself by accidentally ripping off the melody of The Chiffons' He's So Fine for My Sweet Lord. I blame Phil Spector, the album's producer (a man whose morals seemed to be caught in an ever-escalating duel with his hairdo, until he eventually died in prison for murdering his date), for not speaking up about it more than I blame George, actually. There is a certain thing that happens sometimes to musicians where it feels more like an act of discovery than invention, if that makes sense, and that can be magical but it it's like tuning in a radio station and sometimes you dial in the wrong signal. You can be assured this would NOT pass if it were a Beatles album. Still, this is a beautiful-sounding album, if a little boring at times. But it creates a sweet vibe, and certainly a long enough one that it could be the soundtrack to half a pretty good day.

What can I say about this album? From the music to the songwriting to the album cover to what he is WEARING in the album cover, this entire thing feels like a blueprint for the modern day indie folk rock act, and George Harrison was pioneering it and mastering it in 1970. Iconic. This album was a creative breakthrough for George, as he was not nearly as creatively involved in the Beatles' work, at least not front and center. And yet, from a whole-album perspective, I have said before and will say again that "All Things Must Pass" is the most noteworthy and best solo Beatles album -- and many would agree. What he delivers on his own is unlike anything else the solo Beatles members produced, and it is also arguably some of the most timeless. There really isn't a skip on the album, and that is coming from someone that tends to groan at the sight of double albums on this project who is simultaneously taking into consideration that this is a TRIPLE album. Granted, I found the Apple Jam sessions to be a little bit much and rather jarring when compared to the context of the core album, but it is still generally good music. I wish I had more words for what is genuinely an outstanding album, but sometimes the music just speaks for itself. Many have musically followed in the footsteps of George, and while he certainly dabbled in other sounds throughout his career, there is something poetic in the fact that "All Things Must Pass" has circled back around to modern relevance. Indeed, all things must pass, but when you leave a legacy like George that influences folk rock and music in general so much, all things may circle back around, too.

Some great songs. Some shit ones. 2.5 stars.

Very flat for me on the first listen—way too long as well. I just have to accept that I’m not hippie enough to endure this endless parade of songs in a state of ecstasy … and to enjoy the album cover. That said, a few tracks do stand out fairly quickly (Beware of Darkness, Let It Down, Wah-Wah, or Hear Me Lord). It goes down easy, with a blissful smile—like honey: smooth, a little syrupy, maybe even a bit sappy. More often than not, this sounds like The Beatles… just, well, not as good. And Harrison is no Lennon nor even McCartney when it comes to singing. I get the context on why people might give it 5 stars - the shadow of The Beatles, Harrison’s songwriting talents finally recognized, Clapton and Dylan in the mix—but honestly, I’ll save my high scores for albums from the same era that actually shook me. As one reviewer put it, … and that perfectly sums up how I feel : “There’s probably a 4 or 5 stars album buried in here, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend another 2 hours trying to find it.”

1 good song

listened to disc 1 few times before and finally listened to disc 2 after it showed here. enjoyed

Classic must have. The jams are just so so.

The first and best ex Beatle album. (OK the live jam stuff is a bit of unnecessary padding, but...)

Fine, I admit it… This is the best solo Beatles album and yes, it is 5*, all 2 bloody hours of it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

god

Dios existe.

no pueden ser TODOS temones

This is the greatest Beatles solo album of all time. George had so many songs left over from The Beatles that he put them all Out on this masterpiece . There are a few tracks I’m not huge on (“Behind That Locked Door and “Art Of Dying”) but they are not necessarily bad and don’t bring the experience down. There are the 5 jam songs in the end that I don’t really consider part of the album And more a bonus tracks. George put his heart and soul into this. Even with some of the more religious songs it comes out more hopeful and isn’t jamming his ideology down your throat This is mainly an acoustic folk album That is treated with the Phil Spector wall of Sound! It really gives these tracks an edge and fun George never topped this record and really probably should of saved a few Of these songs for Future records. However I think it works because of The plethora of material. Beautiful And the insightful. The Quiet Beatle is Quiet No More 5/5

My all time favorite Beatles solo album.

Great album but perhaps a bit thin for a triple album. I felt there was one legendary album or a great double in there but triple seemed to stretch things.

A beautiful, pleasant album by George Harrison. Okay, there's nothing experimental or groundbreaking, but why should there be? Can't an ex-Beatle just deliver a few beautiful songs? I don't understand the criticism here at all. I really like the opener, "I'd Have You Anytime," simply relaxed and beautiful. I don't agree with "My Sweet Lord," but the song is great, and I respect Harrison's beliefs. The absolute highlight, though, for me, is "What Is Life," which sparkles and crackles with energy. A great song that definitely deserves to be rediscovered; fantastic. The whole album simply radiates a lot of positive energy. Well done! 5 stars, without question!

I do love stepping into the mind of George Harrison. And having had this LP on Vinyl, it was beautifully crafted/sectioned for that format. This double album is a holy grail of beatles solo material and deserves its recognition as such

Near flawless the best of the beatle solo albums, many stand out tracks.

Never listened to this in full and I’m glad I did coz is good

An (kind of) unexpected surprise, but I enjoyed every single minute of this record.

When I read about the background to this album I thought George was just trying to get a bit more of the Beatles pie, writing some naff ditties that Paul and John had dissed, patted the young lad on the head and sending him on his way. But these songs are really good. Even (maybe especially) the ones that Lennon and McCartney rejected. Easily enough for a quality double album I'm not sure it needed the third record 'Apple Jam'. I skipped a lot of that first time around as overlong and tedious. But after a second listen to the 'main' 2 records I think having the third set was a great chill out. Maybe I wouldn't listen to it very often but it's like the additional film director's narratives they used to add to DVDs. Interesting. A bit of self indulgent jamming - like a warm up before the main recording session with your mates. I'm glad it's there. Most of my 5* ratings are previous loves rediscovered. This is a new love and a nailed on 5. How was there so much talent in the Beatles.

I have never hid the fact that George Harrison was my favorite Beatle and I loved every one of his songs in The Beatles. He was the true talent in that group, although John was right up there with him. Sad that him and George are no longer with us and we're stuck with Paul and Ringo. This album is absolutely perfect in every way. Do not skip this. Listen to it. Enjoy it, Love it. 5/5

This shit ass bruh, my sweet lord dope tho

This is my karma for complaining about how many double albums I gotten recently. This is probably the only triple album that works because of the very specific circumstances that came about to make it. Mostly because it's a fuck you album. The music is incredible but does it need to be three albums? Probably not. Only does because he needed to prove a point and it really comes across.

Thoroughly enjoyed but it’s a classic that I probs wouldn’t listen to on repeat. Cannot believe it’s live

Few albums equal the breathtaking opening sequence of songs than on disc one of this album--maybe "The Joshua Tree," "Sgt. Pepper's", "Purple Rain"? The best of the post-Beatles solo albums by the Fab Four. Loses momentum towards the end with the jam sessions, but George Harrison was letting off a lot of creative steam after feeling like his songs weren't making it into the Beatles' later albums.

All Things Must Pass is the third solo album from George Harrison, but it is often thought of as his first. He released two albums before the Beatles disbanded: one of Indian music and another of synthesizer experiments. All Things Must Pass is a very different effort that his first two albums, and was released only six month after his first band's breakup, so it was seen as the first post-Beatles solo effort. It's a three-LP release, a rarity in popular music and an opportunity for Harrison to publish a fairly extensive catalog in one release. Driven by the success of "My Sweet Love," the album was an international success. The album has an impressive collection of songs, some written while Harrison was still a Beatle. The sixth album side is a set of instrumentals, and part of the band involved became Derek & the Dominoes.

# Album Name: All things must pass # Artist: George Harrison # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: First album is a great. Really good stuff. I'd give it a 5 on its own merit. 2nd album falters a bit imo. Its still good but doesnt hit the highs of the first album. Id give this a 4. Now album 3. Fuck me, by this stage, its a lot for any one to listen to. HOWEVER, theres some great jamming sessions on that third album. Really enjoyable if you are into that kind of thing. The third album brings it back to a 5. Overall its a bit of a journey. Great stuff. I'd give it a 5. Its just a shame that lull in the 2nd album. I'll give it another listen. But still, its a piece of art. Nice one George. Great album from an underrated beatle. # Top Tunes: have you anytime / MSL / Wah-wah / isnt it a pity / what is life / let it down / Beware of darkness / age of dying / hear me lord / Jammin sessions (3rd album) # Would I listen to it again? Yes

The greatest of the solo Beatles albums, and the only album to justify being a triple. This feels like years of pent up ideas unleashed all at once, and is great documentation for how Harrison’s music writing really made The Beatles’ sound what it was.

Despite any criticism this album receives, I absolutely adore it. 5 stars!

All things must pass, the diarrhea album...in Harrison's own words ! A monument, triple album, super (over) produced with P.Spector, full of hits. It confirms Harrison's introspection: Beware of darkness, isn't a pity...haunting songs...hare krishna....alleluia

I was on a sports team. It wasn't a specific sport but there was a uniform. I started in the basement and made my way through a dungeon of a house guided by my sister running into different guys I knew throughout my life all wearing the same uniform as more. We were all trying to get to the game but there was always an excuse not to leave. And though trying to leave was the bulk of the situation I can't really recall any of them. They were too abstracts.

Fantastic

A perfect album by the best Beatle.

Incredible album. Rightly claimed to be the best of all the solo albums from the Fab Four! There is absolutely not a bad tune on this album! Easy five stars!

Obvious 5, a feast of George’s talent. To be honest though…could’ve been a bit shorter…but that’s just preference.

The best Solo album by a Beatles, it falters a little at the end but the highs are just too high for anything less than a 5

Ok so I've already heard this one and I was initially going to give it five stars. But I relistened to it because I like it so much and I started to rethink my opinion. There are no bad songs here, but the album might just go on a little too long, but I decided that's not to its deficit because most of the songs are so good. You have classics in My Sweet Lord and What is Life, but there are several underrated tunes in here too. I particularly enjoyed Let it Down and The Art of Dying. Also the Apple Jam disc is a nice addition while completely unessential, it was fun to listen too although I'll probably never go back to it. Overall, I love George, he's my favorite Beatle, and I'll always love this album 5 out of 5. Best Song: What is Life Worst Song (not counting Apple Jam): Apple Scruffs

Well what a coincidence, I just got imagine 2 days ago and I liked it hut I brought this up cause I like it more. And I sure do like it more. Why didn't the Beatles use more of geroges songs? They are sooo good. I saved damn near every track on the first disc. And half on the 2nd. And I like the 3rd. It's all jams but jams are nice. Such a great writer and his steel guitar sound is nice. Some country vibes on some songs but that's cause it's the only place people use it anymore. I like everything about it. I get why some people wouldn't and that's fine but it feels like it was made for me.

I'm glad I listened to this after John Lennon's debut solo album, because it gave me some fresh perspective on that one. That was a single album, and only a few of those would be Beatles songs in a mostly unchanged form. On this one, on the other hand, most, if not all of the first two discs would have been Beatles songs, with only some trimming or some harmony added. As a double, you think it's flagging, only for it to throw a banger like "Art of Dying" at you. I think the Allman Brothers-esque jam on the third disc should be treated as its own thing. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it's clearly different from the rest of this. If you look at it as it's own separate thing, the entire album looks much better.

One of the greatest albums of all time

Perchance the greatest Triple LP of all time? Hit after hit after hit after hit after hit after hit af… Who knew George had this in him? Love the spiritual nature of this album and the themes of love, introspection, and wonder. He communicates it all so well in a huge format, but no song seems forced somehow. Each one hits for a different reason and it almost feels more like classic rock than a lot of the Beatles records. A fantastic baseline for a good album and a nice introduction to the Beatles post break solo work

What a gift this album is! How lucky are we to get to experience the magic of a solo George Harrison. Wonderfully sweet, soulful and spiritual. Truly captures what I would imagine the vibe of the late 60s and early 70s was? Also to be a fly on the wall writing songs with George Harrison and Bob Dylan. Only issue was the length. But I think the genius was worth the extra time.

Spectacular disc(s) - it was a triple album, if I recall correctly. Really shows how much George's talents were overshadowed by the rest of the group.

This (triple!) album has got to be one of the biggest flexes in music history. On All Thing Must Pass George says "Hey John and Paul, you don't wanna do my songs? Ok well I'm gonna take Ringo and do them anyway and oh yeah, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Bobby Keys, and others are gonna help me play them, and oh yeah Bob Dylan is gonna write one with me too." These are some great songs and while I think they would be equally effective stripped down, Phil Spector's wall of sound production style gives them a larger than life feel which is appropriate for songs about religion, death, and the breakup of the greatest band of all time. I don't normally feel that double or triple albums are justified, but here I think there were absoultely enough great songs to justify its length. I will say that while I enjoyed the third disc of jams given who the band was, those songs were probably the least necessary and a double album would have been sufficient. Ultimately what we hear on this album is George breaking free from the Beatles with everything that's been pent up in him for years. It's too bad the beatles didn't stay together for a few more years, as I can only imagine how great this could have been with John and Paul involved too.

it's just a classic

имба.

Very good.

10/10 album, I already had listened to it before (it's already been a favorite of mine) and relistening just reaffirmed.

One of my favorites ever. So good. Listen to the most recent mix if you can, they took off all that Phil Spector reverb.

This is a fantastic record! It's like the dam broke after he left the Beatles and all this incredible music poured out

Несомненный шедевр. Я чувствую влияние этого альбома на весь советский рок. Харрисон выдал базу, от My Sweet Lord до I Dig Love.

I Dick Love, I Love Dick 9/10

Classic easy 5

Wow, I feel like just found the missing Beatles album! Liked Songs Added: My Sweet Lord What Is Life

Fun, great mix if emotions and tempo. Saved entire thing as a favorite.

This album was excellent. It always confuses me and blows my mind that George was a Beatle because I really only ever knew him as a solo artist. His music is wonderfully mellow and I discovered some new songs off the album that I really enjoyed.

Nunca falla

Masterpiece

Not properly listened to this box-set before, it really is very good (listened through the whole set twice), giving George five stars on this one (wish you could do half stars on this website, probably better as 4.5 star), love so many of the songs and the feel/vibe of the album, will be working on acquiring a physical copy, a classic piece of work ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the reasons George is my favorite Beatle.

Fantastic record. Really great songwriting top to bottom. The kind of stuff that makes songwriting feel easy, but it’s anything but.

Top 15, maybe 10 album for me all time, no debate. It also has the greatest first side of any album with 3 of my favorite songs of all time "My Sweet Lord", "Wah Wah" and "Isn't it a Pity".

Amazing debut album!

what a legend

This album was never going to get less than 5 stars from me. George Harrison is my favourite Beatle and this is my favourite solo Beatle album (first one on the list so far that I’ve listened to before!). I maintain that this is the best solo Beatle album as well. It has so many great songs like My Sweet Lord, All Things Must Pass, What Is Life and Behind That Locked Door. You can see how many ideas George had had during his time with the Fab Four and this album really shows how far he had come as both a musician and songwriter, he was getting too good to not be taken seriously by John and Paul. A phenomenal album and my favourite so far!

Serious contender for greatest album of all time.

One of my favourite albums. Harrison being my favourite Beatle really gets his moment to show off his strengths.

Very good

Classic, sprawling with beautiful songs built up during the later Beatles period

Perfect album. Glorious way to start my 1001 albums project. I love George so much.

Only heard one of these songs prior to listening. Fantastic album, listened a few times throughout the day.

excellent

5/5 for guru brahma 👌

The best solo album from a Beatles member album

Take that, Paul! #teamgeorge