Album Summary
All Things Must Pass is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the hit singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life", as well as songs such as "Isn't It a Pity" and the title track that had been overlooked for inclusion on releases by the Beatles. The album reflects the influence of Harrison's musical activities with artists such as Bob Dylan, the Band, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and Billy Preston during 1968–70, and his growth as an artist beyond his supporting role to former bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney. All Things Must Pass introduced Harrison's signature slide guitar sound and the spiritual themes present throughout his subsequent solo work. The original vinyl release consisted of two LPs of songs and a third disc of informal jams titled Apple Jam. Several commentators interpret Barry Feinstein's album cover photo, showing Harrison surrounded by four garden gnomes, as a statement on his independence from the Beatles. Production began at London's EMI Studios in May 1970, with extensive overdubbing and mixing continuing through October. Among the large cast of backing musicians were Eric Clapton and members of Delaney & Bonnie's Friends band – three of whom formed Derek and the Dominos with Clapton during the recording – as well as Ringo Starr, Gary Wright, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, John Barham, Badfinger and Pete Drake. The sessions produced a double album's worth of extra material, most of which remains unissued. All Things Must Pass was critically and commercially successful on release, with long stays at number one on charts worldwide. Co-producer Phil Spector employed his Wall of Sound production technique to notable effect; Ben Gerson of Rolling Stone described the sound as "Wagnerian, Brucknerian, the music of mountain tops and vast horizons". Reflecting the widespread surprise at the assuredness of Harrison's post-Beatles debut, Melody Maker's Richard Williams likened the album to Greta Garbo's first role in a talking picture and declared: "Garbo talks! – Harrison is free!" According to Colin Larkin, writing in the 2011 edition of his Encyclopedia of Popular Music, All Things Must Pass is "generally rated" as the best of all the former Beatles' solo albums. During the final year of his life, Harrison oversaw a successful reissue campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of the album's release. After this reissue, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album six-times platinum. It has since been certified seven-times platinum. Among its appearances on critics' best-album lists, All Things Must Pass was ranked 79th on The Times' "The 100 Best Albums of All Time" in 1993, while Rolling Stone placed it 368th on the magazine's 2020 update of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2014, All Things Must Pass was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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Reviews
I think I understand the problem artists faced in the vinyl era: you either released a single LP of about 40–45 minutes, or you went for a double album. And if you had more material than would fit on one record, you suddenly had a lot more space to fill. I had a similar issue with Pink Floyd’s The Wall. One LP wouldn’t have been enough to tell the whole story, but two felt excessive, as though some material was there just to fill the sides. And now George Harrison takes it even further! I understand that he’d accumulated years of unreleased songs during his time with The Beatles. And there’s some truly excellent music here. Harrison is a fantastic guitarist, songwriter, and singer. I genuinely think a carefully selected single LP could have been a 5/5 album. But somewhere during the second LP, I started losing interest. Not because the songs were bad, but because there was simply too much of the same good thing. And then there’s an entire third LP of instrumental jams! Yesterday I listened to Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew. It’s over an hour and a half long, but somehow every minute felt justified. So it’s not the length itself that bothers me. It’s the OVERSHARING! George, I admire your talent, but come on! Nearly two hours? You made this for yourself, not for the audience!
You know, it never occured to me just how much George Harrison actually sounds like Bob Dylan, half the time it almost could have been him singing. I can definitely see why many people consider this to be the best Beatles solo album, but I'm gonna have to disagree. I think in terms of individual songs, some of the all time best ones are definitely on here, but the album as a whole I think could have been a lot better. I hate to be that person to make this criticism because of how much it gets thrown around with albums that don't deserve it, but I do think that it's far too long. Like I said, lots of absolutely amazing individual songs, but the album is just too long to hold my attention. Especially the medley of instrumental tracks at the end, that just feels so pointless. And I'm an avid listener of post rock and ambient music, so long instrumental parts are my favourite, but here it really drags on way longer than it needs to. This is definitely an album that could be worthy of being over 60 minutes, there is definitely something special about it and the way it feels. But the pure length of it and the huge instrumental sections do unfortunately drag it down a lot, as there is a universe where I could definitely see this as the best Beatles solo album if it were just a bit shorter.
Pretty good album. Some big songs on here, and some background stuff. Overall fairly solid.
I’d go 3.5 if I could. Like the song writing but want a little more variety.
I knew nothing of Harrison’s solo stuff. I listened to a few, it was ok. I’m not doing the whole album, stupidly too long!
I love dick in the morning I love dick in the evening I love dick
REALLY good but long as FUCKKKK my god took me all day. but so good
One of the best non-Beatles Beatles album. George finally got the chance to show his creative genius. Wish he had more cuts with the Fab Four. One of my favs' s the title cut - All Things Must Pass
Just a great album
A two-hour slog through what sounds like a bunch of Beatles outtakes.
Pretty chilled out album with several big hit songs. I have never actually listened to this album before today. It's really good if you are in a relaxed mood. Has a Beetles kind of vibe to it for obvious reasons.
one of my fav albums of all time! great start!
89
i did like parts a lot and knew some of it already of course, but dear god why is this 2 hours long and why did i forget a lot of it... that being said it has potential in my book
My Sweet Lord - **** Wah Wah - ****
pretty typical Beatles-adjacent album
Excellent tunes. Too long. Too many versions. Cult and idolatry adulterating the main body of work. I don’t have a conception of this album due to the many changes of order and track additions and removals. If only they had let it pass
George really just threw everything at the wall and what didn't stick he just piled into here
Phil spector produced george Harrison solo album first since beatles triple album number one
Amazing album; George finally got to spread his wings, and he knocked it out of the park. Such great guitar work, great lyrics, fun collaborations.
very much could have been two albums but two albums that were made specifically for me (thank you george!). i loved this so much, so perfect for a cloudy day like today. The melodies and the lyrics and his voice and when it starts to ramp up a bit and get really fun just make for a great time. so lovely. (kind of super glad the beatles broke up)
Long, a lot of it I felt like sounded the same tbh
Really really great. Long but vast. I like when he says words but the guitar parts are absurdly good too.
Barely excuses being 2 hours long
10/30 Don't like the Beatles and this album is way too long
This isn’t a great album… it’s two great albums packed together. I can hear Beatles, Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Phil Spector, Bob Dylan at times but it is all filtered through George’s own sense of melody and structure. This is far better than anything that Lennon or McCartney ever produced solo or as Beatles in my opinion. It’s a long listen though, realistically most will dip in and out rather than set aside over 2 hrs to experience it as a while. I just don’t understand why the record label didn’t encourage him release two separate albums, his accountant must have been raging. 4.7
An absolutely brilliant album packed with well-written, beautifully crafted songs. Superb. 4.6/5
Very good. A hell of a lot better than some of the other Beatles solo records on this fucking list that's for sure.
Giving my usual diatribe that the Beatles are greater than the sum of their parts, and most of their solo projects wouldn't have had much success without name recognition. For this album it's made even worse because it's 7 hours long (give or take, I wasn't looking at the clock).
This was actually kinda good. Far better than the other Beatles solo stuff. It was just way, way too long.
like a guy who brings a 6-pack to a party: is appreciated, thanked for the good stuff, but overstays his welcome. thank you for the beer, George, but please leave. 6/10 FAVOURITE SONGS: WAH-WAH, LET IT DOWN, ART OF DYING
3.5
4.0
I mean, it's good. I guess the main reason it's here is it's a Beatle? I enjoyed it quit a lot, but it does lack a certain something. Closer to a 3 than a 5.
This album means so much to me. First of all, I’m a massive Beatles fan of over 35 years. This particular album was very moving and comforting when George passed away. Then a month later my grandfather unexpectedly passed away too. This album was a great friend in that period.
yes
Amazing album with so many melodic masterpieces, and many that I had never heard before. The only letdown was the last 3 songs that had such a different vibe and dragged on and on. When I revisit this album it will end with Plug me in. Favorite track: Run of the Mill
3/5 not a beatles fan, so i'm sure the nuances of this flew over my head. i did enjoy some of the melodies, but this is a longggg album. started to sound the same a quarter of the way through. best song: art of dying
Phenomenal album. He’s my favorite Beatle. I had thought that 2 of these songs were Beatles’ songs, not just his!
This was so lovely and thoughtful and sweet and weird and interesting. George has now officially become the Beatle with my favorite solo career
My favorite album from a Beatle that isn't from The Beatles.
Just chill perfect for a ride
This is really difficult to rate when I don't care about the last 30 minutes of the album. If this was paired down to 15 songs even, it would be much stronger. That being said, I love a lot of this album and I think it shows how he was being underutilized in The Beatles. Light 8/10 but could've been much higher.
Of course I know who George Harrison is but I can only think of 2 solo songs of his I know. Holy moly, 23 tracks! This is going to be a long listen. "I'd Have You Anytime": Not the strongest start. Great guitar but feels like a generic 70's slow tune the rest of the way - "My Sweet Lord": One of the Harrison songs I have heard. This was already in my playlist. It's a good one. + "Wah-Wah": This one has a very Beatles feel. It's ok, a bit long. + "Isn't it a Pity": Slow start but builds beautifully. Drags quite a bit towards the end + "What Is Life": I have heard this before, I think. I like it + "If Not for You": It's alright but didn't catch me - "Behind That Locked Door": Am I hearing a slide guitar? A country feel and I don't like country music much, but I like this one + "Let It Down": I liked the chorus bit in this but overall it was a let down - "Run of the Mill": This is soulful. Short and sweet + "Beware of Darkness": A beautiful song. This one got me in the feelings + "Apple Scruffs": Sounds Dylan influenced. Didn't like it. - "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)": This has an uplifting feel to it. I like it + "Awaiting on You All": This sounded like the Beatles did gospel. The chorus felt out of place. - "All Things Must Pass": The title track. A great song about looking ahead. + "I Dig Love": Not bad. Not a playlist type song but a fun little ditty. + "Art of Dying": Fast paced and bluesy. Oh yeah + "Isn't it a Pity (Version 2)": I think I like this stripped down version better than the other one. + "Hear Me Lord": For some reason, I'm reminded of Pink Floyd in this song, which is a good thing + "Out of the Blue": An 11-minute jam session. Too long and not for me - "It's Johnny's Birthday": A goofy song/interlude - "Plug Me In": Another jam session but much shorter - "I Remember Jeep": More instrumentals with lasers - "Thanks for the Pepperoni": Another rocking jam instrumental - Songs added to playlist: What is Life, Behind That Locked Door, Run Of the Mill, Beware of Darkness, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll), All Things Must Pass, Art of Dying, Isn't It a Pity (version 2), Hear me Lord I really enjoyed this listen until I came to the last 5 tracks of instrumentals. Then I read this was a triple album and the instrumentals were sort of like a bonus inclusion to the double album. This is a really good to great rock album. I give it 4 stars.
Hippie music.
A strong, strong 4.5, likely a bump to 5 upon project end final review. A lush, dense, beautiful record from my favorite Beatle. A double LP that never feels like a slog, ATMP is a success on all levels (writing/performance/production)
Proof that less is more
Not the best post-Beatle album but still fantasic.
Quite good. I don't know if I have the attention span to listen to the whole thing. This is one I'll come back to.
Really nice, will definitely listen to again, not a fan of a good percentage of Beatles and Beatles members output but this is good and has a really honest feeling.
Per usual, I have the same complaint about really long albums. There’s no reason why you can’t just break it into 2 or 3 albums. It’s doing too much and after a certain point, everything sounded so similar. It was a drag.
First LP was perfect. Second started great, but got weaker as time progresses towards the end. (4.0/5.0)
Oh boy. George Harrison's first solo album, and a colossal piece of work- One of the first notable triple albums ever released, All Things Must pass is a soft-rock odyssey from one of the best songwriters to ever live. Runs a bit long at times, but a great time. 8.5/10.
I love George Harrison. He’s always been my favorite Beatle and has been behind some of my favorite songs. There is absolutely a 5 star album here somewhere, but it is bogged down by the sheer breadth and length of it. I still enjoy it quite a bit, but wouldn’t listen to it fully like this. 4/5
Ну такой комонный Но зато песню нашел которую овер дохуя лет не слышал и в конце инструменталы прикольные
Made it to the half
If album art could talk you'd think it's saying something like "I'm still a rock and roll bad boy, but I'm hoping to incline towards blues or folk." I wasn't expecting a solo George Harrison project, and I also wasn't expecting it to be considered the best solo album by a Beatle according to critics on Wikipedia. It's also feeling pretentious to stick a triple album on your fans, it's 2 hours long, most cinema is shorter, but we're about to hit play with an open mind... It's a better effort than I expected. It's Beatles-esque but it's also pretty much standard classic rock. I like how most songs work well in the background but also have enough depth to give it a concentrated listen. I hate that the current track list follows the order of the latest CD release, having bonus tracks in the middle of your listening experience is pretty annoying, and the album is long enough without them. I'd probably have docked points on length regardless, especially since the apple jam feels so separate to the main project. I don't necessarily prefer this to a classic Beatles record, but I can dig it when I'm in that mood. I might buy this one if I find it in the bargain bin. 3.4/5
De jolies envolées. Super pour un bon dimanche!
Album #182: All Things Must Pass - George Harrison Genre (W): Rock, folk rock Singles?: My Sweet Lord / Isn’t It a Pity, What Is Life I have listened to this album once before. Thoughts?: I love Spector’s production on this album and Harrison’s songwriting is amazing! Although there were a few forgettable ones and the album runs for a long time, it was, for the most part, enjoyable. Favorite tracks: My Sweet Lord, Wah-Wah, Isn’t It a Pity, What Is Life, If Not For You, Behind That Locked Door, Let It Down, Beware of Darkness, Apple Scruffs, All Things Must Pass, Side Four, Plug Me In
Its a great album. Its very chill. One of,if not, the best solo beatle albums. The only complaint is have is that the last disc(starting from "our of the blue" to the last song) is really strange. Its a bunch of boring jam session. The record was already really long this is just boring and unecessary. The first 2 discs are almost flawless and are a joy to listen to. RIP George Harrison/5
amazing album from an amazing beatle 93/100
Superb
Overall: 8/10 Once again, I am not a fan of double albums. There's absolutely a 10/10 masterpiece in here, and I totally understand why George would want to release a double album after having his songs turned down for The Beatles for so long, but it's just toooooo damn long and there's some songs in here that bring my rating down a bit. Still, the good stuff is incredible and probably would have become Beatles classics if the other guys had let George spread his wings. Fav Song: Beware of Darkness
good but too long
Love it
WAH WAAAAAAH. love the music, not so much his voice. Favourite song: Let it down
3 pour le disque 1 4 pour le disque 2 Et thanks for the pepperoni 🥳
“…because of all their tears, their eyes can't hope to see the beauty that surrounds them. Now, isn't it a pity…”
Timeless
A five star album for me. So many good songs and such a rejection of all things Beatles. But it’s impossible to fully get away from that. It’s not without its flaws. It’s too long and meandering towards the end but I always felt like that was the damn bursting and finally George could do his songs.
8.5 out of 10 album. George showing he's the most talented of the Beatles.
Wistful, yet bright and hopeful, somehow free and happy. It feels like someone really happy to freely express themselves through their music. Some sort of release after the Beatles years?
the songs that are good on this album are So Great. but then the songs that arent so great are either Really Truly Bad or just like vibey instrumentals. George was Really Pondering Death. Gave me a bit of existential dread. 3/5
- Strong evidence that Lennon and McCartney should have let George contribute more songs. Dude was prolific. - The back side of the first LP (specifically "What Is Life," "If Not For You," "Behind That Locked Door," and "Let It Down") is the real high point for me. I wish the rest of the album had this energy and vibe. - Everything is pleasant here; I just connect less with Harrison's more spiritual stuff.
well, that records starts with a watered down beatles sound and takes a sharp left turn to become a hippie's wet dream soundtrack. glad it's over.
I just love George and everything about this album I can’t lie
1970. 6 times platinum record busting his way out of the Beatles with a spiritual guitar quest of an album. Contributions from Ringo, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.
Meh
Damn this guy's pretty good
Yet another album from the musician who is featured most frequently on this list... Jim Gordon.
Wow. There’s too much to take in here in just one listen, and this daily challenge doesn’t really permit multiple revisits. My rough notes are that there are lots of great tracks here, from the familiar (My Sweet Lord) to the less so (Wah Wah). It isn’t a drastic departure from late Beatles stuff, but Harrison’s Beatles contributions are among my favourites anyway so that’s fine by me. Personally I’m not sure I need the third disc of jams, but I can see why it’s there and shows the breadth of his music. I liked this a lot and would love to spend more time with it
This album just never ended. Couple worthwhile songs but in general just a slog. Also doesn’t help I’m not the biggest Beatles fan in general. I think that’s the first time hearing my sweet lord all the way through though (good chance that never gets listened to again - like the album, way too long)
George Harrison's magnum opus is full of really good music. Obviously different from his work with the Beatles, though the comparison is hard to avoid at points. "My Sweet Lord" could be at home on the B-side of a later Beatles record, for instance. It's also clear to see how this album served to inspire the other artists of the time period and vice versa, "Beware of Darkness" is musically similar to Pink Floyd's work in the mid to late 70's. The 2020 remaster is nearly 2 hours long and fatigue set in by the time I made it to "Out of the Blue."
Similar to any Beatles album, this contained several songs I wouldn’t be mad to hear on a shuffled playlist. However, a two-hour album that mixes in two or three decent songs just isn’t worth a listen in my book. Album is a pass for me even if it does have some catchy hits.
Better than Abbey road. Probably my favorite beatle but the album was way too long. If he finished it earlier it would have been a 4. I had to take a break before disc 1 even ended
2.5
Too long.
Absolutely crazy good. Just an 18-song heater and then Apple Jam. By far my favorite solo Beatle record i’ve heard.
THE best post-Beatles solo lp. 5/5.
2 HOURS 5 MINUTES??? nah i never liked the beatles NEXT LOL jk here I am listening to it I've liked my sweet lord and i'd have you anytime so far (currently listening to isn't it a pity) OKAY OMG THERE ARE SO MANY SONGS, but I think what I've listened is enough for me to give this album a solid 4!!! YUH YUH that's right
Harrison's first post-Beatles solo album is a triple vinyl gem, with session appearances from a host of the stars of sixties rock and pop. For me it's probably his best album, a joy to listen to it today.
A really good album that may be a tad too long, but still rocks all the way through. Don't know how often I'd revisit it on its entirety, but very glad to have experienced it.
I can imagine how mind-blowing this would have been when it came out, but it feels pretty bloated now, especially with the "Apple Jam" third disc. Still, a lot of pretty solid stuff.
This was altogether too long, but, I enjoyed quite a bit of it. Would have a higher rating had it been more concise.
BORING!
There are undoubtedly some really good songs in this 2+ hour slog but I just find it hard to care about a lot of it. It's just a lot of filler with sme instrumentals that don't really hit the mark. The good songs are very good, though - it's just overall too long to grab my attention. 3.5/5.
hopefully this passes quickly 1/5
Honestly surprised at how much I liked from this. I haven't liked nearly anything from the Beatles or the other Solo members projects that I've heard so far so this was a nice surprise. Still the production feels pretty muddy/dated but the core of the songs are decent for the most part and there's plenty of interesting melodies and instrumentals especially for the time. 3.5/5
Listened
Thankfully, this album has passed, far away from me