All Things Must Pass
Rating: 9
Squirm factor: 3
   When I heard the sad news that George had died, I decided to take another listen to his body of work. However, this is the only record of his in my collection (I used to have more, but they departed the premises during the Great Record Purge of '99 - quoth the wife, "I refuse to move that many records again!") In a way, I'm glad this was all I had, because I got to listen to it several times through, and take in its majesty, beauty and thoughtfulness. A lot of records want to be a party on your turntable; this one wants to be a mass (and I mean that in the best way - if you've ever been absorbed by the solemn awe imparted by a high church service, you'll know the feelings that this record's best moments evoke).
   The reason that the rest of George's career seems like a disappointment, and that this record clearly stands out as the best among all the solo Beatles records, is that this is one of the few records in the history of rock and roll to completely encompass the artist's breadth of vision. While there are some things the other Beatles do that George doesn't seem interested in (I've never felt moved to get up and dance to any of these songs, while "Oh My My" remains a lost classic of the disco era), there's nothing in the rest of George's records that he doesn't do here first (and usually better). There are the harmonically-challenging riff rockers, the mantra-like devotional ballads, the goofy tributes to friends and heroes, and even the sprightly hit single cover song (in this case, the hit single belonged to Olivia Newton-John, but she probably got the idea from Harrison).
   George is working at the top of his game in the songwriting (he's at the point John and Paul were at during Sgt. Pepper), and there's hardly an awkward moment. His usual tendency to cram too many lyrics into the meter is absent; instead he writes busy melodies for the lengthy verses, and brings them off with well-rehearsed aplomb ("Awaiting on You All", "Apple Scruffs"). Elsewhere, he relies on good old-fashioned guitar know-how to craft an abundance of subtle hooks (by subtle I mean melodically pleasant but not obnoxious), such as the slide guitar lick of "My Sweet Lord", the verse melody of "Run of the Mill" which follows the acoustic guitar licks, the crunchy riffs of "Wah-Wah" and "What is Life" (the latter countered by a horn line), and the wah-wah'd progression in "Art of Dying."
   The best songwriting, however, comes when George's voice is at the center of the composition. He was never one for grand Romantic-style melodies, but here he uses the knowledge of pop composition he learned in the Beatles and melds it with Anglican hymnal tradition to make some sturdy tunes that bear up to repeated listening. "Isn't It a Pity" finds two downward passages with large intervals concluded by a short, stepwise phrase that forces a singer to decrescendo, just as the lyrics reach "isn't it a shame", for a melody that complements the sentiment of the lyrics. "Hear Me Lord" has a gospel flavor in the bluesy verse, but the chorus is almost a fanfare. "Beware of Darkness" even has a musical pun - when the melody reaches down to the word "darkness", Harrison's voice shades just a little below his range and has a breathy element, or what musicologists call a "dark" tone.
   Even more impressive than the beautiful music are the lyrics. This is one God-obsessed album, but it's never preachy. So many artists who write about their religious convictions will write in a vein designed to castigate or persuade unbelievers (as even Harrison would do later), but the songs here are not hectoring in the least (except "Awaiting on You All" which is lightened by the humor quotient - I can't think of any other songs about God with the word "bedpan" in the lyrics). Rather, they take the opposite of the fundamentalist tack - where a fundamentalist assumes that religion must take over all other aspects of life, Harrison weaves his religion into his life. He still sings about romantic love, relationships with friends, even a bit of lustful longing, but throughout is aware that the presence of God in his life transcends these mundane concerns. Regardless of a listener's beliefs, the sincerity and lyricism with which these thoughts are expressed is admirable. The imagery of a sunrise passing into a cloudburst in "All Things Must Pass" is positively Wordsworthian, while the simple expression of regret in "Isn't It a Pity" says more than a hundred rueful Janis Ian songs.
   The element which truly makes this record a masterpiece, however, is the production. These are great songs, but they would sound downright skimpy played by a four-piece band. The conglomeration of dozens of musicians for each track (replicating the famous "Wall of Sound" co-producer Phil Spector originally created for such massive-sounding 60's hits as "Be My Baby" and "Da Doo Ron Ron") gives these songs the depth and weight that strike me as akin to a mass. Just as a choral mass would sound puny performed by a barbershop quartet, so too do these songs demand massive support. There are at least four acoustic guitars strumming along on "My Sweet Lord", and along with the multiple overdubs of Harrison's voice, they create the sensation of a throng of devotees alive with religious ecstasy. "Isn't It a Pity" has an unfathomably deep bass (produced by double-tracked bass accompanied by two pianos, one just playing the low notes) that lends the funereal air so appropriate to the tune. "Awaiting on You All" has a ton of percussion (including Phil Collins' first recorded performance, on the congas) that reminds the listener of the Hare Krishna airport performances so common then. "Art of Dying" has a long reverb that fades into the crescendo of the wah-wah sound, lending the impression of circularity of sound similar to the circularity of life expressed in the lyrics.
   Harrison achieved everything he set out to do with this album: it is at once a devotional meditation, a celebration of the joys of the worldly life, a showcase for his own considerable abilities on the guitar, and a sonic edifice. This is the finest solo album by any of the Beatles, and if anyone is wondering about the legacy of George Harrison's life in music, All Things Must Pass stands as the masterpiece of a man who tapped into profound genius, at least for a few months in 1970.

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