George Harrison was the first of The Beatles to release a solo album but was probably the least interested in actually having a solo career. Only John Lennon toured less, and not by much. When Harrison's multi-platinum Cloud 9 was released in 1987, he was asked if he'd be out touring the record, to which he replied, "I hope not."
His former mates in the Traveling Wilburys have mostly confirmed George missed the idea of being in a band. While internal tensions and competition for precious space on the albums strongly fed his disenchantment with The Beatles, Harrison never really coveted being the center of attention nor soured on sharing the workload with others. As a result of Harrison's seeming indifference to his own solo career, there were often long gaps between albums.
When Paul McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1999, his daughter, Stella, wore a t-shirt that read "About Fucking Time." Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2003, also "about fucking time." The same can be said for the release of Let it Roll: Songs By George Harrison. We finally have a true career-spanning collection of Harrison's solo career.
When considering a compilation, one has to keep in mind these are rarely aimed at an artist's most devoted fans. The faithful will likely have all or at least most of the songs likely to be included on such a package. To suck the faithful in, labels will often make the dubious decision to place one or two previously unreleased tracks on the compilation, forcing the faithful to fork out money for a bunch of songs they already have in order to get the new. Let it Roll does not contain anything previously unavailable, although two rarer tracks from Harrison's solo career give this package some value even to committed fans.
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Article comments
1 - Joe Tiernan
First sentence is wrong. Paul McCartmey was the first Beatle to have a solo album.
Stopped reading the review the first time you used the F-word. So there may be other mistakes.
2 - Josh Hathaway
I believe George Harrison's Wonderwall Music was the first Beatles solo album. I stand by the assertion, and the F-word.
3 - Joe Tiernan
Harrison produced the Wonderwall album. Didn't perform on it.
But I take your point. F-words in print debase the culture.
4 - zingzing
well, then joe, there's also george's "electronic sound," john's (w/ yoko) "unfinished music 1," "unfinished music 2," "wedding album." "live peace toronto 1969," various plastic ono band singles, all released before mccartney's solo album. although i'm not quite sure who this "mccartmey" person you speak of is, so maybe you know something we don't.
and fuck the culture.
5 - Josh Hathaway
I guess this may not be as cut-and-dried to some people as it is to others. I've read more than one publication referring to Wonderwall Music as the first Beatle solo album, although you are correct about Harrison's role. I feel justified in the assertion but even if it's a debateable point, I don't think it detracts from the rest of the review.
I feel the same way about the F-bomb. I'm not shy about using them, but my use of it here was more a reference to the Stella t-shirt and the idea that some things were overdue. I'd submit f-bombs are a symptom of a debased culture rather than a cause of it, but don't really give a fuck either way. My aim isn't to offend and I am sorry if anyone is, but it's how I speak and I'm comfortable with it.
6 - Joe Tiernan
okay, i'll read the rest of your review, Josh.
And zingzing is sorta correct. yoko and john's naked music experiments came before McCartney's solo masterpiece.
i'm listening to the "let it be" album right now and i can't stay mad at you guys.
7 - rebelwithoutaclue
i guess you can make the claim that mccartneys solo album was the firsat mainstream non experimental solo outing for a beatle. you can also say that all things must pass was the first solo post beatles solo album
8 - zingzing
the beatles were a band only on paper for months before let it be came out. so, mccartney's solo album, which included a printed self-interview where he declared that he was leaving the beatles (much to john's egoistic displeasure), is, by some sort of definition, the first post-beatles solo album. i think mccartney planned the release date of his album in order to fuck up let it be's release in some way, but i don't recall how. either way, the mccartney album is considered the first solo album.
and either way, it all pales in comparison to plastic ono band. (either one.)