The box includes all of his studio LPs (1968’s “Wonderwall” through 2002’s “Brainwashed”), plus 1992’s “Live In Japan” (the last album released in his lifetime). Except for “Brainwashed,” all of those LPs are included (with bonus tracks) in CD boxed sets of George’s work: “The Dark Horse Years, 1976-92” (released 2004) and “The Apple Years, 1968-75” (released 2014). Each box also includes a DVD of rare video.
So, for starters, the new vinyl box includes no bonus tracks. There’s also a number of cuts which didn’t even make it onto the CD boxes. And several of George’s solo LPs are less-than-essential (which is also the case with his fellow Beatles).
Plus, “The Concert for Bangladesh” is nowhere to be found in any of these sets. It got its own deluxe treatment in 2005, but legal entanglements have always made it a difficult piece to reissue. In a nutshell, when contracts were written way back in 1971, Capitol got the rights to issue the LP version of “Bangladesh.” Columbia Records -- in exchange for letting Bob Dylan appear on the set -- got the rights to all non-vinyl versions (which meant cassette, 8-track and reel tape at that time). In 1971, non-vinyl sales weren’t huge. By the 1990s, they were: both cassettes and CDs were king, with vinyl taking a distant, almost non-existent back seat. (At one point around 1980-82, Capitol attempted to reissue the album without the side of Dylan’s songs, and also without the side featuring Ravi Shankar… this was quickly withdrawn). So “Bangladesh” had been mostly out-of-print from the late 1970s until 2005. I’m sure George’s estate didn’t want to even attempt to sort out that mess and get the album into the new box.
Getting back to what IS in the new box, see my comments below...
Wonderwall Music (1968): Aside from the sin of inspiring Oasis, this album is mostly pleasant, Indian background music. George recorded much of this soundtrack album in Bombay, during sessions that also produced the backing track for “The Inner Light.” The best track is actually the madcap, non-Indian “Drilling a Home.”
Electronic Sound (1969): briefly reissued on CD (for some reason) in 1996, this is a monophonic recording of George getting to know his then-new Moog synthesizer. One of the tracks is essentially Moog-pioneer Bernie Krause demonstrating the instrument to George; Krause later sued, claiming unauthorized use of the audio (and his credit on the front cover was mostly airbrushed out). Bits of this recording are used throughout “I Remember Jeep” from “All Things Must Pass,” but that’s the most notable thing about it.
All Things Must Pass (1970): George’s masterpiece.
Living In the Material World (1973), Dark Horse (1974): both great albums marred slightly by too many dirge-like pieces. Overall enjoyable. George’s hoarseness on the latter is not as grating as smart-ass reviewers would have you believe. On “Living In the Material World,” George rescues “Try Some, Buy Some” from the Ronnie Spector-solo-album-that-wasn’t. The LP also includes one of his finest deep cuts, “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long.”
Extra Texture (Read All About It) (1975): generally dismissed by reviewers, this contains the hit “You” (also from the Ronnie Spector sessions), plus another great deep cut, “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying),” which was also the last single ever issued on Apple Records.
Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976): A very enjoyable LP, coming after a bout with hepatitis. Connection? Who knows. This was released within two weeks of Capitol’s lame “Best of George Harrison” LP -- half of which were Beatles tracks -- which is the only vinyl LP to include the non-album 1971 single, “Bangladesh.”
George Harrison (1979): Another low-key, enjoyable album, with lots of help from Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne.
Somewhere in England (1981), Gone Troppo (1982): weaker outings with some nice deep cuts… “All Those Years Ago” (originally written for Ringo Starr, before John Lennon’s murder) on the former, and “Mystical One” on the latter. The vinyl reissue of “Somewhere” seems to use the revised front cover for the album, and not the original artwork that George intended (which was reinstated on the 2004 CD reissue). By the way, “Circles” on “Gone Troppo” was written and demoed in the lead up to recording the “White Album.”
Cloud Nine (1987): another comeback! The new set includes 12” picture disks of this album’s two big singles, “When We Was Fab” and “I Got My Mind Set On You.” Each 12” includes an extended version of the song, plus a non-album b-side: “Zig Zag” and “Lay His Head,” respectively. More on those below.
Live In Japan (1992), Brainwashed (2002): the two newest albums, which have always been tough to find on vinyl. The former was recorded with Eric Clapton’s band, and reissued as an SACD in the “Dark Horse” boxed set.
That’s what IS in the box. Here’s what’s missing…
Wonderwall Music (1968): the “Apple Years” CD reissue includes "In the First Place" (by the Remo Four), "Almost Shankara" and an alternate take of the backing track for "The Inner Light."
All Things Must Pass (1970): the 2000 CD reissue included "I Live for You," the backing track for "What Is Life," a demo of "Beware of Darkness" and an alternate take of "Let It Down." Also included was a re-recording of "My Sweet Lord" with Sam Brown.
Living In the Material World (1973): the 2006 reissue included the non-album b-sides "Deep Blue" and "Miss O'Dell." The deluxe edition of the reissue included a DVD with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (from the same tour that produced "Live In Japan," though it's unclear if this is the same recording from the album), plus an alternate version of "Miss O'Dell" and a demo of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues." The "Apple Years" reissue added the non-album "Bangla Desh" (a-side with "Deep Blue").
Dark Horse (1974): the "Apple Years" reissue added the non-album b-side, "I Don't Care Anymore," and an alternate take of "Dark Horse."
Extra Texture (1975): includes a 1992 re-recording of “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying),” which was finished in 2002 by Ringo Starr and George’s song, Dhani, and released promote Dave Stewart’s “Platinum Weird” project in 2006.
Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976): the "Dark Horse" box added "Tears of the World," which was actually left off of "Somewhere In England." Later, on iTunes, another bonus track was added: an early mix of "Learning How to Love You."
George Harrison (1979): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Here Comes the Moon.”
Somewhere in England (1981): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Save the World.” This is most annoying since the album was submitted in 1980, rejected by Warner Bros., and then re-submitted after George worked on the LP a little more and dropped four songs: “Flying Hour,” "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing" and "Tears of the World."
Of those songs, “Flying Hour” was added to “Somewhere In England” as a bonus track on iTunes. "Lay His Head" is not on the CD reissues, but it is in the new vinyl box as part of the 12” "Got My Mind Set On You" single. And “Sat Singing” has only ever been released on the impossibly rare EP that was included with the limited edition book, “Songs By George Harrison” (1988). That EP also includes remixed versions of “Lay His Head” and “Flying Hour.” AND there’s a smoking live version of “For You Blue” recorded in Largo, Maryland during George’s 1974 tour.
“Tears of the World” was added to the “33 1/3” reissue (see above), and is also on “Songs By George Harrison Volume 2” (issued with the 1992 book). That EP includes an early version of “Life Itself” (which was re-recorded for “Somewhere In England”), plus another song from the 1974 tour, “Hari’s On Tour (Express).” The last selection on the EP is “Hottest Gong In Town” (from “Shanghai Surprise,” see below).
Finally, another track that hasn’t been reissued on CD or vinyl is a remixed version of “Save the World” (with new vocal) that George donated to the 1985 various artists charity LP, “Greenpeace.”
Gone Troppo (1982): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Mystical One.”
Cloud Nine (1987): the "Dark Horse" box added the non-album cuts “Zig Zag” (included on the 12” “When We Was Fab” single) and “Shanghai Surprise.” An alternate recording of “Breath Away From Heaven” is in the film “Shanghai Surprise.”
So there’s more than a dozen cuts that are in the CD boxes and not the new vinyl box. And now, here’s even more George tunes that haven’t even found their way onto CD, and won’t be in the new vinyl box…
"Isn't It a Pity [Demo Version]" (1970): released only as an iTunes bonus track with 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison.”
“I Don’t Want to Do It” (1985): written by Bob Dylan and recorded in 1984 for the soundtrack to Porky’s 3 (seriously); included on 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison" CD.
"Shanghai Surprise," "Someplace Else" and "The Hottest Gong In Town" (1986): these are from the George-produced 1986 film "Shanghai Surprise" starring Sean Penn and Madonna. They’re all included as videos on the DVD with the “Dark Horse” box.
"Cockamamie Business" and "Poor Little Girl" (1989): two new songs recorded for the CD, "Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989."
"Cheer Down" (1989): from the film "Lethal Weapon 2"; included on 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison" CD and "Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989."
There’s just the official George Harrison cannon, to say nothing of the well-regarded “Beware of ABKCO” box of outtakes from “All Things Must Pass,” or live recordings of his 1974 tour, or his many TV appearances: “The Dick Cavett Show” in 1971, “Rutland Weekend Television” in 1975, “Saturday Night Live” in 1976, VH-1 in 1997…
But we haven't even mentioned the $500 limited edition turntable (pictured above). That's what makes this seem like a good deal. George's best albums are expensive on vinyl (and don't usually sound stellar) and the one that is really easy to find ("Somewhere In England") is one of the weakest. That may be because the four cuts he removed from it were so good; it's too bad they're not included here. The 1974 tour material that has come out is excellent; would have been nice to include some of that. For rarities, "I Live For You" and "Miss O'Dell" are great, but so are "I Don't Want to Do It" and "Cheer Down." I was really hoping the vinyl box would include a rarities set (such as the Rolling Stones' "Stray Cats"), but it's not happening. At least not right now. There have been reports of more outtakes emerging (following 2012's "Early Takes"), so you never know.
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