Could you imagine The Beatles without George?
Let's face it, it seems impossible. One of the four vital pieces of the puzzle that is
The Beatles would have been missing and the band would never have been what it was.
As I am all for giving each Beatle the same amount of respect, this is a small
section solely devoted to celebrating an underappreciated and underestimated member of The Beatles - George Harrison.
* * *
Especially notable:
- His distinct lead guitar sound, which fit the songs so perfectly and in many cases made
them instantly identifiable (e.g. the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night").
- Though he didn't invent the word, nor (probably) intend to popularize it, he involuntarily
did so: "grotty". Used first in 1964 by George in the movie "A Hard Day's Night" - and has been seen and heard since in newer
literature, films, television and conversations.
- Through the initial contact Pattie Boyd had with it, George introduced John, Paul and
Ringo to India, it's music and meditation. Just think of all the songs written while they were in Rishikesh! Imagine "Norwegian
Wood" without the sitar.
- His inimitable wit and humor. Need I say more?
- His honesty.
- Who else could have delivered the lines, "It's a thingy! A fiendish thingy!" better in
'Help!'?
- He was roughly twenty-four years old when he wrote the lyrics to "Within You Without
You"!
- Let's be shallow here for a moment and say,
a) he was not bad on the eyes at all,
and b) he was the only person ever to look good with a mustache (in my opinion... repetitive though it may be)... see 1968.
;)
- Making his guitar playing look so simple, when it surely wasn't.
...And there are something like a million more reasons as well, but we'd be here for weeks,
so, to wrap it up, George was simply irreplacable.
See this site's tribute sections for more on what made George so unique.
