Bye bye love (The Everly Brothers) (LP 838- 840)

George Harrison  Living In The Material World (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1973) ****  

George Harrison   Dark Horse (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1974) *** 

George Harrison   Extra Texture (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1975) **   

Genre: Beatle pop/ rock

Places I remember: Imported Material World from the US, DJ Records (Otahuhu) for the other two.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)

Gear costume: Be Here Now; You

Active compensatory factors: It's a case of diminishing returns over these three albums - his last three for Apple Records.

Sadly, 1973 to 75 were roller coaster years in his personal and musical life - a series of crises in his relationships, spiritual wavering, that US tour, and setting up Dark Horse Records all coloured these albums.

I'm a big fan of LITMW - it touches on some important subjects and although both Dark Horse and Extra Texture are really well played and produced (by George), there is something about Material World that attracts me (like no other).

I'm also not averse to Dark Horse - both of these '73 to '74 albums show a human side to George, in that he could be hurt (and he could hurt others).

Extra Texture is not an album I feel much affection for, outside of the relatively upbeat single - You. The rest of the album lacks inspiration in my opinion and is too slickly Americanised for my taste. 

There's a real downer vibe to the album (even Dark Horse has singalongs after Pattie had finally had enough and left him for Ron Wood and then Eric Clapton).

The eaten apple core on the label sums up both the label that I adore and George's career in 1975 - both were at a low ebb.

Where do they all belong? Next up - his albums for Dark Horse Records. Of those six albums, there are four crackers and two duds coming - not a bad return for the years from 1976 to 2002.