 "IT'S OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!" | 2008-03-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: ANWZ9UJZ71CL7 |
| You must be a real george fan to like this one. Has some good songs. |
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 "A pretty solid record" | 2007-07-06 |
| - Reviewed By markofcain |
While I'm not quite as enamoured of this album as I was when I originally got it, I still rather enjoy it and consider it a pretty solid and interesting effort. It's too bad that it got roundly panned when it first came out; it seems that a lot of times, the original critical praise or panning stays with an album, book, or movie, and people years later automatically repeat it as though it's set in stone, instead of actually taking the time to discover the product for themselves and come to their own independent conclusions about its worth and merits. And while it's no ATMP (what album ever could hold a candle to George's masterpiece?), it's still a nice album that's long overdue for some critical reevaluation.
The album starts with the instrumental "Hari's on Tour (Express)," and unlike the four interminable pointless meandering jam sessions rammed onto the end of ATMP, this instrumental actually belongs here, doesn't go on forever, is fun to listen to, and has a definite beginning, middle, and end. It also quite helps to set the mood for the songs to come. This instrumental is followed up by the rather nice, lovely, and underrated numbers "Simply Shady" and "So Sad." Unfortunately, as nice as these two songs are, they're kind of marred by George's cracking voice, which is a bit painful to have to listen to. Whatever possessed him to record an album when he was quite sick with laringytis?! "Bye Bye Love," a partial reworking of the old Everly Brothers' classic, is about the same topic as "So Sad," George's failing marriage and how Eric Clapton stole his wife. This song is probably hands-down the single worst song on here, not just because of the scratchy vocals, but because it just seems pointless, weak lyrically, and out of place here. It also seems to drone on a bit long. Side one closes with "Maya Love," a nice jazzy song, influenced by his interest in Indian mysticism and religion.
While "Ding Dong, Ding Dong," the opening track on side two, is hardly one of the standouts of his solo career, it is a fun upbeat peppy song, and also quite original in its focus. Just about everyone out there has done an Xmas record at some point, but how many artists have actually done a song about the New Year? The next song, "Dark Horse," is possibly the best song on here, and for once George's hoarse voice seems to add to instead of subtract from it. It's really beautiful, deep, and introspective. "Far East Man" is a rather touching song about always being there for a friend who needs and counts on you. The album closes with "It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)," and as a welcome change, the vocals seem normal again. It's a really beautiful chant to Krishna and his main consort Radha. But then again, I'm deeply interested in Indian religion, in particular the Krishna movement, so I'm admittedly a bit biased in my love of this song.
Overall, this isn't the album to recommend to someone just getting into George's solo work, but it does have some very fine moments and isn't nearly the awful record it's been made out to be for decades. And if nothing else, it does have pretty awesome cover art. |
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| "Great one from George." | 2007-05-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2UYHRSF95ZZ9X |
| This is a fabulous album, even though it was critically panned when it first came out. Sure, it's not "All Things Must Pass" or "Taxman", but then, if you were expecting that from George, you missed the message in this album's title track! Great songs on here, especially "Simply Shady", "So Sad", and his post-Pattie venting in his cover of "Bye Bye Love". It took me awhile at first to appreciate it, simply because I was more accustomed to earlier George works, but I'm so glad that I purchased this CD. |
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 "Greatest Beatles 2nd Best" | 2007-02-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: AAQMEAP4A5XF2 |
| All us George Harrison fans know we cannot pass by All Things Must Pass as George's probably best post Beatles work. But for this Beatlenut the treasure album of my George collection is this CD Dark Horse. So Sad and Bye Bye Love are particular twists of peculiar fondness by me but the albums classic is the S/T Dark Horse.All George fans alike need to have this gem in their collection. |
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| "Dark Horse "Shows"" | 2007-01-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A29ZJRTXWXAQV6 |
| While not the best album by Mr. Harrison (hey, ya gotta show some respect), it certainly makes more since to me now than it did when I first listened to it while in high school. I'm glad I bought the album on CD and gave it another listen, as it is worth the time and dough. Go for it. |
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| "Like A Lot of (Good) B-Sides" | 2006-07-10 |
| - Reviewed By gordodarr2 |
With All Things Must Pass, and Living In The Material World, George Harrison treated the world to a back-catalogue of material that was conceived while he was still in the Beatles, but never made it onto a Beatles album.
By the time Dark Horse came around, it sounds as though he were struggling to establish his own sound, separate from the Beatles, and it is apparent that (like the other Three) he needed them to complete his substantial gifts. It was only through the Dark Horse years, culminating with Cloud Nine, did he realize that his best music came when he embraced the Beatles legacy, instead of running from it (something that Paul McCartney finally figured out with Flowers In The Dirt, and that Ringo does better than anybody in his Mark Hudson records).
But, Dark Horse rates a three, only in comparison to Harrison's works (listed above), which are masterpieces. It is an album that I enjoy listening to regardless. I just would not recommend it to anybody. |
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| "Could use some work..." | 2006-03-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2KUGQIPC25SVP |
| Not having all of George's albums, but still considering my self a big fan of George Harrison, I would consider this one of his weakest albums. I definetly respect George that he wrote all the songs and produced them all, but it also leaves some to be desired. I could only find one or two songs that even contained bass! He focuses more on his spirtual songs on this record. But even those aren't preaching, their still very good and even though I'm not very religious myself, I find that I still can enjoy them easily. I would only recommend this album if you're already a big fan of George so you're not turned off from him. After hearing his other work it's easier to listen to, rather than this album being the first George one you hear. Overall though, a good album for a good fan. |
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| "Like Fine Wine, Harrison's Catalogue Gets Better With Age" | 2006-03-11 |
| - Reviewed By toddincharge |
Dark Horse was thoroughly trashed by the critics when it came out in 1974 and for years afterward; Rolling Stone's record guide was no kinder when their first edition came out in the early 80s.
But like fine wine and good whiskey, Harrison's entire catalogue and this album in particular have held up exceedingly well to my ears today. It's easy to see that the critics were small-minded, snobbish and wrong.
First, the critics were skeptical of Harrison's switch to A&M, which allowed him to run his own imprint and produce fine material by Splinter and others (when is this material coming out on cd?). Second, they were put off by Harrison's "preachy" hectoring about his religion and the problems of the world as Harrison saw them, which cut against the sex, drugs, and libertine lifestyle of L.A. and the music biz at that time. Third, they didn't care for Harrison's voice, which was shot due to a bad illness by the time many of these songs were cut and as he prepared for a tour of the United States. (Anyone who has heard the boot of George's performance in LA on his 1974 tour will know that, while the voice problems were very real, the alleged "hectoring" criticism was overblown and unfair.)
I don't see it in the music as I hear it today. The first song, an instrumental, rocks and serves as a perfect entree to the rest of the album. "Simply Shady" and "So Sad" bear some of Harrison's best slide work. I think if released today "So Sad" would be a blockbuster single. His pained and clever take on "Bye Bye Love," with lyrics changed to reflect Eric Clapton's romancing of Patty Boyd, provides an interesting glimpse on this tragic love affair when considered along with "Layla."
"Dark Horse" is the centerpiece, a wry pun on his shot voice but one of his better songs, an inspiring and encouraging message of hanging in there and prevailing at the end. I even like the song George claims to have written for Sinatra to sing, "Far East Man," an hilarious thought particularly if you imagine Joe Piscopo's Sinatra singing it. Throw in the Christmas single "Ding Dong Ding Dong" and you have a really solid George album that has stood the test of time. |
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| "Dark Horse" | 2006-03-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1CW7VP0WAAHRJ |
| This is another excelent collection of George Harrisons music, I've never purchased an album of George Harrisons music that I didn't enjoy. |
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| "Bright Music from a Dark "Hoarse"" | 2005-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By mattaino1 |
Definitely not the sleeping pill "Extra Texture" was to turn out to be. Despite Harrison's hoarseness due to his throat surgery most of the tunes are very catchy and were fun to listen to.
George was going through a divorce with Patti Boyd at the time and was in emotional pain. . . But you know what? That's one of the ingredients to great music: emotional pain.
Emotional pain is what made Fleetwood Mac and Abba number one bands. The singers were themselves the subject of the tunes. They were in terrible marriages and when they expressed their own emotional pain the listener can actually feel it. It was truly their pain. Other singers, including the early Beatles, put disgraceful cover songs on their albums which sounded to the listener like the singers were doing multiplication problems. On the other hand, when a singer puts his or her own life in the music and expresses pain, the music becomes a true art form.
No, this was NOT Harrison's greatest. The greatest was by far, "All Things Must Pass" and far better music would come later during the "Dark Horse" (record label) years. It was a little less perfect than "Living in the Material World" but definitely a number one compared to the disgraceful embarrassment that would come next: "Extra Texture".
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