George Harrison-Living in the Material World [50th Anniversary] [Orange Vinyl with 4-Page Booklet] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

George Harrison's follow-up to All Things Must Pass was necessarily a letdown for fans and critics, appearing after a two-and-a-half year interval without the earlier album's backlog of excellent songs to draw from. Harrison narrowed his sights and his vision for this record, which has neither the bold expansiveness nor the overwhelming confidence of its predecessor. "Sue Me Sue You Blues" seems like a throwback to "Taxman" in its subject matter -- the lawsuit over the similarities between "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine" -- rather than recalling the spiritual All Things Must Pass. And some of the most serious songs here, such as "The Light That Has Lighted the World," seem dirge-like. What Living in the Material World shows off far better than the earlier record, however, is Harrison's guitar work -- he had Eric Clapton and Dave Mason sharing the guitar chores on All Things Must Pass, but he's the only guitarist on Material World, and it does represent his solo playing and songwriting at a peak. Most notable are his blues stylings and slide playing, glimpsed on some of the later Beatles sessions. "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" is driven by a delectable acoustic rhythm guitar and has a great beat, both sounds later picked up by Jeff Lynne for ELO's "Livin' Thing." The title track benefits from a tight, hard band sound with a great Jim Horn performance on sax; and "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)" is the high point of the record, a fast, rollicking, funky, bluesy jewel, with a priceless guitar that may be the best of Harrison's solo career.

1. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
2. Sue Me, Sue You Blues
3. The Light That Has Lighted the World
4. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
5. Who Can See It
6. Living in the Material World
7. The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
8. Be Here Now
9. Try Some Buy Some
10. The Day the World Gets 'Round
11. That Is All