George Harrison [Earth-130] Discography (1970-1992)

As you can guess from the previous post, solo discographies will end at the mid-1990s, and that's a bit of a spoiler for a future post. I won't give too much away, but for now, here's the George Harrison discography of Earth-130!

George Harrison (November 27, 1970)

Side A (19:29)

1. Window, Window - 1:53 (Demo)

2. My Sweet Lord - 4:38

3. Wah-Wah - 5:56 (Take 1)

4. What is Life - 4:34 (Take 1)

5. Run of the Mill - 2:28 (Take 36)

Side B (19:57)

6. I Dig Love - 3:35 (Demo)

7. Apple Scruffs - 3:04

8. I Live for You - 3:35

9. Behind That Locked Door - 3:05

10. If Not for You - 2:59 (Take 2)

11. Dehra Dun - 3:39 (Demo)

Only three songs from All Things Must Pass were given away to Hot as Sun, but there's more than enough material leftover for a full album. My thinking here is that George decides to hold back some material should they ever make another Beatles album, and so he puts out a solo album that's much more stripped back compared to OTL. It's very much Earth-130's equivalent to McCartney, only this time around, it's far better received, partially thanks to the singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What is Life".

Album cover by Blackentheborg

The Magic is Here Again (September 28, 1973)

Side A (19:24)

1. I'd Have You Anytime - 2:56

2. Māya Love - 4:24

3. Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) - 3:48

4. Miss O'Dell - 2:33

5. Cosmic Empire - 2:12

6. The Light That Has Lighted the World - 3:31

Side B (18:58)

7. The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord) - 4:34

8. Art of Dying - 3:37

9. Dark Horse - 3:54

10. Awaiting on You All - 2:45

11. Try Some, Buy Some - 4:08

Side C (20:47)

12. Simply Shady - 4:38

13. Beware of Darkness - 3:48

14. Far East Man - 5:52

15. The Day the World Gets 'Round - 2:53

16. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - 3:36

Side D (23:28)

17. Out of the Blue - 11:14

18. It's Johnny's Birthday - 0:49

19. Plug Me In - 3:18

20. I Remember Jeep - 8:07

Unlike the stripped back production of George Harrison, The Magic is Here Again has production that's more in your face, akin to OTL's All Things Must Pass, but with the spirituality of Living in the Material World. And it's a double album! Even after giving away two songs for Everest, for which recording for his solo album had been put on hold, George still had plenty of material that he wanted to get out there, although it is almost at the cost of his own voice, forcing him to take a sabbatical for 1974. At this point, double albums were becoming more common place in rock music, so this was no detriment to The Magic is Here Again when it reached #1 along with the single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)".

Be Here Now (September 22, 1975)

Side A (18:47)

1. You - 3:41

2. Tired of Midnight Blue - 3:43

3. Grey Cloudy Lies - 3:41

4. Who Can See It - 3:52

5. It Is "He" (Jai Sri Krishna) - 3:50

Side B (18:18)

6. Be Here Now - 4:09

7. The Answer's at the End - 4:40

8. Hear Me Lord - 5:46

9. That Is All - 3:43

Once again, George had given away two songs for the Beatles' next album Inclinations, and following that album's release, began work on his next solo project. Even now, he still had a few songs leftover from his previous solo albums, so he set about to make sure that they got completed. He'd written up some newer songs following his split from Pattie Boyd, but of course, some would end up being frittered away as B-sides. His follow up album, Thirty-Three & 1/3, would be a much brighter affair, and completely unchanged from OTL.

Flying Hour (September 26, 1980)

Side A (20:16)

1. Love Comes to Everyone - 3:40

2. Sat Singing - 4:28

3. Dark Sweet Lady - 3:22

4. Tears of the World - 4:00

5. Faster - 4:46

Side B (20:57)

6. Flying Hour - 4:35

7. Soft Touch - 3:59

8. Lay His Head - 3:43

9. Circles - 3:46

10. Save the World - 4:54

Four songs off of George Harrison (the OTL album from 1979, of course) were given away to Rainbow Falls, so four of the leftovers were combined with the outtakes from Somewhere in England, with "Flying Hour" coming from 1978, as well as "Save the World" (also from 1978) and "Circles", which was written all the way back in 1968. This was the final solo album George Harrison released in John Lennon's lifetime.

Mystical One (May 6, 1983)

Side A (22:14)

1. Wake Up My Love - 3:34

2. Teardrops - 4:09

3. Writing's on the Wall - 3:59

4. That's the Way It Goes - 3:34

5. Blood from a Clone - 4:03

6. If You Believe - 2:55

Side B (22:53)

7. Life Itself - 4:25

8. Unconsciousness Rules - 3:36

9. Soft-Hearted Hana - 4:03

10. Mystical One - 3:42

11. Unknown Delight - 4:16

12. I Don't Want to Do It - 2:51

The first post-Beatles album George Harrison recorded, being comprised of holdover tracks from George Harrison, Somewhere in England and Gone Troppo, excluding the covers from the latter two, as I wanted to focus on originals; "I Don't Want to Do It" is technically a cover, but Bob Dylan never released a version of it, so I think it skirts by on a technicality. This album is also the last that George releases before taking a sabbatical for a few years to watch over Apple Films. Towards the end of the 1980s, he puts out Cloud Nine and two albums with the Traveling Wilburys, all of which remain unchanged from OTL.

Portrait of a Leg End (July 24, 1992)

Side A (24:18)

1. Cheer Down - 4:08

2. Last Saturday Night - 2:38

3. Poor Little Girl - 4:33

4. Looking for My Life - 3:49

5. Cockamamie Business - 5:15

6. This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying) - 3:55

Side B (23:37)

7. Stuck Inside a Cloud - 4:04

8. Run So Far - 4:05

9. Never Get Over You - 3:26

10. Maxine - 2:47

11. Rocking Chair in Hawaii - 3:08

12. Brainwashed - 6:07

In OTL, George's follow-up to Cloud Nine would not be released until a year after his death, but in Earth-130, he puts it out a decade earlier, having completed it following a tour in Japan with Eric Clapton. Portrait of a Leg End is basically OTL's Brainwashed, but with some songs being replaced - the new songs being "Cheer Down", "Poor Little Girl", "Cockamamie Business", "This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)" and "Maxine", the last of which was a Wilburys outtake. And as for what I chose to cut out? Rest assured, George was holding back a few songs for a special occasion.

Paul McCartney & Wings [Earth-130] Discography (1971-1993)

Next up, here's the solo career of Paul McCartney (and with Wings) in the Earth-130 timeline! To start things off, nothing's really changed about Ram, besides becoming his first solo album due to a good chunk of McCartney being frittered away onto Hot as Sun.

Wild Life (March 17, 1972)

Side A (21:56)

1. Wild Life - 4:47 [edit]

2. Little Woman Love - 2:08

3. Bip Bop/Hey Diddle - 3:36

4. A Love for You - 4:45

5. Man We Was Lonely - 2:56

6. Give Ireland Back to the Irish - 3:44

Side B (24:27)

7. Mumbo - 3:54

8. 1882 - 6:38 [edit]

9. Sunshine Sometime - 3:16

10. I Am Your Singer - 2:15

11. Some People Never Know - 6:12 [edit]

12. Tomorrow - 2:12

In this scenario, Wings goes on tour before entering the studio; by the time they do so, they're well acquainted enough to put some tracks down onto wax. A few holdovers from the Ram sessions were included to give their listeners a sense of familiarity, and there's a strong political undercurrent with "Wild Life", "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" and "1882". The latter was recorded in November 1972 in real life, but it was written before Wild Life was recorded, so I don't think it matters too much. "Tomorrow" is the solo piano version as heard on One Hand Clapping, to give the album a bit more variety.

Red Rose Speedway (April 30, 1973)

Side A (20:50)

1. My Love - 4:07

2. C Moon - 3:50

3. I Would Only Smile - 3:23

4. Country Dreamer - 3:10

5. Little Lamb Dragonfly - 6:20

Side B (22:48)

6. Live and Let Die - 3:12

7. Single Pigeon - 1:52

8. I Lie Around - 5:01

9. Loup (1st Indian on the Moon) - 2:41

10. Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Loup (Reprise) - 6:54

11. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:08

Since three and a half songs (that remaining half being "Hands of Love/Power Cut", originally a part of the closing medley) already ended up on Everest, Red Rose Speedway required a major reshuffle. The sessions for that album were pretty fruitful, lasting for most of 1972, so there was more than enough material to work with. I threw in "Hi, Hi, Hi" and "Live and Let Die", along with their respective B-sides, to give the album a bit more commercial appeal, and I even placed "Hi, Hi, Hi" right after "Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Loup (Reprise)" to end the album on a high energy note. Also included were Denny Laine's "I Would Only Smile" and "Country Dreamer", the B-side of "Helen Wheels". "When the Night" was dropped, instead becoming the B-side for The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long". The result is an album that's more Wings, and one that paves the way for Band on the Run, for which nothing could possibly be changed about it (apart from including "Helen Wheels" on Side B).

Venus and Mars (May 27, 1975)

Side A (21:19)

1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show - 6:51

2. Love in Song - 3:04

3. Send Me the Heart - 3:35

4. Magneto and Titanium Man - 3:16

5. Letting Go - 4:33

Side B (21:57)

6. Venus and Mars (Reprise)/Spirits of Ancient Egypt - 5:09

7. Medicine Jar - 3:37

8. Soily - 3:53

9. Listen to What the Man Said - 3:57

10. Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People - 4:21

11. Crossroads Theme - 1:00

With both "You Gave Me the Answer" and "Call Me Back Again" on Inclinations, it didn't take much to replace them; Denny's "Send Me the Heart" finally gets its due, and "Soily" from One Hand Clapping is now officially an album track. Venus and Mars continues the success streak of Band on the Run, as does Wings at the Speed of Sound, marking Wings' commercial peak period.

Purple Afternoon (November 11, 1977)

Side A (23:19)

1. London Town - 4:10
2. Café on the Left Bank - 3:25

3. Getting Closer - 3:22

4. Cuff Link - 2:03

5. Don't Let It Bring You Down - 4:34

6. With a Little Luck - 5:45

Side B (24:49)

7. Girls' School - 4:38

8. Famous Groupies - 3:34
9. Deliver Your Children - 4:17

10. Name and Address - 3:07

11. Girlfriend - 4:31

12. Mull of Kintyre - 4:42

Four songs off of London Town were given away to Rainbow Falls, and in their place, "Girls' School" and "Mull of Kintyre" are included on the album proper. The only other song I dropped entirely was "Children, Children", and instead, I brought forth "Getting Closer" from Back to the Egg, which was first started as early as 1973, to give the album a bit more edge. Plus, I think it makes a nice part of a medley along with "Cuff Link" and "Don't Let It Bring You Down".

Back to the Egg (May 24, 1979)

Side A (24:16)

1. We're Open Tonight/Spin It On - 3:38

2. Again and Again and Again - 3:34

3. Cage (Emotional Moments) - 3:08

4. Daytime Nighttime Suffering - 3:23

5. Arrow Through Me - 3:37

6. To You - 3:12

7. Maisie/How Many Million Miles - 3:44

Side B (23:33)

8. Reception/Rockestra Theme - 3:43

9. Old Siam, Sir - 4:11

10. Weep for Love - 4:32

11. Winter Rose/Love Awake - 4:58

12. So Glad to See You Here - 3:20

13. Baby's Request - 2:49

For Wings' last album, I've taken influence from Moondog385's resequencing of Back to the Egg, but I've made my own tweaks to the track listing. Due to pushing "Getting Closer" forward, the medley of "We're Open Tonight" and "Spin It On" kicks things off, with a slow opener leading into a punk rock number. Alongside the unreleased "Cage (Emotional Moments)", I also included Denny's "Weep for Love" from his Japanese Tears album and Laurence Juber's "Maisie" from Standard Time. In the case of the latter, I've imagined it as leading into "How Many Million Miles", adding a little jazz to the album, making it the only Juber/McCartney composition.

McCartney (March 21, 1980)

Side A (16:17)

1. Coming Up - 3:53

2. Front Parlour - 3:32

3. On the Way - 3:38

4. Mr. H Atom - 2:22

5. Nobody Knows - 2:52

Side B (18:25)

6. Temporary Secretary - 3:14

7. Secret Friend - 5:14

8. Summer's Day Song - 3:25

9. You Know I'll Get You Baby - 3:33

10. Bogey Wobble - 2:59

Side C (17:40)

11. Check My Machine - 5:50

12. Waterfalls - 4:43

13. Frozen Fuji - 3:40

14. Bogey Music - 3:27

Side D (16:10)

15. Darkroom - 2:20

16. One of These Days - 3:35

17. All You Horse Riders - 3:48

18. Blue Sway - 6:27

Basically, my double album version of McCartney II that I compiled a couple of years back, but with "Waterfalls" replaced by the album version. Not much else to say, really.

War and Peace (February 11, 1983)

Side A (22:25)

1. Tug of War - 4:28

2. The Other Me - 3:58

3. Ballroom Dancing - 4:07

4. Somebody Who Cares - 3:19

5. Rainclouds - 3:13

6. So Bad - 3:20

Side B (22:46)

7. Sweetest Little Show - 2:54

8. The Pound is Sinking - 2:54

9. Keep Under Cover - 3:05

10. Ode to a Koala Bear - 3:48

11. Dress Me Up as a Robber - 2:41

12. Pipes of Peace - 3:56

13. Through Our Love - 3:28

On Skywriting by Word of Mouth, I featured "Take It Away", "Here Today", "Wanderlust" and "Average Person" as Paul's contributions. From both Tug of War and Pipes of Peace, there was more than enough material leftover for a whole new album, so it became a matter of what to exclude first. I've imagined that "Ebony and Ivory" and "What's That You're Doing?" would be a non-album single with Stevie Wonder, and likewise with "Say Say Say" and "The Man", but with Michael Jackson. I've also gotten rid of "Get It" with Carl Perkins and "Be What You See", which left me with five songs leftover from Tug of War as my backbone, along with the B-side "Rainclouds". The most fitting tracks from Pipes of Peace, I felt, were the title track, "The Other Me", "Keep Under Cover", "So Bad", "Sweetest Little Show" and "Through Our Love". I then threw in one more B-side, "Ode to a Koala Bear", to round off the set. And there we have Paul McCartney's first post-Beatles, post-Wings album from Earth-130!

Give My Regards to Broad Street (November 29, 1985)

Side A (13:10)

1. No More Lonely Nights - 4:42

2. I Love This House - 3:44

3. Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun - 4:44

Side B (14:47)

4. Talk More Talk - 5:18

5. We Got Married - 4:57

6. Footprints - 4:32

Side C (13:50)

7. Press - 4:43

8. Not Such a Bad Boy - 3:19

9. Lindiana - 5:48

Side D (13:14)

10. No Values - 4:13

11. Move Over Busker - 4:05

12. However Absurd - 4:56

Basically, it's Earth-130's cross between OTL's Give My Regards to Broad Street and Press to Play, only in this case, Paul never makes a film about himself, for it's scrapped before the cameras even roll. However, he still has the material he'd like to get out there, and releases it alongside songs he'd recorded during the spring of 1985. Six tracks were taken from the actual Press to Play, as well as the three originals from Broad Street, and alongside them, there's "We Got Married", which eventually ended up on Flowers in the Dirt, "I Love This House", eventually released as part of "Oobu Joobu (Part 1)" in 1997, and the never-released "Lindiana". The official version is a double vinyl album, but on single vinyl releases, "Footprints" and "No Values" are dropped. Both tracks are still retained for CD releases.

Flowers in the Dirt (July 15, 1988; w/ Elvis Costello)

Side A (20:58)

1. My Brave Face - 2:40

2. You Want Her Too - 2:40

3. Veronica - 3:03

4. Mistress and Maid - 2:28

5. Tommy’s Coming Home - 4:10

6. Twenty Fine Fingers - 2:28

7. So Like Candy - 3:29

Side B (21:38)

8. Shallow Grave - 2:14

9. The Lovers That Never Were - 3:58

10. I Don’t Want to Confess - 2:21

11. Don’t Be Careless Love - 3:44

12. That Day is Done - 4:16

13. Pads, Paws and Claws - 2:08

14. Playboy to a Man - 2:57

I don't have much to say about this one that I didn't already for Earth-130's McCartney; just a transfer from Strawberry Peppers: The Second Coming, all the way down to the final track.

Return to Pepperland (June 5, 1989)

Side A (23:15)

1. Return to Pepperland - 4:53

2. Stranglehold - 3:36

3. Same Love - 3:55

4. Distractions - 4:38

5. The First Stone - 4:06

6. Put It There - 2:07

Side B (24:22)

7. Figure of Eight - 3:25

8. This One - 4:10

9. Love Come Tumbling Down - 4:22

10. Don't Break the Promise - 3:38

11. How Many People - 4:14

12. Only Love Remains - 4:13

With five tracks having been filtered out onto various projects, I had my work cut out for me for Earth-130's equivalent to Flowers in the Dirt, Return to Pepperland. Five of the remaining tracks were retained, and I also brought back "Stranglehold" and "Only Love Remains" from Press to Play. The title track, which has never been released in any capacity, was a no-brainer for inclusion, likely off the heels of George's "When We Was Fab". The four remaining songs, "The First Stone", "Love Come Tumbling Down", "Same Love" and "Don't Break the Promise", were all recorded during that time, but have only appeared either as B-sides or bonus tracks.

Off the Ground (February 1, 1993)

Side A (20:14)

1. Off the Ground - 3:40

2. Style Style - 4:53 [edit]

3. I Owe It All to You - 4:51

4. Sweet Sweet Memories - 4:03

5. Looking for Changes - 2:47

Side B (17:29)

6. Long Leather Coat - 3:35

7. Keep Coming Back to Love/Cosmically Conscious - 7:08 [edit]

8. Biker Like an Icon - 3:26

9. Big Boys Bickering - 3:20

Side C (16:47)

10. Peace in the Neighborhood - 4:14 [edit]

11. Kicked Around No More - 4:40 [edit]

12. Golden Earth Girl - 3:45

13. I Can't Imagine - 4:08 [edit]

Side D (19:58)

14. Get Out of My Way - 3:32

15. Hope of Deliverance - 3:22

16. Winedark Open Sea - 4:53 [edit]

17. C'Mon People - 5:46

17. Down to the River - 2:25 [edit]

Total length: 74:28

Since "Mistress and Maid" and "The Lovers That Never Were" are on the collaboration album with Elvis Costello, that left room for more B-sides that Paul recorded during that time to be included on Off the Ground, now expanded into a double album for vinyl releases. However, it's a single CD running over 74 minutes. The resequencing is that of Moondog385's, but with the Costello tracks replaced by "Long Leather Coat" and "I Can't Imagine", respectively, as well as the inclusion of "Sweet Sweet Memories". Like Moondog's resequencing, several tracks were trimmed in order to run under the 80 minute limit of CDs, and "Keep Coming Back to Love" and "Cosmically Conscious" run as a medley, with the former bleeding into the latter.

John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band [Earth-130] Discography (1970-1975)

Having done the Beatles' 1970s albums for the Earth-130 timeline, I figured it'd only be right if I did the same thing for the solo careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Just to remind you, this is a universe in which the Beatles never broke up, but instead, chose to record together on and off over the next decade while putting focus on their solo careers. This would remain the case until John Lennon's death in 1980, after which the Beatles broke up for good and Paul, George and Ringo carried on as solo artists.

In the case of John, since I took out a good chunk of his solo career, I came up with the idea in which he and Yoko released joint albums under the Plastic Ono Band, serving as a parallel to Paul's Wings, which I'll cover next time. So let's see how it all pans out, shall we?

Plastic Ono Band (December 11, 1970)

Side A (22:02)

1. Something More Abstract - 0:44

2. Mother - 5:34

3. Touch Me - 4:37

4. Hold On - 1:52

5. I Found Out - 3:37

6. Greenfield Morning I Pushed an Empty Baby Carriage All Over the City - 5:38

Side B (21:29)

7. Working Class Hero - 3:48

8. Why Not - 9:55

9. Isolation - 2:51

10. Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow) - 4:55

Side C (21:55)

11. Why - 5:37

12. Well Well Well - 5:59

13. Look at Me - 2:53

14. Paper Shoes - 7:26

Side D (22:06)

15. Remember - 4:36

16. Love - 3:21

17. AOS - 7:06

18. God - 4:09

19. Who Has Seen the Wind? - 2:05

20. My Mummy's Dead - 0:49

This album takes all the tracks from John and Yoko's respective Plastic Ono Band albums, and rearranges them into a double album. For Yoko, I also added "Something More Abstract", which was a bonus track on some CD releases, along with "Don't Worry, Kyoko" and "Who Has Seen the Wind?", the respective B-sides to John's "Cold Turkey" and "Instant Karma", both of which ended up on the Beatles' Hot as Sun.

Imagine Clouds Dripping (September 9, 1971)

Side A (20:53)

1. Imagine - 3:01

2. Midsummer New York - 3:50

3. Crippled Inside - 3:47

4. Mrs. Lennon - 4:10

5. I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier - 6:05

Side B (21:10)

6. Power to the People - 3:23

7. Mind Holes - 2:45

8. It's So Hard - 2:25

9. Open Your Box (Hirake) - 3:32

10. How? - 3:43

11. O'Wind (Body is the Scar of Your Mind) - 5:22

Since three of John's songs on Imagine ended up being donated to Hot as Sun, as well as "Oh Yoko!" ending up on Another Day, I picked the shorter, more commercial sounding tracks from Yoko's Fly to fill the gaps. (I also assumed, of course, that whatever was left was a standalone solo project.) I also replaced "How Do You Sleep?" in favor of "Power to the People", in which its B-side, "Open Your Box", was also featured as one of Yoko's songs. Interestingly, John and Yoko have five solo contributions to this album, while "Imagine" is jointly shared between them.

One and All (June 12, 1972)

Side A (22:17)

1. New York City - 4:30

2. Born in a Prison - 4:03

3. Sunday Bloody Sunday - 5:00

4. Angela - 4:06

5. Woman... of the World - 4:38

Side B (21:36)

6. Attica State [Live] - 3:13

7. The Luck of the Irish [Live] - 3:27

8. Sisters, O Sisters [Live] - 3:50

9. John Sinclair [Live] - 4:00

10. God Save Us - 3:31

11. Happy Christmas (War is Over) - 3:35

The official Some Time in New York City was a double album with studio tracks on disc one, and live tracks on disc two. One and All is a single album that's studio on one side and mostly live on another. The live performances are sourced from the couple's appearance at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Michigan, recorded December 10, 1971. Side B concludes with the inclusion of "God Save Us" (giving the album its title) and "Happy Christmas (War is Over)", the latter of which would add to the album's commercial appeal. The first side is basically the remaining studio tracks, with "New York City" kicking the album off, and the side concluding with "Woman... of the World". That way, sensitive listeners can flip the record. There was no room for "We're All Water", but I'm assuming that it would be a B-side.

Nutopia (October 29, 1973)

Side A (21:47)

1. Declaration of Nutopia - 0:32

2. Freda Peeple (Bring on the Lucie) - 4:08

3. She Hits Back - 3:48

4. Tight A$ - 3:37

5. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) - 4:44

6. Left Turn's the Right Turn - 2:13

7. Meat City - 2:45

Side B (21:39)

8. Intuition - 3:08

9. One Day (At a Time) - 3:09

10. Woman Power - 4:50

11. Only People - 3:23

12. Mildred, Mildred - 2:58

13. You Are Here - 4:08

14. Nutopian International Anthem - 0:03

Since Mind Games ended up losing three songs to Everest, I had to get a bit inventive when rearranging it to become Nutopia. The album is preceded with the "Declaration of Nutopia", recorded April 1, 1973, before leading into "Freda Peeple". Yoko's "She Hits Back" and "Woman Power" are both sourced from Feeling the Space and contain the same backing group as Mind Games; I also picked them due to John's presence on both songs. "Left Turn's the Right Turn" and "Mildred, Mildred" were also tracks intended for Feeling the Space, but were later released as bonus tracks. Nutopia would be the final Plastic Ono Band release in John Lennon's lifetime.

Walls and Bridges (September 26, 1974)

Side A (21:35)

1. Going Down on Love - 3:54

2. Whatever Gets You Through the Night - 3:28

3. Old Dirt Road - 3:41

4. Ya Ya - 2:17

5. Bless You - 3:58

6. Scared - 4:17

Side B (22:48)

7. You Can't Catch Me - 3:56

8. Sweet Bird of Paradise - 2:55

9. Steel and Glass - 4:11

10. Beef Jerky - 3:11

11. Angel Baby - 3:44

12. Here We Go Again - 4:51

John's first album without either the Beatles or Yoko Ono, Walls and Bridges was recorded in the midst of his Lost Weekend, and included three covers to settle a lawsuit with Morris Levy over the Beatles' "Come Together" pinching a line from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". Again, three songs were donated to the Beatles' Inclinations, and the three covers fill the gaps, with "Ya Ya" being the proper studio version. The album concludes with "Here We Go Again". Ultimately, this does mean that Rock 'n' Roll has been retconned away, but "Stand by Me" can still exist as a standalone single with "Move Over, Miss L! (I Wish You Well)" as the B-side.

"Going Down on Love", "Sweet Bird of Paradise" and "Beef Jerky" are the 2010 remasters; "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" and "Angel Baby" are the 2020 Ultimate Mixes; "Old Dirt Road", "Bless You" and "Steel and Glass" are taken from John Lennon Anthology with edits done to each of them; "Scared" is the version found on Menlove Ave., and "Here We Go Again" is the 2010 remaster found on Gimme Some Truth. "Ya Ya" and "You Can't Catch Me" both come from Rock 'n' Roll, with the latter being cut down to its original length. With this many sources, it makes Walls and Bridges come off as pretty eclectic sound wise.

Shaved Fish (October 20, 1975)

Side A (24:15)

1. Imagine - 3:01

2. Here We Go Again - 4:51

3. Love - 3:21

4. Power to the People - 3:23

5. Mother - 5:01

6. Woman... of the World - 4:38

Side B (23:40)

7. Whatever Gets You thru the Night - 3:28

8. Freda Peeple (Bring on the Lucie) - 4:08

9. Stand by Me - 3:26

10. You Are Here - 4:08

11. Happy Christmas (War is Over) - 3:35

12. Give Peace a Chance - 4:55

Side C (24:22)

13. Mrs. Lennon - 4:10

14. Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow) - 4:55

15. Who Has Seen the Wind? - 2:05

16. Born in a Prison - 4:03

17. Why - 5:37

18. Open Your Box (Hirake) - 3:32

Side D (24:31)

19. Now or Never - 4:57

20. Woman Power - 4:50

21. Death of Samantha - 3:40

22. Yume O Motou (Let's Have a Dream) - 3:50

23. Listen, The Snow is Falling - 3:10

24. Remember Love - 4:04

Earth-130's equivalent to the compilation of the same name, Shaved Fish was released shortly following Sean's birth, giving off a complete retrospective of John and Yoko's music released together between 1969 and 1975, as well as solo singles like John's "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" and Yoko's "Death of Samantha". Apart from a few contributions on the Beatles' Rainbow Falls, John is largely retired from music until the release of Double Fantasy, which remains unchanged from OTL, but here, it's John's final album, period.

The Beatles - "Skywriting by Word of Mouth" (1981)

Continuing once again with the Earth-130 timeline, here's the Beatles' fifth post-Abbey Road album, as well as their first album of the 1980s, Skywriting by Word of Mouth! As my usual reminder, in this universe, A Collection of Beatles Oldies is a compilation of non-album tracks, Yellow Submarine is an album with movie songs on one side and 1968-era tracks on the other, and Let It Be was released in May 1969. After Abbey Road, the Beatles elect to work on-and-off in the 1970s, with the resultant albums being 1970's Hot as Sun, 1973's Everest, 1975's Inclinations and 1978's Rainbow Falls, the latter of which was released in the middle of John's househusband phase.

So imagine if you will...

Skywriting by Word of Mouth (December 1981)

Side A (22:14)

1. I'm Stepping Out - 4:08

2. Take It Away - 4:16

3. Dream Away - 4:29

4. I Don't Wanna Face It - 3:40

5. You Can't Fight Lightning - 5:41

Side B (21:43)

6. Average Person - 4:33

7. Borrowed Time - 3:35

8. Wanderlust - 3:49

9. All Those Years Ago - 3:45

10. Here Today - 2:27

11. Nobody Told Me - 3:34

The brand new decade did not start in the way Paul McCartney had intended; Wings were just about to perform in Japan for eleven shows, but upon arrival in Tokyo, Paul's luggage was found to have marijuana in it, resulting in staying in a jail cell for nine days, and subsequently, the cancelation of the tour. After release and deportation, Paul afterward released his first album in March as a solo artist (Ram was a collaboration with wife Linda), eponymously titled McCartney. It was a double album of solo recordings with heavy synthesizer usage recorded in the summer of 1979, and was backed by the first single "Coming Up", which soon reached #1 in the United States, but stalled at #2 in the United Kingdom.

While McCartney was lambasted with negative reviews at the time, one of the more enthusiastic listeners was none other than John Lennon, who called "Coming Up" a "good piece of work". He would further be prompted to return to recording in the studio by embarking on a sailing trip to Bermuda in the midst of a severe storm. While the crew fell to fatigue and sickness, John was forced to helm the ship alone for six hours, which he later recalled felt like "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose" come to life. "Not sure if I was Morse Moose or not," he admitted. After making it safely to shore, he began writing up new songs and reworked earlier demos. "I've got so many to work with, I need both Yoko and the Beatles to get them all out to the world!"

One of those albums, the collaboration with Yoko, who also wrote up some new songs herself, would be a collection of songs wherein the couple would conduct a musical dialogue. Once the songs for what would become Double Fantasy were selected, John would leave others aside for a potential Beatles project, messaging Paul, "It's time to get the band back together. For real, this time. And we'll go on a tour! Just like you wanted for us back in the late sixties, eh?"

At the same time, Paul had gotten together with Ringo Starr for the latter's next album, having written a few songs for it. By coincidence, Paul also had a slew of demos just waiting to be recorded, and once they'd gotten together, he and John determined which ones would end up on the next Beatles project, should it ever happen. There was such cooperation between the two men that, for the first time since "Gimme Some Truth" on Hot as Sun, songs would actually be credited to Lennon/McCartney. Amongst those songs was John's "Life Begins at 40", which he intended for Ringo to sing, especially as both men would turn forty this year. Ringo was also very excited at the prospect of a full-on Beatles reunion that he brought forth a song recorded with Paul, "You Can't Fight Lightning", for possible inclusion.

But what about George Harrison, the one who could make or break a Beatles reunion? By this point, he had just finished up his next album Flying Hour, due for release under Apple Records in September. Ringo was the one who told George about John's idea, and although not quite as enthused about it as the others were, George eventually agreed to the idea. Sessions were booked to begin in November at the Hit Factory in New York, with the Beatles' old producer George Martin being called in to produce the album, his first work with any of them since Wings' "Live and Let Die".

During that time in between, John and Yoko recorded for Double Fantasy, but were rarely in the studio at the same time, and the sessions went by quick. The album would be preceded by John's "(Just Like) Starting Over" as the first single in October, with the album coming out. Meanwhile, Ringo continued work on what would become Stop and Smell the Roses, booking sessions with Stephen Stills, Ronnie Wood, Harry Nilsson, and even George bringing forth a few songs, including "Wrack My Brain".

At long last, the Beatles were back in the same studio together with George Martin at the helm, just like in the old days. No one had ever seen John so enthusiastic about being a part of the Beatles since who knows when, but given the songs he wanted to put out to the world, who could blame him? His main contributions to the sessions were "I'm Stepping Out", "I Don't Wanna Face It" and "Nobody Told Me", the latter of which recalled "Instant Karma". Paul's major contributions were "Take It Away", "Average Person" (another story song in the mold of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Another Day") and "Wanderlust", for which he hoped George would contribute a guitar solo to. Along with the completion of Ringo's "You Can't Fight Lightning", George brought forth his first contribution to the sessions, "Dream Away", which had been commissioned by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam to appear in the film Time Bandits. By the start of December, the Beatles had well over half of an album in the can, but alas, things would not go the way they had expected...

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon had been shot outside the Dakota by a deranged fan called Mark David Chapman. John was quickly rushed to Roosevelt Hospital where he died from his wounds at 11:15 in the evening. The world was left in shock upon the news, with many wondering how a man who preached peace could have his life end in such a violent way. Six days later, Yoko would request ten minutes of silence for John in lieu of a funeral. Apart from her, no one was more shaken up by John's murder than the other three Beatles. All plans for a reunion tour were dropped, and the status of the planned comeback album was left in the air. How could the Beatles possibly continue if one of the members was dead?

Two months later, in February 1981, George called over Paul and Ringo to Friar Park; since John's death, the three had kept a low profile, and all of them feared that any one of them could be next, a fear not felt since their catastrophic visit to the Philippines or their last American tour, both in 1966. Inside, George talked about wanting to complete the album in John's honor, feeling as though it was what he would have wanted, and he brought forward a song called "All Those Years Ago". He'd originally written it for Ringo to sing, but the latter disliked the lyrics and felt the vocal too high for his range, so George had rewritten it to be a tribute to John. After presenting the revised song, Paul told George, "Y'know, George, people always thought it was me and John who were the faces of the Beatles, but you? You're the most essential one out of us. We could've carried on without you if you'd quit, but John and I needed you possibly more than you needed the two of us. You've kept us going for the past few albums, and this may be the best thing you ever wrote." No further words were said as the two old friends who'd known each other since meeting on a bus in 1954 hugged. Ringo, not wanting to be left out, simply patted George on the shoulder.

Recording re-commenced that March at AIR Studios in Montserrat, with George Martin once again producing, to work on "All Those Years Ago", as well as to add some overdubs to the songs recorded prior to John's murder. During these new sessions, Yoko had brought forth a demo by John recorded back in Bermuda in June 1980 called "Borrowed Time" for possible use on the album, but it was decided to leave the demo as is, and for John to get sole songwriting credit. "It just felt right, y'know," Paul later stated, "showing John where he was at before we'd even started work on Skywriting." As completion of the album drew to a close, Ringo married his new girlfriend Barbara Bach, whom he met on the set of the film Caveman, on April 27, with Paul, George and their families in attendance. In addition, Stop and Smell the Roses would come out in June.

The final song brought forth for the Beatles' last album, as well as the last song recorded period under the Beatles' name, was none other than Paul's "Here Today", recorded entirely solo with a backing string arrangement, not dissimilar to "Yesterday". If "All Those Years Ago" was a celebration of John's life, then "Here Today" was Paul's personal goodbye to his songwriting partner, written as a conversation they may have had together, with Paul even crying as he wrote it. Both songs would be released as the first single off of Skywriting by Word of Mouth, which came out in December 1981, exactly one year since John Lennon's murder. By this point, Wings had quietly dissolved with Denny Laine leaving the group, and with the Beatles also no more, Paul McCartney would find himself now as a solo act, but his first post-Beatles, post-Wings album, War and Peace, would not come out until 1983.

Skywriting by Word of Mouth was met with wildly positive reviews upon release, giving the Beatles their best reviews since Hot as Sun, although reactions would cool off in later years. "All Those Years Ago" would hit #1 on both sides of the Atlantic, and the follow-up singles, "Take It Away" and "Nobody Told Me", were also huge hits upon release in 1982. That same year would also see the release of 1970-1981, otherwise known as "The Green Album" due to its border, continuing on from where 1962-1966 (Red) and 1967-1969 (Blue) left off, covering 24 songs from across their final five albums, as well as "Another Day" from the extended play of the same name. The compilation would be released in October 1982, on what would have been John Lennon's 42nd birthday, ending the Beatles' career on a high note.

The Beatles - "Rainbow Falls" (1978)

Merry Christmas, everyone! To mark the occasion, I'm proud to present to you all the fourth post-Abbey Road album from Earth-130, Rainbow Falls! Again, to remind you all, this is a universe in which A Collection of Beatles Oldies is merely a compilation of non-album tracks, Yellow Submarine a proper Beatles album, and Let It Be was released in 1969 as originally intended. In addition to this, the Beatles don't break up, instead choosing to work on-and-off in the 1970s, releasing an album every few years when and if they feel like it. This strategy was agreed upon following Hot as Sun in 1970, and eventually led to Everest and Inclinations in 1973 and 1975, respectively. Rainbow Falls, the fourth album of six, is released in 1978, even with John Lennon in his househusband phase.

So imagine if you will...

Rainbow Falls (July 1978)

Side A (19:42)

1. Blow Away - 4:00

2. Waterspout - 4:45

3. Your Love is Forever - 3:45

4. One of the Boys - 2:39

5. Backwards Traveller - 1:07

6. Wings of an Eagle - 3:26

Side B (21:21)

7. I've Had Enough - 3:02

8. Not Guilty - 3:35

9. I'm Carrying - 2:44

10. Here Comes the Moon - 4:09

11. Interlude: 'Twas a Night - 1:24

12. Morse Moose and the Grey Goose - 6:27

1976 was largely quiet when it came to Beatles releases. On the solo front of things, Paul McCartney and Wings had put out their fifth album Wings at the Speed of Sound, backed by the big singles "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In", the former of which would go on to be the biggest selling single of the year, beating out Elton John's duet with Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Meanwhile, George Harrison released Thirty-Three & 1/3, along with the singles "This Song" and "Crackerbox Palace", and Ringo Starr put out Ringo's Rotogravure, with involvement from all three of the other Beatles, even John Lennon, who brought forth the album's biggest highlight, "Cookin' in the Kitchen of Love". Rotogravure would be the only solo album in which all four Beatles contributed to.

This was not the only noteworthy walk-in, however, for on the evening of April 24, John Lennon and Paul McCartney (whom was visiting with Linda) were at the Dakota, watching Saturday Night Live on television, with Raquel Welch hosting. On screen, producer Lorne Michaels appeared to give a $3000 cash offer to the Beatles to perform three songs. Despite that it was a night off, John and Paul were enthusiastic about appearing together, even if it was just the two of them. So, grabbing a pair of acoustic guitars and hailing a taxi, Lennon and McCartney were at NBC Studios within fifteen minutes.

Michaels had not expected one half of the Beatles to take up the offer, to which John said, "We were just down at the Dakota, watching you on telly, so we thought, why the hell not? It'll be a lark." John Lennon and Paul McCartney appeared before the Saturday Night Live audience to an excited frenzy, playing a few classic Beatles songs in a stripped-back, acoustic arrangement, being backed by guest musicians Phoebe Snow and John Sebastian on guitar, SNL actor John Belushi (portraying Joe Cocker) and guest host Raquel Welch on backing vocals. Although the performance was short, this unexpected crashing of the show would be regarded as a classic Saturday Night Live moment, in which what was meant to be taken a joke had led to ten minutes of pure television magic. "We'll send George and Ringo their shares of the three grand in the mail, Lorne," Paul said in the midst of wild applause. (George would later make a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live in November alongside Paul Simon.)

1977 would also turn out to be another quiet year for Beatles activity. George, having finally divorced from Pattie Boyd, spent much of the year traveling with his new girlfriend Olivia Arias, even becoming a regular presence at motor races in the Formula 1 World Championship. He would also join Monty Python member Eric Idle in the TV film All You Need is Cash, about a satire of the Beatles called the Rutles. Meanwhile, Ringo would begin recording for a follow-up to his Rotogravure album in February, but the results were considered to be sub-par at best, and when he attempted again in both June and November, the sessions were also aborted due to the inadequacy of the material.

As for Paul McCartney, he began work with Wings on recording a follow-up to Wings at the Speed of Sound at Abbey Road Studios. Initial plans for a follow-up of their well-received Wings Over the World tour were abandoned when it was discovered that Linda was pregnant; she would give birth to James Louis McCartney on September 12, 1977. Wings would do further recording in the Virgin Islands aboard a yacht called Fair Carol, with the newer material finishing up what became their sixth album Purple Afternoon (after a lyric in the opening track "London Town"). The final track, "Mull of Kintyre", would be recorded in August, and be released as the first single off of the album, eventually becoming the biggest selling single in the United Kingdom, eclipsing the Beatles' "She Loves You" from 1963. To this day, "Mull of Kintyre" remains the largest selling non-charity single.

While Purple Afternoon would continue Wings' success in the United States and the United Kingdom, it was not all good news when guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English left for various reasons, reducing the group to the trio of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine once again. In February 1978, the McCartneys would meet with George and Olivia in Maui, Hawaii, where both men talked about doing another Beatles album, and whether or not it could be done without John. By that point, George had written up some songs for a planned solo album, but he did agree to bring forth a few for said album, tentatively titled Water Works. It wound up becoming the only Beatles album to be McCartney/Harrison led.

Recording sessions for Water Works took place at Friar Park, and would begin in April, lasting up to two months. However, the album would not be called Water Works much longer, for, inspired by some photos taken during the Hawaii trip, it would be renamed to Rainbow Falls, after the waterfall Waiānuenue in Hilo, Hawaii. Paul brought forth a few songs that were held back from Purple Afternoon, and after much convincing, John agreed to come to Friar Park for a week, mostly to provide overdubs along with a couple of demos. It was during the sessions that George's father, Harold Hargreaves Harrison, died, and so a dedication to his memory would be included in the liner notes.

"Blow Away" would mark the second time that a Beatles album opened with a Harrison-penned number, following "Taxman" from Revolver twelve years earlier. The song had been inspired by rain damage that had occurred to a roof at Friar Park, and George would turn the experience into one of positive thinking. "Blow Away" would be preceded by the sound of rain before fading into the song, and then followed by the sound of a water fountain, transitioning into Paul's first song for Rainbow Falls, "Waterspout". With a Caribbean rhythm, it added a reggae flavor to the album, talking about a bandit named Woody and a father's dancer meeting at a water park. In a similar vein to "Day Tripper" and "Drive My Car", there was a double entendre within the title and lyrics of "Waterspout", referring to sex between a man and a woman.

George's second song, "Your Love is Forever", transitioned out of "Waterspout" with the sound of a waterfall, and is a straightforward love song to both Olivia and God. This leads into a three-part medley, beginning with John's solo demo of "One of the Boys", suggesting acceptance of growing older, followed by Paul's fragment "Backwards Traveller" about going back in time, its lyrics juxtaposing with John's from the previous song, and then ending with Ringo's "Wings of an Eagle", a song he'd first worked in February 1977 for the planned Rotogravure follow-up. The first side then concludes with a flock of eagles calling out over the oceanside.

The second side of Rainbow Falls begins with Paul's punk rock-influenced "I've Had Enough", which John noted carried a similar structure to many of the Beatles' earlier songs and provided the guitar solo. And speaking of early Beatles songs, George had revisited "Not Guilty" from the White Album sessions from ten years prior, with its message about his frustrations towards John and Paul greatly toned back. Next was a Paul solo spot, "I'm Carrying", which had been recorded in a single take with orchestral strings overdubbed afterward. George spoke very positively about "I'm Carrying" by calling it "sensational", along with being his favorite from Paul's off of the album. George's fourth and final song, the most he'd ever had on a Beatles album since the White Album, "Here Comes the Moon", was a lyrical successor to "Here Comes the Sun", having taken inspiration for the lyrics from a psychedelic mushroom experience he'd had on Maui.

John's second contribution was a spoken word piece which the liner notes would call "Interlude: 'Twas a Night", referring to the first line of the track, which is as follows, spoken in a Scottish accent at points:

'Twas a night like Ethel Merman, not a sailor in the sky,

A kind of aged gentleman was giving me a try.

I remember it distinctly, as clear as yesterday,

I was excavating mucus, and I thought I heard him say:

"'O timorous beastly, what o'er the briney sea

The news oot the bracken, the mook lich dynadree

It's a long way to Tipperillo, och aye."

Mine eye was clouded o'er as I heard his mournful song

I asked him what the time was, he said it wasn't long.

Surrounded by sound effects courtesy of the BBC sound library, giving "'Twas a Night" a backing track, this spoken word piece would act as a linking track to the finale "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose". Recorded during John's brief time at Friar Park, it started as a jam session before evolving into a mad sea epic about those in peril on the sea, accompanied by sound effects of a blaring ship alarm, morse code, sea waves and stormy weather. "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose" wound up being one of the few songs to be credited to all four Beatles, as well as the third instance of an album of theirs ending with the longest song at over six minutes, following Everest's "Living in the Material World" and Inclinations' "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)", both clocking in at over five minutes each.

Released in July 1978, Rainbow Falls received warm reviews from critics, although much like Inclinations and Everest before it, they weren't as enthusiastic as those for the 1960s albums. One critic would even write that "The Beatles have gone from innovating and changing the music landscape to writing average music for average people." While most of the group would take these comments with stride, John would make his views quite clear, saying that "[The critics] don't know what the fuck they're talking about." Rainbow Falls would be backed by its two singles "Blow Away" and "I've Had Enough", both making the Top 10.

After finishing up Rainbow Falls, Ringo would go back to what he'd recorded the previous year and take some of the best material from the aborted sessions, along with a few new songs recorded with Russ Ballard producing, and put out It Beats Sleep. Critical reaction in general was that it was "no better or worse" than Rotogravure. George and Olivia would marry in September, one month following the birth of their son Dhani. Some time later, George would finally start work on his next solo album, which he intended on calling Flying Hour. Paul would also begin work on Wings' next album Back to the Egg, although John and George both felt that Paul could've saved some of his more electric stuff for Rainbow Falls. Back to the Egg would finally be released in June 1979.

The rest of the 1970s would be largely solo, save for a brief jam session at Eric Clapton's wedding to Pattie Boyd on March 27, 1979. As the decade drew to a close and the 1980s began, things would change once more for the Beatles, for better or for worse.

George Harrison: A Musical Retrospective (1970-2002)

Our final solo Beatles retrospective focuses on George Harrison, with this week marking 24 years since he died from cancer. This follows on from the solo retrospectives I did for Ringo Starr and John Lennon in July and October, respectively, and they all go together with Moondog385's Paul McCartney retrospective. Of the solo Beatles, George has never had a truly definitive compilation of his solo career. 1976's The Best of George Harrison was halfway dedicated to his work with the Beatles, and 1989's Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 solely focused on part of his career. And don't even get me started on 2009's Let It Roll; the fact that most of 1974-1986 was glossed over made it sound as if Olivia and Dhani had little confidence in George's solo work.

Like Moondog385's Pure Harrison compilation, I'm providing a much fuller picture of George Harrison as a solo artist, including all of the songs featured as well as many other additions of my own. Let's dive right in!

1970-1975 [Blue]

Side A (22:47)

1. My Sweet Lord - 4:38

2. Isn't It a Pity? (Version 1) - 7:10

3. What is Life - 4:22

4. Run of the Mill - 2:49

5. Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) - 3:48

Side B (21:12)

6. All Things Must Pass - 3:44

7. I Live for You - 3:35

8. Bangla Desh - 3:57

9. Deep Blue - 3:47

10. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - 3:36

11. Miss O'Dell - 2:33

Side C (23:01)

12. The Light That Has Lighted the World - 3:31

13. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long - 2:57

14. Living in the Material World - 5:31

15. Simply Shady - 4:38

16. Ding Dong, Ding Dong - 3:40

17. I Don't Care Anymore - 2:44

Side D (22:48)

18. Dark Horse - 3:54

19. Far East Man - 5:52

20. You - 3:41

21. Can't Stop Thinking About You - 4:30

22. Tired of Midnight Blue - 4:51

Unsurprisingly, this first part of the retrospective focuses on George's Apple years, and therefore his first four solo albums, if you exclude Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound. The first disc focuses mainly on All Things Must Pass, with the addition of one bonus track ("I Live for You") from that era, as well as "Bangla Desh" and "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" and their respective B-sides. The second disc features three other songs from Living in the Material World, as well as material from Dark Horse and Extra Texture (Read All About It), plus an additional B-side, "I Don't Care Anymore". Because three songs are over five minutes in length, this compilation is just barely under 90 minutes.

1976-1985 [Coral]

Side A (24:16)

1. Woman Don't You Cry for Me - 3:18

2. Beautiful Girl - 3:39

3. This Song - 4:13

4. Crackerbox Palace - 3:57

5. Learning How to Love You - 4:13

6. Mo's Song - 4:56

Side B (21:10)

7. Flying Hour - 4:35

8. Love Comes to Everyone - 3:40

9. Here Comes the Moon - 4:09

10. Blow Away - 4:00

11. Faster - 4:46

Side C (20:10)

12. Dark Sweet Lady - 3:22

13. Life Itself - 4:25

14. All Those Years Ago - 3:45

15. Teardrops - 4:09

16. Dream Away - 4:29

Side D (21:35)

17. Wake Up My Love - 3:34

18. That's the Way It Goes - 3:34

19. Mystical One - 3:42

20. Let It Be Me - 2:56

21. I Don't Want to Do It - 2:51

22. Save the World (Greenpeace) - 4:58

Like 1970-1975, this compilation focuses mainly on four albums. Disc one brings attention to Thirty-Three & 1/3 and George Harrison, with the addition of two deep cuts. "Mo's Song" was recorded in 1977 as a tribute to Mo Ostin, but was left unreleased until 1994 on a six CD box set. "Flying Hour", an outtake from Somewhere in England, was first started in 1978. Speaking of said album, it and Gone Troppo are represented on disc two, with "Dark Sweet Lady" being a holdover. "Let It Be Me" was an Everly Brothers cover recorded in 1983, and "I Don't Want to Do It" was re-recorded for Porky's Revenge in 1985. "Save the World" was also re-recorded that year for Greenpeace - The Album.

1986-2002 [Olive]

Side A (23:52)

1. Shanghai Surprise - 5:09

2. Cloud Nine - 3:15

3. This is Love - 3:48

4. When We Was Fab - 3:57

5. Devil's Radio - 3:52

6. Someplace Else - 3:51

Side B (21:09)

7. Got My Mind Set on You - 3:52

8. Zig Zag - 2:45

9. Ride Rajbun [edit] - 4:06

10. Handle with Care - 3:19

11. Heading for the Light - 3:37

12. End of the Line - 3:30

Side C (22:51)

13. Poor Little Girl - 4:33

14. Cockamamie Business - 5:15

15. Cheer Down - 4:08

16. This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying) [1992 Re-Recording] - 3:55

17. Horse to the Water - 5:00

Side D (23:10)

18. Any Road - 3:52

19. Rising Sun - 5:27

20. Marwa Blues - 3:40

21. Stuck Inside a Cloud - 4:04

22. Brainwashed - 6:07

As George only released two studio albums under his name from this era, we're going to have to get a bit creative with what else we can find. Disc one features about half of Cloud Nine, as well as the adjacent B-side "Zig Zag", and the three songs from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 in which George sang lead vocals. Also filling up that disc is the title track for the critically panned Shanghai Surprise featuring Vicki Brown, and "Ride Rajbun", recorded in 1988 but left unreleased until 1992 for The Bunbury Tails. The three new songs from Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 begin disc two, with the rest of the third side being filled in by the 1992 re-recording of "This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)" from Extra Texture and "Horse to the Water", the final song recorded by George prior to his death. The last side, of course, is an abridged Brainwashed. The final running time is about 91 minutes in length, which is stretching the limits as it is, but what can you do?

In total, that's 66 songs covering George Harrison's solo career, almost double that of Moondog's compilation! This isn't meant to replace what he's done; I'm just adding my own spin on things. For bonus tracks, I would throw in "The Answer's at the End" from Extra Texture, "Tears of the World" (another Somewhere in England outtake), "She's My Baby" from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 and the live cover of  "Absolutely Sweet Marie" from a 1993 Bob Dylan tribute show. The latter two especially give a bit more spotlight to the 1990s, of which there was very little known recording activity from George. The bonus tracks would bring the total up to 70.

John Lennon: A Musical Retrospective (1969-1984)

In celebration of what could have been John Lennon's 85th birthday this week, akin to the Ringo Starr retrospective I posted three months back, I've done one for John himself. Out of the solo Beatles, he's had the most compilation albums released, with only 1975's Shaved Fish being released during his lifetime, and many of the same songs are featured across the majority of them. Moondog385 went with a different approach for his Pure Lennon compilation, wanting to represent all of John's periods as equally as possible, even skipping over some hits like "Give Peace a Chance" and "Mother".

My take on a musical retrospective of John Lennon's solo career uses all of the songs included on Pure Lennon, but I'm including every one of his singles and even throwing in a few extra songs, all in more or less chronological order. I wanted to split the difference between featuring the big hits and focusing on the unfinished nature of John's life and work. Again, I try to keep within a 90 minute timeframe as best as I can, but it wasn't always easy.

1969-1973 [Green]

Side A (23:46)

1. Give Peace a Chance - 4:55

2. Cold Turkey - 5:01

3. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - 3:18

4. Mother [single edit] - 3:53

5. Working Class Hero - 3:48

6. Isolation - 2:51

Side B (21:01)

7. Love - 3:21

8. Look at Me - 2:53

9. God - 4:09

10. Power to the People - 3:23

11. Imagine - 3:01

12. Jealous Guy - 4:14

Side C (22:25)

13. Gimme Some Truth - 3:16

14. Oh My Love - 2:44

15. How? - 3:43

16. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - 3:34

17. Woman is the N****r of the World [single edit] - 4:38

18. New York City - 4:30

Side D (23:45)

19. John Sinclair - 3:28

20. Mind Games - 4:13

21. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) - 4:44

22. Out the Blue - 3:23

23. I Know (I Know) - 3:49

24. You Are Here - 4:08

The first disc of the retrospective focuses mostly on 1969 and 1970, and dips a little into 1971 towards the end. For Side A, I've reinstated "Give Peace a Chance", "Cold Turkey" and "Mother", and added "Working Class Hero". Disc two contains the rest of 1971 and goes all the way into 1973. The only new additions to Side C were "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and "New York City". The overall length, even with single edits, is close to 91 minutes, but if you trim down "Give Peace a Chance" (which is really more of a chant than a song), then that's not a huge deal.

1974-1984 [Rose]

Side A (22:19)

1. Here We Go Again - 4:50

2. Whatever Gets You thru the Night - 3:28

3. Bless You - 4:38

4. Scared - 4:36

5. #9 Dream - 4:47

Side B (22:04)

6. Steel and Glass - 4:37

7. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out) - 5:08

8. Stand by Me - 3:26

9. Move Over Ms. L - 2:58

10. Free as a Bird (Piano Demo) - 3:16

11. One of the Boys - 2:39

Side C (22:26)

12. Real Love (Piano Demo) - 4:23

13. Help Me to Help Myself - 2:37

14. (Just Like) Starting Over - 3:56

15. I'm Losing You - 3:57

16. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - 4:02

17. Watching the Wheels - 3:31

Side D (22:17)

18. Woman - 3:32

19. Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him - 3:18

20. I'm Stepping Out - 4:06

21. Nobody Told Me - 3:34

22. Borrowed Time - 4:29

23. Grow Old with Me - 3:18

"Here We Go Again" seems like an odd inclusion and way to kick off this second half of the retrospective, being recorded in late 1973; however, it was done after the Mind Games period, and was intended for Rock 'n' Roll, released in 1975, so that's where I've decided to put it. On disc one, I've added in "Stand by Me" and its B-side "Move Over Ms. L", originally intended for Walls and Bridges, as well as an additional unfinished song, "One of the Boys". As for disc two, I've added another unfinished song, "Help Me to Help Myself", and John's version of "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him". Overall, the first half covers 1974-1977, and the second half 1979-1984.

Given how short John's solo career was, I threw in an extra eleven songs, bringing the total up to 47 songs. If I were to throw in an extra three songs to make it 50 even, they would be "Rock and Roll Music" (a Mind Games outtake), "Ain't That a Shame" (the very first song John played on guitar as a teenager) and "Now and Then" (the demo version).