“With every mistake we must surely be learning.”
George Harrison
I love The Beatles, and their music. Always have, and always will, like many fans. Thus it come as a surprise to some readers that my favourite Beatle has always been ‘the quiet one’ – George Harrison – due partly to his fascination with Indian music and mysticism, but mainly because of his magnum opus, All Things Must Pass, which is one of my favourite albums of all time. Some of my favourite songs of his include Isn’t it a Pity, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Cloud Nine. It’s with this interest and love that I recently picked up Philip Norman’s new biography, titled George Harrison – The Reluctant Beatle, published by Simon & Schuster in 2023.
The biography overall is well reasearched, written and an enjoyable read. It’s divided into three main sections – George’s early years and adolescence (1943-62); his years with the Beatles (1962-70); and his post-Beatles life (1970-2001). Chapters overall are relatively short, with narrative events explained clearly and concisely. The most interesting section by far is his post-Beatles career. Highlights (for me) include the production and release of his masterpiece, All Things Must Pass; his role as a film producer at HandMade Films; his music career resurgence in the late 1980s with his album Cloud Nine; and the creation of the Traveling Wilburys, a musical supergroup (with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison). Relationships with the Beatles, his wives, Pattie Boyd and Olivia Harrison, and his friends (particular Ravi Shankar and Eric Clapton) are also explored throughout.
The major issue with the book, however, is that most of the information in this biography is publicly available online or in print, and has already been published or released before in other media or works. Hence there is no ‘new’ information about George or commentary from his friends and associates. Over 300 pages of this 550 page book recounts The Beatles career, which will be familiar with most experienced Beatles fans. The post-Beatles section is also a tad brief at less than 200 pages to cover 30 years, and could have been expanded greatly with further analysis and commentary from his associates and friends. (I would loved to have a full in-depth chapter on the Traveling Wilburys). The character and personality of George is also never fully explored or analysed, with his influences, motivation and drive in music, film and business skimmed over. Finally, the book ends with his death in 2001, and doesn’t explore his legacy or Beatles projects. These include the release of his posthumous final album Brainwashed in 2002; the release of his greatest hits album Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison in 2009; the remasters of Beatles albums from 2017-22 with Super Deluxe Editions; and finally The Beatles Get Back documentary series, and the 50th anniversary remaster and release of All Things Must Pass, in 2021.
George Harrison – The Reluctant Beatle is a solid and enjoyable biography for the casual reader or new fans of The Beatles, or George Harrison. For more dedicated and knowledgable fans and readers, however, this biography is unfortunately only the tip of the iceberg, and you’re better off buying something else.
Rating: 6/10
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK, 2023
https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/George-Harrison/Philip-Norman/9781398513419
Andrew Reviews 