5 keepers
keeper avg .454
Though George Harrison's second album doesn't quite measure up to its impressive predecessor All Things Must Pass it still has some strong points, the first being its unassuming but heartfelt lead single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"*****. It's followed by the weary but witty "Sue Me, Sue You Blues"****, a fun listen however embittered. Fortunately he either sees the light at the end of the tunnel or finally focuses his pain on "Who Can See It"****, a soaring ballad with all of John Lennon's immediacy but executed better. The light rocker "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long" pretty much establishes the default George Harrison folk-rock sound. The nearly perfect first side closes with the title song****, which rocks with a bluesy gallop and has the good sense to take a couple atmospheric breaks ("From the spiritual sky Such sweet memories have I"). Side two suffers by comparison but features the powerful "Try Some Buy Some"*****, a waltz-time ballad that's the only song on the album that's the equal of the memorable title song or "Isn't It A Pity" from the previous album. Except for the preachy Karma-101 lesson "The Lord Loves The One" the remainder of the album is made up of merely listenable ballads such as "That Is All" (the closing track which sounds similar to "Something") and the soothing "Be Here Now". Harrison also gets annoyingly religious or observational on "The Light That Has Lighted the World" and "The Day the World Gets 'Round." My 2006 remaster copy includes the silly but fun countrified "Miss O'Dell"****, where the apparently surprised Harrison cracks up laughing at some of Jim Keltner's percussion fills; the b-side to "Give Me Love" sounds similar to "Apple Scruffs" from All Things Must Pass.
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