Thirty-Three & 1/3

[The Big Guy]

Released in 1976.

[Kylenz]

This is a much better album than his previous one (Extra Texture). It's got a bit more punch, a bit of funk, the arrangements are semi-interesting, the songs - while still not of stellar quality - are more uplifting than their recent predecessors. My pick of the bunch is This Song.

[mervap]

I've had this one on vinyl for ages, but never listened to it much...finally got it on CD a while back. A few thoughts...

If there was ever a Harrison album that resembled a Macca album, in the 70's, this is it...stylistically, "33 1/3" covers some real ground...in fact, this may be better than Paul's offering of 1976, "Wings At the Speed of Sound". Both albums suffer from typical late 70's thin-ish production, but both have some good things to offer.

This album opens with "Woman Don't You Cry For Me", a funky sounding song that might have slotted nicely on a Stevie Wonder album. The next two tunes are as achingly beautiful as anything George ever wrote: "Dear One" and "Beautiful Girl". "This Song", which follows, is an amusing romp through the world of music publishing lawsuits, produces a song that is WAY more fun than that description would indicate. If one listens closely, "See Yourself" would have fit snugly on "All Things Must Pass". My personal fave on "33 1/3" is the next song, "It's What You Value"...very true sentiment, if a bit preachy, but listen for the COWBELL!

George, like Paul, seems to have an affection for songs of bygone eras...Cole Porter's "True Love" is one of those and it gets the full Harrison treatment with some tasty slide guitar. "Pure Smokey" follows and is a sweet tip of the cap to Smokey Robinson, with a neat Motown groove complete with smooth horns. George's laconic sense of humor returns in "Crackerbox Palace", a reggae-fied stab at the strangeness of life. The last track is "Learning How To Love You"...very jazzy and laid back, the lyrics are a poetically oblique tribute to an unnamed love...is it God or Olivia? The cool thing is, it could be either...or both.

I recall a reviewer once said of "33 1/3", "it pushes forward in the most gentle and inoffensive way possible." An apt description, methinks.

[MeanMrMustard]

Agreed. Had it on vinyl for ages as well (I've yet to update to cd of this particular one-which of course is nothing less than shameful for a Harrison devotee, but gimme time, gimme time lol) Always liked on this album "Crackerbox Palace" and Hari's nice remake of the old standard "True Love" (w/ George's trademark guitar licks). Yes, "This Song" is hilarious in light of the "quiet" ex-Beatle's then-current copyright tribulations taking on The Chiffons!! I'm aghast!! LOL (for the record, in my humble opinion, My Sweet Lord is NOT a direct rip-off of "He's So Fine", it's just similar ..besides, Hari (w/ ALL HIS TALENT..I mean, come on ! this is the SAME GUY who wrote "Something" for godsake ) would never need to "lift" anyone's existing tune ..not consciously, I mean  Incidently, I can't give the same praise to anything on Extra Texture (except for the catchy "You")

ps, happy Gnu Year all you great Beatle people!

[Kylenz]

Happy new year to you too! Let's hope it's an exciting one. I agree, the Chiffons song and George's are 2 different songs to me. Yes, they are similar, yes the lawsuit was understandable, but My Sweet Lord is a completely different entity. What I mean to say, is that it took on a life of its own. Its own character. Aside from the melody and chord progressions / modulations, the treatment and feel is unlike the other.

Hilarious video to 'This Song' too!