I bought this album at a garage sale in the mid-1970s, and it became my favorite Harrison album. There is a spiritual element and elegant quietness that permeate the disc. As a result, it has been my favorite George Harrison album-and in the top three of my favorite post-Beatles albums. And I am a huge Paul McCartney fan!
The improvement in George's voice in the mix,and especially the instruments, certainly George's guitars, really cemented my love of this new mix. It is certainly one of his finest albums, and this new mix really did it justice.
Great video Andrew. I think this new release is stunning and much better than All Things Must Pass, which is a difficult album to sonically improve. George has an excellent voice, full of vulnerability, which this release of Living In A Material World really enhances.
Underrated Harrison album It topped the album chart in the US ,Belgium and Canada. Many outside of the US are unaware of the fact that Give Me Love knocked McCartney's My Love out of the #1 position on the Billboard chart. A feat I'm sure George got satisfaction out of
I wish that they would do a deluxe treatment to the self titled 1979 George Harrison album because I absolutely love his solo hit blow away and the other single faster dedicated to Jackie Stewart, one of his buddies
Living in the Material World is definitely one of George’s greatest albums, up there with All Things Must Pass. It contains some of his most beautiful songs, sublime singing and great guitar work. He would never be this consistent again.
Another great job Andrew! I am looking forward to listening to this remix! My favorite track is the title track. So great to see Sean and Dhani take control of their dads catalogue.
Hi, Andrew! "Living in the Material World" has always been my favorite of George's albums, in part because it came out when I was an impressionable thirteen-year-old, and mostly because it is full of great songs. To me, it betters "All Things Must Pass" in that "Living in the Material World" is a more concise collection of wonderful songs, and is luckily spared the "wall of mud" (I had to laugh at that) that Phil Spector put on "All Things Must Pass". "Living in the Material World" shows all of George's sides - from sly humorist to a deeply spiritual person. I agree with you that the "extras" disc is one of the best parts of this edition, and that the alternate version of "Be Here Now" is marvelous. Every time I hear it, I have to say out loud, "That's beautiful!" My first reaction to the new mix was that it's not "crisp" enough, and pretty heavy on the bass frequencies (despite my being a bass-head), but it depends on where you listen to it and which mix you choose. (To be fair, the original mix always had more bass on it than other George albums did.) After listening to it for almost a week, I've come to like the mixes very much, and I am especially happy that George's vocal is pushed forward more. I'm delighted that the new mix has made our current world take another listen, realize what an incredible album this is, and has given us another excuse to enjoy this music in a slightly new way. I'm very happy with it.
Just listened on streaming. Unfortunately, at this time, I can’t afford the box set. Nonetheless, I am enjoying what I’m hearing. Cheers on another great show Andrew ! I always look forward to them!
I’m one you can count as loving the remix. Material World to me was like Mind Games - some truly great standouts and some by-the-numbers stuff., hampered by a blah mix. This remix has helped break up the cluttered, kinda muddy sound of 73 into something that positively shimmers on the ballads. I can definitely see this rising up on my own George list now. Thanks again for another great in-depth look, Andrew!
I've owned this album on vinyl for years, but have never been into it as much as I have with this new remix. The bonus outtakes and alternate versions are a delight - George's vocals, his slide guitar, and Nicky Hopkins' and Klaus' brilliant playing tops the whole thing off.
Our lovely George had so many sides to his life who brought us so much beautiful music! Living in the material world remix by his son Dhani and his team i love Be here now , Give me peace , Living in the material world , buy some , love the lord, nice packaging and sound quality I'm enjoying my new remix Nice video Andrew , Sail away Raymond should have been on 2cd set too and maybe the price on super deluxe album cd version a little to expensive but i guess all box sets are being over priced! Thank you! Mind games ultimate box sets by Sean like you said gave us more for the price
Happy to see this review, in light of the initial review. As far as the album inserts go, I'm a bit mystified as well. I do know from my days as a merchandiser for a record distribution company they would send out somewhat smaller album sleeves to be used as decoration pieces in the shop, keeping the $$ inventory level of the "real" record low in case it didn't sell. I doubt this is the reason, but if it is a mistake, 50 years from now if you have the rare mis-cut sleeves, you can sell them for a fortune! Also, I highly recommend the book, "The Music of George Harrison-While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Awesome, extensive book on all his recordings, might be out of print, and it only goes up to the initial cuts of Brainwashed. Two things of note, Klaus Voorman emphatically states the record was recorded at George's house, not Apple, they worked on this side-by side with Nicky Hopkins, "sadly forgotten" The Tin Man was a Dreamer, with George contributing slide guitar solos to that effort. Sunshine life for me (sail away Raymond) is a precursor to more in that vein, aka...The Traveling Wilburys. Simple songs, rich harmonies and lot's of guitars! The Ringo version reflects that.
George was My favorite Beatle for sure!! Every LP is a good one! Some exceptional some so so! But I loved his faith and love topic song the best! RIP! Great work again from Andrew the magnificent 😛👍😉🎉
The new mixes bring George's voice more to the front, and the instruments are clearer. He sounds great. This has always been my favorite album of his. I appreciated that they kept the original beautiful art work and extras, like the lyric sheet. People who have never bought vinyl really miss out on how much care some artists put into album art, like photos on the labels and inner fold out photos. This was one of the best at that time. I understand that George's widow, Olivia, says this is her favorite of his work. I also have the 1973 45 single of "Give Me Love", which has one of my favorite B-Sides, "Miss O'Dell". A new mix is available in the expanded packages, but not on the single vinyl one. The last line of the song supposedly has Paul McCartney's then-telephone number!
I'm hoping to pick up a copy of the vinyl set, assuming that it's not too expensive. The All Things Must Pass set was amazing, that's my favourite album of all time, so I had to get that one, especially as they included so many previously unreleased recordings. It is a shame that there's not as many unreleased songs on this one, but I suspect that might be down to there not being as many unreleased songs from those sessions. With ATMP, there's that whole acoustic session where George played through the songs for Phil Spector and they just happened to record it. He probably didn't do that for this album. One thing that they could have included as a bonus is the version of Sail Away Raymond from the Ringo album. There's also 2 versions of Miss O'Dell so it'll be interesting to see which version is on here, perhaps even one we haven't heard before. There's a version where he cracks up laughing and another where he gets through the full song, both end with him reading out his neighbour's phone number.
Excellent video. Great to see one Paul Hicks involved. Wonder if he'll remix some Hollies albums? Also, wonder if these rereleases from John and George may inspire Macca. At any rate a great album and I prefer it to All Things Must Pass.
Hi Andrew, I've not heard the Living in the Material World LP, but will give it a listen! I have recently heard Red Rose Speedway which I quite like!! It must have been strange also with the Beatles red and blue albums in the chart! Cheers for a great video. Looking forward to the 1964 Beatles mono video.
I agree with you about the vinyl and CD combo for the same reasons. Paul has done a similar concept with Thrillington album. Got the vinyl with a digital download card.
The new mixes are great. I always loved this album, it gets lost a little in the giant shadow cast by ATMP. Nice review, and thanks for sharing this video, I throughly enjoyed it.
I like the new remix very much, giving off a clearer/cleaner less down vibe than that which bothered some with the original mix. Also I so wish that George would have toured behind this album in 1973 with this backing band instead of Dark Hoarse in 1974.Touring behind ATMP & LITMW would have been one of the top tickets in 1973. The original Sunshine Life For Me with George on vocals backed by the Band is a great find, I love it.
I enjoy your videos, they are informative and professional, I just feel I need to say, and I know its all subjective, but 1973 was not a 'dark and depressing place' it was wonderful, it was free it was less complicated, we even had John Paul George and Ringo alive and with us, christmas lights were lanterns of pastel colours, (yes there were issues, there are always issues), purely from a person standpoint I love every minute of 1973. Would I go back, yes but being in my mid 60's would still like a few more years on me. Great video.
@Parlogram yes I respect your opinion and do not doubt your, these things are from a person perspective and experience, love the 70s, some parts of the 80s for me were kinda dark and depressing, we cannot walk in each others shoes but tether a little bit of empathy for each other.
The lack of a proper outer sleeve and the CDs/Vinyl being released together reminds me of the 50th anniversary releases of The Doors albums, which came in heavy, high quality portfolios with the vinyl in a pocket on one side and the CDs exposed in pockets on the other. Excellent breakdown of the set, helped me decide if it was worth paying extra for.
Another great video, Andrew. I am very much enjoying your foray into the Beatles' solo careers. This LP has always been one of the standout solo efforts and is equal to ATMP in my opinion. Shame he never really achieved that consistency again.
I completely agree with you regarding box sets that include vinyl and cd. It just feels complete without having to buy seperate sets. Im looking forward to getting Material World, i still have my 1973 original vinyl and single Give me Love. I have lots of fave tracks, however, i wish George had released Don't let me wait too long as a single, i feel sure it would have been successful. One of my favourite albums from George is his eponymous 1979 LP, i think its a masterpiece, and i hope it gets a box set . Thanks for all your informative vids 👦👍🎶
Great review Andrew. Although I have the original LP from when it came out, and the cd from the Apple Years box, I will have to check this out. I agree it’s up there with ATMP and is possibly his best effort. An ironic story about the material world and how I came to own my first copy in 1973, I won The Beatles Red and Blue set on WAVZ radio (must have been several weeks after the release). Well, when the package arrived in May I suppose, guess what ? No Beatles albums only one album which was George’s new album LITMW. To say I was pissed was an understatement. Oddly enough, it was karma as I didn’t need those Beatles records as I already had those songs on LPs and 45’s. I got to love the album even through the anger, 😅 and still do. Oddly the same thing happened a few short years later when they sent me Elvis Costello’s 2nd album instead of what I was supposed to get. Guess what ? Same reaction. Loved that record too from the first needle drop. I still think some DJ nicked my albums, but at the end of the day, what I got was probably better for me. Cheers
Try using Japanese style round bottom inners if you want to make use of those printed inner sleeves. That's what I've always done and it works out well. 👍
Thanks for your very detailed video. I have not yet received my copy, and watching these videos make the wait more pleasurable. I love this Album and it would have been nice to have decent covers for the LPs and to put some clothes on the naked CDs. One thing I've noticed in these Box Sets is the Blue Rays ALWAYS gets better treatment with their covers and presentation. C,mon Courier hurry up
When CSNY released the 50th Anniversary edition of Deja Vu I was thirlled to see both the CDs and Vinyl in one package. Best of both worlds is always the way to go IMHO. They followed it up with a "best of" the bonus tracks pressing for Record Store Day. Another smart move to tap into those who bought only the vinyl edition.
@@gernblanston3363 I don't pay streaming sites. I only buy cds. To revert back to buying.vinyl now would be too expensive although I understand the appeal, art work etc 👍 🇬🇧
I absolutely LOVE the new remix and remaster of this, George’s 1973 masterpiece, an album I bought on its initial release all those years ago. I bought the 2cd only set this time round as I don’t play vinyl any more and indeed, as I don’t have surround sound capabilities, the blu ray would have been a waste of money so I’ve saved myself a wedge of money. The new anniversary version has brought to life all the instrumentation but more importantly George’s vocals now sound fuller and more present than on the previous 2006 box set…a joy to behold! All in all I’m delighted with this “cleaner” LITMW…special thanks must go to Paul Hicks et al for a job well done… and to dear George of course ❤
Thanks, Andrew: always loved this album. I actually prefer it to ATMP, due to Spector's absence. I really love the bonus album: I did get the 2 lp set.
So - why have I never heard of this album before ? I honestly cannot list Harrison's solo albums... but not Ringo's either. In a Beatles quiz I will never move past the 3rd question.
I've loved this album since I was a kid, it was the only Beatles solo album my parents owned (on record, which shows my age 😭). I think it's one of the rare "Perfect" albums, where every single song is at least really good, and most are great.
I like the all encompassing box sets, but only if they don't skimp on the packaging of the individual items (the CDs should be in sleeves and the LP should be complete). Cloud Nine, which was a commercial and pretty much critical success, would make an excellent Super Deluxe box set.
“All Things Must Pass” and the “Concert For Bangladeshi” can be considered “Beatles Solo Projects.” Starting with “Living In The Material World” George became his own man, shedding his Beatle past and rarely looking back. This is a fantastic George Harrison album, made even better by the remix. The outtakes disc is full of pleasant surprises and revelations. I chose to buy the 2 cd version as I no longer own a turntable.
This is the George album I grew up with. It's the one my dad owned. So, naturally I love it. The couple of the new mixes I've heard sound amazing. I really love how much care Dhani and Sean are taking with their dad's work of late.
Fully agree with you having a mixed vinyl and CD boxset but many of those (especially on SDE) would not agree. Having the option of vinyl only, cd only or a combo of both satisfies everyone and helps keep prices reasonable. New Order have been doing this for a while and the recent Brotherhood box set continues in this style.
The remix didn't change my view on this George Harrison album. Like it did with John Lennon's "Mind Games". I've always found "Living In The Material World" a little low-key and dull. I love the first two tracks, but that's all. And a remix didn't change how I feel. I agree the musicianship is great, but the songs just don't speak to me. I think "All Things Must Pass" is much better. I don't care for the next two George Harrison albums after this, as well. Same thing, two tracks I like or love, and that's it. The only other George Harrison album I'm hoping to get a super deluxe set, is "Cloud Nine". I think that has great commercial potential. They could cover from "Shanghai Surprise" all the way to George's 1992 Royal Albert Hall UK concert. They could include all of the spare standalone songs, and even the early "Brainwashed" tracks. That would make for a great deluxe box set.
I think this is a better album than All Things honestly. More cohesive, less filler. It’s a spiritual album more than a commercial one.amd it doesn’t have Phil Spector drowning out the great songs
The box looks amazing. I have found that there are different sizes of those paper sleeves. I have sone Iron Maiden maxi singles that have the same issue. I still have the CD from the 90 and then the Deluxe cd box set from the 2000’s which I really treasure. Maybe I will get the vinyl now!
As always, I only wanted the BluRay, as I have the 1st ed which I bought at the time. I listen on streaming, but a standalone BluRay would be wonderful for MY pocket. Fabulous videos as usual. Thank you so much. Barty
I always loved when George went on Dick Cavett and publicly shamed the Capitol Records CEO. George didn’t give a single f*** about playing nice when his intentions were challenged and sabotaged.
For that quarter, they should have used the images of the one that was auctioned in 2009 for $10,925, nearly 44 thousand times the face value. I don't mind if a super deluxe edition includes "all" formats, but I dislike it when some material isn't included on all of the formats, especially when it's put on vinyl only. It's also annoying, for example with the Revolver box, where an additional disc was created as an "EP" for the stereo and mono single Paperback Writer/Rain, when those tracks could have been tacked on to the end of the stereo and mono album discs.
The box set is very well produced and the music sounds great with a clarity that was missing from the original release. Definitely one of George’s best albums. Thanks for your review of it, Andrew!
You mentioned the 1964 Beatles albums at the end and it got me to realize that, incredibly, this album was released only NINE years later! What a musical revolution!
Remixing Dark Horse with a laryngitis-free replacement George AI vocal would be an interesting experiment. It’s probably already out there on the You Tubes somewhere 👍
Dark Horse Box Set?? Extra Textra Box Set?? I love both of these Albums, but I won't be holding my breath waiting for the treatment as of this and ATMP. These Albums did not do too well in sales and a very unfortunate reputation followed. I hope they do though and I will purchase.
Nice job on the video, Andrew. I have always loved this album and I think the remix is well-done. Certainly opens the sound up and George's vocals, just beautiful. I found myself really appreciating Klaus Voorman's bass more than ever on this remix. I am pleasantly surprised to report one of my least favorite tracks on the original album, Try Some Buy Some, sounds marvelous on the outtakes album. I really dig the stripped down version.
I have never been a big fan of this album, there are a few very good songs and as always, a superb backup band. I am passing on this new release, I have listened to the new remixes via streaming and do agree the remixes have improved this album, but I still prefer 33 1/3rd and the self-titled album. Cheers from Texas!
George's big mistake was to release a three-LP album when the Beatles folded. He should have released the songs, one album at a time. Would have satisfied the public for a couple of years at least.
I understand the marketing aspect, but his popularity was at it's highest and he'd been sitting on those songs for a few long years. I imagine he wanted enough music to tour as a solo artist, also.
He definitely should have ditched the third album of jam sessions which are unlistenable to in my view and made All Things Must Pass a double, not a triple, album.
Not being able to get the Blu-Ray without buying useless vinyl is absurd. I stopped playing vinyl when CDs came out in the early 80s. The flaws and limitations of the format are not worth my time, or my money. I'd pay twice as much for the super deluxe set if it was available without vinyl. And the fact that there are tracks in the set that are ONLY available on vinyl, not the CDs or the Blu-ray is short-sighted and rude to the fans.
The vinyl fetish is a bit silly (liking the packaging is a different matter). As an audio engineer friend put it many years ago, 'it's a bit like being a flat-earther and claiming to have a reasonable view.'
Great review Andrew. I acquired the LITMW album as an 8th grade graduation gift and have played it all my life. I’m 65 now. I purchased the remaster that came out around 2006 and also bought the Harrison Apple Years box that came out in 2014. I was disappointed with those mixes as I thought they were muddy. I’ll be getting the new box set for Christmas and look forward to this new mix. It sounds as if it’s what I’ve been waiting for. Don’t let me wait to long. 😊
"Though we started out quite poor, we got Richie on a tour." It's one of my favorite albums that I bought in the 70s! Bringing his vocals more to the front is a welcome relief. That was the issue with "What is Life," from ATMP. Great upload!
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) was one of George's best solo songs, original and beautifully played with his slide guitar work; but I think LITMW is sadly let down by the rest of the set, other than The Day The World Gets Round - and Miss O'Dell, which should have been on the 73 album release, instead of just the flip side of the Give Me Love single. The gatefold sleeve photography of George as the pompous Pontiff unintentionally reflects his overbearing (if not hypocritical) preachiness of this period (a visual Freudian slip, maybe) which finds him midway in his artistic descent from ATMP to the nadir of Extra Texture and it's "hit", You, which was so uninspired that Ronnie Spector didn't want to release her gifted version - so George simply replaced her vocal with his, and put it on an album whose Granny Smith record label is changed to a masticated apple (another visual Freudian slip representing the state of his music). We love George so we forgive the religious excess, to some degree. He turned it all around with 33 and 1/3, which sounds as fresh today as the day I bought it in 1976. The artwork for ALL George's solo albums reflects good taste and originality; in fact, the artwork for all four Beatles solo albums consistently set aesthetic standards during the last five decades - even when the music within its cardboard covers was less appealing, and all the while they were trying to distance themselves from each other.
Hi Andrew What a great review and immersion into this new box. I only picked up the code version, but when becomes available again I may go all the way. I'm curious how and what you are using to listen to the Atmos in headphones. I have a vintage receiver only been inputed with stereo left and right. My blu ray player will play atmos but coming out of my receiver in stereo,
Great review Andrew! I love the remix it brings the album to life more. The sound is much fuller and George’s Vocals are more upfront. I didn’t get the super deluxe . I just got the two cd set. I am hoping for a standalone Blu-ray release. In the future. Have a great week Andrew!
Your videos are great always. Wonderfully informed (and how!). And you know what is pertinent and what to leave out, a rare skill. .Bravo! (I have been listening to and loving the lads since 1964,, when I was eleven..)
This album was a number 1 hit in some places but 1974's Dark Horse didn't sell - which seems like audiences were initially disappointed by this and stopped buying George albums.
Hey Andrew…. Another fab video. I agree, whilst the new mix is crisper, and an improvement upon the 1973 model, it’s not quite as much of a revelation as Mind Games was (both the 2002 and 2023 remixes). Lovely sat overall, but I do agree that one more disc of demos and other outtakes would’ve been nice. Your dubiousness about future albums getting the box set treatment is something that I agree with. I almost feel like this set had a smaller budget than the one for ATMP, and I would expect perhaps a double CD release moving forward for some of the future albums. I don’t really collect the vinyls, so I would’ve preferred a third CD instead of the vinyls in the set and to have them sold separately as has been the custom. But that’s me.
I agree with you, Andrew. It’s a great mix and Be Here Now is sublime. It’s right up there with ATMP….. not quite as good in my book, but close. I’m not sure the rest of his 70s output is commercial enough for the box set treatment…… what do you think?
I bought this and I'd never heard it so I was looking forward to it but I've got to say it's not very good. I wanted to like it but it's a bit dull. The first track is good I'll give you that, nice wee tune but the album itself is godawful. The Lennon album Mind Games box set is really good though.
I have George's Living in The Material World album from 1973 & I'm nearly 73 & I am still listening to John, Paul, George& Ringo Music.
I bought this album at a garage sale in the mid-1970s, and it became my favorite Harrison album. There is a spiritual element and elegant quietness that permeate the disc. As a result, it has been my favorite George Harrison album-and in the top three of my favorite post-Beatles albums. And I am a huge Paul McCartney fan!
The improvement in George's voice in the mix,and especially the instruments, certainly George's guitars, really cemented my love of this new mix. It is certainly one of his finest albums, and this new mix really did it justice.
Great video Andrew. I think this new release is stunning and much better than All Things Must Pass, which is a difficult album to sonically improve. George has an excellent voice, full of vulnerability, which this release of Living In A Material World really enhances.
Underrated Harrison album
It topped the album chart in the US ,Belgium and Canada.
Many outside of the US are unaware of the fact that Give Me Love knocked McCartney's My Love out of the #1 position on the Billboard chart.
A feat I'm sure George got satisfaction out of
He must have loved that...
I wish that they would do a deluxe treatment to the self titled 1979 George Harrison album because I absolutely love his solo hit blow away and the other single faster dedicated to Jackie Stewart, one of his buddies
Signed copy of Self-titled online auction ends Monday 19:00 in uk, presently £250!! genuine signature.
I’m in this boat! Both this and 33 1/3 are great albums, and I still prefer both to Material World just as far as great songs go.
Living in the Material World is definitely one of George’s greatest albums, up there with All Things Must Pass. It contains some of his most beautiful songs, sublime singing and great guitar work. He would never be this consistent again.
Yes! I think it is his best; I can say for sure that it’s my favorite.❤️
I think this is definitely his masterpiece, fine ,fine album , bless George
Another great job Andrew! I am looking forward to listening to this remix! My favorite track is the title track. So great to see Sean and Dhani take control of their dads catalogue.
Hi, Andrew! "Living in the Material World" has always been my favorite of George's albums, in part because it came out when I was an impressionable thirteen-year-old, and mostly because it is full of great songs. To me, it betters "All Things Must Pass" in that "Living in the Material World" is a more concise collection of wonderful songs, and is luckily spared the "wall of mud" (I had to laugh at that) that Phil Spector put on "All Things Must Pass". "Living in the Material World" shows all of George's sides - from sly humorist to a deeply spiritual person. I agree with you that the "extras" disc is one of the best parts of this edition, and that the alternate version of "Be Here Now" is marvelous. Every time I hear it, I have to say out loud, "That's beautiful!" My first reaction to the new mix was that it's not "crisp" enough, and pretty heavy on the bass frequencies (despite my being a bass-head), but it depends on where you listen to it and which mix you choose. (To be fair, the original mix always had more bass on it than other George albums did.) After listening to it for almost a week, I've come to like the mixes very much, and I am especially happy that George's vocal is pushed forward more. I'm delighted that the new mix has made our current world take another listen, realize what an incredible album this is, and has given us another excuse to enjoy this music in a slightly new way. I'm very happy with it.
Just listened on streaming. Unfortunately, at this time, I can’t afford the box set. Nonetheless, I am enjoying what I’m hearing. Cheers on another great show Andrew ! I always look forward to them!
I’m one you can count as loving the remix. Material World to me was like Mind Games - some truly great standouts and some by-the-numbers stuff., hampered by a blah mix. This remix has helped break up the cluttered, kinda muddy sound of 73 into something that positively shimmers on the ballads. I can definitely see this rising up on my own George list now. Thanks again for another great in-depth look, Andrew!
I've owned this album on vinyl for years, but have never been into it as much as I have with this new remix. The bonus outtakes and alternate versions are a delight - George's vocals, his slide guitar, and Nicky Hopkins' and Klaus' brilliant playing tops the whole thing off.
Our lovely George had so many sides to his life who brought us so much beautiful music! Living in the material world remix by his son Dhani and his team i love Be here now , Give me peace , Living in the material world , buy some , love the lord, nice packaging and sound quality I'm enjoying my new remix Nice video Andrew , Sail away Raymond should have been on 2cd set too and maybe the price on super deluxe album cd version a little to expensive but i guess all box sets are being over priced! Thank you! Mind games ultimate box sets by Sean like you said gave us more for the price
Always enjoy your videos, Andrew. Thank you for the review! I’ll have to wait and see if I get this next month for my birthday or Christmas. - Roger
High praise indeed. I've been listening to the Beatles since 1976 but have never got round to hearing this. On my Christmas list now.
Happy to see this review, in light of the initial review. As far as the album inserts go, I'm a bit mystified as well. I do know from my days as a merchandiser for a record distribution company they would send out somewhat smaller album sleeves to be used as decoration pieces in the shop, keeping the $$ inventory level of the "real" record low in case it didn't sell. I doubt this is the reason, but if it is a mistake, 50 years from now if you have the rare mis-cut sleeves, you can sell them for a fortune!
Also, I highly recommend the book, "The Music of George Harrison-While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Awesome, extensive book on all his recordings, might be out of print, and it only goes up to the initial cuts of Brainwashed. Two things of note, Klaus Voorman emphatically states the record was recorded at George's house, not Apple, they worked on this side-by side with Nicky Hopkins, "sadly forgotten" The Tin Man was a Dreamer, with George contributing slide guitar solos to that effort. Sunshine life for me (sail away Raymond) is a precursor to more in that vein, aka...The Traveling Wilburys. Simple songs, rich harmonies and lot's of guitars! The Ringo version reflects that.
Amazing video as usual, Andrew.
Glad you enjoyed it!
George is my favourite solo Beatle 🎸✌️
Same
Yes!
George was
My favorite Beatle for sure!! Every LP is a good one! Some exceptional some so so! But I loved his faith and love topic song the best! RIP! Great work again from Andrew the magnificent 😛👍😉🎉
Thank you again, Cleve!
The new mixes bring George's voice more to the front, and the instruments are clearer. He sounds great. This has always been my favorite album of his. I appreciated that they kept the original beautiful art work and extras, like the lyric sheet. People who have never bought vinyl really miss out on how much care some artists put into album art, like photos on the labels and inner fold out photos. This was one of the best at that time. I understand that George's widow, Olivia, says this is her favorite of his work. I also have the 1973 45 single of "Give Me Love", which has one of my favorite B-Sides, "Miss O'Dell". A new mix is available in the expanded packages, but not on the single vinyl one. The last line of the song supposedly has Paul McCartney's then-telephone number!
I'm hoping to pick up a copy of the vinyl set, assuming that it's not too expensive. The All Things Must Pass set was amazing, that's my favourite album of all time, so I had to get that one, especially as they included so many previously unreleased recordings. It is a shame that there's not as many unreleased songs on this one, but I suspect that might be down to there not being as many unreleased songs from those sessions. With ATMP, there's that whole acoustic session where George played through the songs for Phil Spector and they just happened to record it. He probably didn't do that for this album. One thing that they could have included as a bonus is the version of Sail Away Raymond from the Ringo album. There's also 2 versions of Miss O'Dell so it'll be interesting to see which version is on here, perhaps even one we haven't heard before. There's a version where he cracks up laughing and another where he gets through the full song, both end with him reading out his neighbour's phone number.
Excellent video. Great to see one Paul Hicks involved. Wonder if he'll remix some Hollies albums? Also, wonder if these rereleases from John and George may inspire Macca. At any rate a great album and I prefer it to All Things Must Pass.
i was happy to find out memberships were only 2 bucks a month. great video as always
Thanks for your support!
Love 33 1/3 too. And, of course, All Things Must Pass.
Hi Andrew, I've not heard the Living in the Material World LP, but will give it a listen! I have recently heard Red Rose Speedway which I quite like!!
It must have been strange also with the Beatles red and blue albums in the chart! Cheers for a great video. Looking forward to the 1964 Beatles mono video.
I agree with you about the vinyl and CD combo for the same reasons. Paul has done a similar concept with Thrillington album. Got the vinyl with a digital download card.
I Am SO EXCITED for the US Album unboxing.
Sorry, but the unboxing has been cancelled but our review will follow next weekend.
The new mixes are great. I always loved this album, it gets lost a little in the giant shadow cast by ATMP. Nice review, and thanks for sharing this video, I throughly enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it, Ronald.
I like the new remix very much, giving off a clearer/cleaner less down vibe than that which bothered some with the original mix. Also I so wish that George would have toured behind this album in 1973 with this backing band instead of Dark Hoarse in 1974.Touring behind ATMP & LITMW would have been one of the top tickets in 1973. The original Sunshine Life For Me with George on vocals backed by the Band is a great find, I love it.
I enjoy your videos, they are informative and professional, I just feel I need to say, and I know its all subjective, but 1973 was not a 'dark and depressing place' it was wonderful, it was free it was less complicated, we even had John Paul George and Ringo alive and with us, christmas lights were lanterns of pastel colours, (yes there were issues, there are always issues), purely from a person standpoint I love every minute of 1973. Would I go back, yes but being in my mid 60's would still like a few more years on me. Great video.
I was 6 years old in 1973 and would love to go back too. But for many people of working age, my parents included, they were tough times.
@Parlogram yes I respect your opinion and do not doubt your, these things are from a person perspective and experience, love the 70s, some parts of the 80s for me were kinda dark and depressing, we cannot walk in each others shoes but tether a little bit of empathy for each other.
The lack of a proper outer sleeve and the CDs/Vinyl being released together reminds me of the 50th anniversary releases of The Doors albums, which came in heavy, high quality portfolios with the vinyl in a pocket on one side and the CDs exposed in pockets on the other.
Excellent breakdown of the set, helped me decide if it was worth paying extra for.
Another great video, Andrew. I am very much enjoying your foray into the Beatles' solo careers.
This LP has always been one of the standout solo efforts and is equal to ATMP in my opinion. Shame he never really achieved that consistency again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I completely agree with you regarding box sets that include vinyl and cd. It just feels complete without having to buy seperate sets. Im looking forward to getting Material World, i still have my 1973 original vinyl and single Give me Love. I have lots of fave tracks, however, i wish George had released Don't let me wait too long as a single, i feel sure it would have been successful. One of my favourite albums from George is his eponymous 1979 LP, i think its a masterpiece, and i hope it gets a box set . Thanks for all your informative vids 👦👍🎶
Thanks Gary! Glad you enjoy them.
Great review Andrew. Although I have the original LP from when it came out, and the cd from the Apple Years box, I will have to check this out. I agree it’s up there with ATMP and is possibly his best effort.
An ironic story about the material world and how I came to own my first copy in 1973, I won The Beatles Red and Blue set on WAVZ radio (must have been several weeks after the release). Well, when the package arrived in May I suppose, guess what ? No Beatles albums only one album which was George’s new album LITMW. To say I was pissed was an understatement. Oddly enough, it was karma as I didn’t need those Beatles records as I already had those songs on LPs and 45’s. I got to love the album even through the anger, 😅 and still do. Oddly the same thing happened a few short years later when they sent me Elvis Costello’s 2nd album instead of what I was supposed to get. Guess what ? Same reaction. Loved that record too from the first needle drop. I still think some DJ nicked my albums, but at the end of the day, what I got was probably better for me.
Cheers
I’d like somewhere in England I think that’s a great album ❤
Try using Japanese style round bottom inners if you want to make use of those printed inner sleeves. That's what I've always done and it works out well. 👍
Exactly the same as I do and I do so because Andrew himself recommended that on a past video.
Agree. those Japanese inners are just perfect for this.
My super deluxe is in the mail .
Loved LITMW and have three box sets and I am so looking forward to this set .
Good on you , thank you ❤😂
Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for your very detailed video. I have not yet received my copy, and watching these videos make the wait more pleasurable. I love this Album and it would have been nice to have decent covers for the LPs and to put some clothes on the naked CDs.
One thing I've noticed in these Box Sets is the Blue Rays ALWAYS gets better treatment with their covers and presentation.
C,mon Courier hurry up
When CSNY released the 50th Anniversary edition of Deja Vu I was thirlled to see both the CDs and Vinyl in one package. Best of both worlds is always the way to go IMHO. They followed it up with a "best of" the bonus tracks pressing for Record Store Day. Another smart move to tap into those who bought only the vinyl edition.
Cd's and LP.
Unfortunately I don't have a record player... So definitely I'm going to pick up the CD only set. As long as I get the music, I'm happy. 👍🏼👍🏼
@@gernblanston3363 I don't pay streaming sites. I only buy cds.
To revert back to buying.vinyl now would be too expensive although I understand the appeal, art work etc 👍 🇬🇧
I absolutely LOVE the new remix and remaster of this, George’s 1973 masterpiece, an album I bought on its initial release all those years ago. I bought the 2cd only set this time round as I don’t play vinyl any more and indeed, as I don’t have surround sound capabilities, the blu ray would have been a waste of money so I’ve saved myself a wedge of money. The new anniversary version has brought to life all the instrumentation but more importantly George’s vocals now sound fuller and more present than on the previous 2006 box set…a joy to behold! All in all I’m delighted with this “cleaner” LITMW…special thanks must go to Paul Hicks et al for a job well done… and to dear George of course ❤
Thanks, Andrew: always loved this album. I actually prefer it to ATMP, due to Spector's absence. I really love the bonus album: I did get the 2 lp set.
I've said many times that Spector's wall of sound was great...for AM radio. Once you step up to even a modest hi-fi system, you'll dislike it.
So - why have I never heard of this album before ? I honestly cannot list Harrison's solo albums... but not Ringo's either. In a Beatles quiz I will never move past the 3rd question.
I've loved this album since I was a kid, it was the only Beatles solo album my parents owned (on record, which shows my age 😭). I think it's one of the rare "Perfect" albums, where every single song is at least really good, and most are great.
I like the all encompassing box sets, but only if they don't skimp on the packaging of the individual items (the CDs should be in sleeves and the LP should be complete).
Cloud Nine, which was a commercial and pretty much critical success, would make an excellent Super Deluxe box set.
“All Things Must Pass” and the “Concert For Bangladeshi” can be considered “Beatles Solo Projects.” Starting with “Living In The Material World” George became his own man, shedding his Beatle past and rarely looking back. This is a fantastic George Harrison album, made even better by the remix. The outtakes disc is full of pleasant surprises and revelations. I chose to buy the 2 cd version as I no longer own a turntable.
I have always loved this album and Dark Horse.
Time to get my amplifier fixed!
I can imagine Sue me Sue you blues being on Lennons Imagine album
Great video yet again Andrew.
Hi from Aussie
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the George album I grew up with. It's the one my dad owned. So, naturally I love it.
The couple of the new mixes I've heard sound amazing. I really love how much care Dhani and Sean are taking with their dad's work of late.
Somehow I think George would have found that 1974 quarter hilarious if he were alive for this 2024 release.
Very nice boxset. I hope Bangladesh/Deep Blue gets the same treatment soon as it was left out of this release.
Thank you Andrew
You're welcome!
Probably my favorite George solo album
It's his concept album. It's his "A Day in the Life."
Fully agree with you having a mixed vinyl and CD boxset but many of those (especially on SDE) would not agree. Having the option of vinyl only, cd only or a combo of both satisfies everyone and helps keep prices reasonable. New Order have been doing this for a while and the recent Brotherhood box set continues in this style.
Excellent video. Thank you so much. Hugs from Vancouver-BC
You are so welcome!
The remix didn't change my view on this George Harrison album. Like it did with John Lennon's "Mind Games". I've always found "Living In The Material World" a little low-key and dull. I love the first two tracks, but that's all. And a remix didn't change how I feel. I agree the musicianship is great, but the songs just don't speak to me. I think "All Things Must Pass" is much better. I don't care for the next two George Harrison albums after this, as well. Same thing, two tracks I like or love, and that's it. The only other George Harrison album I'm hoping to get a super deluxe set, is "Cloud Nine". I think that has great commercial potential. They could cover from "Shanghai Surprise" all the way to George's 1992 Royal Albert Hall UK concert. They could include all of the spare standalone songs, and even the early "Brainwashed" tracks. That would make for a great deluxe box set.
I think this is a better album than All Things honestly. More cohesive, less filler. It’s a spiritual album more than a commercial one.amd it doesn’t have Phil Spector drowning out the great songs
It’s his second best release. “All Things Must Pass” Is his best and the second best release by an ex-Beatle ( after Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band”).
Great video. I was 11 when it was released and didn’t like that much Will give it a try with this new mix.
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you like the new mix!
Big fan of these new mixes ❤
The box looks amazing. I have found that there are different sizes of those paper sleeves. I have sone Iron Maiden maxi singles that have the same issue.
I still have the CD from the 90 and then the Deluxe cd box set from the 2000’s which I really treasure. Maybe I will get the vinyl now!
As always, I only wanted the BluRay, as I have the 1st ed which I bought at the time.
I listen on streaming, but a standalone BluRay would be wonderful for MY pocket.
Fabulous videos as usual.
Thank you so much.
Barty
Thanks Barty. Glad you enjoyed it.
I always loved when George went on Dick Cavett and publicly shamed the Capitol Records CEO. George didn’t give a single f*** about playing nice when his intentions were challenged and sabotaged.
love love this set! Sounds great ! I really hope they do Dark Horse next
For that quarter, they should have used the images of the one that was auctioned in 2009 for $10,925, nearly 44 thousand times the face value.
I don't mind if a super deluxe edition includes "all" formats, but I dislike it when some material isn't included on all of the formats, especially when it's put on vinyl only. It's also annoying, for example with the Revolver box, where an additional disc was created as an "EP" for the stereo and mono single Paperback Writer/Rain, when those tracks could have been tacked on to the end of the stereo and mono album discs.
The box set is very well produced and the music sounds great with a clarity that was missing from the original release. Definitely one of George’s best albums. Thanks for your review of it, Andrew!
You mentioned the 1964 Beatles albums at the end and it got me to realize that, incredibly, this album was released only NINE years later! What a musical revolution!
Maybe it was the production, but my favorite one has always been “Darkhorse”
Bravo Andrew, interesting as usual 😊
Thank you Riccardo!
Remixing Dark Horse with a laryngitis-free replacement George AI vocal would be an interesting experiment. It’s probably already out there on the You Tubes somewhere 👍
Dark Horse Box Set??
Extra Textra Box Set??
I love both of these Albums, but I won't be holding my breath waiting for the treatment as of this and ATMP. These Albums did not do too well in sales and a very unfortunate reputation followed.
I hope they do though and I will purchase.
Nice job on the video, Andrew. I have always loved this album and I think the remix is well-done. Certainly opens the sound up and George's vocals, just beautiful. I found myself really appreciating Klaus Voorman's bass more than ever on this remix. I am pleasantly surprised to report one of my least favorite tracks on the original album, Try Some Buy Some, sounds marvelous on the outtakes album. I really dig the stripped down version.
Thanks Anthony. Glad you enjoyed it.
@@Parlogram You're welcome!
I have never been a big fan of this album, there are a few very good songs and as always, a superb backup band. I am passing on this new release, I have listened to the new remixes via streaming and do agree the remixes have improved this album, but I still prefer 33 1/3rd and the self-titled album. Cheers from Texas!
George's big mistake was to release a three-LP album when the Beatles folded. He should have released the songs, one album at a time. Would have satisfied the public for a couple of years at least.
I agree
All things must pass is a beautiful box collection that keeps its place in musical history.
It’s like saying the white album should be one disc .
I understand the marketing aspect, but his popularity was at it's highest and he'd been sitting on those songs for a few long years. I imagine he wanted enough music to tour as a solo artist, also.
He definitely should have ditched the third album of jam sessions which are unlistenable to in my view and made All Things Must Pass a double, not a triple, album.
I feel that way as well, its a throw-away recrd, but it is cool to hear all those musicians jamming.
Best Beatle remix since the Lennon remixes from 20 years(?) ago. Missed opportunity for All Things Must Pass, in my opinion.
Now my Sunday's complete..thanks man✌️
Not being able to get the Blu-Ray without buying useless vinyl is absurd.
I stopped playing vinyl when CDs came out in the early 80s. The flaws and limitations of the format are not worth my time, or my money.
I'd pay twice as much for the super deluxe set if it was available without vinyl.
And the fact that there are tracks in the set that are ONLY available on vinyl, not the CDs or the Blu-ray is short-sighted and rude to the fans.
The vinyl fetish is a bit silly (liking the packaging is a different matter). As an audio engineer friend put it many years ago, 'it's a bit like being a flat-earther and claiming to have a reasonable view.'
LOL at the Madonna sample at the start
Guess I'm washing my OG for a fresh spin!
Great review Andrew. I acquired the LITMW album as an 8th grade graduation gift and have played it all my life. I’m 65 now. I purchased the remaster that came out around 2006 and also bought the Harrison Apple Years box that came out in 2014. I was disappointed with those mixes as I thought they were muddy.
I’ll be getting the new box set for Christmas and look forward to this new mix. It sounds as if it’s what I’ve been waiting for.
Don’t let me wait to long. 😊
Thanks Darren. Hope you enjoy yours!
"Though we started out quite poor, we got Richie on a tour." It's one of my favorite albums that I bought in the 70s! Bringing his vocals more to the front is a welcome relief. That was the issue with "What is Life," from ATMP. Great upload!
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) was one of George's best solo songs, original and beautifully played with his slide guitar work; but I think LITMW is sadly let down by the rest of the set, other than The Day The World Gets Round - and Miss O'Dell, which should have been on the 73 album release, instead of just the flip side of the Give Me Love single. The gatefold sleeve photography of George as the pompous Pontiff unintentionally reflects his overbearing (if not hypocritical) preachiness of this period (a visual Freudian slip, maybe) which finds him midway in his artistic descent from ATMP to the nadir of Extra Texture and it's "hit", You, which was so uninspired that Ronnie Spector didn't want to release her gifted version - so George simply replaced her vocal with his, and put it on an album whose Granny Smith record label is changed to a masticated apple (another visual Freudian slip representing the state of his music). We love George so we forgive the religious excess, to some degree. He turned it all around with 33 and 1/3, which sounds as fresh today as the day I bought it in 1976. The artwork for ALL George's solo albums reflects good taste and originality; in fact, the artwork for all four Beatles solo albums consistently set aesthetic standards during the last five decades - even when the music within its cardboard covers was less appealing, and all the while they were trying to distance themselves from each other.
I wonder if Dark "Hoarse" will get some kind of A.I. treatment/generation to clear up the vocals in a future release?
Hi Andrew What a great review and immersion into this new box. I only picked up the code version, but when becomes available again I may go all the way. I'm curious how and what you are using to listen to the Atmos in headphones. I have a vintage receiver only been inputed with stereo left and right. My blu ray player will play atmos but coming out of my receiver in stereo,
Thanks Bill. Glad you enjoyed it. I am using Airpods Pro for the Atmos.
Great review Andrew! I love the remix it brings the album to life more. The sound is much fuller and George’s Vocals are more upfront. I didn’t get the super deluxe . I just got the two cd set. I am hoping for a standalone Blu-ray release. In the future. Have a great week Andrew!
Thanks Matt. Glad you enjoyed it!
I would dearly love to see a Dark Horse super deluxe .
I love that album 😂❤
Your videos are great always. Wonderfully informed (and how!). And you know what is pertinent and what to leave out, a rare skill. .Bravo! (I have been listening to and loving the lads since 1964,, when I was eleven..)
Thank you kindly, Sir.
This album was a number 1 hit in some places but 1974's Dark Horse didn't sell - which seems like audiences were initially disappointed by this and stopped buying George albums.
Hey Andrew…. Another fab video.
I agree, whilst the new mix is crisper, and an improvement upon the 1973 model, it’s not quite as much of a revelation as Mind Games was (both the 2002 and 2023 remixes).
Lovely sat overall, but I do agree that one more disc of demos and other outtakes would’ve been nice. Your dubiousness about future albums getting the box set treatment is something that I agree with. I almost feel like this set had a smaller budget than the one for ATMP, and I would expect perhaps a double CD release moving forward for some of the future albums.
I don’t really collect the vinyls, so I would’ve preferred a third CD instead of the vinyls in the set and to have them sold separately as has been the custom. But that’s me.
Thanks
Thank you for the review, Andrew. This album always brings peace to my heart.
Sunshine life for me was on the Ringo album. Perhaps he used this backing track?
I agree with you, Andrew. It’s a great mix and Be Here Now is sublime. It’s right up there with ATMP….. not quite as good in my book, but close. I’m not sure the rest of his 70s output is commercial enough for the box set treatment…… what do you think?
Buying a 50 year old album telling me to 'Be Here Now'? George would have appreciated the irony.
I bought this and I'd never heard it so I was looking forward to it but I've got to say it's not very good. I wanted to like it but it's a bit dull. The first track is good I'll give you that, nice wee tune but the album itself is godawful. The Lennon album Mind Games box set is really good though.
2:59 isn't it always?
I can't see "Dark Horse" getting a super deluxe treatment.
8:10 Earth-347 alternate universe Raymond album CONFIRMED