Amazon.com tracklist - YOUR changes

[Daniel]

Here is the rumored tracklist for Let It Roll, as published on Amazon.com. There have been a lot of complaints here at the George Harrison.com forums. So, let's say one of the executives for the albums, or even Olivia or Dhani happens to be looking through the message board for ideas for changes, what would be your suggestions? Which song(s) would you remove, and which song(s) would you replace them with?

1. Got My Mind Set On You
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
3. The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
4. My Sweet Lord
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack)
6. All Things Must Pass
7. Any Road
8. This Is Love
9. All Those Years Ago
10. Marwa Blues
11. What Is Life
12. Rising Sun
13. When We Was Fab
14. Something (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack)
15. Blow Away
16. Cheer Down
17. Here Comes The Sun (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack)
18. I Don't Want To Do It
19. Isn't It A Pity

[Daniel]

I think that all of these songs would fit perfectly on a 2-disc version, but a lot of them seem very out of place on a 1-disc set.

For a 1-disc version, I say, get rid of:
The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Marwa Blues
Rising Sun
Cheer Down
I Don't Want to Do It

and replace them with:
Bangla Desh (single version)
Dark Horse
You
This Song
Crackerbox Palace

But like I said, all of the other songs would fit perfectly in a 2-disc collection. Perhaps release two versions of Let It Down (like David Bowie's Best of Bowie or Radiohead's The Best Of), giving music buyers the option of 19 hit songs, or 38 classic songs.

Either way, I think you will make the right choice.

[Tim Smith]

For a 1-disc version (I hope there will be a 2-disc set too, of course) I would squeeze This Song in right after My Sweet Lord (the way the Japan track listing originally had it)... the plagiarism tune followed by the sarcastic response. I like that. I would omit Marwa Blues (if people want to promote that it won a Grammy, fine, but why not put a new sleeve on Brainwashed along with a sticker?? I never see that album in stores nowadays)...
I love Rising Sun and I Don't Want To Do It, but the latter is too heavy message-wise for this kind of collection. The latter is a Dylan song. For the former, I would replace it with the single version of Bangla Desh. With the latter, I would put in a never-before-heard song Valentine (IF it exists) OR the original SIE version of Flying Hour (Not the remix).
Finally, I would try like heck to shoehorn the title track from Dark Horse, maybe with an alternate mix (with Giles Martin flying in a non-hoarse George from the sessions; that version has been bootlegged).
Make it 20 cuts or 21 if possible... Make it work (even if it means paring down the end of Isn't It A Pity...)

[Tim Smith]

Daniel, I GET your suggested changes. But I think we're stuck with Frankie Crisp no matter what because of the album title... It is a great song, so I don't mind having it on there...
I also am waffling on This Is Love but that seems to be a fave of the Harrison camp...

[Daniel]

Daniel, I GET your suggested changes. But I think we're stuck with Frankie Crisp no matter what because of the album title... It is a great song, so I don't mind having it on there...
I also am waffling on This Is Love but that seems to be a fave of the Harrison camp...

Hmm...you're probably right. If they edit "Isn't It a Pity" by a minute or two, you could still have room for "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp" (and make it an even 20 songs)
I also agree with you on following "My Sweet Lord" with "This Song." When I first read the original Japanese track listing, I thought that was great. Very George.
And how can you not love "This Is Love"? I for one am glad the Harrisons love this track (they also used it to promote the Dark Horse Years box set)...I think it's the best from Cloud Nine.

[GregoryMCSE]

Which song(s) would you remove, and which song(s) would you replace them with?

To start with I would get rid of the Beatles era photograph on the cover. Pandering for Beatle bucks not allowed in my alternate universe. Cover would be a photo from 1970 to 2001. The picture on the website right now would be perfect.


1. Got My Mind Set On You
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
3. The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
4. My Sweet Lord
5. This Song: Top 30 hit. I add this upbeat underrated Single
6.You: Top 20 hit. Infectious, great riff
7. Any Road
8. Dark Horse: Top 20 hit. A signature song. Title of a tour, a song, an album, a record label..how can it be excluded?
9. All Those Years Ago
10. Devil's Radio: Got a ton of airplay...features long time friend Eric Clapton
11. What Is Life
12. Rising Sun
13. When We Was Fab
14. Bangla desh (Studio version): Top 10 in England. Peaked at 13 in U.S.
15. Blow Away
16. Cloud Nine: Heavy airplay...signature slide guitar work by Mr Harrison.
17. Horse to the Water: Has signature tongue in cheek lyrics, typical George message, and is rare enough to entice
18. I Don't Want To Do It
19. Isn't It A Pity
Other ideas: Substitute the song Valentine for the song Horse to the Water. An alternate version of Dark Horse (with new vocals flown in from demo)


The Cast Off's
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live): 3 strikes. 1. Live 2. It's a Beatles song. 3. Clapton is sloppy on this track.
Something (Live):3 strikes. 1. Live 2. It's a Beatles song. 3.Clapton is sloppy on this track.
Here Comes The Sun (Live): 2 strikes 1. Live 2. It's a Beatles song.
Cheer Down: Good song, not classic enough, not big enough hit.
Marwa Blues: Instrumentals do not belong on a greatest hits album (even lovely instrumentals such as this)
This Is Love: Good song got decent airplay but not a bigger hit than Devil's Radio or Cloud Nine

[Tim Smith]

I doubt Capitol-EMI would delete the live cuts because of the original press release -- dumping those songs now would make them look stupid... (I know what you're thinking, be nice!)
Besides, I love the version of Here Comes the Sun and don't mind it at all. Gently Weeps is somewhat sloppy but still rocks pretty good... nice to hear the Clapton-Harrison dueling...

As for the Beatles-era photo on the cover, I understand why it's there and also understand why some Harrison fans don't think it should be there. I actually love this photo and think the cover does George great service... it will immediately signal to newbies that Harrison WAS in the Beatles and yet had this wonderful solo career -- the three Beatles songs do that , too. If these are the sacrifices to get George's music over to more people what's the problem?
Besides, I'm sure the back photo is solo George.

[GregoryMCSE]

I doubt Capitol-EMI would delete the live cuts because of the original press release -- dumping those songs now would make them look stupid... (I know what you're thinking, be nice!)
Besides, I love the version of Here Comes the Sun and don't mind it at all. Gently Weeps is somewhat sloppy but still rocks pretty good... nice to hear the Clapton-Harrison dueling...

As for the Beatles-era photo on the cover, I understand why it's there and also understand why some Harrison fans don't think it should be there. I actually love this photo and think the cover does George great service... it will immediately signal to newbies that Harrison WAS in the Beatles and yet had this wonderful solo career -- the three Beatles songs do that , too. If these are the sacrifices to get George's music over to more people what's the problem?
Besides, I'm sure the back photo is solo George.

I agree, the Beatles songs are staying. I am just making a wish list. I think the live version of Here Comes the Sun is stunningly good. It was just the principle of the thing. The photo is good marketing. I am sure that George wanted Olivia and Dhani to do whatever they needed to as far as marketing. However, I doubt that he would pick a Beatles era photo for the cover were he still alive. An instrumental really bugs me. I just find the combination of live Beatles songs, a Beatles era photo , an instrumental, as well as the absence of some pretty essential Harrison Hits, disquieting. At the end of the day I will be buying whatever they decide upon.

[Tim Smith]

Gregory, I hear what you're saying. At least they are rethinking some stuff (apparently) about the playlist...

[GregoryMCSE]

No doubt. I am just excited to have a new George Harrison Project to talk about. I have a lot of respect for how Dhani and Olivia have handled George's music. I just enjoy the banter.

[Erchie]

Get rid of Marwa and take "This Song" back and I'll be fine with it.

Also, if the Platinum Weird version of This Guitar is available, I think it would make a better 'bonus' track than I Don't Want To Do It.

Then to go further, I'd like to see Dark Horse and Bangla Desh included too. Crackerbox Palace and You aren't that essential IMO. Dump Rising Sun maybe.

However, if there's a 2-disc edition featuring every top-40 hit (minus Ding Dong ) then this tracklist wouldn't be bad at all.

[whobeatle]

VALENTINE! If you are restricted to one disc, All you have room for is the hits
and one new track to interest fans who already own the hits. George had
roughly sixteen or seventeen top forty hits. So there you are. That is as
a post beatle. From 1970 onwards, depending which charts and countries you
are looking at George had about 17 hits. So you do the hits and add a new song
period. If you start using live versions of beatle songs, Album cuts. At that point
you either have a two disc set or you leave off a lot of the hits which is what they
did. Certainly at a minimum dump Marwa Blues and two other album cuts, put Dark
Horse and Crackerbox Palace back in and one new song. At least then the Dark Horse
and 33 1/3 albums are represented. But George has too much solo work to do a one
disc set with anything more than the hits and one new song. This is not rocket science
it's pretty simple. If you are doing an overview of his solo career as was stated. You
need two. One thing that is wrong is to say oh well I don't think much of Dark Horse or
You or Crackerbox Palace and just leave them out. These were hits people liked them
they were popular, those are the facts. ALso since George did a lot of Wilburys work
two full albums, plus four additional tracks. Handle with care though a group effort
is primarily a Harrison song and should be there because its a classic, and because
thats what happened those are the facts. Add Valentine or some similar song stick
with the hits and promote it. Or do two discs so many of those great album cuts
can be included. Mixing live Bangladesh tracks with pristine solo studio recordings
gives me the hives, to abrupt a contrast between clean studio and noisy live.
This set as advertised on Amazon is dreadful.

[Tim Smith]

Dreadful?
I wouldn't go that far whobeatle. If they make a couple switches, it would be a great album start-to-finish. This Song HAS to be included as well as Dark Horse and Bangla Desh. After that, it's all semantics.
Rising Sun is a fantastic album cut, so is Marwa Blues. But they don't belong here in place of the above tunes. Sometimes I feel Olivia is too close to this and needs to hand it off to somebody with a more objective point of view. George's inner beliefs and the beauty of his music is wonderful. It shines throughout his work. But for this kind of album, just give me the hits and maybe a couple surprises thrown in, too.
The wild card is Giles Martin's production. Maybe these will sound a lot different than what we're used to. Of course, THAT would spark more controversy!

[Erchie]

What I was trying to say was:


You and Crackerbox Palace charted fairly at the time, but haven't got much airplay since and they aren't really fan favourites either.

Dark Horse charted quite good too. It was one of George's personal favourites since he performed it thoughout the Japan tour. And is more liked by the fans than the two above.

This Song charted well and is quite a big of a favourite among fans. It's a mystery why this one wasn't already on Best Of Dark Horse.

Bangla Desh : Since it was left off from LIMTW remaster, this is the one and only place to put it at this point. This is a very big omission.


So looking at it more like what is essential rather than what were hits, I can totally see the exlusion on "Crackerbox Palace" and the more I think of it, "You" as well. But Marwa Blues and Rising Sun really shouldn't be there blocking these gems.

[Tim Smith]

Erchie, I agree with much of your take.
Add This Song, Dark Horse and Bangla Desh, figure it out and I'll be good with it. Also, here's a crazy idea: plug in bits and pieces of the sweet guitar of Marwa Blues in between songs to segue one to the next; at least that would get it represented on this if they are so hell-bent on keeping it.
Personally, and with all due respect, it would stop the momentum of the album if it stays in its entirety. Listening to it (and Rising Sun) on Brainwashed, however, it is totally different and right in place. Perhaps Capitol-EMI should also give Brainwashed a bit of a push. It's not even in Best Buy and hasn't been for a few years.