BY DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

 

Propelled on the strength of the legendary Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership, The Beatles would arguably become the most influential group in popular music during their short ten-year stint as a band. However, it would be neither Lennon nor McCartney who would make the first major splash of a former member on the Billboard Top Singles Chart. This distinction would go to singer and guitarist George Harrison, who claimed the spot in 1970 with the single, “My Sweet Lord.

 

Released in November shortly after the unofficial breakup of The Beatles, Harrison’s All Things Must Pass would be significant for a number of reasons. Along with its spawning of the first solo Beatles number one hit, All Things Must Pass has been regarded as the first triple-album release in popular music.

 

 

The original LP housed 23 tracks of all-original music, with exception given to a handful of contributors to the Side 5 jam “It’s Johnny’s Birthday,” as well as to Bob Dylan, who is credited with writing on two of the album’s songs.

 

 

 

The songs which make up the album emerged during the final years of The Beatles’ career as a group, with Harrison’s abilities as a songwriter having expanded exponentially during this period. This progression is evident in the strength of Harrison’s contributions to late Beatles releases such as Abbey Road, which would see inclusion of two Harrison tunes: “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something.” These numbers would become among the band’s most well-known songs.

 

Previous works such as The Beatles – commonly referred to as The White Album – also featured an array of memorable George Harrison songs, including “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Long, Long, Long,” “Savoy Truffle,” and “Piggies.” This period of artistic development for the guitarist served to further exacerbate already tense dynamics within the band in later years, as Harrison began to feel restrained in what was mostly a supporting role as a member of The Beatles.

 

Lennon similarly felt restricted by the trappings of being a key figure in a highly successful pop act, and began seeking other means of expression through solo releases under the “Plastic Ono Band” moniker.

 

Despite Paul McCartney having beaten his bandmates to the punch in terms of solo releases – the first solo Beatle album release would be McCartney in April of 1970, with All Things Must Pass being released in November, 1970, and Lennon following closely on his heels with John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in December of 1970 – Harrison would surpass his former-bandmates and mentors in the charts with his massive, triple-LP release the year of the group’s dissolution.

 

All Things Must Pass would feature an all-star cast of contributing musicians, including Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Bobby Keys, Peter Frampton, and many others. Future classics such as “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beware of Darkness,” and “Art of Dying” solidified Harrison as a legitimate creative force and fueled multiple extended stays in the number-one spot for the record.

 

Future releases from the guitarist and songwriter would see varying degrees of success, with the Harrison discography generally being perceived as having rendered diminishing returns throughout the whole of the 1970s. Though Harrison would see a resurgence in popularity during the 1980s during collaborations with Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison as a member of the Traveling Wilburys.

 

When faced with the unenviable task of establishing himself artistically in the wake of the dissolution of the world’s most popular band, Harrison emerged full-force with a now-classic album packed with material which would inform the very DNA of what has since become the classic rock and singer/songwriter genres.

 

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