On November 29, 2002, a year after his death, a tribute concert for
George Harrison was held at Royal Albert Hall. Friends and family gathered to play his songs, and it was an impressive, if predictable, roster:
Paul McCartney,
Ringo Starr,
Billy Preston,
Tom Petty, and
Eric Clapton, who also served as musical director, took center stage, but
George's son
Dhani Harrison was also there, as was
Ravi Shankar's daughter
Anoushka, early British rock & roller
Joe Brown, and
Gary Brooker. Unlike many all-star lineups, everybody had a close personal connection to
George, which gave the music a real sense of warmth that shines through even when the performances are a little too professional. This can all be heard on Warner Strategic Marketing's double-disc souvenir of the concert, Concert for George. It spans two discs, but it's likely most listeners will skip over the first disc, devoted to
Shankar's music plus a version of "The Inner Light" sung by
Jeff Lynne, and listen to the second, which is filled with
Harrison's big songs, including the
Carl Perkins covers he sang in
the Beatles and "Photograph," which he wrote for
Starr. By and large, these are enjoyable, albeit a tad slick, performances and if
Clapton sometimes sounds a little hoarse, he more than makes up for it by expertly leading the band. The most noteworthy and moving set is by
McCartney, who does a lovely version of "All Things Must Pass," has fun with "For You Blue," and kicks off "Something" only accompanied by ukulele, an instrument beloved by
George, and an arrangement that works so well it's a bit of a disappointment when the full band kicks in. While this isn't an album that would likely get much play -- seeing this in person would have been remarkable; at home, it's much more likely that you'd play
George's own record as a tribute instead of listening to this -- it's a very good tribute concert, one that is heartfelt and enjoyable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine