It makes me puke to utter his namesake as "The quiet Velvet" but Sterling had as much to do with the VU sound as George had with the Beatles'. I saw Sterling Morrison backing up Maureen Tucker just months before
his untimely death, but i don't remember anybody mourning him. Sure, Sterling never did any solo albums (or even any lead vocals for that matter), but without the immense world fame, were they really all that different?
― christoff (christoff), Monday, 10 March 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)
Inarguably, Sterling was simply way, way cooler, but George
did write a boatload of great songs, which I'm not the same could be said about ol' Sterl. Still, though....
MUCHcooler.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)
WHo cares about cool? I love them both but what's with all the knee-jerk Harrison hate? I wrote this to another list when George died, some personal fave GH moments:
"I Need You", was on the fifth album (Help), yet this was only the second George Harrison composition Lennon/McCartney had allowed to appear on a Beatles alb. but oh, what a song. The volume pedal effect used on GH's guitar line is cool, essential to the song's impact.
"Wah Wah" from All Things Must Pass. Some great big ole bombastic production that really gives the song an epic sway. This is why Spector was the correct choice to produce the album.
"Love You Too". People make a big whoop about how GH introduced the sitar into western pop w/ its use in "Norwegian Wood", but fuck that. all the sitar does in that song is pluck out a simple melody, an exoticized accoutrement. Anyway, right around the same time that track was recorded the Yardbirds were also experimenting w/ the sitar on their track "Heart Full of Soul", but ultimately the instrument was scrapped in favor of Jeff Beck gtr. "Love You Too", on the other hand, was upon its release the most aggressive East/West psych move of the era, a perfectly disorienting admixture the way it just shows up there 4 tracks into Revolver. Which also contained...
"I Want to Tell You" Couple notable things - The way the very simple piano line moves from consonance to dissonance at the end of each verse is completely effective, it feels creepy. Another great part is the last five seconds of the song, where the line "I've got time" gets extended with a bit of eastern style vocal melismata as the track fades out. GH is getting crafty at this stuff.
Electronic Music lp. Early attempt at a record composed entirely of moog synthesizer sounds. Yeah, it's ultimately not as good as say the Morton Subotnick stuff, but it's still fucking reet. Recorded at a time when Tangerine Dream were farting around with guitars and drums!
"It's All too Much" Forgotten track from the fairly dispensable Yellow Submarine. Starts out w/ a ferocious burst of feedback. The rest of the song has GH's most acidic guitar work.
"Isn't It a pity" beautiful lament from ATMP. Two versions on the record, but I prefer the first.
"The Inner Light" on Past Masters 2. cool track recorded in Bombay with indigenous musicians. Harrison doesn't even play on the track, just sings.
"Badge" by Cream. GH co-wrote and gtred.
"Blue Jay Way" archetypical psychedelic track from MMT, with its early use of the Leslie speaker for vocal effect.
"Behind That Locked Door" from ATMP. I would love to hear George Jones cover this country-ish number. Features some wonderful understated steel guitar from the Pete Drake.
"Mr. Moonlight" from Beatles for Sale (maybe my fave Beatles alb) features George playing an African drum as the main accompaniment - apparently Ringo was relegated to playing background congos on the session.
"Something" obvious, but it's such a beautiful melody. I've always loved that contemporary video where it shows all the Beatles with their wives strolling together through a garden. Classic, even if the lyrics are daff.
OK, so much as I love Sterling by dint of his membership in VU, what did he contribute besides some cool strumming?
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 11 March 2003 02:12 (twenty-two years ago)