Posted by chazg66 at user-v3qs44p.dialup.mindspring.com on November 30, 2001 at 06:12:22:
In Reply to: George Harrison RIP posted by TangoMania on November 30, 2001 at 04:58:46:
First: A lot of people are going to tell you that this really puts the nail in the coffin (pun intended) for those Beatle reunions. Fuck them. They refused to let their youth go and got John Lennon killed. The Beatles, as a viable group (music band AND business partnership), were done before Altamont showed us the ugly side of ourselves. Sure, he cashed in on his past with the Anthology, but he groused about doing the new songs, and I'm PRETTY SURE he did it just to help Ringo, not out of any love for Paul.
Second: It's not the same as John. John met an UNTIMELY, TRAGIC and VIOLENT end. George died as a lot of the boomers will: aged and a body ravaged by abuse (ciggies, mostly). A lot of baby boomers will be looking in the mirror this morning, noticing age lines and grey hairs that "weren't there last night."
I am all ready dreading the continuous coverage on VH1, the Rolling Stone tribute issue, people hounding Paul McCartney for a quote... Quick, name any song George Harrison (i.e. not Beatle) put out besides "Got My Mind Set On You"(a cover song, by the way) or "My Sweet Lord"(a stolen song according to the courts). Name an album other than Cloud 9 or All Things Must Pass... see? How many of you threw out Extra Texture or Dark Horse or Thirty-Three and a Third? Know the song "Give Me Love" or "You"? Turn on your local classic rocker this morning and I'll bet you will by the end of the hour.
George escaped the Beatles with his dignity and his publishing, which is more than one can say for Masseurs. McCartney and Lennon. No feuds on record, though he sided with John by playing wicked slide on "How Do You Sleep" (Imagine)... he made a cameo in the Beatles send up The Rutles. (also helped finance Time Bandits and Monty Python and the Life of Brian) He seemed to have a dry wit and kept tongue firmly in cheek. He IS to blame for that Maharishi shit, but he did STAY with meditation. Never got sucked in by drugs or booze like the rest of his mates.
He will get coverage BECAUSE he was a Beatle, but like Ringo, it'll be a subdued coverage. He's NOT John Lennon, caustic wit and motivator / divider (you're for him or again' him). He's not SIR Paul Applecheeks and cutesy pop God. No drug overdose, electrocutuion in the tub, deranged fans, "mysterious circumstances"... No, George died just like your neighbor across the street or your uncle Bob. No amount of money yet can beat back aging or cancer.
No, this is a BIG wake up to your parents or your older cousins (well, all of us, because you just never KNOW, do you?). You're getting OLD and dying. George would tell you to meditate and make your peace while you can. Rumor was Paulie went to see him a few weeks ago, and I hope they made their peace, because by all accounts, George never got to with John Lennon. But then again, a LOT of people didn't get to make their peace with John Lennon.
The guy on VH1 is all ready talking about him... he apparently did some press with them with Ravi Shankar a couple years ago,and they're ALL READY running the footage, but he said something I find true. "George wanted no part of hero worship." It strikes me now that Dylan and Lennon reacted caustically to hero worship, Macca seems to revel in it (don't let his AW SHUCKS demeanor fool you) but George would react with dignity. The wasn't the Quiet Beatle, he was the DIGNIFIED Beatle.
You will note, however, that every lead begins with the words "Ex-Beatle"... maybe now he will finally be free of that albatross.
So long, ababy, and AMEN.