Monday, January 16, 2012

"Awaiting on You All"

George Harrison - Awaiting on You All (1970)

Good song, but no My Sweet Lord or All Things Must Pass?




Less than three minutes long, yet packed with enough to last two or three songs for a lesser artist. George Harrison was always "the quiet one" in his former band The Beatles, but when all four released solo albums in 1970 after the band's break-up, only his was a triple album. (It should be noted that Ringo Starr did produce two solo albums in 1970). Produced by Phil Spector and Harrison, the song is full of sounds. Piano and electric bass drive the song along, slide guitar and electric guitar add tone while the drum set is almost overwhelmed by all the percussion instruments, including fairly prominent tambourine, and what is perhaps the single most dominant maraca part I've ever heard. The layered backing vocals and huge sound of all of the instruments give the song a very upbeat celebratory feel. Lyrically it is a song about spirituality, but not necessarily religion. He advocates for Jesus, but condemns both the Pope and former band mate John Lennon. The main theme of the song is that the Lord is waiting for all of us to find Him, and that if we just open our hearts and say his name we are free. No jumping through the spiritual hoops that others place in front of you.

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