George Harrison

by Alan Clayson

Book by Clayson, Alan

Genres: Biography, Music

493 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Alan Clayson (Dover, England, 1951) is of a late 1970s vintage of composer-entertainers that also embraces the likes of Wreckless Eric, Tom Robinson, Elvis Costello and John Otway. While he is still making regular concert appearances, he has become better known as an author of around thirty books - mostly musical biography. These include the best-sellers "Backbeat" (subject of a major film), The Yardbirds and The Beatles book box.

He has written for journals as diverse as The Guardian, Record Collector, Ink, Mojo, Mediaeval World, Folk Roots, Guitar, Hello!, Drummer, The Times, The Independent, Ugly Things and, as a 'teenager, the notorious Schoolkids 0z. He has also been engaged to perform and lecture on both sides of the Atlantic - as well as broadcast on national TV and radio.

From 1975 to 1985, he led the legendary Clayson and the Argonauts - who reformed in 2005, ostensibly to launch Sunset On A Legend, a long-awaited double-CD retrospective - and was thrust to 'a premier position on rock's Lunatic Fringe' (Melody Maker).

As shown by the existence of a US fan club - dating from an 1992 soiree in Chicago - Alan Clayson's following grows still as well as demand for his talents as a record producer, and the number of versions of his compositions by such diverse acts as Dave Berry (in whose backing group, he played keyboards in the mid-1980s), New Age Outfit, Stairway - and Joy Tobing, winner of the Indonesian version of Pop Idol. He has worked too with The Portsmouth Sinfonia, Wreckless Eric, Twinkle, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, Mark Astronaut and the late Screaming Lord Sutch among many others. While his stage act defies succinct description, he has been labelled a 'chansonnier' in recent years for performances and record releases that may stand collectively as Alan Clayson's artistic apotheosis were it not for a promise of surprises yet to come.

Reviews

[Frank Marzano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of things in this book I didn't know before. But, at times, the author seems more interested in exhibiting his encyclopedic knowledge of the Liverpool music scene than in telling the story of his subject.

[Kenneth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Number one, Do Not listen to this on the Sanctuary Publishing's audio CDs. This is easily the winner of my, "For worst audio production EVER" category for an audio book. It really sounds as if the narrator, Mike Read (who has a nice performance based background - and has won his share of awards), had record this while sitting in the bathroom of a small Brixton flat.
Mike Read also has the habit of reading a bit too fast. Perhaps he was paid by the hour and not the word?
I say that I did not like this book because I know that the man, George Harrison was bigger than Alan Clayson makes him out to be. No, I was not picking this up, with expectations of reinforcing Harrison's place in the Beatlemania Pantheon. I came neither to praise George, or to bury him. I just wanted to learn about George.
Fair enough, Clayson shares some good details and hits on the main points, but he never gets too deep. To write a biography and never to interview the subject for your book is not a winning formula. The author does not really seem to admire Harrison all of that much. Mr. Harrison's well known spiritual quest, which was such a large part of his life, is met with a total lack of appreciation, almost disdain, and sometimes, even mockery.
The author seems to be showing his own hostility to religion, which is his business, but this reader does not care about his lack of faith. It seems that what the Apostle Paul wrote stands true here, at 1 Corinthians 2:15, "However, the spiritual man examines all things, but he himself is not examined by any man."
George Harrison was known as "The Quite Beatle". We know that he was a kind, generous, and caring man. To find out how much, I would recommend picking up another book of him written by someone else.

[Mervyn Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

A serviceable book about a - by now - very familiar story. Has that overly complicated syntax and vocabulary so beloved of music journalists and writers. It's as if they are trying to give gravitas to a subject which is - Dylan et al excepted - fairly mundane and superficial. Talking of Dylan. Clayson labels Every Grain of Sand an 'obscure' song. Maybe to him it is, but to millions of others it's one of Dylan's late masterpieces. I found the appendices to be the most interesting parts of the book.

[Róbert Šedivý · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Harrison je môj najobľúbenejší beatle. Kniha mi poslúžila.

[Joe Seliske · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed history of George Harrison's life right down to all of the guest spots and records that he played on. I had to brush up on my British slang to be able to read it. Well done.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan Clayson is possibly the most erudite and most infuriating writer on pop music there is, and his 2001 bio of George Harrison is the epitome of these aspects of his work. Why do I say this? Well, it would be very hard if not impossible to find anyone else who is so immersed in the culture (maybe it should be the demi-monde) of British sixties pop music and its attendant reflections of and implications for contemporary culture. He is able to tease out juxtapositions, historical contextualisations and assess the merits and values of an obscure album track by a Merseybeat band as it expresses a reinterpretation of a similarly obscure early skiffle or rock track, pepper his observations with humour and semi-faux intellectualism, and give the reader pause to think that maybe one can only understand the Beatles and George Harrison through these prisms.

Now I'm all for complex, nuanced and elaborate examinations of life, of history, of culture. I'm also a fan of British sixties pop music in general, and when Clayson talks about the Hollies, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, or The Troggs my ears prick up a bit. However in this (at times) convoluted bio of George Clayson over-eggs the literary pudding so much it becomes almost indigestible. There are times when all the reader needs or wants is a clear and succinct summary of specific events, relationships and other aspects of Harrison's life. Unfortunately Clayson does get into a 'can't see the forest for the trees' exercise time and time again, to the detriment of what fundamentally should be a great read.

Hopefully these criticisms aren't too harsh, as I still believe that this is a significant achievement in Beatles related literature. Clayson may not have the advantages (or disadvantages) of writing an approved biography, with all the attendant benefits and dilemmas. However he marshals a significant quantity of information about his subject. The extent to which this material is trawled from newspaper articles and other similar documents is at times a concern, however they aren't thrown in haphazardly. His citations are relevant, informative and what they lack in Harrison approval they make up for in being more often than not his own words.

Clayson also creates a personification of Harrison that is neither hero worship nor scandal sheet expose. George is both a curmudgeon and a patient man, a man who luckily ended up in the midst of the greatest pop phenomena in history and who also was at its heart through his own actions. This book reminds one that Harrison was more than the sum of 'the quiet one' or 'the Krishna chanting guy'.

Clayson is possibly at his best exploring Harrison's life outside of his years immersed in playing for and with the Beatles. Looking at Harrison's childhood, his marriage to Patti Boyd, his relationships with Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, his artistic and commercial problems during the solo years; these are the chapters and themes where Clayson thrives. Personally I was happy to see plenty of space and considered examination given of George's years engaged with Handmade Films, and with the Travelling Wilburys.

In summary this is a complicated, albeit times over-written biography of George Harrison. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Harrison and/or the Beatles. However it is not the final word of the subject, and there must be more straightfoward, less obtuse works of biographical prose out there about George.

[Andrew Doran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read if you have not read much about George's life before. I didn't warm to Clayson's style in that he comes across as quite judgemental and acerbic at times, however others may find this direct approach to be refreshing. The appendices felt a little out-of-place and there isn't anything about his death (contrary to the back cover). Other than that, it's pretty good.

[Roberto · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fu##ing boring! This is an exercise on how to make a very interesting subject into a hate reading relationship.