The Apple Years: 1968-75 [Box Set]

Viewed as a whole, this set cements Harrison's reputation, not as a huge 60s phenomenon but as a human. [Nov 2014, p.104]

The Quiet One seized his moment with a burst of productivity encompassing 1968's raga-meets-rock-meets-music-hall Wonderwall Music, '69's Moog synthesizer noodle-fest Electronic Sound and '70s sprawling Phil Spector-produced melodic masterpiece All Things Must Pass. [Nov 2014, p.124]

Regardless of the eclectic nature of these albums and their often subpar material, George Harrison deserves the elaborate treatment he gets here which makes this a worthwhile addition to any Beatle lovers’ bulging collection, even if they may not play much of it all that often.

The few bonus tracks here don’t necessarily help enrich the albums, outside of the welcome inclusion on the Material World disc of “Bangla Desh,” the 1971 single that was a precursor to the benefit concerts in New York. If you fancy yourself a scholar of the Fab Four and all their endeavors before and after, this is essential listening to aid you in getting a little closer to appreciating Harrison’s growth as an artist and as a human being.

George Harrison’s artistic output remained coherent with itself, and later works such as Thirty-Three and 1/3 or Cloud Nine are still miles away from ordinariness and well above the average pop songwriting. But this was George Harrison, and his guitar gently wept for us, so people’s benign disappointment with his later, upstanding production is not only justified, but it is somehow an integral part of his production. And this relation comes with this box set.

Only the most devoted Apple Scruff could truly love Extra Texture, or its two immediate predecessors, now. Wonderwall Music, however, documents an innocent optimism that will always be worth a listen.

With much of Harrison's early solo output slammed upon original release, these remasters allow us time to search for the diamonds in the dirt. [Nov 2014, p.109]