Review Of Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Reissue

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It has been just over 50 years since George Harrison released his 1973 solo effort, Living in the Material World. Issued as the follow-up to Harrison’s highly celebrated post-Beatles debut, All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World would struggle to be embraced by some upon its initial release. Whether some listeners were too keen on drawing comparisons between the project to its predecessor, or weather some simply failed to fully grasp the direction of the album, the project has, in many ways, dwelled in the shadow of its more bombastic sister-album in the decades since its release.

Fortunately, the project has been revisited in celebration of its recent 50-year anniversary for an expanded box set released this month- the Living in the Material World 50^th Anniversary Reissue. Naturally, ClassicRockHistory.com seized the opportunity to dive into the set, which in addition to a fresh mix of the original record, provides many early and alternate takes that offer an expanded perspective on what is arguably one of the most underappreciated post-Beatles solo offerings.

Much in the same way as the recent John Lennon reissue projects, the 2024 Living in the Material World reissue makes an active effort to dial in the mixes to achieve certain sonic clarity missing from the initial release. Given the album’s original release year of 1973, muddier mixes were, of course, a symptom of the times. Producer Phil Spector was experiencing a renaissance of sorts during this period following his work on The Beatles’ Let It Be in 1970, along of course with early Lennon and Harrison solo efforts. Though it had initially been planned for Spector to co-produce Living in the Material World alongside Harrison, very few contributions from the former would ultimately make the final cut. This development is said to have been attributed to the increasingly volatile and unpredictable behavior of Spector during this period. Despite a reported emphasis by Harrison on descaling production for the record, the reworked mixes of the present day make for a much leaner, intelligible listening experience in terms of interpreting the arrangements.

While there is something to be said about the precision of the current-day remixes – which include updated mixes of 2006 remaster bonus tracks “Deep Blue” and “Miss O’Dell” – the reworked tracks alone may not necessarily be incentive enough for some fans to shell out for the physical release of this anniversary reissue. To that end, there remains plenty to love about the original mixes, and certain listeners may be hesitant to venture outside the familiarity offered by them. The album’s worth of alternative takes comprising disc-two of the release are certainly warranting of exploration, however.

In many ways, the conservative approach to the reissue – the inclusion of only two discs of material – comes as a relief or sorts. Similar box set reissues to see production in recent years have hit shelves as gargantuan documents featuring five or more discs of material. While fans are likely appreciative of getting more bang for their buck, rifling through these sorts of collections can be an overwhelming and – depending upon the quality of the material contained – sometimes tedious experience. It can occasionally feel like much of the “bonus” material is more filler fare than anything. Such is frequently the case when entire discs of an anniversary reissue come cluttered with unremarkable and/or poorly mixed live performances from around the time of the original album’s release. Thankfully, the 50th-anniversary reissue of Living in the Material World largely eschews such pitfalls, opting instead for a digestible double-disc release predominantly featuring material of merit.

However, one additional piece of audio has been made available as part of the project outside the confines of these discs. This comes in the former of the previously never heard “Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond),” which comes as an exclusive 7-inch disc and features Ringo Starr as well as Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Robbie Robertson of The Band – more on them later. The new package comes in a variety of formats, however. Listeners are given the option to stream or purchase the material digitally, as well as send for physical media versions on CD and/or vinyl. Along with exclusive artwork and an array of vinyl color/splatter variations, some physical releases include booklets featuring exclusive imagery and photography from the Harrison estate.

A special disc of alternate takes from the Living in the Material World sessions allows for listers to peel back the curtain to an extent for a firsthand glance at the recording process. An alternate take of the title track (take 31 to be precise), for example, features a whimsical “one, two, buckle my shoe” count-off from Harrison before launching into a solid, albeit rushed, performance that lands as a fairly close approximation to the footprint of the final cut. Musically, the tune features a galloping drum rhythm and sputtering guitar chords not at all dissimilar to much of the work being done by The Band during this time. In fact, given Harrison’s own admission of having been greatly inspired by the group upon the release of their 1968 debut, Music from Big Pink, it would come as little surprise to learn that “Living in the Material World” came as a result of a similar inspiration.

This is merely speculation of course, but one would be remiss not to acknowledge the similarities between the track and the closing track from The Band’s 1969 self-titled debut, “King Harvest (Has Surely Come.)” From the unconventional rhythmic choices and rootsy, r&b-leaning instrumental work to the softer, more understated sections between verses during which the drums fall out entirely, the album’s title track certainly sounds like something that could have been cut in the basement of Big Pink. It may also be worth noting that the title track from the preceding album, All Things Must Pass was originally envisioned by Harrison as being sung by The Band’s drummer/vocalist, Levon Helm; but that is an altogether different tale.

Harrison brings to the proceedings much of the harmonic interest that continues to endear The Beatles to so many today. He would also continue to explore the high-capo/basic chords approach to writing that spawned timeless classics such as “Here Comes the Sun” during his time with the Beatles and, later, solo cuts like “Isn’t it a Pity?” Recording studio veteran and longtime collaborator Leon Russell is recruited for the recording of “Try Some Buy Some,” where this technique can be heard in practice once again. Between the harmonic movement produced by the bass and the lower strings of Harrison’s guitar, the tune technically follows a progression featuring dozens of chords ranging from standard open chords to augmented flats, diminished sevenths and most everything in between.

This sort of experimentation with dissonance establishes a thematic tension that ebbs and flows throughout the album, coexisting quite effectively with Harrison’s lyrics which primarily concern his own struggles as a spiritual being in a position of celebrity within the material world from which the record takes its name. Fittingly, the aforementioned title track encapsulates the thematic scope of the album, making reference to all three of his former bandmates in The Beatles – with the mention of Ringo giving way to a brief musical respite for a delightfully tasty drum break from the man himself – as well as the Hindu god, Krishna. The track details how The Beatles themselves wound up falling into the trappings of celebrity and the more vapid aspects of culture and society, as well as the continued struggle of Harrison himself to steer clear of such distractions.

“Be Here Now” presents a minimalist arrangement centered around Harrison’s acoustic guitar playing and vocal. Additional flavor is provided by piano from Nicky Hopkins along with organ from Gary Wright and overdubbed sitar by Harrison himself. Eventually the full band falls in, but the dynamics of the track never reach a level of true bombast, opting instead for a more subdued rolling out of the musical presentation. These types of downtempo, minimalist soundscape pieces can be heard cropping up on albums even today, with Red Hot Chili Peppers “If” and The Strokes’ “Call Me Back” immediately coming to mind as modern-day examples of such an approach.

Take 5 of the spectacularly cheeky, “Sue Me, Sue You Blues” opens with Harrison attempting to delineate the precise rhythm and timing to Keltner, whom he addresses by name. These types of moments remain a real treat, particularly to dedicated fans of The Beatles. The opportunity to assume the role of a fly on the wall for even the most mundane of interactions involving any four of the band’s members remains a notion that seems to exist almost outside the confines of reality. Such novelty tidbits can be nothing short of revelatory in terms of the context they provide to society’s collective understanding of a group of artists who have come to be revered almost as deities in the ensuing decades following their breakup as a band.

Despite the fact that some critics were initially hesitant to embrace Living in the Material World following the near universal praise of All Things Must Pass, the album would prove to be a commercial success for the former Beatle, securing the number-one chart spot in several countries across the world including America, Spain, Australia, Belgium, and Canada. Artistically, the album offered listeners the next logical step creatively from its predecessor, implementing a similar formula while trimming the more extraneous features and tightening the scope of contributors to refine the interpretations of the material. Lyrically and conceptually, Living in the Material World presents a more purified distillation of Harrison’s own worldview and struggles both personally and professionally. Initial detractors pointed to a preachiness inherent within the material that could stand to repel some listeners. Though one might argue that the religious and spiritual themes inherent within the album were no far cry in consistency and execution from Harrison’s past work. Though the lens through which the thematic framework is presented throughout Living in the Material World could arguably render such elements more readily apparent by comparison than in past projects.

The commitment to the material on Harrison’s part is perhaps substantial in endearing the overtly spiritual material to listeners or fans who may not necessarily understand or share in Harrison’s faith. The guitarist’s willingness – insistence even – on not only standing behind such notions, but also upon aligning himself directly with them as though the two could be considered one, allows for the expression to come full circle. Thus, manifesting as as personal a representation of Harrison himself as could be considered Lennon’s 1970 solo debut, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. One reviewer made note of the limits to which Harrison was known to stretch his vocal range during this period, comparing the songwriter’s vocal affectations to an imitation of a sitar. In some ways this is an apt comparison, though the unique expressiveness of these vocal stylings brings to the forefront a fragility and humanity that could be argued to ultimately enhance the listener experience. Such moments can be observed during emotionally potent numbers such as “The Light That Has Lighted the World” and “Who Can See It,” respectively.

Despite one’s potential misgivings with regard to particular ideologies and assertions presented throughout the album, the sincerity with which Harrison presents these ideas as conclusively intertwined with who he is as a human on a fundamental level endows Living in the Material World with an authenticity that is borderline unimpeachable. Wherever each listener’s respective thoughts on the album might lie, Living in the Material World indubitably remains a highly significant juncture in the artistic development of one of the most important musicians in pop culture history. The album, along with John Lennon’s Mind Games and Paul McCartney [and Wings’] Band on the Run – all released in 1973 – stands as one of the final gasps of unmitigated studio greatness from the three core Beatles songwriters. Living in the Material World remains a testament to the brilliance and distinctly singular artistry of George Harrison, and these components are further amplified by way of the newly released 50th-anniversary reissue. The Living in the Material World 50^th Anniversary Reissue is currently available for streaming and for purchase. The collection is available in various formats including the super deluxe box set, deluxe vinyl, deluxe CD, and more through the George Harrison website.