George Harrison - The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992
	Released: 2004 Label: Dark Horse / EMI Records Cat. No.: GHBOX1 Total Time: TT1/3 41:11 / GH: 41:26 / SIE 41:14 / GT: 38:45 / CN: 47:02 / LIJ 83:41
	Reviewed by: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, October 2004 No doubt the Concert For George DVD was the most fitting tribute to the "silent Beatle." Although no doubt stacks of unreleased material are around, EMI comes up with a boxset, which for the diehard collector, doesn’t include a lot of must-have goodies. The five albums that are included can all be found in pristine condition for as little as five dollars if you browse the Internet. OK, some bonus tracks have been included, but in total we're only talking of six tracks here, most of which are demo versions of songs you can find in their full arrangement on the actual album. The Live In Japan double album is included as a SACD set, which of course is nice if you actually have such a player at your disposal (although a "normal" player also plays the discs). Of course, this release will also be enthused by Eric Clapton fans, as old "slowhand" accompanied Harrison on tour back then in 1991. So other than the lavish box set, what is interesting for the Beatles and/or Harrison fans? Maybe as the most interesting part in this set comes a nicely packaged DVD. By using different types of paper this digipack almost looks and feels like a release by the famous Genesis Publications company. The DVD itself contains eight videos, four selections from Live In Japan as well as three selections from the film Shangai Surprise. This DVD surely would be the item that would force fans to buy this box set as it is only available here. Today however, this should read "was only available here" as the DVD is also released on its own. So why this box set you may ask? Considering the contents, I ask myself the same question, as I'm dead certain a much more interesting collection of demos, outtakes, unreleased material and live recordings could have done the trick much better. Instead this box set might only interest those people who so far have not one single George Harrison disc at home, but will those people be willing to fork out so much money for this collection? From an artistic point of view, we can give the box full marks (although it's tricky to get the CDs out of the box without tilting the latter), but where contents are concerned, things could've been much better. No doubt a great deal concerns rights, as it's never easy to release certain titles when too many people are involved who all need to give their thumbs up. All we can hope for is that the catalogue number GHBOX1 will soon get a much more interesting follow up with a possible GHBOX2! More about The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992: Track Listing: Thirty Three & 1/3: Woman Don't You Cry For Me (3:18) / Dear One (5:08) / Beautiful Girl (3:39) / This Song (4:14) / See Yourself (2:51) / It's What You Value (5:07) / True Love (2:45) / Pure Smokey (3:56) / Crackerbox Palace (3:57) / Learning How To Love You (4:14) / Bonus Track: Tears Of The World (4:02) George Harrison: Love Comes To Everyone (4:36) / Not Guilty (3:35) / Here Comes The Moon (4:48) / Soft-Hearted Hana (4:03) / Blow Away (4:00) / Faster (4:46) / Dark Sweet Lady (3:22) / Your Love Is Forever (3:45) / Soft Touch (3:59) / If You Believe (2:55) / Bonus Track: Here Comes The Moon (demo version) (3:37) Somewhere In England: Blood From A Clone (4:03) / Unconsciousness Rules (3:35) / Life Itself (4:25) / All Those Years Ago (3:45) / Baltimore Oriole (3:57) / Teardrops (4:07) / That Which I Have Lost (3:47) / Writing's On The Wall (3:59) / Hong Kong Blues (2:55) / Save The World (4:54) / Bonus Track: Save The World (demo version) (4:27) Gone Troppo: Wake Up My Love (3:34) / That's The Way It Goes (3:35) / I Really Love You (2:54) / Greece (3:59) / Gone Troppo (4:25) / Mystical One (3:42) / Unknown Delight (4:16) / Baby Don:t Run Away (4:01) / Dream Away (4:29) / Circles (3:48) / Bonus Track: Mystical One (demo version) (6:02) Cloud Nine: Cloud 9 (3:15) / That's What It Takes (3:59) / Fish On The Sand (3:22) / Just For Today (4:06) / This Is Love (3:48) / When We Was Fab (3:57) / Devil's Radio (3:52) / Someplace Else (3:51) / Wreck Of The Hesperus (3:31) / Breath Away From Heaven (3:36) / Got My Mind Set On You (3:52) / Bonus Tracks : Shangai Surprise (5:07) / Zig Zag (2:46) Live In Japan: Disc One: Want To Tell You (4:36) / Old Brown Shoe (3:55) / Taxman (4:20) / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (3:39) / If I Needed Someone (3:50) / Something (5:21) / What Is Life (4:46) / Dark Horse (4:15) / Piggies (3:17) / Got My Mind Set On You (4:34) Disc Two: Cloud 9 (4:11) / Here Comes The Sun (3:31) / My Sweet Lord (5:42) / All Those Years Ago (4:23) / Cheer Down (4:01) / Devil's Radio (4:24) / Isn't It A Pitty (6:23) / While My Guitar Gently Weeps (7:19) / Roll Over Beethoven (4:34) DVD: Videos: This Song / Crackerbox Palace / Faster / Set On You version I / Set On You version II / When We Was Fab / This Is Love / Selections from Live In Japan: Taxman / Cloud 9 / Devil's Radio / Cheer Down / Selections from the movie Shangai Surprise: Shangai Surprise / Someplace Else / Hottest Gong In Town Musicians: George Harrison - guitars, slide guitar, vocals, ukulele, bass, keyboards + many, many musicians too numerous to mention Contact: Website: www.georgeharrison.com Note: will open new browser window Discography Wonderwall Music (1968) Electric Sound (1969) All Things Must Pass (1970/2001) Concert For Bangladesh (1972) Living In The Material World (1973) Dark Horse (1974) Extra Texture (1975) Best Of George Harrison (1976) George Harrison (1979) Somewhere In England (1981) Gone Troppo (1982) Cloud Nine (1987) Traveling Wilburys - Vol 1 (1988) Best Of Dark Horse (1976-1989) (1989) Traveling Wilburys - Vol 3 (1990) Live In Japan (w/Eric Clapton) (1992) Brainwash (2002) The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 (box set) (2004) The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 (DVD) (2004)
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