On November 29, 2002, a year after his death, a tribute concert for
George Harrison
was held at
Royal Albert Hall
. Friends and family gathered to play his songs, and it was an impressive, if predictable, roster:
Paul McCartney
,
Ringo Starr
Billy Preston
Tom Petty
, and
Eric Clapton
, who also served as musical director, took center stage, but
George
's son
Dhani Harrison
was also there, as was
Ravi Shankar
's daughter
Anoushka
, early British rock & roller
Joe Brown
Gary Brooker
. Unlike many all-star lineups, everybody had a close personal connection to
, which gave the music a real sense of warmth that shines through even when the performances are a little too professional. This can all be heard on
Warner Strategic Marketing
's double-disc souvenir of the concert,
Concert for George
. It spans two discs, but it's likely most listeners will skip over the first disc, devoted to
Shankar
's music plus a version of
"The Inner Light"
sung by
Jeff Lynne
, and listen to the second, which is filled with
Harrison
's big songs, including the
Carl Perkins
covers he sang in
the Beatles
and
"Photograph,"
which he wrote for
Starr
. By and large, these are enjoyable, albeit a tad slick, performances and if
Clapton
sometimes sounds a little hoarse, he more than makes up for it by expertly leading the band. The most noteworthy and moving set is by
McCartney
, who does a lovely version of
"All Things Must Pass,"
has fun with
"For You Blue,"
and kicks off
"Something"
only accompanied by ukulele, an instrument beloved by
, and an arrangement that works so well it's a bit of a disappointment when the full band kicks in. While this isn't an album that would likely get much play -- seeing this in person would have been remarkable; at home, it's much more likely that you'd play
's own record as a tribute instead of listening to this -- it's a very good tribute concert, one that is heartfelt and enjoyable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine