2For66

In one of his letters John Keats wrote that our lives are built like spider webs anchored on important things in our lives. I see this – in a smaller scale – in my life. As I move through months and seasons I often find I have passions that I indulge and they shape some of my viewpoint.

Thanks to a recommendation of my son Andrew, I had listened to a few episodes the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast. Then last Spring I bought a car that had a 3 month subscription to Sirius XM (This is not an ad or endorsement for the service). I figured “Whatever, I do a better job of collating my music playlists than they can.” Then I discovered Conan has a whole channel on the platform and before I knew it I was all in. For weeks, it was the practically the only thing I listened to in my car. I set up a playlist on my podcast app to pull all the podcast episodes I hadn’t heard. I found snippets on YouTube with Conan, his assistant Sony Movsesian, and producer Matt Gourley (These are hilarious). I listened to the audio book of Sona’s “The World’s Worst Assistant” (which is ALSO very funny). It turns out, Conan is not just funny but is a very warm and caring person. Clearly, Conan O’Brien was one of the branches I was spinning my web on.

In that YouTube/Conan dive I came across him playing George Harrison’s “Old Brown Shoe” as he introduced something called George Fest. George Fest? Never heard of it. It was a concert in Los Angeles in 2014 (and later an album and documentary) in which contemporary artists cover his songs. I love that it’s contemporary artists – most of whom I had never heard of.

Here is the audio of Conan’s introduction of the evening

Then he opens with Old Brown Shoe

You can use this link to get the full set of videos. And just like that, George Harrison is the second branch on which I’ve been weaving my latest web.

George Harrison is my favorite Beatle. (Yes, I’m from a place and time where I have a favorite Beatle). His songs are soulful and he was a great guitar player; there are so many of his songs that have tremendous riffs and solos: Wah Wah, Here Comes the Sun, and of course, While My Guitar Gently Weeps (with an assist from Eric Clapton). I hope these contemporary artists have been successful in introducing George Harrison to a new generation.

Three performances from the concert especially resonated with me. I learned something new about two of the songs – Wah Wah, and All Things Must Pass; the third is a beautiful rendition of Isn’t It A Pity.

Wah Wah

Being a guitar guy, I’ve always loved this rocker. But the mix on the original recording was done my Phil Spector, the “wall of sound” guy. It worked for the girl groups he produced but on the All Things Must Pass album this song sounds so muddy. So, I was absolutely knocked out by Nick Velensi’s (The Strokes) performance of the song. I had never heard of him before I watched this YouTube video. It totally rocks.

It’s evident that “Wah Wah” works on two levels. First it refers to the Wah Wah pedal used in the song; but it also refers to someone crying. The first verse takes on both of these meanings; In the third verse he is getting free of whatever has made him sad.

Wah-wah
You’ve given me a wah-wah
And I’m thinking of you
And all the things that we used to do
Wah-wah, wah-wah

Wah-wah
I don’t need no wah-wah
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free of wah-wah
I don’t need no wah-wah

In the Beatles documentary Let It Be – which was restored and released on Disney+ in May 2024 – it becomes clear that George was getting fed up with fighting Paul over his micromanagement. Here is a clip of one such argument (taken from this Wikipedia article on the documentary)

At one point, McCartney seems to criticize Harrison’s guitar part on ‘Two of Us’ and a mildly tense conversation takes place between them. McCartney says “I always hear myself annoying you” and tells Harrison that this is not his intention. Harrison responds that McCartney no longer annoys him and that he is content to play what McCartney wishes or to not play at all.

Soon after this conversation, George leaves the recording session saying he quitting the band. He wrote Wah Wah between the time he left and returned. In that third verse I imagine him replacing “wah-wah” with “Beatles” (or maybe “Paul”).

Wah-wah
I don’t need no [Beatles]
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free of [Beatles]

All Things Must Pass (the song)

Here is another song about the Beatles break-up. Ann Wilson, Dhani Harrison, Karen Elson and Norah Jones sing.

Previously I assumed the meaning of All Things Must Pass to be about George’s breakup with Patty Boyd (though I’m not really sure about the timing). But after look into Wah Wah, a few of the lyrics gave me pause. Here are the lyric fragments from two of the verses.

Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
.
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After all this my love is up
And must be leaving
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.
.
So I must be on my way
And face another day

“My love is up” and “left you” doesn’t square with Patty leaving; rather, George is surprised he no longer loves someone. But who is that someone? I think George is writing about being surprised that his love for the Beatles has died. While he wrote the song before he left after that argument, it is clear that he has discovered he needs to leave the band.

Isn’t It a Pity

This performance hits me in the feels. It doesn’t have anything to do with George leaving The Beatles; I am just completely knocked out by the haunting voice of Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder.

Summer is closing and we are entering what Keats called the “seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” I think I’ll find some new branches to anchor my next web.

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