Concert for George (2003) Reviews

• A Wonderful Tribute To Nice Guy

  ccthemovieman-12007-01-04

  Here is an all-star tribute to the late Beatle, George Harrison, who died of cancer a few years ago. He was a very gentle, likable guy and you know that just by the turnout of music all- stars here and the tribute these people gave to him - for his life and his music. After the first viewing, I now skip the first 45 minutes of this long concert. It is Eastern sitar music which is okay but not enjoyable enough for me to sit through twice. The concert for most of us Westerners really begins in the second part when host Eric Clapton and the rest perform some of Hasrrison's best songs. Everyone does a good job with the material, doing George's songs proud. I had heard a few of the performances, such as Tom Petty's, were weak but I did not find fault with any performer including his. It was fun to see Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Billy Preston, Jeff Lynne and some of the others. Joe Brown was someone I was not familiar with but he was outstanding and very likable and sang a touching finale. That ending just night bring a tear or two to your eyes.

• so soulful

  jnnhd2004-04-09

  I wish I had been there. As a fan of the Beatles and all British music in the 60's, I was moved by the whole concert. The logistics that went into organising it would have been massive, but it came across as just a happening jamming session. The cameras were not at all intrusive, and captured the spirit of the night beautifully. No pompous wordy tributes to George, just an occasional few words here and there I recognised the main musicians, but would have liked to know who all the others on the stage were. There were some brief interviews with Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, and Olivia Harrison but they were a bit jarring. I would have like to see slightly lengthier interviews and with the other musicians too, about how they fitted into George's life.

• The friends of George Harrison meet on the first anniversary of his death to give a concert celebrating his life and music.

  ctoprefect2003-10-05

  The Concert For George feels like an update to The Concert For Bangla Desh. The two could be watched back-to-back for interesting evening of rock. Unlike many tribute concerts where they get anyone who happens to be on the charts at the time to come and do a song (ie. John Lennon and Bob Dylan), The Concert For George is limited almost exclusively to George's friends and colleagues, most of whom have been putting out great records since the sixties. Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison lead the assembled band through Harrison's best known songs and they are joined by Billy Preston, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney & Ravi Shankar (who wrote a beautiful indian piece for George). Even the gang from Monty Python, George's favorite comedy troupe, turn up to do a couple of sketches. The performances are mostly good and there are a few magical moments (The long coda to "Isn't It A Pity", Clapton's solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", McCartney's rendition of "All Things Must Pass" and the moment when McCartney's ukelele rendition of "Something" suddenly turns into a full band rendition). Every flower petal in England falls from the ceiling during the finale. It's also a little strange seeing Dhani Harrison on stage, as he resembles his father greatly. My only complaint is that they sometimes interrupted a good song (like "Handle With Care") to go to an interview. All in all, great for George's fans or fans of good music in general.

• Concert for George

  mdavisdenver2007-09-19

  We've had a Beatle Fest for the past few weeks at our house - watched much of the Anthology, Ed Sullivan, A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Let It Be, and saved the Concert for George for the finale. With all that in recent memory, I think George would have really enjoyed the concert. The Indian music was wonderful and a good start to the evening. Set the right tone. The choices did showcase George's talent and his optimism, faith, and humor. A few things in response to what I've read/not read here: Understanding why the Lennon sons were not invited - makes sense when limiting the stage to collaborators. With that in mind, Dylan being 'on tour' is just not an OK reason for him not to have attended. He was a Wilbury, the Beatles always gave him a lot of credit for influencing them, the concert was planned nearly from the time George died the year before. No tour date could have been more important. Dylan's still being Howard Hughes. Ringo's words at the beginning of his set were just right. Good attitude of I Loved George and George Loved Me. Thanks for the jelly babies was especially poignant after watching 1964 footage. His choice of 'Honey Don't' got slammed a bit in the reviews - can't understand why. George used the stage name 'Carl Harrison' in the early 60's because he liked Carl Perkins so much. It's just that touch of an old friend knowing what George liked. Added to the diversity - Indian music, country music, his criticism of high taxes, profession of faith. I thought that was a brilliant touch. McCartney can't seem to be forgiven for some non-specific slight. According to the reviews he either tries to hog the limelight or doesn't join in enough. Something was either great or horrible. That kind of thing. I thought he was just right - a hug and a kiss for Dhani and a funny quote from Olivia. He seemed to be very emotional, but controlled. The uke is always a nod to John Lennon, whose mother taught them a few chords on it. George loved it and Paul played that for George when he and Ringo visited him right before his death. Crowd reaction is a guide of how people felt when they saw these two pay their tribute to their friend. Clapton looks a bit irritated and frazzled during some of the show, especially at the beginning - maybe having him as a performer, rather than with the additional duty of musical director would have helped. Everyone was top flight and the production values were astounding. Great class and dignity - both of which Harrison deserved. Still, I can't second-guess any of the choices made by Paul and Ringo. They knew him the best, the longest, through thick and thin. Makes me sad - there will have to be tributes to them. None of us, no one, shares that story from the inside out and I thank them all for giving us moments like this.

• A Real Gem That Captures A Special Night

  tommy-792003-10-05

  I saw this movie with my wife, who is really the big Beatles fan. She loved the movie, and I did as well. The tunes are so well done, you know that George himself was humming along with them in Heaven. Photography is great, and the documentary aspect of the movie really unfolds into a bigger event that makes you feel that you are as much a part of the event as the musical stars themselves. This is really a well done movie, and one that captures the essence of a special moment. The event itself brings magic, or perhaps shows us, the magic of George's music. If you enjoyed the Beatles, you'll love the movie. If you like great music, you'll love the movie. And if you like George Harrison, you'll just get queued up waiting for the DVD release. Enjoy, and treat yourself to the big screen surround sound version of this gem.