Concert for George

Disc 1
1	Sarve Sham
2	Your Eyes (Sitar Solo) / Anoushka Shankar
3	The Inner Light / Jeff Lynne
4	Arpan / Anoushka Shankar
Disc 2
1	I Want To Tell You / Jeff Lynne
2	If I Needed Someone / Eric Clapton
3	Old Brown Shoe / Gary Brooker
4	Give Me Love (Give Me Piece on Earth) / Jeff Lynne
5	Beware of Darkness / Eric Clapton
6	Here Comes the Sun / Joe Brown
7	That's The Way It Goes / Joe Brown
8	Taxman / Tom Petty
9	I Need You / Tom Petty
10	Handle with Care / Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison
11	Isn't It a Pity / Billy Preston
12	Photograph / Ringo Starr
13	Honey Don't / Ringo Starr
14	For You Blue / Paul McCartney
15	Something / Paul McCartney & Eric Clapton
16	All Things Must Pass / Paul McCartney
17	While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Paul McCartney & Eric Clapton
18	My Sweet Lord / Billy Preston
19	Wah Wah / Eric Clapton
20	I'll See You in My Dreams / Joe Brown

Barnes & Noble

It's not surprising that George Harrison had a lot of friends. Nor is it a shock that they'd choose to stage a musical memorial for the late musician. What is something of a revelation, however, is the degree to which Harrison's peers put their own egos aside in order to let his spirit shine through at that tribute, the best moments of which are presented on this two-disc set (and a simultaneously released DVD set). The first disc here is made up entirely of music from the Indian sub-continent -- sounds that inspired Harrison for much of his life. While it may be a bit of a stretch for some listeners, it's rife with beautiful moments, such as the 23-minute, sitar- and tabla-based "Arpan," led by Ravi Shankar, who wrote the piece for his protégé. The set's second disc brings to the fore Harrison's own music, both as a Beatle and beyond, from versions of "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It a Pity," both of which feature lead vocals from longtime collaborator Billy Preston, to a stunning, extended take on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," rendered as a moving duet between Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton. A pair of Harrison's Traveling Wilbury mates, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, check in with a sweet, ambling take on "Handle With Care," while Ringo Starr takes a charming lead turn on "Honey Don't." Concert for George is a lovely epitaph for the quiet Beatle, but it's also a reminder of the still-living music he left behind. David Sprague

All Music Guide

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, and Gary Brooker. Unlike many all-star lineups, everybody had a close personal connection to George, 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 George, 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 George'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

Blender

[A] dignified and affecting collection of 20 songs Harrison either wrote or loved. Andy Pemberton