| The Apple Years 1968–75 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Box set by | ||||
| Released | 22 September 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 1967–75; 1992 | |||
| Genre | Rock,pop,Indian classical,experimental | |||
| Label | Apple | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Compiler | Dhani Harrison | |||
| George Harrison chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Apple Years 1968–75 is a box set by the English musicianGeorge Harrison, released on 22 September 2014.[1] The eight-disc set compiles all of Harrison's studio albums that were originally issued onthe Beatles'Apple record label. The six albums areWonderwall Music (1968),Electronic Sound (1969),All Things Must Pass (1970; spread over two CDs),Living in the Material World (1973),Dark Horse (1974) andExtra Texture (1975).[2] The final disc is a DVD containing a feature titled "The Apple Years", promotional films from some of his previous posthumous reissues, such asThe Concert for Bangladesh, and other video clips. The box set marks the first time that theDark Horse andExtra Texture albums have been remastered since their 1991 CD release.[1]
Among the bonus tracks spread across the set is an alternative, instrumental version of Harrison's 1968B-side for the Beatles, "The Inner Light"; a remixed version of his non-album single "Bangla Desh"; and a 1992 re-recording of "This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)" (featuring overdubbed contributions fromRingo Starr andDhani Harrison) that was used to promoteDave Stewart'sPlatinum Weird project in 2006.[1] Also included in the package is a book containing essays by author Kevin Howlett and rare photos.[2]
Following an initial statement by Dhani Harrison on social media, the upcoming release ofThe Apple Years 1968–75 was officially announced on 2 September 2014.[3] Each of the six reissued albums was also made available separate from the box set.[4] BothThe Apple Years 1968–75 and the individual reissues were released by Apple and Universal on 22 September in the United Kingdom and 23 September in the United States.[1] The albums were also made available inhigh-definition digital audio configuration on 24 November. Overseen by Dhani, the high-definition versions were mastered in 96 kHz/24-bit digital resolution from the original master tapes, for the first time.[5]
The box set was designed as a companion piece toThe Dark Horse Years 1976–1992, the 2004-issued set covering Harrison's career on hisDark Horse record label.[1] Speaking of why his father's later-period work had been repackaged first, rather than the complete Apple output, Dhani Harrison referred to "politics and legal things", while likening the non-chronological approach to that of theStar Wars film series.[6]
In the US, the release was promoted via a "George Harrison Week" initiative on theTBS television showConan, beginning on Monday, 22 September.[7] Over separate nights that week,Beck performed theAll Things Must Pass track "Wah-Wah",[8]Paul Simon played Harrison's Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun",[7][9] Dhani Harrison and the band Big Black Delta performed "Let It Down" and "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)", both fromAll Things Must Pass,[10] andNorah Jones played "Behind That Locked Door" from the same album.[11] Harrison'sWonderwall Music soundtrack album, as well as the1968 film, were celebrated in an event held at theGrammy Museum in Los Angeles, partly hosted by music journalist and television writerDavid Wild.[12]
Olivia and Dhani Harrison held an online competition in which filmmakers were invited to create a video clip for George Harrison's 1971 hit song "What Is Life". The winner received a $5000 cash prize and their entry became the official video for the track, appearing on the HarrisonYouTube channel and other media platforms.[13]
An all-star concert,George Fest, was held at theFonda Theatre in Los Angeles on 28 September.[14] A benefit for theSweet Relief Musicians Fund, the concert's performers includedBrian Wilson, Dhani Harrison, Norah Jones,Wayne Coyne andSteven Drozd ofthe Flaming Lips,Ben Harper,Spoon'sBritt Daniel,"Weird Al" Yankovic,Ann Wilson ofHeart, andIan Astbury.[15]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 71/100[16] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [17] |
| American Songwriter |  [18] |
| Classic Rock | 8/10[19] |
| The Guardian (Canada) | [20] |
| Mojo | [21] |
| Paste | 7.8/10[22] |
| PopMatters | [23] |
| Q | [24] |
| Record Collector | [25] |
| Uncut | 6/10[26] |
Among initial reviews, Hal Horowitz ofAmerican Songwriter magazine praises the box set's packaging as well as the sound of the remastered albums, and describesAll Things Must Pass as "the undisputed high point of Harrison's solo catalog" and a "five star album [that] overflows with exquisite songs, complex, gorgeously rendered performances and melodies". Horowitz concludes of the set as a whole: "Regardless of the eclectic nature of these albums and their often subpar material, George Harrison deserves the elaborate treatment he gets here, which makes this a worthwhile addition to any Beatle lovers' bulging collection …"[18] In a less favourable review forUncut,Richard Williams writes that "only a devotedApple scruff could loveExtra Texture, or its two immediate predecessors", although he admiresWonderwall Music as an album that "documents an innocent optimism that will always be worth a listen".[26]
AllMusic editorStephen Thomas Erlewine describesThe Apple Years as "a handsomely produced, impeccably remastered box set" with the sound "rich, deep, and alluring". He writes ofAll Things Must Pass being "rightly regarded as the masterpiece" while highlightingWonderwall Music as "a bit of an unacknowledged gem, a frequently intriguing psychedelic relic that represents one of the first serious forays intoworld music by a Western musician". Erlewine concludes of the six albums: "It's hard to deny the ups and downs to be found here, but combined they paint a picture of Harrison's complexities and contradictions, and the music has never sounded better – and each album has never looked better – than it does here."[17]
While viewingAll Things Must Pass as "the only essential record", Michael Gallucci ofUltimate Classic Rock writes: "like all of his former bandmates' solo careers, Harrison's was spotty … [and] the seven years were marked by creative indulgences that didn't always pay off … When they did, the results were right up there with the best of the Beatles' solo material."[27] In a review for theLexington Herald-Leader, Walter Tunis describesAll Things Must Pass as "the finest solo album ever issued by a Beatle" and an album that "belongs in everyone's record collection". Tunis considersExtra Texture to be "a delight", and writes ofLiving in the Material World: "Its appeal is strong, but the spiritual connections seem more obtuse and weighty at times … But there are stunners here, too …"[28]
Writing forPaste magazine, Robert Ham viewsMaterial World as "the album that benefits most from these remastering efforts" and "[the] one ripe for rediscovery". Ham suggests that for die-hard Beatles fans,The Apple Years "is essential listening to aid you in getting a little closer to appreciating Harrison's growth as an artist and as a human being".[22] In his review forThe Second Disc, Joe Marchese compliments the packaging and deems the box set "beautiful inside and out", adding: "The Apple Years presents George Harrison in his many contradictions, but one thing that's crystal-clear is that the music he left behind is music to cherish."[4]
| Disc no. | Original release | Bonus tracks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wonderwall Music |
|
| 2 | Electronic Sound | |
| 3 & 4 | All Things Must Pass |
|
| 5 | Living in the Material World | |
| 6 | Dark Horse | |
| 7 | Extra Texture (Read All About It) | |
| 8 | The Apple Years DVD
|
| Chart (2014) | Position |
|---|---|
| BelgianUltratop 200 Albums (Flanders)[29] | 106 |
| DutchMegaCharts Top 100 Albums[30] | 81 |
| GermanGfK Entertainment Top 100 Albums[31] | 45 |
| ItalianFIMI Albums Chart[32] | 66 |
| USBillboard 200[33] | 167 |
| USBillboard Top Rock Albums[34] | 47 |
