The least assuming and least pretentious of the former Beatles probably had the best sense of humor, especially about himself. From the liner notes of both 1974's DARK HORSE (Get THIS: "Be kindly Wanderer through this Garden's ways. Nor let Thine indignation prompt thy Hand to cast Revengeful Stones. Because perchance an Imperfection Thou hast found. Some flower laid low or wan; Some tree Bearing no Fruit; Some scene o'erwrought; Some theme thy whim abhors, Some strange defect, Thy skill would ne'er let be, The Gardener wiled to make his Garden fair, Most for thy Pleasure.") and 1975's EXTRA TEXTURE ("OHNOTHIMAGEN" [oh not him again!]), and now the opening of GONE TROPPO ("Here I go again - Hear that knockin'? Won't you let me in?") (And later, his association with the Monty Python crowd.)

Of course, like ex-bandmates John and Paul, George was portioned out way more than his fair share of criticisms. Reviewers, as well as a good deal of the public in general, treated them all unfairly for failing to continue to be the Beatles. And though Macca bore the lion's share (and continues to for being so "pop"-py), George did not escape the break-up backlash. And this after the Mega-hit debut ALL THINGS MUS PASS (a mostly dark and forboding collection of songs) and the Grandaddy of Benefit Concert Albums THE CONCERT FOR BANGLA DESH. While his continued faith in Hinduism alienated him from many former fans, it mystically colored much of his music in many ways since 1966.

So . . . after a decade-long lifetime as a "Beatle," and nine solo albums of increasingly unjustified scathing critical reviews, GONE TROPPO was released in 1982 (Let's see, 10 albums, or 14 vinyl records, in 12 years - I guess he hadn't really dropped off the face of the earth after all.) Most people don't even know this album existed. The LP was released with absolutely no promotion whatsoever due to some record distribution company's impending backruptcy.

And so, at the height of one of the biggest musical voids in music history (Check this out - Billboard Magazine's top hits of 1982 were: 1. I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Joan Jett; 2. Ebony and Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder; 3. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor; 4. Centerfold - J. Geils Band; 5. Maneater - Hall and Oates; 6. Jack & Diane - John Cougar; 7. Don't You Want Me - Human League; 8. Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes; 9. Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band; 10. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago; 11. Truly - Lionel Ritchie; 12. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Hall and Oates; 13. Mickey - Toni Basil; 14. Who Can It Be Now? - Men at Work; and 15. Chariots Of Fire - Vangelis), George Harrison quietly releases THE HAPPIEST AND CATCHIEST ALBUM OF HIS SOLO CAREER. All songs (except the original closing song "Circles") are in major keys and up-tempo. All are tasteful, well-crafted, melodic, and beautifully performed, especially those with acoustic guitar in them. All of the songs fit together in a cohesive fashion album-wise. This album is much like finding a small TREASURE CHEST.

All-in-all this is an EXCELLENT album, and George largely avoids a the Krishna mysticism that bothers many people (I don't think there's even one sitar on the album)

Had this album been released by any other non-Beatle singer/songwriter/musician it would have heralded word-of-mouth acclaim. But George's career had always been saddled with the baggage of being an ex-Beatle, and the weird one to boot (Actually, John was REALLY "out there," but that's another story).

"Gone Troppo" remained Harrison's parting shot for a long time. It's not his finest album but does feature a number of under rated songs that have been overlooked by fans and critics. The opening tracks "Wake Up My Love" and "That's The Way That It Goes" provide a one-two punch with nicely arranged quality songs. Although the sythesizers and production sound a bit dated now, that only adds to the charm of both songs.

"Gone Troppo" with its lilting melody and "Mystical One" represent two other stand out moments on the disc. While much of the material isn't as inspired as the best moments on the preceding two albums ("George Harrison" and the hit album "Somewhere in England" that features "All Those Years Ago")

There's only one bonus track the demo for "Mystical One" which is a surprise given the wealth of material available on bootleg. It would have made sense to include various other demos but, perhaps, that's waiting for another boxed set. Regardless, hardcore Harrison fans will appreciate the fine remastered sound and nicely done 12 page booklet for the CD reissue.

Why wasn't this successful? Gone Troppo is a pure pleasure to listen to. Much stronger than Somewhere In England, Gone Troppo and the album George Harrison are probably the two most underrated Beatles solo discs. While the George Harrison album did quite well in the charts, Gone Troppo was a major commercial flop. To quote Willie Greene in "I Really Love You": why, why?

Gone Troppo spotlights George's many talents. It has melody aplenty: "Mystical One," "Unknown Delight," "That's The Way It Goes," "Greece" & the title track are full of the memorable melodies that were characteristic of Mr. Harrison. "Circles" is a haunting song in the manner of the classics off of Living In The Material World. "Wake Up My Love," although bogged down by period synths, features some of Harrison's most powerful singing. George's fantastic guitar stylings are present throughout.

The only bummer tune on Troppo is the meandering "Baby Don't Run Away." "Dream Away" and "I Really Love You" are a little lightweight, but still tuneful. "Mystical One," "Unknown Delight," "That's The Way It Goes," and "Circles" are among the best in George's catalogue. The bonus "Mystical One" demo is a very interesting take. It hints of a certain sadness that is missing entirely on the album cut.

This is "Gonne Troppo", which is considered George Harrison's worst album ever. In fact, this album s great! Features many memorable songs: "That's the way it goes", "I really love you", "Wake up my love" and "Greece". The other albums released by "Dark horse records" are even better, though. If you don't want to buy this album, try "All things must pass", "33 and 1/3", "George Harrison", "Somewhere in England", "Cloud nine" or "Live in Japan" instead. Therefore, this is a very good album, but not one of his very best solo efforts.

Thanks for reading, again.

This is a great album for Harrison fans that appreciate that Harrison had a fun loving side and did not just write dirges as critics procliamed when they fell asleep after the "Dark Horse" album. This is an album that has several upbeat tunes such as

"Wake Up my Love" and songs that are just a fun enjoyment like "I Really Love You" that features a deep barritone solo with Harrison and back up singers singing in support that make it sound like a tropical 50's rock tune that is truly fun. "Baby Don't Run Away" features Harrison teaming up with a beatiful female voice that works and harmonizes well with Harrison and takes the edge of his somewhat traditional wail. This is Harrison obviously enjoying himself with his friends making an album he enjoyed without worrying about commercial success. Its not "All Things" but its another turn in an artist's life that makes it unique and since it didn't have much commercial success, its a treat to listen to and own.