Thursday, December 2, 2010: George Harrison - Wah Wah

In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine listed the 100 Greatest Guitarists.

The list had Johnny Ramone at #16, Eddie Van Halen at #70, and didn't even include Steve Vai or Django Reinhardt, so you can tell what a total crock of shite this was.

George Harrison was at #21. He should have been higher.

He was called The Quiet Beatle.  He should have been called The Great Guitarist.  Listen to all the musical landscapes The Beatles crossed, from skiffle to rock and roll, through experimentation and eastern influence, with some country and pure pop thrown in for good measure, whatever Paul or John threw at George, he rose to the challenge and always managed to shine just as bright with his own work.  And he always made it look easy to boot.

Paul was awkward, John was fussy, Ringo was a laugh, but George..............George was cool.

Never flashy or temperamental, George Harrison later considered himself more of a gardener than a guitarist. Which, obviously, raises him even higher in my esteem.

God loves gardeners.

From the historic Concert For Bangladesh, here is George and friends grooving it down like very, very few people could ever do.

So here's to you, George, probably one of the coolest people ever to tend a garden. Or pick up a guitar.

You are missed.