Thirty Three & 1/3 [LP]

Personnel: George Harrison (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, percussion); Tom Scott (flute, saxophone, lyricon); Richard Tee (piano, organ Fender Rhodes piano); Billy Preston (piano, organ, synthesizer); David Foster (Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet); Gary Wright (keyboards); Emil Richards (marimba); Willie Weeks (bass); Alvin Taylor (drums).
Recorded in 1976. Includes liner notes by George Harrison.
Forsaking the introspective, spiritual themes of many of his earlier recordings, THIRTY THREE & 1/3 was perhaps Harrison's finest album since his landmark debut, ALL THINGS MUST PASS. Released in 1976, THIRTY THREE & 1/3 spawned several hit singles, including "This Song" (an upbeat rocker featuring some jaunty organ playing by Billy Preston and a spoken word cameo from Monty Python's Eric Idle) and "Crackerbox Palace," a tuneful, mid-tempo pop song that offers a playful blend of mysticism and humor. The real highlights on THIRTY THREE & 1/3, however, are two lesser-known songs that could have come straight off of The Beatles' ABBEY ROAD album. "Beautiful Girl" (which was actually written in 1969 as a potential Beatles song) is a gorgeous love song that's driven by Harrison's shimmering 12-string electric guitar, while "Dear One" weaves a haunting, Indian-influenced melody with a big pop chorus to create an intensely moving song of devotion.