IT’S ALL TOO MUCH

IN HONOR OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF GEORGE HARRISON’S PASSING ON November 29, 2001, we wanted to present a guide to his greatest studio guitar moments with the Beatles. However, instead of simply listing our own choices or putting it to a vote on GuitarWorld.com, we went a completely different route: We asked a slew of respected professional guitarists (and other artists) to pick their favorites and, more importantly, to back up their choices. Fortunately, word got out about “the George project,” and that original slew grew and grew, even including musicians with very real connections to Harrison, including Robben Ford (who was in Harrison’s 1974 touring band), Steve Lukather, Bernie Marsden, Mike Campbell and Nita Strauss’ father — James Strauss, who with his band, Jiva, was signed to Harrison’s Dark Horse Records in the mid Seventies. And, in the end, it turned out to be a fitting tribute to someone who inspired millions of people around the world to play guitar. The songs aren’t presented in any particular order, but let’s just say the entries with the most quotes beneath the song titles were the clear favorites. Special thanks to Amit Sharma, Andy Aledort, Richard Bienstock, Joe Bosso, Jim Beaugez and Alan Paul. — Damian Fanelli

HELP!

Lennon/McCartney | Help! (1965)

ANDY SUMMERS (POLICE): “Early on, I think youthful players were intrigued by George’s playing on ‘Help!’ I remember hearing those descending phrases and thinking, ‘Hmm, that’s pretty cool. Where did he get that from?’ He did the same sort of thing in ‘Here Comes the Sun.’ He had a really beautiful style, especially on those kinds of lines.”

BABY’S IN BLACK

Lennon/McCartney | Beatles for Sale (1964)

“‘Baby’s in Black’ has plenty of loud Everly Brothers-style vocals from John and Paul, so it took me a while to notice the details of George’s guitar playing. But when I focused on the lead guitar, there were great discoveries to be made! Primarily… whammy bar, and lots of it! The last breakdown verse is especially cool, as George follows the chord changes with single-string rhythmic whammy bar dips. The guitar theme that begins the song and repeats throughout has a nice whammy dip ending as well. As is so often the case with Beatle-y things, the creativity lies not in athletic feats, but in supporting the song with memorable hooks, melodies and tones. George’s tone is punchy, clean and very country/western. It makes me wish that I had both a cowboy hat and a Fender amp. Actually, I have both of those. Maybe it’s the Gretsch I need. Or at least a Bigsby on my Ibanez! Let’s get back to the playing: The main guitar solo doesn’t leave George much time for licks, as it’s only one chorus long. But he manages to hit all the chord changes (which whip by faster than most rock players can handle), with a style that swaggers and stumbles at the same time. And don’t forget the well-timed whammy bar dip that makes a smooth transition back into Phil and Don... I mean John and Paul. George’s country/western style remains intimidating to me, as I have no experience with it, and playing with a clean tone often feels like I’ve lost my shred superpowers. Still I remember playing ‘Baby’s in Black’ for fun with my cover band, the Electric Fence, in the mid Nineties. I didn’t have a whammy on my guitar, so I got the job done by bending the neck, as I had seen Pat Travers