I just recently had the opportunity to see an early screening of Martin Scorsese’s documentary about George Harrison of The Beatles fame.
It was at the Academy of Motions Pictures Arts and Sciences, which Marty picked because of the sound system. A smart choice considering the music behind the man was the co-star of the film. Hearing the sounds of Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and of course The Beatles in a place like that was a rare treat.
Before seeing the movie, I thought I was a pretty big fan of the Beatles. Who isn’t right? I thought I knew a fair bit about them and had “my favorite” picked out a long time ago. After seeing this film I realized that sometimes the understated is often the most profound. George was the devoted monk of the group. The one who would support the vision, “chop wood, carry water” if you will, but all from an enlightened place. He may have been overshadowed by the bigger personalities, but his still waters ran deep…within.
Aptly named, the film’s title ‘Living in a Material World’ reflects something George struggled with his whole adult life. He had the world at his feet at a very young age, yet he chose to dedicate himself to a deeper life.
His love for transcendental meditation and teachings of Maharishi were an integral part of his quest.
After learning about his spiritual journey it made sense that he had written some of my favorite songs. Here comes the Sun, Something, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, all brought a depth to their otherwise poppy music. He also brought a sense of exoticism to the group with his love of Indian classical music and was pivotal in introducing it to the west.
Ravi Shankar was a musical mentor and dear friend of his.
I was also tickled to find out about his connection with the Monty Python gang and one of my favorite directors Terry Gilliam. He started out as a big fan and introduced himself after one of their live performances and they all struck up a friendship. He even started a production company and financed ‘Life of Brian’ when the studios pulled the plug at the final hour. He said he did it because he wanted to see a film like that. As the movie quotes, it is still to date, the highest price paid for a single ticket.
It would have been impossible to sum up such a prolific life in any less then the 3 1/2 hours I sat through. Lucky for the general viewer it will be shown on HBO Oct. 5th and 6th in two parts.
Try to see them both if you can. You won’t want to miss one aspect of this man’s inspiring life.
http://www.georgeharrison.com/
Tags: Bob Dylan, chop wood carry water, enlightenment, George Harrison, HBO, Here comes the Sun, Life of Brian, Living in a Material World, Martin Scorsese maharishi mahesh yogi, Monty Python, Ravi Shankar, Roy Orbison, sitar, Something, tablas, Terry Gilliam, The Beatles, Tom Petty, transcendental meditation, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
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