Hands down, this epochal concert at New York's Madison Square Garden — first issued on three LPs in a handsome orange-colored box — was the crowning event of George Harrison's public life, a gesture of great goodwill that captured the moment in history and, not incidentally, produced some rousing music as a permanent legacy. Having been moved by his friend Ravi Shankar's appeal to help the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Harrison leaped into action, organizing on short notice what became a bellwether for the spectacular rock & roll benefits of the 1980s and beyond. The large, almost unwieldy band was loaded with rock luminaries — including Beatles alumnus Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Badfinger, and two who became stars as a result of their electric performances here, Leon Russell (the medley of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Young Blood") and Billy Preston ("That's the Way God Planned It"). Yet Harrison is in confident command, running through highlights from his recent triumphant All Things Must Pass album in fine voice, secure enough to revisit his Beatles legacy from Abbey Road and the White Album. Though overlooked at the time by impatient rock fans eager to hear the hits, Shankar's opening raga, "Bangla Dhun," is a masterwork on its own terms; the sitar virtuoso is in dazzling form even by his standards and, in retrospect, Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Alla Rakha amount to an Indian supergroup themselves. The high point of the concert is the surprise appearance of Bob Dylan — at this reclusive time in his life, every Dylan sighting made headlines — and he read the tea leaves perfectly by performing five of his most powerful, meaningful songs from the '60s. Controversy swirled when the record was released; then-manager Alan Klein imposed a no-discount policy on this expensive set and there were questions as to whether all of the intended receipts reached the refugees. Also, in a deal to allow Dylan's participation, the set was released by Capitol on LP while Dylan's label, Columbia, handled the tape versions. Yet, in hindsight, the avarice pales beside the concert's magnanimous intentions, at a time when rock musicians truly thought they could help save the world. [The Concert for Bangladesh was reissued as a deluxe edition in 2005. It was packaged in a small, CD-sized box bearing different artwork (a photograph of George from the concert) and containing an expanded booklet, good remastered sound, and a bonus track of Dylan performing "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" tacked onto the end.]
320vbr
Tracks
101. Introduction By George Harrison And Ravi Shankar
102. Bangla Dhun
103. Wah-Wah
104. My Sweet Lord
105. Awaiting On You All
106. That's The Way God Planned It
107. It Don't Come Easy
108. Beware Of Darkness
109. Band Introduction
110. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
201. Medley Jumpin' Jack Flash Young Blood
202. Here Comes The Sun
203. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
204. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
205. Blowin' In The Wind
206. Mr. Tambourine Man
207. Just Like A Woman
208. Something
209. Bangla Desh
210. Love Minus Zero/No Limit (Bonus Track)
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