George Harrison's legacy as "the quiet Beatle" is amplified in "Within You Without You"
Seth Rogovoy’s "Within You Without You" sheds new light on George Harrison’s pivotal contributions to The Beatles
George Harrison of English rock and pop group The Beatles, wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket, takes part in filming of the television musical film 'Magical Mystery Tour' at Newquay in Cornwall on 13th September 1967. (David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images)
When it comes to the so-called Quiet Beatle, author Seth Rogovoy’s "Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison" accomplishes a rare feat. In a sea of ineffectual biographies devoted to the Beatles’ guitarist, Rogovoy makes a case for Harrison’s most important contribution: the music itself.
A self-described amateur guitarist, Rogovoy draws upon his musical skills to deliver a powerful new reading of Harrison’s role in fueling one Lennon-McCartney classic after another. Rogovoy offers a careful delineation of the mottos, riffs, and licks via which Harrison left a distinctive imprint upon the Beatles’ sound, from early hits such as “Please Please Me” and “She Loves You” through "Abbey Road" and the group’s twilight years.
As Rogovoy astutely writes, Harrison “was one of four, and if sometimes it was hard to get a word in edgewise when your bandmates were the wickedly outrageous John Lennon, the voluble Paul McCartney, and the affable Ringo Starr, Harrison made every word count. His wit was as quick and biting as Lennon's. He did not suffer fools gladly—by the evidence of his songs, he despised them.”
Source: salon.com
