What My Avatar Means

[Trauma-san]

Alright, Lemme try to put up a positive, mind stimulating post in the hall of mirrors.  I feel this is best posted here, because this mans life was dominated by his religion, and he is an example of how you can be a musician, and still stand for something.  

Alot of people have asked me if that was me in my avatar, LOL.  NO, of course it isn't.  It's the man, George Harrison, whom I've been a huge fan of for about 10 years now.  As I've studied his music, and his life, I've been pretty impressed.  George was a Hare Krishna (I guess that's how you spell it)... and I'm a christian, but I can acknowledge the positive aspects of his life, as well as what I can learn, as a christian, from his religion, and his beliefs.  I don't have to believe he's going to hell since he wasn't a christian, and I don't feel a deep seated desire to attack his beliefs, or try and convert his surviving family.  Just like I've found with most religions, his beliefs and mine are almost identical, even though we're members of two different religions.... there's only a few differences.  

Anyways.  George Harrison of course was a member of the greatest band of all time, The Beatles.  George was brought into the group, when Paul and John decided Paul wasn't good enough to play lead guitar.  Paul introduced John (whom he himself had just met) to George, his friend, and George took over lead guitar, while paul played rhythm.  Later Paul slipped back to bass, they hired a new drummer, Ringo star, and the beatles were born.

George of course, as a member, quickly became extremely rich.  He always took a while to write his songs, and on the first few albums, he would have maybe 1 song on the whole album that he had wrote, and that he sung.  They were always quality, but just not on the level of the amazing songs John and Paul were writing, so George was always in the shadow of paul and john.  

In 1967 the beatles, tripped out on acid and pot, decided to go study under the Maharishi Yogi in India, to learn all they could about Transcedental Meditation.  George immediately took a liking to the concept, and was a hare krishna before long... part of their belief is that only through showing love to god can you be lifted off this world, The Material World, into the higher plane of existance.  The body was an entrapment, and the spirit longing to return to God, and leave the material world.  Later, they found out the Maharashi was a fraud, and scamming westerners for money, but it didn't sway George's interest in his newfound religion.  He also met up with Ravi Shankar, a Sitar player, and was fascinated, as a guitarist, with the instrument.  He bought one, and was taught how to play by Ravi... he in 1966 played the Sitar on the beatles classic "Norweigian Wood", making it the first eastern instrument played on recorded music in the western world.  Add to this the fact that he, with Abbey Road engineers, created the world's first "Wah Wah" pedal in the mid 60's, and you start to get the picture that we're talking about one of the greatest guitarists to ever live.

He soon found himself growing as an individual through his religion, and embracing eastern culture.  His song "The Inner Light" appeared on a beatles album the following year, and featured all eastern instruments.  He went on to write "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".. he wrote "Here Comes the Sun" and cemented his place in history as, at least for a few songs, sometimes even better than John and Paul at songwriting.  

The beatles soon broke up, and George was the first to release a solo album of the 4 beatles.  His album, "All things must Pass" quickly shot to the top of the charts, and featured a mind numbing 4 discs at the time.... 3 discs of songs, and a fourth disc entirely covered by a jam with Eric Clapton sitting in on guitar.  The beatle that took so long to write, had apparently decided to jump out of the shadow of his bandmates.  

He went on to have the #1 single, the first of any beatle solo, with "My Sweet Lord".  It was one of the biggest selling singles of the 70's, and, of course, was all about his love for God, and his desire to please him.  The chorus featured backup singers singing religious chants from around the world, showing that George held no contention against any religion, instead he embraced them all, while choosing to follow his preferred one.  

[Trauma-san]

In 1973 came "Living in the Material World".  The title came from a book "Be Here Now" (which was lifted by Oasis as their 3rd album title; they also stole the name "Wonderwall" from him, which was a title of a movie soundtrack he composed).  The album dealt with George trying to escape the material world, and transcend.  It had ANOTHER #1 hit, "Give me love, Give me peace on earth".  Here was a man hell bent on making positive music to uplift listeners.  He designed the album to be a sonic temple, with Eric Clapton, his best friend, playing lead on nearly every track.  Harrison stepped out as one of the world's formost slide guitar players, and nearly every song he wrote had religious themes throughout it.  

It was around this time that Harrison organized the Concert For Bangladesh, featuring an all star cast of his musical buddies.  Bangladesh was at war with Pakistan, and had had 3 million people massacred and buried in mass graves, after the war the area was in shambles.  When asked to help raise 25,000 dollars, Harrison responded by putting together the first Rock for charity concert, raising far more than what was originally intended.  

Soon afterwards, Patti Harrison, George's wife, started having an affair with Eric Clapton, george's best friend.  George had neglected his wife, focusing on his meditation, and Eric Soon fell in love with her... he even wrote "Layla" for her; it was his nickname for his newfound girlfriend.  Later, When George found out, he stood by both his friend, AND his wife, realizing his mistake, and eventually Eric even married her.  They still stayed friends.  Unbelievable.  

George's musical tribute to his fallen friend, John Lennon, in 1981 (John died in dec. 80) "All those years ago" is one of the greatest tribute tracks I've ever heard.  It's upbeat, and joyous, but yet still sad at the same time.  Beautiful guitar, as always, with lines like "I remember shouting about love, but man, they treated you like a dog... but, you, were the one, who made it so clear, all those years ago.  You said it all, though not many had ears, all those years ago. You were the one, who imagined it all, when you said all you need is love"  OH MY GOD THATS BEAUTIFUL, LOL.  Nobody is real like this anymore.  Nobody says what they feel, people sing about what they want others to hear now.  

Anyways, flash forward to 1987.  George released his album, "Cloud 9", which had another #1 hit, "I got my mind set on you", again with Eric Clapton helping out on guitar.  Disenchanted with the materialism of the music industry, and the relentless drive to put out meaningless music that he had fought all his life, George retired from music after this release.  

In 95, he got together with the surviving beatles to produce, play, and sing on 2 songs, demos that John had recorded before his death, and they fleshed out yet another #1 song for the beatles, "Free as a Bird".  This was the only music george had released in 8 years.  

In 97, I remember seeing him appear on VH1 with Ravi Shankar, and he played "All things must pass" on acoustic, after saying (in typical George humor) "I hope I still remember how to play one of these".  I thought the interviewer was gonna cry when he put the guitar back down, it was stunning.  

In 99, George was attacked and stabbed in his mansion in England.  Although he was extremely private, reports leaked out from Ringo and from court documents that he had been awakened by an intruder; when he went downstairs, he met up with a beatles stalker, who stabbed him in the chest nearly 50 times! His wife ran down stairs, and was able to knock the intruder out with a lamp; George was hospitalized for days, and afterwards was even more of a recluse.  

In 2000, word came from George that he was working on a new album, which he hoped to have finished by the end of 2001.  He jokingly said it would be titled "Portrait of a Leg-End", and even reissued "All things Must Pass", his first album, with a new track "My Sweet Lord 2000" featuring his son on guitar.  

Sadly, in 2001 word started leaking out that George had contracted cancer, and was in and out of hospitals all over the world.  Paul McCartney, who had remained a close friend with George over the years, when asked about it, responded to one interviewer "I can't talk about that".  When the interviewer insinuated that Paul didn't know what was going on with George, Paul responded "Yeah, it could be that, or maybe George just doesn't want his business on the front page of every paper in the world anymore".  

In November of last year, George Harrison passed away.  His friend Ravi Shankar was at his side, as well as his wife and son, and immediately after death, his body was creamated, according to his religion, so that his soul could be freed.  His ashes were spread at a traditional spot near where two rivers meet in india.

[Trauma-san]

His son this month in Guitar Player magazine remarked at how, when they went in to get the tapes of the album George had been working on; they found songs he had written for the past 15 years.  The slow beatle had been taking his time, getting everything just how he wanted it... the tracks all had complete vocals, complete slide guitar tracks, and complete Ukelele tracks, although all of the tracks the band would have done were incomplete, it seemed George was sure to finish just the things they couldn't do without him there.  He even left vocal instructions on the tracks on how they should finish it after he was gone... the first track starts out with George saying "Give me plenty of that Guitar!!!".... Nearly every track features a Ukelele, an instrument George had picked up in the late 80's, and had grown fond of.  The album is called "Brainwashed" and was released 2 weeks ago.  

Paul McCartney plays "Something" On ukelele on his new album, "Back in the US" as a tribute to George, and the ovation it gets is incredible... Paul and Ringo both visited George days before his death, and were seen leaving the hospital crying (so everybody kind of knew what was up).  

Last Friday, Paul and Ringo appeared on stage with George's wife, and son, Dhani, to raise money for george's "Material World" foundation, which is a charity to raise money for the underprivelidged.  Dhani, who looks exactly like George Harrison, was there, and Paul said "Well, it looks like George stayed young while we all grew older"... So, he lives on through his kid.  Look out for Dhani Harrison.  

"Sunrise Doesn't last, All Morning
A Cloud Burst Doesn't Last All Day
Seems my love has up, and left you with no warning
It's not always been this great
All things must pass, All things must pass away" - George Harrison

[.:DayGoStyLz:.]

Who are the Beatles? Isnt that them gay lookin Volkswagenz? LOL

Trauma...jus wonderin, how old are u man? Jus wonderin, cuz u listen to tha Beatlez n all. Mah parentz dont even listen tah that shit. lol

[Trauma-san]

I'm 24

[.:DayGoStyLz:.]

damn, u an old fucka    dont trip...im 24 too lol

[Trauma-san]

lol I'm feeling old lately, lol.  

[.:DayGoStyLz:.]

lol I'm feeling old lately, lol.  

if that WAS u in tha avator, ida tol u...u prolly lookin olda then u feel lol

[Don Seer]

lol... if trauma's old wtf.. am I.... well still young compared to axle.. and then we all young compared to ruthless_souljah.. she waaaay old  

[.:DayGoStyLz:.]

lol... if trauma's old wtf.. am I.... well still young compared to axle.. and then we all young compared to ruthless_souljah.. she waaaay old  

lol@ Ruthlezz...why u clownin tha homegirl?!  

[Don Jacob]

man that was beatiful  trauma, did you write all of that?

[Trauma-san]

yup

[Hatesrats™]

 
Prop's for the read Trauma...
Good to see us old peep's stick together...lol I'm 25

OnE
Hatesrats 2oo2