"Art of Dying" (sometimes titled "The Art of Dying") is a song by English rock musician
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
from his 1970 triple album ''
All Things Must Pass''. Harrison began writing the song in 1966 while still a member of
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and during a period when he had first become enamoured with
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
-aligned spirituality and other aspects of Indian culture. The subject matter is
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
and the need to avoid rebirth, by limiting actions and thoughts that lead to one's soul returning in another, earthbound life form.
Harrison recorded "Art of Dying" in London shortly after
the Beatles' break-up
From August 1962 to September 1969, the Beatles had a lineup that consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Their break-up was a cumulative process attributed to numerous factors. These include the strain of the ...
in April 1970. The song was co-produced by
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
and features a
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
arrangement. The backing musicians include
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
and the rest of the latter's short-lived band
Derek and the Dominos, as well as
Gary Wright,
Billy Preston
William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...
,
Bobby Keys and
Jim Price. The song has received praise from several music critics; among these, James Hunter of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' described it as a "spookily
proto-disco" performance by "a rock orchestra recorded with sensitivity and teeth and faraway mikes".
Since Harrison's death in November 2001, the lyrics have received further recognition as a comment on the nature of human existence. The song has been interpreted in the
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
style by American guitarist
Joel Harrison
Joel Harrison is an American jazz guitarist, singer, composer, and arranger.
Career
Harrison was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from Bard College, New York, in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in composition and performance. His father was ...
and as a
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
piece by the band
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Background and composition
For the last 30 or more years of his life,
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
repeatedly identified his first experience of taking the
hallucinogenic drug
LSD, with
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and their wives, as being responsible for his interest in spirituality and
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
.
[Olivia Harrison, p. 190.] The "
trip" occurred by accident in February 1965, and he later recalled a thought coming to his mind during the experience: "'
Yogis
A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 T ...
of the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
.' I don't know why ... It was like somebody was whispering to me: 'Yogis of the Himalayas.'"
A visit in August 1967 to the epicentre of
hippie counterculturalism, San Francisco's
Haight-Ashbury district, then persuaded him to abandon LSD and pursue a spiritual path through
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
. By that point, Harrison had already immersed himself in
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...
, which is irrevocably tied to spirituality, and dealt with what author
Ian MacDonald terms "the spiritual aridity of modern life" in his song "
Within You Without You" (on
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...
'').
Harrison began writing "Art of Dying" in 1966. Citing comments made by Harrison in a 1969 interview, musicologist
Walter Everett says that Harrison possibly drew inspiration from
Timothy Leary's text in the book ''
The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead''. The song is dedicated to the Hindu concept of
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
and the inevitability of death, as outlined in the opening verse:
[Leng, p. 98.]
According to author
Alan Clayson, the song's title and subject matter suggest a familiarity with the fifteenth-century
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
text ''
Ars Moriendi
The ''Ars moriendi'' ("The Art of Dying") are two related Latin texts dating from about 1415 and 1450 which offer advice on the protocols and procedures of a good death, explaining how to "die well" according to Christian precepts of the late Mi ...
''. The mention of "Sister Mary" refers to the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
faith in which Harrison had been brought up as a child. Speaking to author
Peter Doggett, Harrison's sister Louise qualified his embracing of Hinduism with regard to his upbringing: "Our family were Catholics, but we always had a global outlook. We were spiritual, not religious as such. George didn't change as a person after he went to India
n 1966
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
…" Rather than Sister Mary, Harrison's original lyric named "Mr Epstein" – the Beatles' manager,
Brian Epstein.
Author
Bruce Spizer
David "Bruce" Spizer (born July 2, 1955) is a tax attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, who is also recognized as an expert on the Beatles. He has published thirteen books, and is frequently quoted as an authority on the history of the band and ...
speculates that Harrison was "contemplating life after the Beatles" as early as mid 1966, since "most of the song's original verses recognise that even Mr. Epstein won't be able to keep the group together or help out when it's over ..."
Harrison says in his autobiography, ''
I, Me, Mine'', that in most cases one's
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
does not in fact "leave here" after death, due to the
karmic
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
debt, or "load", accrued through actions and thoughts carried out in one's lifetime. This point is illustrated in the third verse of "Art of Dying":
[Tillery, p. 89.]
The mention of "a million years of crying" is a reference to the endless cycle of rebirth associated with reincarnation, where the soul repeatedly fails to leave the material world and attain
nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
, otherwise known as
moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...
.
[Allison, p. 87.]["George Harrison & the Art of Dying: How a lifetime of spiritual search led to a beautiful death"](_blank)
Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a lifestyle website featuring editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news, and entertainment.
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, Beliefnet ...
, December 2002 (retrieved 1 November 2020).
Written in a period shortly before "karma", "
mantra
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
", "
guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
" and "
māyā
''Maya'' (; Devanagari: , IAST: ), literally "illusion" or "magic", has multiple meanings in Indian philosophies depending on the context. In later Vedic texts, connotes a "magic show, an illusion where things appear to be present but are not ...
" all became key words in his vocabulary, Harrison shows an acknowledgment of possible confusion on the part of his listeners, and a degree of humour,
with the questions that appear at the end of the verses, "Are you still with me?" and "Do you believe me?"
The subject of rebirth was one he would return to frequently throughout his solo career,
notably on "
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released as the opening track of his 1973 album ''Living in the Material World''. It was also issued as the album's lead single, in May that year, and beca ...
", with its pleas "Keep me free from birth" and "Help me cope with this heavy load".
[Stephen Holden]
"George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"
, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 26 June 2012).
Recording
"Art of Dying" was one of many compositions that Harrison stockpiled during the Beatles' career
[Madinger & Easter, p. 427.] due to the continued dominance of the band's principal songwriters, Lennon and
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
.
When discussing his plans for making a solo album in an October 1969 interview, Harrison referred to "Art of Dying", saying he had been "working on a song about reincarnation since 1966". On 26 May 1970, a month after
the Beatles' break-up
From August 1962 to September 1969, the Beatles had a lineup that consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Their break-up was a cumulative process attributed to numerous factors. These include the strain of the ...
, it was one of at least fifteen songs performed by Harrison for producer
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
's benefit at
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
in London, with a view to narrowing down the material under consideration for ''
All Things Must Pass''. Harrison performed the song on acoustic guitar, but as with "
Isn't It a Pity
"Isn't It a Pity" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 solo album ''All Things Must Pass''. It appears in two variations there: one the well-known, seven-minute version; the other a reprise, titled "Isn't It a Pity ...
", "
Run of the Mill", "
Let It Down
"Let It Down" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. The recording was co-produced by Phil Spector and employs the latter's Wall of Sound production technique to lavish effect. ...
" and other selections, its arrangement was transformed significantly as the album sessions progressed.
[Spizer, p. 225.] In the case of "Art of Dying", Spector gave the track a heavy production for the official release;
[Harry, p. 21.] authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter describe the production as a "
ig'kitchen sink' job".
[Madinger & Easter, p. 432.] A widely
bootlegged version known as "Art of Dying (Take 9)", comprising a band performance dominated by acoustic rhythm guitars and piano, with
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
on drums, sees the song somewhere midway between the solo run-through and the ''All Things Must Pass'' arrangement.
This take 9, played in the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
of
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
:
Changes neede ...
, a
semitone up from that of the official version of the song, was still in contention for release during the album's mixing phase.
In a chapter discussing ''All Things Must Pass'' in his 2010 autobiography, American musician
Bobby Whitlock writes of recording the song: "It was awesome when we were doing 'The Art of Dying,'
Eric ">laptonon that
wah-wah and it was all cooking,
Derek and the Dominos with George Harrison." The sessions led to the formation of Derek and the Dominos, whose four members – Clapton, Whitlock,
Carl Radle and
Jim Gordon – all played on the track. In a 1990 interview, Clapton said, "We made our bones, really, on that album with George", since the four musicians had no formal plans to work as a band beforehand.
The released version of "Art of Dying" is in the
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
style.
The track begins with what author Elliot Huntley terms Clapton's "firecracking" lead guitar,
[Huntley, p. 59.] and is propelled by Gordon's drumming and Radle's urgent bass.
Jim Price's horn arrangement provides a
countermelody
In music, a counter-melody (often countermelody) is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. In other words, it is a secondary melody played in counterpoint with the prima ...
to the various
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major.
The A natural minor scale is:
:
Changes ...
voicings in the song's instrumental passages
[Leng, p. 97.] through to its "galloping" ending.
Testifying to the ferocity of the performance,
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
later recalled that his hands were so badly blistered during the run-throughs of the song, he was unable to play his
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
s with any force once they came to record the track. Although congas are absent in the final mix,
[John Harris, "A Quiet Storm", '']Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
*Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* '' ...
'', July 2001, p. 72.[Clark Collis]
"How George Harrison Pranked Phil Collins"
EW.com
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
, 17 February 2016 (retrieved 10 December 2020). the recording includes other percussion parts.
Harrison listed Collins as a contributor on the 2001 reissue of ''All Things Must Pass''. However, Collins writes in his 2016 autobiography that this credit was merely out of kindness, and that he did not play on the released version of "Art of Dying". In Collins' recollection, the session he attended for the song was an earlier take from May 1970, featuring a different musical arrangement and with Starr,
Klaus Voormann and
Billy Preston
William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...
as the other musicians. Before giving Collins the mistaken credit in 2001, Harrison sent him a tape that he said was a recording of the song with his conga playing. Collins recalled in a 2016 interview, "I thought, Oh, my god, this sounds terrible." Collins added that the tape was a practical joke at his expense, since Harrison had asked percussionist
Ray Cooper
Raymond Cooper (born 19 September 1947) is an English musician who has worked as a session and road-tour percussionist. During his career, Cooper has worked and toured with numerous musically diverse bands and artists including Elton John (as ...
to deliberately play poorly, saying: "Play bad, I'm going to record it and send it to Phil."
Release and reception
Apple Records released ''All Things Must Pass'' on 27 November 1970, with "Art of Dying" sequenced as the second track on side four, in the triple album's original,
LP format. While describing the positive response to the album, author Robert Rodriguez includes the song as an illustration of how Harrison's talent had been "hidden in plain sight" behind Lennon and McCartney during the Beatles' career.
[Rodriguez, p. 147.] Rodriguez writes: "That the Quiet Beatle was capable of such range – from the joyful '
What Is Life' to the meditative 'Isn't It a Pity' to the steamrolling 'Art of Dying' to the playful '
I Dig Love
"I Dig Love" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. A paean to free love, it marks a departure from the more profound, spiritually oriented subject matter of much of that album. Mus ...
' – was revelatory."
On 10 December, a portion of the song was included in a segment on the UK television show ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' that focused on ''All Things Must Pass''.
The album's release coincided with a period when religion and spirituality was emerging as a popular theme in rock music and youth culture. "Art of Dying" exemplified Harrison's focus on Hindu-aligned religious concepts as a solo artist from 1970 onwards. In his contemporary review for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Ben Gerson wrote of the wide range of styles found on ''All Things Must Pass'' and recognised "Art of Dying" as "a song of reincarnation" with a melody that he likened to "
Paint It Black" by
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
.
[Ben Gerson]
"George Harrison ''All Things Must Pass''"
, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', 21 January 1971, p. 46 (retrieved 3 July 2012). ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...
'' contributor
Nicholas Schaffner described it as an "essay" on the subject of reincarnation. In December 1972, Andrew Davies of ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
'' cited the song in his assessment of the Beatles as solo artists, saying that ''All Things Must Pass'' and Harrison's organisation of the 1971
Concert for Bangladesh project ensured he had "far surpassed" Lennon and McCartney since the band's break-up. Davies said that Harrison's lyrics "never sink into banality or become pretentious" and so he could address the themes in "Art of Dying" "without becoming slushy and sentimental".
Reviewing the
30th anniversary edition of the album, James Hunter of ''Rolling Stone'' enthused about the performance: "Imagine a rock orchestra recorded with sensitivity and teeth and faraway
mikes: bluesy and intricate on Harrison and
Dylan's '
I'd Have You Anytime
"I'd Have You Anytime" is a song written by George Harrison and Bob Dylan, released in 1970 as the opening track of Harrison's first post- Beatles solo album, ''All Things Must Pass''. The pair wrote the song at Dylan's home in Bearsville, nea ...
,' fizzy on '
Apple Scruffs
The Apple scruffs were a group of devoted Beatles fans who congregated outside the Apple Corps building and at the gates of Abbey Road Studios in London during the late 1960s, in the hope of seeing or interacting with one of the band members. ...
,' grooving on 'Let It Down,' and spookily
proto-disco on 'Art of Dying.'"
[James Hunter, "George Harrison ''All Things Must Pass'' 30th Anniversary reissue", '']Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', 29 March 2001; quoted in The Super Seventies "Classic 500"
George Harrison – ''All Things Must Pass''
(retrieved 4 June 2014). In another 2001 review, for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
Jody Rosen grouped "Art of Dying" with "
Wah-Wah" and "
Hear Me Lord
"Hear Me Lord" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. It was the last track on side four of the original LP format and is generally viewed as the closing song on the album, disc t ...
" as examples of how Spector successfully transformed Harrison's compositions on an "operatic scale". Rosen added: "The symphonic squall of these songs seems less about rock star hubris than Mr. Harrison's straining to express outsized emotions – sorrow, regret, longing, writ very large."
In his feature on Harrison's solo career for ''
Goldmine'' magazine in 2002,
Dave Thompson paired "Art of Dying" with "
Beware of Darkness" as songs that "rate among the finest compositions of Harrison's entire career". Writing for ''
Uncut'' in 2008, David Cavanagh said that, while "
My Sweet Lord" was the best-known of the spiritually themed songs on ''All Things Must Pass'', "Art of Dying" was the most "far-sighted", with a lyric that "saw the 27-year-old Harrison prepare for death in an ecstasy of resolved, purified karma". Writing in ''
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...
'', Andrew Gilbert highlights "Art of Dying" as an example of the "finely crafted, spiritually charged songs" that ensure that ''All Things Must Pass'' "only sounds better with time". Damian Fanelli of ''
Guitar World
''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'' includes the song among the best of Clapton's many collaborations with members of the Beatles. He describes it as "outstanding" and "wah-tastic ... the closest Harrison got to hard rock as a solo artist".
Legacy
Mikal Gilmore of ''Rolling Stone'' concluded his 2002 article "The Mystery Inside George" with a comment on the relevance of "Art of Dying" to Harrison's legacy. He said the song reflected Harrison's recognition that manifesting love is "among the highest purposes of life" as well as an appreciation that "Sometime darkness is irrefutable, and sometimes love and understanding can't save a troubled heart or a soul in harm's way." Gilmore added that the "love story" surrounding the Beatles best illustrated such a "dichotomy" and none of the band members "carried that knowledge with greater weight, yearning or honor than George Harrison".
In
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
's 2011 documentary ''
George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', the song's significance is highlighted in the context of the knife attack Harrison endured in December 1999, two years before his death from cancer, when an intruder broke into his home in Oxfordshire. In his article on the film, Joe Bosso of
Music Radar
MusicRadar is a music website that offers information pertaining to artists and their music. The site features music gear news and reviews, artist interviews and online music and production tutorials. It is owned by British media company Future ...
says that "mastering the art of dying" had been Harrison's prime concern during his final years; he cites
Olivia Harrison
Olivia Trinidad Harrison (née Arias; born May 18, 1948) is an American author and film producer, and the widow of English musician George Harrison of the Beatles. She first worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, for A&M Records, where s ...
's and Starr's respective comments as indicating that Harrison achieved his spiritual goal. Harrison's son
Dhani supported this contention in a 2002 interview, and he said that his father had found a contentment and lightheartedness that contrasted with the "more serious" outlook evident in "Art of Dying" and "
All Things Must Pass".
On the 2002 ''Hare Krishna Tribute to George Harrison'' DVD, in which devotees from the
Radha Krishna Temple (London)
This article discusses the London Radha Krishna Temple (also Radha Krsna Temple), which has been the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. It was founded in Bu ...
offered their reminiscences on Harrison, Shyamsundar Das, a lifelong devotee, expressed his certainty that Harrison had achieved a state of transcendence in line with Hindu teachings. Shyamsundar quoted from the lyrics to "Art of Dying" while remarking that Harrison had successfully grasped the principles of moksha even by the late 1960s. Also in 2002, a
Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a lifestyle website featuring editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news, and entertainment.
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, Beliefnet ...
writer commented on Harrison's preparations for death and wrote of the song:
In "Art of Dying", Harrison reminds us that death is life's greatest opportunity. There comes a time when each of us must leave this material world, and no amount of prayer and science can keep us here – but ''what we truly are'' does not cease to be. The ''Bhagavad-Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
'' teaches that "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."
''
New Zealand Herald'' journalist
Graham Reid cited the song's lyrics and Harrison's example in an article he wrote about the contrasting ways that individuals face the notion of death and live accordingly.
In January 1991, Starr contributed a preface to the book ''Walking After Midnight'' in which he reproduced Harrison's ''I, Me, Mine'' entry on "Art of Dying".
[Badman, p. 459.] The book followed the 1988 documentary film ''
Walking After Midnight'',
in which well-known figures such as Starr,
Martin Sheen,
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Donovan
Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...
and the
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
speculate on their past incarnations. Gary J. Moore of the ''
Staten Island Advance
The ''Staten Island Advance'' is a daily newspaper published in the borough of Staten Island in New York City. The only daily newspaper published in the borough, and the only major daily paper focused on a borough, it covers news of local and ...
'' referenced Harrison's song and Olivia's description of her husband's passing in his review of
Katy Butler's 2019 book ''The Art of Dying Well'', in which Butler outlines practical steps to prepare for death.
Among Harrison biographers, Elliot Huntley describes "Art of Dying" as "certainly the most dramatic" track on ''All Things Must Pass'' and "one of the most scintillating rock songs in the Harrison canon".
Ian Inglis writes that "Art of Dying" fully reflects Harrison's "post-Beatles confidence" and notes the Middle Eastern "musical antecedents" despite the obvious Hindu concepts within the lyrics.
[Inglis, p. 31.] In his book ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps'', Simon Leng views "Art of Dying" as picking up "where '
Tomorrow Never Knows' and 'Within You Without You' paused", and adds: "If ever a song challenged the one-eyed nature of the rock world, this is it. Nothing could be further from superficial pop culture."
Other versions
Harrison never performed "Art of Dying" live, although he included it in his proposed
setlist for the Concert for Bangladesh, which took place at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York on 1 August 1971.
Jim Horn
James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician.
Biography
Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...
's horn chart for the song is reproduced at the end of ''I, Me, Mine''. The acoustic
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
of "Art of Dying" from May 1970 has been available unofficially since the 1990s on the bootleg ''
Beware of ABKCO!
''Beware of ABKCO!'' is a bootleg album of songs performed by English rock musician George Harrison in May 1970. It contains songs that were under consideration for Harrison's triple album ''All Things Must Pass'', his first release as a solo ar ...
''
[Madinger & Easter, p. 426.] Early mixes of the released track, showing the recording at various stages during the overdubbing process, have been issued on the bootlegs ''The Making of All Things Must Pass'' and ''Songs for Patti – The Mastertape Version''.
The latter also includes the discarded "Take 9" version.
[Madinger & Easter, pp. 431–32.]
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
guitarist
Joel Harrison
Joel Harrison is an American jazz guitarist, singer, composer, and arranger.
Career
Harrison was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from Bard College, New York, in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in composition and performance. His father was ...
covered "Art of Dying" on his 2005 album ''
Harrison on Harrison: Jazz Explorations of George Harrison''. At the
George Fest
''George Fest'' – subtitled ''A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison'' – is a live album and concert DVD package documenting the George Fest tribute concert to former Beatle George Harrison, held at the Fonda Theatre in Los Ange ...
tribute concert in Los Angeles in September 2014, "Art of Dying" was performed by
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Their version appears on the 2016 film and album release from the event, co-produced by Dhani Harrison. In a subsequent interview, Dhani highlighted this version as one of the George Fest performances that had particularly impressed him, saying: "I didn't realize that was like
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
until I saw BRMC play it; I was like, 'Oh. This is a shoegazey grunge song!' They unlocked that song for me." Megan Volpert of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' similarly considers it to be one of the concert's two "particularly great, more interpretive covers". She highlights the use of
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
as a "bold" new feature, given the reverence afforded Harrison's slide playing.
[Megan Volpert]
"Various Artists: George Fest"
''PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'', 29 March 2016 (retrieved 3 March 2017). In his review for ''
American Songwriter'', Hal Horowitz also considers BRMC's performance to be among the best at George Fest and he describes the song as a "seldom heard Harrison gem".
[Hal Horowitz]
"Various Artists: ''George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison-CD/DVD''"
'' American Songwriter'', 26 February 2016 (retrieved 8 May 2019).
Personnel
According to Simon Leng, the following musicians played on "Art of Dying":
*
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
– vocals, electric guitars, backing vocals
*
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
– electric guitar
*
Gary Wright – electric piano
*
Billy Preston
William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...
– organ
*
Bobby Whitlock –
tubular bells[Whitlock, p. 81.]
*
Carl Radle – bass
*
Jim Gordon – drums
*
Jim Price – trumpets, horn arrangement
*
Bobby Keys – saxophone
*uncredited – percussion
Notes
References
Sources
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ).
* The Beatles, ''The Beatles Anthology'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2000; ).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; ).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; ).
* Phil Collins, ''Not Dead Yet: The Memoir'', Crown Archetype (New York, NY, 2016; ).
* Peter Doggett, ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; ).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; ).
* Walter Everett, ''The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology'', Oxford University Press (New York, NY, 1999; ).
* Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in
Kenneth Womack (ed.), ''The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles'', Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; ), pp. 153–82.
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; ).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; ).
* Olivia Harrison, ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Abrams (New York, NY, 2011; ).
* Bill Harry, ''The George Harrison Encyclopedia'', Virgin Books (London, 2003; ).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; ).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; ).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ).
* Cynthia Lennon, ''John'', Hodder & Stoughton (London, 2006; ).
* Ian MacDonald, ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; ).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; ).
* Chris O'Dell (with Katherine Ketcham), ''Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved'', Touchstone (New York, NY, 2009; ).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; ).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; ).
* Bruce Spizer, ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; ).
* Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; ).
* Richie Unterberger, ''The Unreleased Beatles: Music & Film'', Backbeat Books (San Francisco, CA, 2006; ).
* Bobby Whitlock (with Marc Roberty),
Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography', McFarland (Jefferson, NC, 2010; ).
External links
"George Fest – Art of Dying" (by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
{{authority control
1970 songs
George Harrison songs
Songs written by George Harrison
Song recordings produced by George Harrison
Song recordings produced by Phil Spector
Music published by Harrisongs
Indian mythology in music
The Beatles and India