No, not a cover of Oasis’ best-known song. Thankfully not. George Harrison had a few problems with the Gallagher Brothers in their rise to fame. Wonderwall is not just a Liam-led song, but an album Harrison offered to the film of the same name. Wonderwall Music is an apt title. This is, as it says, music for the film Wonderwall. It’s also the solo debut of Harrison, who would establish himself as the breakout star of the Fab Four following The Beatles’ end. The first record released by Apple Music, and the last to feature Harrison’s fascination with Indian music and sitar structures. It may not be his best work, but it is a highlight reel of what Harrison would achieve as a solo musician. Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton feature on Wonderwall Music, but their instrumental additions are utilised ever-so subtly by Harrison across this wonderful project.
There’s a tremendous atmosphere running through Wonderwall Music, which never lets up. Enough variety from the same instruments to make for a tremendous soundtrack, an often laid-back and dreamlike score. Red Lady Too and Tabla and Pakavaj are brilliant examples of Harrison’s study of music history and instrumentals beyond the rock and roll expectations in the UK. These are layers he would add to his solo works after Wonderwall Music, though they get their start here. It’s not all stirring moments of sitar quality, though, as Harrison works to fit the mood of the forgotten film. Drilling a Home sounds like an early Beatles jam with its piano work. A jazz-adjacent number which would be suited to a Buster Keaton silent comedy, the sort of vaudeville lightness you often hear with roars of laughter over the top of it. A nice touch from Harrison, who uses Wonderwall Music as an example of his deeper understanding of instrumentals and tempo.
You can tell when Clapton appears. Ski-ing is a guitar track which feels as though it gets louder and louder. Follow it up with the equally impressive tempo and instrumental skill of Gat Kirwani, and you have an album where the featured artists complement the core of the soundtrack brilliantly. A piece like Dream Scene is a sound still sought after by those looking to inspire strange feelings of fear and lucidity in film work today. Harrison’s debut album is not just ahead of its time, but sets a standard still sought after. Cowboy Music lifts the instrumental progression of Silent Night, Holy Night to make a trail song, and it makes for a rather sweet moment. Wonderwall Music has some delicate songs to it, which highlight the instrumental direction Harrison was wanting to take but could never get through The Beatles. Not fully, anyway.
Moments of truly inspired and well-versed instrumental work can be found on this Harrison debut. Those who believe All Things Must Pass is his first work would do well to visit this soundtrack album. It’ll not have you coming back for more like the best of his works, but it’s certainly worth a listen. An insightful experience, one which shares just how deep Harrison’s instrumental grasp goes. It’s not just sitar and a few shimmering solos from Clapton, but a fully-fledged and well-worked project with a classy core to it. Soundtrack inevitabilities pop in and out, though rarely detract from the artistic spirit at the core. A delight for those wanting to hear more from Harrison as an instrumentalist. He offered many spirited moments during his work with The Beatles, but here he is left to toy with a sitar-reliant album of real quality.
