Though George Harrison was largely known as the “Quiet Beatle,” that doesn’t mean he wasn’t up for sharing his opinion now and then. Harrison made it quite clear which musicians he didn’t fancy. Check out three such artists, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: The Story Behind the Most-Streamed Beatles Song, “Here Comes the Sun”]
1. Neil Young
Neil Young is a divisive figure. His music is rife with strong statements that are tailor-made for pissing off the opposing side. But, it’s not politics that made Harrison dislike Young, it’s his guitar playing.
Harrison’s playing is among the most celebrated in rock history–if for nothing more than the sheer amount of hits he’s played on. While talking with Bob Geldof in 1992, Harrison leveraged his astute opinion to dig at Young.
“I’m not a Neil Young fan,” Harrison said. “I hate [his playing]. It’s good for a laugh. We did this show with him, I saw it from the other side of the stage and looked around. I looked at Eric [Clapton] and said, ‘What’s going on?’ He did the solo in the middle then he kind of looked at me like – ‘don’t look at me, it’s not me.'”
2. Oasis
Though we will always have a soft spot for these Britpop staples, Harrison found their music to be surface level when compared to the rich history of rock in England.
“The music lacks depth, and the singer Liam is a pain, the rest of the band don’t need him,” Harrison once said of Oasis.
Of course, Gallagher couldn’t let a comment like that slide. The infamously caustic frontman retorted, “If any of them old farts have got a problem with me, then they should leave their Zimmer frames at home, and I’ll hold them up with a good right hook.”
3. Elton John
Who could hate Elton John’s music? Well, Harrison. Despite John’s lengthy catalog of hits, Harrison felt that his music was formulaic–a damning thing, it seems.
“Well, Elton John’s music is something I’ve never thought much of,” Harrison once said. “It all sounds the same, though I think he’s written a good song once (many years ago, of course). His music is made to a formula: throw in lyrics, throw in four chords, shake well, and there it is, the new Elton John super-hit!”
(Photo by Steve Morley/Redferns)
