Names and faces
■ George Harrison’s landmark album “All Things Must Pass” is celebrating its belated 50th anniversary, and his son thinks a new remixed collection might make the perfect post-pandemic soundtrack. “I think that the message of this record is more ready to be received now than it was when it first came out,” said Dhani Harrison. “The message is clearer and now it’s sonically clearer. This is a really important bit of music.” The original collection was audacious for its time — the first triple studio album in rock history. The anniversary editions issued last week make that look quaint, containing eight LPs (or five CDs) plus a Blu-ray audio disc, with the remixed album, demos, outtakes and jams. There are reprinted archival notes, track annotations, photos and memorabilia. But first is the music, which Rolling Stone lists among the 500 greatest albums of all time. “We’re not trying to make it sound modern,” said Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks. “I’m not trying to put any sort of stamp on it. We are very respectful to the mixes that were there and follow them as much as possible.” The skeleton of “All Things Must Pass” was recorded over two days in May 1970 — just weeks after the April announcement of The Beatles’ breakup. In a single day, Harrison recorded 15 songs backed by Ringo Starr and bassist Klaus Voormann. The next day, he played an additional 15 songs for co-producer Phil Spector on just an acoustic guitar. The original 23-track album — including the hits “Isn’t It a Pity,” “What Is Life” and “My Sweet Lord” — has been remixed for the anniversary editions from Capitol/UMe and is augmented with 47 demos and outtakes, most previously unreleased. A very human George Harrison — who died in 2001 at age 58 — is captured asking for orange juice while playing a cool version of “Get Back,” and “Going Down to Golders Green” has him doing his best Elvis impression. There’s also Harrison’s recording of “It’s Johnny’s Birthday,” a gift to mark John Lennon turning 30.
■ Rickey Medlocke tested positive for covid-19, prompting country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd to suspend shows in Jackson, Miss.; Atlanta; and Cullman, Ala., and to pull out of tonight’s Pro Football Hall of Fame concert. “Rickey is home resting and responding well to treatment,” the band said. Lynyrd Skynyrd was set to co-headline the Hall of Fame concert with Brad Paisley, but guitarist Medlocke’s positive test forced the group’s withdrawal, the band said. Jimmie Allen, the opening act, has extended his set list. He performs a duet with Paisley on the current hit “Freedom Was a Highway.” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s show set Friday in Atlanta was rescheduled for Oct. 23.