Gone Troppo

Bruce Beatlefan (May 27, 2006)

I don\'t think any other Beatles or ex-Beatles album provokes such a wide variety of opinions as George Harrison\'s 1982 album Gone Troppo. Even the \"serious\" reviewers who usually follow one another like little lambs (whether the material is any good or not) cannot seem to form a concensus about this album. I happen to think that this is a terrific album, one that seems to have been issued by Harrison with a tremendous amount of zeal and creativity. I\'m sure the all-over-the-map (but mostly negative) reviews was partially responsible for his five-year retreat from further recording. Obviously, the question about Gone Troppo is not whether the songs are good or bad, but what one expects from a George Harrison album and how well he meets those expectations. The first thing to strike me in this album is George\'s emphasis on SONGS and not guitar works; there are no memorable guitar songs, none of the tricky chord changes or combinations that characterized much of his previous work. Secondly, there is little or no devotional material, barely any reference at all to his spiritual walk. Even the song entitled \"Mystical One\" is a love song addressed to Olivia. Thirdly, there is a laid-backness to these songs that is more reminiscent of Jimmy Buffett\'s style than George\'s more serious work in the past. Now if those ingredients were your primary reasons for liking George Harrison\'s other work, this album will severely let you down (as many people obviously were). But the songs in this album are very well-crafted, and George simply seems to be enjoying himself rather than conveying any type of lasting message.

Graeme (November 20, 2005)

I think BeatleBeatle has simply listened to a best of George Harrison album and from that source deduced that four of George's best songs came off of this album. Dream Away was written for the Time Bandit's soundtrack and means nothing. The most beautiful song on the album, in my opinion, is Mystical One. I will admit that That's the Way it Goes is a great politically charged and timely song, a defining style of George's.

Gone Troppo the title song is humourous but not enjoyable.

The Loud One (August 17, 2005)

Believe me: this one is an undiscovered goodie! Don't listen to other reviewers. It stands on it's own in George's catalogue. And also a return to musical roots initiated on "Somewhere in England" and continued on "Cloud 9" years later. But those who believe "returning to musical roots" for a beatle must mean "Run Devil Run" or "Rock'n Roll" won't understand. You will. If you're about to hear it for the first time: lucky you!

BeatleBeatle (April 2, 2005)

Not his worst album, and not his best either. It does feature four of his best songs ("Wake Up My Love" "Gone Troppo" "Dream Away" and "That's The Way It Goes")...the rest of the album doesn't have much that is memorable, but it isn't bad either.