In 1971, George Harrison, legendary guitarist and composer of the greatest love song in history, organized a rock benefit concert for the citizens of Bangladesh, who were campaigning for liberation and suffering through the horror of war and violence. The Concert for Bangladesh — which included artists like Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, and Jim Keltner — revolutionized the world of music, creating an ethereal setlist all while raising over 45 million dollars in relief funds.
Ravi Shankar opened the concert by serenading music enthusiasts with his majestic sitar skills in “Bangla Dhun,” which was later followed by George Harrison in his world famous song, “Wah-Wah.” And of course, what is an All Things Must Pass reference without the addition of “My Sweet Lord,” “Awaiting On You All,” and eventually, “Beware Of Darkness;” these mid-tempo groove songs are nothing but perfection, each one serving as heartfelt representations of faith and hope, ultimately allowing listeners to revel in the beauty of George Harrison’s words while simultaneously feeling a profound sense of tranquility and solace. Throughout the course of his performance, the former Beatle swayed from side to side, tapping his boots to the rhythm of music as he let his Fender Stratocaster — later nicknamed the Bangladesh Strat — take hold of him.
With the inclusion of Harrison’s breath-taking songs, the heavy instrumental melodies serve as a beautiful transition to Billy Preston’s masterpiece “That’s The Way God Planned It.” During his performance of this song, the pianist began prancing around, eventually even dancing in the direction of George Harrison — who was on center stage — in order to spontaneously incite a spirited delirium in the crowd and his fellow musicians. Once the enthusiasm and excitement of Preston’s performance began to simmer, Ringo Starr began playing his, in my opinion, best solo song “It Don’t Come Easy.” The world class drummer, grooving to the tempo of symbols and snare drum, rhythmically slammed his 5a long sticks to the tune of his catchy single. As evident in the three later songs, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash/YoungBlood,” and “Here Comes The Sun,” the mixture of sorrowful, yet passionate, guitar chords and Ringo’s masterful drumming harmonizes together to create what I imagine to be the heart and soul of everything beautiful in the world.
Up until this point, the concert comprised 57 minutes of Beatles magic, and while I am — and will forever be — a diehard George Harrison fan, none of the preceding events compare to Bob Dylan’s surprise appearance. As soon as the Folk star stepped on stage, audience members screamed in joy, sprung to their feet out of excitement, and reached their arms to the sky — almost as if they were thanking God for the return of their savior. With hits like “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry,” “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and “Just Like A Woman,” audience members (and myself) are compelled to fall in love with the harmonica-player's poetic words.
In all, there is not a single song that I would skip off of this album. With the culmination of these eight legendary artists, the concert is a magical moment of musical perfection. Ringo Starr’s drumming is sensational; Bob Dylan never fails to mesmerize listeners, such as myself, with his lyrics; Billy Preston breathes life into his Hammond organ keys; George Harrison revolutionized the world of music.
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