Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison

A truly awe provoking journey into the life of George Harrison. In reading this book it was a kind of spiritual journey that touches the soul that transcends spiritually with George as he developed spiritually and with his music. I felt a real bond and connection with George Harrison that left me thinking that the world was a much fuller and brighter place with his presence and participation. It captured his journey as a human and as a spiritual being. This was an emotionally gripping and deeply satisfying read. I felt I grew with George, understanding him as a person and becoming his friend through reading this book. Every fan needs to read it. Much more than a book of facts, it touches the soul of the quiet one, George. Peace be with him.

For those of you considering both this book and Working Class Mystic, I've read both, and both are very good. They compliment each other, so if you're really into the topic, it's worth reading both. There are details in each you won't find in the other.The advantages of Working Class Mystic are that it's shorter and explains the Hinduism is clearer/more basic fashion.The advantage of Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison is that it's more detailed.I'm very glad I read both. Given the choice, I'd recommend you read Working Class Mystic first, then Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison.

I was so moved by George Harrison journey, musical and spiritual. One thing that surprised me about the Beatles was originally none of them knew how to read music. In addition, George was the first one who wanted to quit the band back in 1966. It seems that Paul and John controlled who wrote the songs they sang, and George didn’t get an equal amount of opportunities to contribute his song writing talents to the Beatles collection of songs.George needed more in his life, and struggled with the superficiality of being a Beatle. He was burned out and needed a group of friends that embraced a deeper consciousness of life’s choices. George met people and had experiences that introduced him to the philosophy of being self-realized.George wasn’t much of a reader, but he embraced this philosophy and started to read everything he could find and all this started his quest for enlightenment. He was only 22 years of age, and he went to India and that was the trip that changed his life forever.I never realize that George Harrison was such a committed devotee to the Hare Krishna faith. He practiced chanting and mediation on a daily basis and the Hare Krishna faith became the center piece of his life till the day that he died.George was very generous and supported his faith in many ways. He purchased a mansion outside of London to be transformed into a Krishna temple, and he coordinated the production of the Bangladesh concert that raised millions of dollars for refugees from Pakistan and other charitable causes.In August 1966, a reporter had asked George to describe his personal goal. “To do as well as I can do,” he replied, “whatever I attempt, and someday to die with a peaceful mind.” He was twenty-three years old when he set that goal for himself. He never gave up. He said, “I want to be self-realized. I want to find God.”There is so much in this book that touches my heart, but I do need to make one disclosure. I too have had experiences of traveling to India and spending time in Vrindavan with devotees of the Hare Krishna faith, so like George, I cherish those relationships and experiences and consider them the most life changing experiences of my life.I wish I had the privilege of meeting George Harrison; he was like no other.

If you truly understood a fraction of what George Harrison was about and his devotion to God , Music and the Mother earth and mankind, hence in his beliefs to bring to all he could, you will enjoy this book. You must also first and foremost believe it or at very least have an open mind about God , along with The soul or spirit moving on after death. Not just one religion over another but a belief . The Beatles were only a starting point for the man. Yes a huge start but a start. If only looking for Beatle tidbits move on. There are of course some included.

I am a big fan of George Harrison’s music and George as a person (seemingly, you can’t really know for sure can you?). I have read this cover to cover and it’s OK if a bit lightweight. My main issue is I’m not sure how much I can trust it. The author is clearly focussed mostly on the Hare Krishna parts of George’s life and one wonders which other bits are omitted to fit this in. George was not a saint despite his religious quest and there is no mention of his affair with Ringo’s wife or excessive drug use in the 1970s (I’m trusting Wikipedia on these ones). It is just not in there. There are also lots of verbatim quoted conversations with George’s Hare Krishna friends that are not referenced at all (there are other references). How does the author know about these private conversations that ‘reveal’ much about George’s inner thoughts? Or are they just made up?The book itself mentions that George himself complained there was so much twaddle written about him and the Beatles. Stuff that people couldn’t know because they weren’t there and weren’t involved. Ironically, I wonder if this is just more of it?

Speaking from the point of view of being a great fan of George Harrison (the man and most of his music) I was looking forward to a good read about his Spiritual and musical life. Certainly the book goes into great detail about his Spiritual life which has filled in a few gaps for me, but in some ways this is overdone. There is a great emphasis on George's involvement with the Krishna movement - appropriate one may think as he was a considerable supporter and devotee - but the author himself has stated his own involvement, at least in the past, with this movement and the bias does come across. There is also relatively little information on his musical influences and his unique contribution to both the Beatles as one quarter of the band and as a guitarist. Also his musical legacy is not discussed at all.For quite a lot of the book there was a growing unease for me that this was a book putting George up on a pedestal he would not have wanted and I almost gave up reading it because of this. For me, a person's greatness is as much about personal achievement in the face of difficulty and human frailty as anything else, maybe more.George was not perfect; as Jeff Lynne, his good mate said, 'He wasn't a Saint, he could be grumpy at times.' This makes George one of the human race which of course is what he very much was. He needs no deifying and don't believe he would want it.George loved his garden and renovating his house and grounds; some more of the humour that was a huge part of the man and how he expressed this in his life and his home would not have come amiss.Having said all that, it was a good read and there are things in the book I haven't read elsewhere, and I've read a lot about George. The minor mistakes about the Beatles which as another reviewer has said Beatles fans will pick up on immediately, are only mildly irritating but leaves me wondering what other inaccuracies are there in the lesser-known material.Enjoyable, worth buying/reading.The enormous Spiritual legacy that George left is largely unacknowledged and it's good to see the balance somewhat corrected.I have re-read the book and stand by the comments above but would like to add that the inspiration the author manages to give through these pages recounting George's life is considerable, and my recommendation is higher now than it was at first. On second reading I found I was moved far more . . . a good reason to read most books more than once.Maybe the frame of mind I was in first time round had something to do with it!

A good read, a very interesting & readable book, it highlights the spiritual path that George was on as well as the musical path he took after he went solo. I was more interested in the spiritual path & I found that the author did a good job of giving & sharing insights here. It also gives one an understanding of the Hare Krishna movement & how it started especially in the UK & the major input that George had both financially & musically in both assisting financially & also in promoting the movement by his music & at his concerts.The book shows how George came from humble beginnings & achieved everything he wanted materially very quickly & at a young age but was spiritually perceptive to realize that there was something more that he needed that he couldn't get from the material world & so began his spiritual journey right the way through his life until his death.The Beatles early experiments with drugs gave George an glimpse of a heightened consciousness but he saw though that not everybody had a spiritual experience from using drugs & hence drugs was not the answer or vehicle to transcendence & spiritual growth & this started his exploration of Indian spirituality leading later to his association with some Krishna devotees in the UK who became his friends & helped him to explore his spirituality & who introduced him to Srila Prabhupada the founder of ISKON. He also became a vegetarian also spiritual & health reasons.Although he had this association with ISKON he preferred to further his spiritual side predominantly alone in nature gardening, chanting & meditating & bought a huge estate that facilitated this.Good book for anybody on the spiritual path to read & be inspired by this celebrity's spiritual walk.

Interesting insight into ex Beatle George's life bit bogged down with the spiritual stuff but a good read nonetheless

Fantastic book and a real insight into a man that touched many hearts. A stunning read could not put it down!!! Recommended highly...