The Concert for Bangladesh

sadness in his eyes / told me that he wanted help/Before his country dies.

That's what Harrison wrote in his single "Bangla Desh" ,released late July 1971 ."My friend" is ,as anybody knows,Ravi Shankar.

Apart from Leon Russel's dreadful performance -with the eventual exception of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - ,all that remains is good ,even splendid.

Highlighs include Clapton/Harrison's duet on "while my guitar gently weeps" ,the lovely "Here comes the sun" with the late Pete Ham on an acoustic guitar and Dylan's five songs which are a well chose menu :only "it takes a lot ...." seems weak by comparison but when you deal with such classics as "Tambourine man" "Blowin' in the wind" or "Hard Rain's a gonna fall";and Harrison's and Russel's back up vocals on "just like a woman" are worth the price of admission.

Bob Geldof who was praised during the eighties for band aid was not the first one .....

..yet this concert is nowhere to be found......

Damn.

Ok, I'm the only reviewer here who hasn't seen the rockumentary, but I can assure you that it's not like I haven't been trying. Just don't know where to find the friggin' thing...If anyone knows, please e-mail me at sweetlullabyep@hotmail.com

If anyone's curious as to why I am so interested and desperate to see it-well I'm Dylan's #1 fan and heard the live recording of "Mr Tambourine Man" -sung during this concert, and wow..just hearing it was an experience I'll never forget. RIP George!

I thought all the entertainers were excellent. Bob Dylan was good, but really George Harrison was the best of all by along shot. His persona, his songs, his sincerity was by far the highlight of Bangladesh. George will always be remembered as a wonderful entertainer who cared more than most. Yes George Harrison in my view stole the show(it wasn't even close).

George Harrison organized this 1972 Madison Square Garden concert, but Bob Dylan steals the show. Clad in a faded blue jean jacket, his pudgy face surrounded by a halo of tangled curls, Dylan looks like an Oakie and sings like one, too, warbling "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "It Takes a Lot to Laugh" with a definite twang in his nasal voice. Watching him, I was reminded of the critics who insist that Dylan is always reinventing himself. In this film, it's hard to recognize him as the possessor of the contemptuous voice that rode "Like a Rolling Stone" to the top of the charts in 1965. Here he has reverted back to his pre-electric, pre-polka dot shirt days, and once again inhabits a persona reminiscent of Woody Guthrie. His appearance makes this otherwise grainy, unattractive looking film (shot in 16mm and blown up to 35), a cut above the usual rock concert film, although the finest moment is when George Harrison and Leon Russell join Dylan on the chorus of "Just Like a Woman."

This is the film version of the historical show that took place in New York's Madison Square Garden on August 1st, 1971. People may take charity shows like this for granted these days, but back then it was a very special event. It was famed Indian musician Ravi Shankar who thought up the idea of helping the starving underprivileged people of East Pakistan, and he approached former Beatle George Harrison with his concern. George organized a concert to help the cause, in addition to writing and recording a song called "Bangla Desh," which he used to close out the night's performance. Among the musicians who gave their efforts were: ex-Beatle Ringo Starr (on one drum kit with Jim Keltner playing another), Eric Clapton (guitar), Billy Preston (keyboards), Leon Russell (bass and keyboards), Badfinger, and the legendary Bob Dylan.

The program starts off with Indian music, with Ravi Shankar and other musicians, and it is an acquired taste. Ravi asks the audience for patience during their act before the crowd gets to hear their "favorite stars" later in the show. It's a long twenty or so minutes, but eventually George and Friends take over the stage. Harrison performs songs off his recent ALL THINGS MUST PASS album, like "Wah-Wah," "My Sweet Lord," "Beware of Darkness," and "Awaiting On You All". During the course of the evening, he continues with Beatles favorites like "Something", "Here Comes the Sun," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Ringo gets to do a vocal of his recent hit, "It Don't Come Easy", but manages to screw up the words pretty badly which is a shame, as it's always been a favorite of mine.

It's purely a matter of personal taste as to what one will take from the performances, but for me Leon Rusell and Billy Preston provide some low moments of the concert. But the highlight of the event, even to a Beatles fanatic like me - which is really saying something here - comes from "a friend of us all, Mr. Bob Dylan". I am a moderate fan of Dylan's, and have always felt he was in excellent form on this particular venue, singing wonderful versions of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry," "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Just Like A Woman" (the latter tune with Harrison and Russell in vocal support).

While the show is not perfect, it's quite good. It may seem more quaint alongside today's LIVE AID's and FARM AID's, and even in comparison to the superb 2001 CONCERT FOR GEORGE tribute for the late Mr. Harrison -- but this baby was an innovator. ***1/2 out of ****