Day 200: George Harrison – Gone Troppo

It’s my 200th day of album-a-daying! It has genuinely flown by. It’s just nice to have something that you do semi-seriously but just for fun, there’s obviously days where I feel like I can’t be bothered or I don’t have time, but these days I think that you should work hard to keep the promises you make for yourself. I’ve enjoyed this so much that I’m thinking about expanding it further than my originally planned 365 days, but maybe that’s me getting carried away a little bit, we’ll see.

Album cover courtesy of Dark Horse Records

In honour of my project anniversary, I thought I’d go for an artist who I love but an album that I listen to less. I’ve got a song from this album on a playlist and I’m sure I may have had it on at some stage, but I haven’t actually ever properly listened to it, so today’s album is Gone Troppo by the big man himself, George Harrison.

I love George Harrison to bits. He’s one of the few celebrities on my very short list of people I’d refer to as “my guy” and I’d say if there was a list of most important albums in my life, All Things Must Pass would be no. 1. I’m not going to waste too much time introducing him today, if you read a music blog you are surely at the very least passingly knowledgeable about the quiet Beatle.

Released in 1982, Gone Troppo represents George Harrison at his most unburdened and unleashed. It was made as a final album to fulfil his recording contract and he blanket refused to promote it or film any music videos for it. You would think that that might be a circumstance where he’d put in the absolute bare minimum of effort, but instead it appears that he used the opportunity to let his hair down and get a little bit loose.

The album opens with “Wake Up My Love”, what’s essentially a very tongue in cheek synth pop ripper about wanting some, which I have to say is a little bit underrated. It’s more playful than we’re usually used to hearing from him which may throw some people off, but I enjoy his goofier side. Another peak is the jaunty-sounding titular track proclaiming “It's time you know I gone troppo”, an Australian expression for going crazy from tropical heat, that ends with a very resounding woo-hoo – clearly he’s happy about it.

But it’s not just a fun goofball album, it also has George Harrison at his peak: “Mystical One” is just so damn good. It’s just bound to make me feel better every time I hear it – that song, an iced coffee and a bit of sunshine could probably save the most rotten day of my existence, it just makes me want to swim in the happy, floaty atmosphere that it creates.

I love this album, it’s just so jolly and charming, like joy pressed into a record. Is it as charming to people who are not George Harrison ultras? Probably not, but whatever, it is that charming to me. “Mystical One” could probably wake me out of a coma. 9/10.