This is a bit of a good one - Mexican Beatles EP, which I picked up from the Oxford branch of Our Price on a school trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford - and what caught my eye was that all four tracks showcase George Harrison as singer and writer. Plus how well these four - one from 1963 the remainder from the 1965/66 period work as a set.
First up is George's debut composition to make it onto tape (that's if you discount the instrumental co-written with John Lennon 'Cry For A Shadow' recorded in Hamburg and released on Polydor as a B Side) "Don't Bother Me" from the Beatles 2nd LP 'With The Beatles'. And it pretty much sounds like George's first use of the trusty Rickenbaker - it's subsequent use being a major influence on the Byrd in particular. Next up is the downright brilliant opener to 'Revolver that is "Taxman"- here in the generally better known stereo version - how you tell this apart from the mono version being is that here you get the taxman Mr Wilson - taxman Mr Heath - whereas the mono doesn't has and a noticeably different guitar solo, in both cases courtesy of Paul McCartney.
Side Two gives you the 2 George Harrison songs from 'Rubber Soul' set. First up the very Byrds-styled "If I Needed Someone" - complete with the David Crosby styled harmony vocals from from Lennon & McCartney. The connection being reinforced so when you consider that the Hollies covered this, and Graham Nash's subsequent involvement with David Crosby. Also I seem to remember the legendary John Peel rating the Hollies version as being one of his personal favourites . The proceedings are rounded off with another good one in the shape of "Think For Yourself"- McCartney on fuzz bass, and a definite move in the direction of psychedelia.
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