A Concert Album from George Harrison’s Pal, Joe Brown: Review

Have you watched Concert for George, the film of the memorial show held on the first anniversary of George Harrison’s death? If you have, you witnessed performances by some of popular music’s best-known acts, including Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. But you also saw a prominently featured artist whose name likely rang no bells at all.

That was Joe Brown, who delivered the show’s last song, “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” at the request of the late Beatle’s widow, Olivia. He also performed Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” as well as “That’s the Way It Goes,” one of his own U.K. singles, earlier in the concert.

Though virtually unknown outside his home country, Brown has been making music for six decades in England, where he has had several Top 5 hits, including 1962’s lilting “A Picture of You,” his most famous number. Moreover, he was close to Harrison, who was his neighbor for years, served as best man at his second wedding and shared his love of the ukulele. Brown played on Harrison’s Gone Troppo and Brainwashed LPs.

For a look at what music listeners throughout most of the world have been missing, check out Joe Brown in Concert, which previously appeared as a two-CD-plus-DVD set in 2019, and has received a 2026 reissue without the video at a lower price. Recorded, produced and mixed by Brown’s son, Pete, the album preserves a 2002 concert near London. It features Brown on guitar, ukulele and mandolin, along with three backup musicians.

The show is warmly delivered and engaging, though you might find it uneven if your taste isn’t as wide-ranging as Brown’s. And “wide-ranging” is putting it mildly, because this 30-song recording, which features an acoustic set on disc one and an electric performance on disc two, is all over the place musically.

There’s gospel (“Amazing Grace” and an a cappella “Rock My Soul”). There’s pop (“Memories Are Made of This,” the Dean Martin hit) and pop-rock (the aforementioned “A Picture of You” and Herman’s Hermits’ “Henry the Eighth”). There’s skiffle (Lonnie Donegan’s “The Rock Island Line”) and country (Charlie Rich’s “Lonely Weekends” and Merle Haggard’s “Honky Tonk Night Time Man”). There’s traditional folk (“Sally Ann,” “Man of Constant Sorrow” and “She Moves Through the Fair”). And there’s rock (Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” Buddy Holly’s “Well…All Right,” the Everly Brothers’ “Bird Dog” and Chuck Berry’s “Forty Days”).

Related: More about the 2002 Concert for George

The program suggests possible reasons Brown never achieved international success, but it also explains why he earned Harrison’s admiration and has attracted enough of a fan base to survive for six decades in the music business. On the one hand, almost none of his material is self-penned, and his repertoire is likely too diverse for the many listeners who tend to gravitate toward just certain kinds of music. But he’s a talented instrumentalist, and his vocals and personality project charm, authenticity and a love of performing. At his best, such as on the catchy “A Picture of You,” he can put a smile on your face and make you want to sing along.

The expanded edition is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.