Fab Beatle tribute

Seeing “Concert for George” so soon after taking in “Paul McCartney in Red Square” was a stroke of luck; it was like Pepto for heartburn.

Not that Mr. McCartney’s concert movie from Moscow was bad. Far from it. He’s got a hot young band, and their performance in Red Square was nothing short of triumphant, a long-withheld gift to Russians who were cheated out of their Beatlemaniac youths.

But the documentary, which aired recently on the A&E; cable network, all but credited Mr. McCartney with knocking down the Berlin Wall and defeating communism.

The Beatles were demigods, yes; they were a hugely important cultural-global force. But a little perspective, please.

Then there’s the late George Harrison, the “quiet Beatle.” A modest guy, he liked nothing more than tending to his English garden, so he shrank from the limelight that Mr. McCartney and his new wife, Heather Mills, seem to crave.

“Concert for George,” filmed at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 29, 2002, the first anniversary of his death from throat cancer, is a fitting, moving tribute to a gentle soul — and a great songwriter, as if you needed reminding.

Directed by David Leland in sparkling high-definition video with crisp and punchy surround sound, “George” is a celebration of Mr. Harrison’s entire body of songs, from such early Beatles songs as “I Want to Tell You” to mid-period solo material such as “My Sweet Lord” to later work with the Traveling Wilburys.

An impressive troupe of Mr. Harrison’s best pals — including Jeff Lynne, Billy Preston, Joe Brown, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Ravi Shankar and former Beatles Ringo Starr and Mr. McCartney — were gathered for the concert, with Eric Clapton as the maestro.

Mr. Harrison’s son, Dhani, also performs on guitar, looking spookily like a twentysomething version of his father.

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” the original recording of which featured Mr. Clapton, is a stunning rendition. And with Mr. Starr on drums and Mr. McCartney on piano, it’s probably the closest thing we’ll ever get to a Beatles reunion.

Ditto for “Something,” arguably Mr. Harrison’s finest composition, which Mr. McCartney assays on ukulele, an instrument the late guitarist cherished.

It’s improbably brilliant and sweet, but the supergroup of musicians picks up midway through, giving the song the full treatment it deserved.

Mr. Preston, who played keyboards on “Get Back,” and Mr. Clapton turn in a superbly heartfelt rendition of “Isn’t It a Pity,” while the Heartbreakers offer a gritty “Taxman.”

Along with his daughter Anoushka, Mr. Shankar — Mr. Harrison’s sitar mentor — conducts an orchestra of Indian and English musicians for a detour called “Arpan,” which, given the late guitarist’s long-held Eastern spiritual values and love of Indian music, was probably a necessary excursion.

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