Reception
After the trials of winter 1974–75 – the so-called "Dark Hoarse" debacle – "You" was seen as something of a return to form for Harrison. Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone even hailed it as "the best thing he has done since 1971's 'My Sweet Lord'". But Harrison's many detractors, among the British music press especially, were quick to snipe that he'd simply grafted his vocal onto Spector's backing track in order to score a hit. The by-now standard harsh opinion of the NME's Carr and Tyler read: "this limp carousel succeeds only in conveying an accurate impression of its mother-egg: Dejectionsville"; the result, they concluded, was "Doleful, lacklustre, would-be singalongs which quite fail to arouse."
Modern-day opinion is quite different, however. Writing in the posthumous Rolling Stone Press tribute Harrison in 2002, Greg Kot described "You" as "a terrific single" and enthused: "Its roaring Wall of Sound arrangement suits Harrison well, right down to its closing quote of the Ronettes' 'Be My Baby'."
Harrison's music biographer Simon Leng views it as "a great pop record", noting: "'You' has the same surging spirit as "Dancing in the Street" and "Heat Wave" and, as the lyrics are full of boy-meets-girl triteness, the groove is what carries it." Allmusic's Lindsey Planer describes it as a "propulsive and rocking love song" topped by "one of Harrison's most liberated and driving melodies"; he gives special mention to the "nonstop powerhouse instrumental track", driven by Gordon and Keltner's "double-barreled percussive assault". Fellow Allmusic reviewer Richard S. Ginell calls "You" an "instantly winning" single and album opener, and considers it among the best songs of Harrison's solo career.
Read more about this topic: You (George Harrison Song)
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