Brainwashed [LP]

by George Harrison

Overview

George Harrison went quiet not long after the second Traveling Wilburys album, surfacing only for the Beatles' Anthology in the mid-'90s. He was recording all the while, yet he died before completing the album that would have been the follow-up to 1987's Cloud Nine. His son, Dhani, and his longtime friend/collaborator Jeff Lynne completed the recordings, released late in 2002, nearly a year after George's death, as Brainwashed. Given its baggage it's easy to be suspicious about the merits of Brainwashed prior to hearing it. Posthumous efforts often feel incomplete, Harrison's albums were frequently inconsistent, and Lynne favors ornate, cinematic productions that run contrary to George's desire for this project to be simple and low key -- nothing that would suggest that Brainwashed would be a success. Defying all odds, Brainwashed isn't just a success, it's one of the finest records Harrison ever made. No, it doesn't achieve the splendor of All Things Must Pass, nor is it quite of its time like both Living in the Material World and Cloud Nine were, but it's a quiet, subtle gem, one that strikes close to the heart of Harrison's music. It's intimate, alternately insightful and cheerfully lightweight, balancing his trademark black humor with silliness and good humor. Anyone searching the album for his views on mortality -- as he faced not only cancer, but an attacker that nearly took his life -- will surely find it, but this is not a somber album, it is a warm album, the sound of someone enjoying life without losing his wry sense of humor. This same spirit carries over to the music, with Harrison abandoning the idea of getting a hit and simply relaxing, primarily by playing a lot of ukulele and guitar. There aren't any major songs here and perhaps a tune or two could be pegged as throwaways by the cynical, but there are no down moments and it all holds together well -- better than most Harrison albums -- and it's a fitting way to say goodbye, every bit as good as Double Fantasy and, in some respects, even sweeter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/24/2017
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602557151367
Rank:	51458

Tracks

1. Any Road
2. P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)
3. Pisces Fish
4. Looking for My Life
5. Rising Sun
6. Marwa Blues
7. Stuck Inside a Cloud
8. Run So Far
9. Never Get over You
10. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
11. Rocking Chair in Hawaii
12. Brainwashed

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Harrison   Primary Artist,Bass,Dobro,Sitar,Guitar,Vocals,Voices,Ukulele,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jim Keltner   Guest Artist,Drums
Jon Lord   Guest Artist
Jools Holland   Guest Artist,Piano
Ray Cooper   Drums
Joe Brown   Guitar (Rhythm)
John Etchells   Recorder
Jeff Lynne   Bass,Piano,Voices,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Bass (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background)
Dhani Harrison   Guitar,Wurlitzer,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Mike Moran   Keyboards
Sam Brown   Vocals (Background)
Herbie Flowers   Bass,Tuba
Ryan Ulyate   Recorder
Marc Mann   Recorder,Keyboards
Jane Lister   Harp

Technical Credits

Harold Arlen   Composer
George Harrison   Composer,Producer
Jeff Lynne   Producer
Dhani Harrison   Producer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Ted Koehler   Composer
Ryan Ulyate   Digital Editing
Marc Mann   Digital Editing