Brainwashed - George Harrison
Brainwashed
Artist: George Harrison
Released: 2002
Genre: Rock/ Blues-Pop
Tracks
1. Any Road
2. 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. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
11. Rocking Chair in Hawaii
12. Brainwashed
Completed by George Harrison's son Dhani and Jeff Lynne (Traveling Wilburys, Cloud Nine) after the ex-Beatle succumbed to a long illness in November 2001, Brainwashed is a bittersweet reminder of the myriad contradictions that made Harrison such a compelling figure. One of the most warm, melodically rich albums in a career pockmarked by personal frankness and professional indifference in its latter years, Harrison finds rewarding ways here to reconcile bitter assessments of the material world (the title track) with more fleshly concerns, as his jaunty take on the Arlen-Koehler chestnut "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" ably demonstrates. Pushing the singer's distinctive dry voice to the forefront, and with Harrison's trademark slide guitar riffs as sinewy as ever, Lynne's showcase production is mostly spot-on and refreshingly restrained, while Dhani brings his own fresh, touchingly personal insights to the record. He double-tracked his own voice onto an old recording of his father chanting the traditional "Namah Parvati" and appended it as the album's spiritual benediction, a touching reminder that while musicians come and go, music can truly embody their spirit forever.
Posthumous releases always seem to have the ghost of their author aboout them, with the inevitable questions: What if he or she had lived? Then what?Fortunately, George Harrison remained a creative, energetic spirit till the end (see "Horse to the Water" on the Jools Holland cd from last year) despite the challenges of recovering from a horrific attack at his Friar Park home and later facing the ravages of cancer. This album has wry and heartbreaking allusions to his bittersweet acceptance of his mortality. It's an incredibly moving, daring album about love, faith, and humor that not only will appeal to long-time fans but also to those new to Harrison.With assistance primarily from his son, Dhani, and friends such as Jeff Lynne and Jim Keltner, George delivers 12 songs, one of which is a spirited banjo-driven cover of "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." The album bears repeat listening, and there are many notable moments when one can hear George expressing his fun in simply rocking out on the songs, which makes one think of the simple love he had making music in previous performances such as "Apple Scruffs", "Crackerbox Palace", and the Carl Perkins and Friends session from 1985. It appears the finality of working with his son inspired George to go for broke--it's a shame they had only worked together recently. Some of the standout songs include the rocking "Any Road", the surreal Dylanesque "P.2. Vatican Blues", the candid "Looking for My Life" (which would make a great single), and the scathing title track which attacks the hypocrisies of the material world with vigor. Harrison's guitar work is magnificent (check out the heartbreaking slide instrumental "Marwar Blues") and his vocals and harmonies soulful ("Rising Sun" and "Pisces Fish"). "Stuck Inside this Cloud" (perhaps an allusion to the rigors of chemotherapy and radiation treatments he endured) is one of the most distinctive, unusual pop songs to be released as a single in the new century. As a longtime Harrison fan, I'd rank this among his very best works, solo and with The Beatles. Sonically, it comes across as mixture of ALL THINGS MUST PASS and THE TRAVELING WILBURYS, and co-producer Jeff Lynne opts for an understated mix this time around. In terms of melody and lyrics, there's plenty to enjoy, too-- real turns of phrase and shifts in tone that show a deep appreciation of blues and jazz. Thank you, George, for your music, humor, and ongoing quest for the truth in the sound and the fury of life.
--Jerry McCulley
Brainwashed is one of those albums you have to listen to, one of those album with such emotion, such brilliance, that ignoring it would be sin itself. It has something appealing to it, something which draws you back, makes you want more of it. Sort of like a Beatles Album, you just love it. For the Beatles fans amongst us, Brainwashed can also be like the White Album. At first you think, well yes, it is good, but not amazing. Then you listen to it more, and suddenly your transported into Nirvana, and you love every second of it.
It starts off with the Rock styled song Any Road which personally, is one of my favourite songs on the entire album, though I must admit, I cant favour one over the other. With a melody of excellent lyrics, and a rhythm that keeps you hooked, it scores a perfect 10 on my scoresheet. Some of the lyrics you'll remember for a long time to come though:
If you dont know where your going
any road will take you their
and
oh lord, we pay the price, with a spin of the wheel,
with a roll of the dice
Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) also is an ace song. It is a healthy mix between a blues riff and a rock progression. I've always enjoyed it because of the intelligent lyrics and the sarcasm mixed in. Harrison expresses his view on the catholic church and the turmoil rocking it. Now, it is up to you to decide whether he is harassing the Catholic Church or the people complaining about it...
Pisces Fish is a slower paced song, with a much heavier hint of Harrison's eastern influences pressing down upon him. Sadly, plenty of copies of the song, especially distributed through Limewire, have been proffessionally edited so he says the wrong things, and it doesnt sound harrisonesque.
Looking For my Life is a painfull reminder of everything he has gone through. The failed assasination attempt on his life (unto which he was stabbed in the lung) , his recent diagnosis of Cancer, and how the end is finally approaching, and he knows it quite well.
When Harrison sings the song The Rising Sun, he once again follows the path of mellow melodies, and a focus more upon lyrical progressions than a instrumental classic. Mellow and sweet, it is one of those songs you listen to, not skip to.
Oh, Marwa Blues, how can I compliment such an excellent song. Simply, the best instrumental of his whole career, and much, much better than anything the beatles ever mustered in the form of an instrumental. This song shows the epitomy of George's guitar mastery. A heart-breaking mix of beauty and sorrow, Marwa Blues captures your emotion and takes it on a ride, a magical mysterious ride.
Stuck Inside a cloud is another favourite of mine. For some reason, it reminds me of when I was much younger, growing up, when I had to worry about less. It is a song that is different for everyone, everyone will get a different reaction out of it. A+
Just like Pisces Fish, the influences of India, Krishna, and Ravi Shankar come into a song. Never get over you in every way shape and form, a slow song which focuses on blending. Possibly a filler, I still enjoy listening to it, as the song goes on, it becomes more upbeat.
I've listed songs that I love, i've listed my favourites, but this comes out on number one. For me, nothing reaches such a level of musical perfection than this song. Harrison is on Ukelele, lead Ukelele, and the song is excellent. The lyrics are ironic, funny, upbeat, and most of all, enjoyable. He has a Ukelele solo of sorts, and is accompanied by a piano and an acoustic guitar. The Piano solo is also ace. I could listen to this all day, and still not get tired of it.
Finally, the last song I will review, Rocking Chair in Hawaii. This song took me awhile to warm up to. For some reason, it didnt appeal to me at first. As I listened to it more though, I noticed this Blues song is very good, and shows a radically different harrison then we are used to.
I wont review Brainwashed, as it is a spiritual song, and a compositional mixture of George and Dhani Harrison. Therefore, I leave it up to the reader of this to decide how he likes it.
I hope you enjoyed my review
