Customer Reviews

Brainwashed (Special Edition with Bonus DVD)

5 star:		(223)
4 star:		(90)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

There is no 'buyer beware' here. Often with posthumous releases, you never know how 'ready' the artist had his work. 'Brainwashed' from the legendary George Harrison has everything but a George here on earth to promote it and possibly tour with it. It's great, not 'All Things Must Pass' great, but great compared to much of what passes for music in 2002. If you liked The Traveling Wilburys, you'll love it. If you liked 'Cloud Nine' you'll love it -- in many ways it's 'Cloud' Part 2. And if you loved him as a Beatle, there's no way you won't like it. Lots of juicy slide guitar. It's also very topical. Stand out tracks are: the perfect album opener, the kicking "Any Road"; "Rising Sun", with its topical commentary; the weepy "Never Get Over You", and a personal favorite is his demo-sounding cover of "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", reminding one of "For You Blue" from bygone days. Jeff Lyne, of ELO fame/Wilburys, lends the production hand and, fortunately, doesn't make it into an ELO album. It's 'solo George' pure and simple, and there will never be anything like it again. As the sticker bluntly says: The Final Studio Album. Thanks for leaving it behind, George. A tip: spend the extra few bucks and get the enhanced/with DVD version rather than just the audio CD, absolutely beautifully packaged and makes a better 'gift' to give.

Although it doesn't have the scope or depth of Harrison's solo debut (All Things Must Pass although technically speaking Wonderwall was his first solo album), Brainwashed is one of the best solo albums Harrison made. The sad part is that he'll never be able to follow up on this terrific album. None of this is being said after looking through rose tinted glasses; the songs on Brainwashed are among his most accomplished and lyrically adept since ATMP, Living in the Material World and Cloud Nine).

Although finished by Jeff Lynne in collaboration with Dhani Harrison (they both added additional touches such as rhythm guitar overdubs, strings whether appropriate and backing vocals on some of the uncompleted tracks), Harrison's distinctive slide guitar playing and singing are never buried or obscured. Lynne and Dhani Harrison have lovingly applied their musical craft to finish this terrific album in a style that Harrison would have approved of (although Lynne does mention in the DVD included that Harrison might have thought the production touches a little too much and apologies by saying, "sorry George but they were such beautiful songs". They still are and, I don't doubt, that Harrison would have approved).

It's as he never quit recording. Brainwashed sounds like the logical successor to Cloud Nine and the Wilbury albums. Harrison, Lynne and Dhani Harrison build an accomplished and tuneful musical ladder that allows George to climb to the top. When he gets up there he lets his playing speak for itself. Brainwashed features some of George's most affecting and powerful playing.

The opening track Any Road, Vatican Blues and Stuck Inside a Cloud (a personal fav of Dhani's, it's track number 7 as 7 was George's favorite number)are all outstanding. Harrison's collaboration with Jools Holland and his band on the standard Devil and the Deep Blue Sea isn't camped up. Harrison plays "uke" (as he and Dhani call it). Holland and his band give a nice swing texture to the track.

The magnum opus, though, is the title track. Brainwashed manages to roll all of Harrison's favorite topics into one. The use of sitar and other Indian musical textures both look back to Pepper and acknowledge that Harrison's affection for Ravi Shankar and Indian music was never a fad for George. It's a powerful 6 minute piece and still manages to end the album on a positive note.

George's tasteful slide playing is all over the album and reminds me what an accomplished and talented player he was. He may never of had the chops of Hendrix but then he didn't need them. His lyrical and melodic playing always was a highlight of his solo work.

The DVD in the deluxe backage is a short documentary on the making of the album. It includes glimpses of the recording of the album both when Harrison was recording and Lynne & Dhani were finishing it. There's a number of brief interviews of George situationed throughout the video. We also get to see a music video that George recorded with Jools Holland and his band for the song Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Additionally, there's clips for Any Road and Stuck Inside a Cloud that uses footage of George on his estate.

The big question will be is the DVD and extras worth it? Certainly if you're a big Beatles or Harrison fan. I wish the DVD could have been longer and included any number of the videos being created for the album. The sticker, poster and guitar pick are nice additions.

Given a few more listens, I might change that 4 1/2 star review to a five!

In his posthumous release "Brainwashed," George Harrison shares 11 new original songs, and offers a worthy conclusion to his wonderful career. We are very fortunate to be offered such a great peace of art nearly a year after his passing. The album is replete with his trademarks: the slide guitar, beautiful melodies, an appreciation for country and the blues, and even the ukulele. In this final recording George is introspective - "Looking for my Life," and "Pisces Fish," -- yet flippant, strumming the ukulele on "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." He is optimistic in reassuring the listener "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there," on "Any Road," and yet he is pessimistic, offering a list of social ills on the title track "Brainwashed."

George picks up where he left off with the Traveling Wilbury's -- a super group which among others included Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and the co-producer of this album -- Jeff Lynne. Similar to his work on John Lennon's unfinished songs, (Free as a Bird, and Real Love), while working on the Beatle's Anthology, Lynne, with the help of George's son Dhani, is successful in crafting complete songs around the demos George left behind for him.

The album is very strong - there is not a weak track. While not the epic that is his piece de resistance "All Things Must Pass," "Brainwashed" is triumphant, and certainly one of the peaks of his career. The release of "Brainwashed" in addition to the recent re-release of "All Things Must Pass," is a fitting conclusion to his career -- they are among the best works he has produced. Among my favorite songs are "Any Road," "P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)," "Marwa Blues," "Stuck inside a Cloud," and "Rocking Chair in Hawaii."

"Any Road," with its joyous melody and great harmonies, invokes memories of George's days with the Wilbury's. "P2 Vatican Blues," with its slide guitar fills, is reminiscent of "I Dig Love," from "All Things Must Pass." Well known for his practice of eastern philosophy and religion, George reminds us of his beginnings, noting that he is an "ex-Catholic." "Marwa Blues," the album's only instrumental, is beautifully accompanied -- the backing strings are similar to those featured on the great Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever." In the DVD available with this album, Dhani says that "Stuck inside a Cloud" is his favorite track. Few would disagree. Its joyous guitar riff reminds me of his work on songs such as "Far East Man," from the album "Dark Horse." "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" is a wonderful return to the inspiration of the beginning of rock and roll-- the blues -- you would think that the Rolling Stones recorded this delta blues number 30 years ago.

In summary, this is a wonderful album. Even though it's been 15 years since George's last original album, Cloud 9, was released, it was worth the wait... I only wish that he hadn't waited so long to start recording again. But it looks like he had saved many wonderful songs over the years to record -- we are blessed to be offered such a wonderful collection music after his passing. Hopefully we will soon see a DVD release of The Concert for Bangladesh. If you enjoy this album I recommend the aforementioned "All Things Must Pass," along with "Living in the Material World," "Darkhorse," and the "Traveling Wilbury's. Thank you George, and thank you Dhani and Jeff for finishing the job.

I am a Beatles fan. And while for a short time I thought that Paul was my favorite, it eventually became clear that I hold an odd fondness for George Harrison in my soul. There is something about his straight-forward, spiritual, sarcastic music style and the person he was that makes me love him.
I bought Brainwashed and listening to it presented me with a combination of feelings that you don't often experience. I was filled with joy to hear George's distictive voice sing along with the songs he so lovingly composed. But I could not help but cry as I realized what an amazing person we have lost.
This album is an experience like no other. A bittersweet reminder of George, a fun musical accomplishment, and a lovely tribute from Dhani and Jeff Lynne. It is filled with warm songs that will make you smile through your tears.
Standout tracks include "Brainwashed", "Any Road", "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "Stuck Inside a Cloud". But the highlight (for me anyway) is "Pisces Fish". I cannot help but choke up as George sings that beautiful melody.
This is one of the best albums in recent years and it should be purchased whether you like the Beatles or not. I guarantee that it will lift your spirits.

I was born the year John Lennon was murdered, so I can't imagine how people felt when that happened. But the Beatles' music is truly immortal, and it's certainly hard to believe that eventually one of them will pass on. When George Harrison died a year and a half ago from cancer, I truly felt like a close friend had passed away; not just because he was my favorite Beatle, but that like John, George was about to get back to making music again after a long hiatus. Too bad the fates weren't really on their side. But George certainly had plans to keep amazing us with music, as BRAINWASHED proves.

A considerable amount of people have complained that George would have hated how his final album turned out, but one should be reminded that George's son Dhani was given specific instructions by his father on how the album should sound. By all accounts, he followed through, and this is probably how George would have approved had he lived. Granted, it's not a perfect piece of work, but on the best moments of BRAINWASHED, George came close to outdoing his fellow former Beatle Paul McCartney by still creating strong music as they reach the big 6-0.

"Any Road" has been given the most favorable reviews, and for good reason because it is truly one of George's finest songs, especially from someone who's always had to take third place behind Lennon & McCartney (often unfairly). The song had been written years before & I believe was played by George on VH-1 when he was promoting the new Ravi Shankar album he had produced. George had not released any new music in years, and I'm sure had people wondering when, or if, a new album from him was coming along. "Any Road" was a good way to preface what became BRAINWASHED, and it's the kind of encouraging, upbeat number that always made George my favorite Beatle: even with the harsh, cruel world, he kept a forward-thinking attitude.

"Pisces Fish", "Looking For My Life", "Rising Sun" & "Rocking Chair In Hawaii" are other serene pieces of uptempo country rock-tinged pop that truly make you feel good, even if George perhaps knew his time on Earth was limited. Jeff Lynne's polished, high-gloss approach to production has often been criticized (most prominently on his work with Tom Petty), but he seems to find a good balance on these songs, making them seem like a logical extension of 1987's CLOUD NINE (George's previous studio album, also produced by Lynne).

Like his classic 1973 album LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD, George had an equal amount of cynicism along with the good vibes, and BRAINWASHED is no different. Maybe it's old age talking, but George does indeed have some bones to pick on songs like "P2 Vatican Blues [Last Saturday Night]" and the title track. The first song is a little bit of an afterthought & kind of shocking coming from someone as deeply religious as George, but the latter is the sore thumb of the album, being a little too mean-spirited to truly appreciate. It's great to see someone else who believes the media controls how we live, but at least be a little more objective.

Other songs have a feeling of George perhaps accepting his impending death, but not to the point where you need to dissect them to find hidden meanings. "Stuck Inside A Cloud", "Run So Far" (originally recorded by Eric Clapton), "Never Get Over You" & an old standard "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea" are George's way of saying "I'm ready to leave this world for a better place". The best thing a listener could possibly say is "Godspeed, George". Even the instrumental "Marwa Blues" is just heavenly, and hopefully George will be making this kind of music up there.

It took me a while to listen to this album for two reasons. One was that I'm a compulsive buyer & have literally a hundred or so CDs to listen to yet; the other is that I was afraid of getting emotional upon hearing what truly is the last music George Harrison will ever give us. While your heart will no doubt get heavy listening to BRAINWASHED, it's comforting to know that George was maybe planning to return to music full-time and could have given us his best had he not passed. The music will not leave you brainwashed; in fact it the only thing to be washed & cleansed by it will be your soul.

Rest in peace, George. Say hello to John for us.

I have been a Beatles (and mostly George Harrison) fan since they appeared on Ed Sullivan all those years ago. This cd made me see George and his music with fresh eyes.
I received "Brainwashed" as a gift and was not in a hurry to listen to it, to be honest. I was afraid it would be a "downer." How wrong I was! Yes, there are some heart-wrenchingly touching moments on this cd, however, the overall tone is wondrously hopeful for a man who knew his days on Earth were numbered. Perhaps it was because of his spiritual beliefs, or maybe it was due to the fact that his own son Dhani (who obviously loved his father dearly) and his buddy Jeff Lynne (who appreciated his friend's talent)treated the production with such care and respect for George's wishes. Whatever the reason, it seemed the more I listened to this album, the more I wanted to hear it yet again. It's all here: love, spirituality, lust, mortality, happiness and sadness, fun. I guess you could say it's like the life of a man who was, according to a line from "Pisces Fish:" "proof of all life's contradictions," a man who was definitely much more than "The Quiet One."

Yes, the album is great. Only regret that there's not more of it, but maybe there will be more of George's late career work released in time. (And maybe "All For Love" too, someday.) But the deluxe edition packaging needs some praising.

This is a primo box package. Beautiful Dark Horse logo in glossy black on flat black with title and signature in George's own writing. Have any critics commented on his "By George Harrison" byline? The inside of the box is "wallpapered" with Oms.

The poster isn't really a poster so much as a fine photo of George (Hawaii? 2000?)as opposed to CD booklet sized image. The Dark Horse sticker is a little something extra, nothing more. So many "critics" are complaining about the DVD. Why? Yes, it is short but it is incredibly well crafted, with great interviews. I wish the whole lip syched "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" were included, since it obviously exists.

BUT the best part of the whole deluxe box is the "autographed" guitar pick. Even if you are not a guitarist, you have to appreciate the collector's value of this little, last Fab memento. As if saying, "Here's a pick for you to keep while I'm gone to remember me by." And for nonbelievers, it will be worth far more than your old Beatles cards and lunchbox in time because it is a limited edition.

But what's with the album cover anyway? Is it really just saying that we are all mannequin/dummies with our televisons turned on? I prefer the box set cover.

I consider this album the second best album of George Harrison's career! That's how much I like this album! Some of you may be thinking that I only gave it a 5 Star Highest rating because George Harrison died but even if Harrison hadn't died, this album would still have been worth the 15 year wait between studio albums! There are no clunker tracks here! Harrison's guitar work is superb, his lyrics focused and thought provoking and he is in good voice! He knew what he wanted to say and says it well! The string section of "Rising Sun" which Harrison actually sang onto the tape with instructions to his Son Dhani Harrison and friend Jeff Lynne to put a couple of strings here, reminds me of the strings on "I Am The Walrus"! "Marwa Blues" is an instrumental that is some of Harrison's best guitar work! I've always liked the 1974 instrumental "Hari's On Tour (Express)" and "Marwa Blues makes the perfect bookend to it! Incidentally, George Harrison never stopped recording in his studio in that 15 year gap between studio albums, he just didn't release anything because he didn't want to! Three or 4 years ago he asked Jeff Lynne to complete these songs with him, so they would have been completed even if he had lived! As a result, this is not a sad album, but an uplifting one! In my opinion "All Things Must Pass" will always be his best because he had such a vast amount of songs at the time and recorded them all for "All Things Must Pass" but "Brainwashed" is a very close second. Dhani Harrison has done his Father's music proud, and Jeff Lynne has also done his friend's music proud !

During the time that much of the music on this recording was created, George, was very aware that his life was almost over. And going in, I had never heard a note of this CD entitled: "Brainwashed". As, I could only imagine what he was dealing with in the last year of his life, I was expecting the music of this disc to be dire and depressed in content. These great up-lifting songs and the general tone of happiness that I found here were such a great and incredible surprise! This CD has really re-inforced the commitment of George Harrison as a man of great faith and vast spirit. And because of this, my respect for this man and his art has multiplied.

From the wonderful acoustic guitars that ring like bells on the opener: "Any Road", right on through to the closer: "Brainwashed" this is joyful music that ranks up with the best of George's greatest works. Like; "Cloud Nine" and the best MOments of The Wilbury's, these are the sounds of a mature and worldly person, that seems very content and at peace.

On repeated listenings this record holds up so well that my favorite track keeps on changing. Right now: "Pisces Fish" is at the Top, but this is an ongoing thing for my EArs and Heart, so I'll bet another of these Gems takes it's place as I absorb this record again and again.

I will agree with some of the other reviewers and say that as the DVD is beautiful in content, and gives us a real personal look at George, {who was sooo private about his life} I sure do wish it was longer. That said, I really think that this The Deluxe Edition is the way to go, it is special and fitting for this record to have all the extras included.

It's still difficult to be without George Harrison in our world, but his spirit is so vast, he is now the universe above us forever.
This is a Fantasic CD!
FIVE STARS !!!