Cloud Nine [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

George Harrison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00014TJ7K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,205 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #62 in Music > Rock > Singer-Songwriters
  • #64 in Music > World Music > Europe > British Isles > Britain

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43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This puts me on Cloud 9, June 19, 2005

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cloud Nine (Audio CD)

With the afterglow of my personal discovery of the Beatles in full swing, the release of what would turn out to be George Harrison's penultimate solo album, Cloud Nine, well, put me there. After getting greatest hits albums by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, this was perfect. George had a lot of quality help on this album, including former bandmate Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Gary Wright, Elton John, and on the producer's helm, Jeff Lynne.

Most of the material is laid back pop, with George's gentle and understated voice an additional balm. "That's What It Takes" is one such song, on how in order to enjoy the shining world, one has to take all those chances.

However, the great heartfelt ballads are what make Cloud Nine. The tearful piano ballad "Just For Today" is great for those who are very down and need "to get through this day only" and other things somehow: "If just for one night/I could feel not sad and lonely/Not be my own life's problem/Just for one night." It shows that it wasn't just Paul McCartney who could make a universal ballad like "Yesterday." Equally as sad and touching is "Someplace Else" of needing that certain someone during a time of crisis: "And for a while you could comfort me/And hold me for some time/I need you now to be beside me/While all my world is so untidy/Loneliness/Empty faces/Wish i could leave them all in someplace else." Clapton helps out on this song.

The quick "Fish On The Sand" features Jeff Lynne's signature production, that backbeat rhythm synths and guitar also to be present on the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care" and Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" and "Learning To Fly." A similar sound is present on the third single, "This Is Love."

Okay, what is "white and black like industrial waste/Pollution of the highest degree"? If you answered the "Devil's Radio," give yourself a hand. George gives a much-needed punch at the gossip magazines, radio, and TV, but oh, with such a fun sound. "It's all across our lives/Like a weed it's spread/'till nothing else has space to grow," sings George of this menace. Clapton lends his bluesy guitar here and also on the brass and piano boogie of "Wreck of the Hesperus." This is how George feels great about himself at present, with some witty repartee: "I'm not a power of attorney/But I can rock as good as Gibraltar/Ain't no more no spring chicken/Been plucked but I'm still kicking."

Naturally, the silly video for the fun and upbeat "Got My Mind Set On You," the song which reached #1 and was George's third chart-topper, after "My Sweet Lord" and "Give Me Love-(Give Me Peace On Earth)" started things off. A song written by Rudy Clark in the 50's, it was first recorded by James Ray in 1962. A brisk rhythm guitar is accompanied by some brass and later sax, which in the video was played by a squirrel!

The next single was George's remembrance of the Beatles. "When We Was Fab" features sounds that harken back to the Beatles' Sgt Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour, including cello, sitar. Even the video had Elton John in a walrus costume a la MMT. Reaching #23, this was George's last Top 40 hit.

As for the bonus tracks, they were songs for the Madonna/Sean Penn bomb Shanghai Surprise. Vicky Brown assists him on vocals on the title track, which has a Chinese aura. "Zig Zag" has a more 30's nightclub jazz feel to it, complete with Armstrong-style trumpet. Harrison himself appeared as a nightclub singer in this turkey, which he co-executive produced!

I was on Cloud Nine when I first heard this, and sent back there once more upon its remastered reissue, and I hope that's where George is now.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cloud Nine (1987), February 23, 2005

By 

Mr. S. St Thomas "suckerfly" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cloud Nine (Audio CD)

CLOUD NINE

I walked through 1987 with a great sense of satisfaction around me. The Dark Horse that no one betted on, won the race. He was the first out of the gate (`My Sweet Lord' being the first No.1 hit by a solo Beatle), and he was also the one that finished first in the race (`Got My Mind Set On You' is the last solo Beatle song to reach No.1). Along the way, others overtook him, media jockeys tried to run him off the course, former producers and band-mates derided his work and importance, but he still finished, and won. And this kind of circular event plays throughout Harrison's entire career. The first song to be recorded by The Beatles was Harrison and McCartney's `In Spite of All The Danger'. In this case, no one is willing to say truly how much was Harrison, and how much was McCartney. But these were the days of The Beatles when Harrison was on equal footing with Lennon and McCartney, he was a member of the band, not a sidekick or employee. Or hindrance in some minds. If `In Spite...' was not enough, `Cry For A Shadow' by Harrison and Lennon is the next Beatles original composition to be recorded. There's a trend beginning. And at the end of their RECORDING career, the last song to ever be recorded while all four members were alive, was Harrison's (with help from McCartney) `I Me Mine'. Had Harrison not met Paul McCartney, and knowing how life has many twists and turns, you would never have had The Beatles to begin with. I am suggesting something here. Whether you pick up on it or not, isn't really what I can control. I'm just suggesting that `The Quiet One' was a lot louder in other ways than can be perceived on the surface. There are many circles that run throughout the living of life, and it is quite possible Harrison's circle was quite powerful, and a bit more encompassing than some would like to believe. It doesn't take anyone remarkably observant to note that Harrison is riding the only dark horse in the Penny Lane promo. Nor to notice that as his partners signed away their copyright ownership, he was busy forming his own publishing company. There's quite a bit about Harrison a lot of people underestimate him on, and I think in the end, he's going to surprise a lot of people that look at a puddle, and think because its comprised of water, it's the same as the ocean.

Back to my satisfaction in 1987. Harrison released the triumphant Cloud Nine to a public that had written him off. Not that he cared much, because he walked away very quietly and with little fanfare. He had a garden to tend to, and a son to raise, a wife to devote his time to, a film company that was helping save the British Film industry, and a lawsuit over a nice song with nothing Bright about it, while The Jam played a song that sounded a little too much like a song called `Taxman'. He was still extremely busy without putting out full albums. He also played with Carl Perkins and Ringo Starr, appeared in a movie with Ringo and Eric Clapton, went and tried salvaging what was left of Madonna's and Sean Penn's fiasco ridden Shanghai Surprise, contributed a song to the Porky's soundtrack, performed at The Prince's Trust, received a citation and a cheque of £11,000,000 from UNICEF for his work for Bangladesh, and that money was all the royalties that were accrued when the entire benefit was held up in court. His battles with EMI and the British/American governments over Bangladesh were enough to give him a Knighthood, let alone a citation from those whom he was trying to help. He was a very busy, if not always seen, George Harrison.

When Cloud Nine came out, I was one of those happiest for George's success. We always knew he had it in him; it just took a matter of patience waiting for all the other spectators of the race to notice he had emerged victorious. He's not the richest former Beatle. He's not the martyred former Beatle. But he was the former Beatle that won an altogether different race. One that said all those who walked away from the grounds cursing because they had not bet on the wildcard of being the first and last to do something time and time again in relation to the other `horses', even though they seemed like they were in no way able to lose. They realised, or have yet to realise, the race was not about winning on the sure bet, or The Winnings. The track is a circle, it begins where it ends. And looking at Harrison's history, he seems to always be right there at the beginning, and right there at the end. It barely, if ever, changes. `My Sweet Lord' and `Got My Mind Set On You'. `In Spite of All The Danger' and `I Me Mine'. The first charity single in pop history. The first large scale benefit concert in pop history. The last former Beatle album to be released on the Apple label proper. The first proper solo album while in The Beatles. The first to address social/political commentary in the Beatles catalogue. The first of his peers to fully incorporate Indian instrumentation into Western pop music, by not emulating the Sitar with a Stratocaster, but actually playing the Sitar, and learning it for 2 years with Ravi Shankar. The only Beatle who was able to read and write music, even if it was Indian notation. The first triple album in pop/rock history. One of the first, and few people in 1960's Britain who publicly welcomed the Asian community, and went out of his way to promote their culture, their beliefs and their musicians. One of the first British musicians to own a Moog synthesiser, and one of the first, if not the first, musicians to release an album entirely composed on Moog synthesiser that was not an interpretation of classical music.

The list truly goes on and on, as to why those that were betting should have known to bet on the dark horse.

Cloud Nine is the most Beatle sounding of any of Harrison's recordings. But this should be no surprise, since so much of the Sonics, the sounds of The Beatles lay so much in his fingers. From the Rickenbacker, to Sitar, to the Synthesiser, to meticulously arranged backwards guitar solos, from Spanish guitar to psychedelic organ, George Harrison was quite simply the man who gave The Beatles `Sound'. One would like to think this is with the George Martin's, or the Geoff Emerick's. But neither of these people told Harrison to get a Rickenbacker. Or play a Sitar. They helped him recreate Fog in music when writing `Blue Jay Way', but did not write what required such an artistic use of effects. Martin only emulated what Harrison's Indian notation told his Indian friends to play. Martin could not communicate to an Indian musician, please play Sa ri ga ma pa dha ni. Harrison could. Martin's orchestration is based more on Harrison's instruction, than Martin's own writing skills, because he was naïve in dealing with Indian music, and Indian musicians. Some might suggest ignorant. Western music is comprised of 12 octaves. Indian music is comprised of 22 octaves. You do not know how large the Piano that would have to be built to play Indian music on a Western instrument would need to be. In Indian music, 12 keys are not enough to make an octave.

Cloud Nine is a joy to listen to, particularly for George's guitar work, the production, Jeff Lynne's collaborations and contributions, and the songs themselves. Each one is a great addition to the Harrison catalogue of great work. The remaster makes an omission or two for no apparent reason, and I have yet to figure out why `Hottest Gong In Town' was not included in the additional tracks. Or 3 songs that were recorded after Cloud 9's release. And one is an absolute must have. All 3 appeared on the Best of Dark Horse collection in 1989, and these songs need to be released again. They are POOR LITTLE GIRL, COCKAMAMIE BUSINESS, and CHEER DOWN (written with Tom Petty). And it's `Cheer Down' of these 3 that ranks among the very best songs Harrison ever wrote, but what is even more magical, is his slide guitar work for this song. I'm a huge fan of the other two songs as well, particularly Cockamamie Business, but Cheer Down is a song that sits amongst Harrison's best work very comfortably. Why they are not included here, along with the glaring omission of `Hottest Gong In Town' is beyond me. And why not, if it couldn't be put on Somewhere In England, include `Lay His Head' on this set, which was the B-side of `Got My Mind Set On You'. Why not the alternate mixes of `Got My Mind Set On You' and `When We Was Fab'? There are a lot of missed opportunities on what is regarded as one of Harrison's biggest successes. But then again, EMI haven't really known what to do with George Harrison. I say this in respect to Olivia, who may have had more to do with this, or not at all. My complaint is not with her, because these albums are out there in the stores because of her, which is where they always belonged.

CLOUD NINE is simply a must have.

Bet on the Dark Horse, you'll get what you invested returned to you, and a lot extra.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why can't they keep the good stuff?, October 28, 2002

By 

Jason D. Rowe "homesick" (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cloud Nine (Audio CD)

First of all, it's a bloody travesty that this album is currently out of print. I know George was supposedly remastering his entire catalog at the time of his death, but that is no excuse for the record companies. They ignore the best of the past and just shovel mass produced garbage down our throats. This is a real artist, with real emotion...unlike todays f--- you so it pays music. All sides of George are presented here: wit, happiness, integrity,spirituality,sadness,recollections of the past, optimism for the future, all in his characteristic style. Beautiful piano, electric and acoustic guitars, nice resonant bass, simple drumming with George's slide work weaving in out out of the melodys...not one weak track here. I love this album because George, regardless of his fame and fortune, seems more human and closer than ever..From Cloud 9 to the upbeat end this is a constant album...besides All Things Must Pass, this is his best in my opinion. Don't worry if its from the 80s either..this is the 80s the way it should have been, with style..In the end the songs are what really matters anyway. Oh one more thing, this album will make you feel good! The majority of the songs are upbeat with a few exceptions but they are just as good anyway..so it's a very positive mature album that will brighten up your day..besides George's work with the Travelling Wilburys (check out Vol. 1) this is the best of 80s George.