Suddenly we were living in a world with only two Beatles, and one of them was Ringo. While we hadn’t had any new music from George in over ten years, at least he’d been somewhat active. He had performed some of the better numbers at 1992’s Bobfest, and got completely involved with the whole Anthology project. He beat cancer, won an embezzlement suit and even survived a stabbing. And then cancer came back and took him, and he went happily. Thankfully, he was nice enough to prepare an album that said goodbye to us.He calls for more guitar, and “Any Road” carries us off. This song was previewed on VH1, on an interview they’d sat on until after he’d died, and it’s a gem. “P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)” takes a few stabs at organized religion amidst some cryptic lyrics. “Pisces Fish” is really smooth, with a wonderful reference to “Canadian geese crap”. “Looking For My Life” seems like a reaction to the attack, but is actually an affirmation of faith. “Rising Sun” is similar musically to “Pisces Fish” but different enough to be just as good. “Marwa Blues” is a beautiful (and even Grammy-winning) instrumental with lots of weeping guitars and a nod towards “Strawberry Fields” in the middle.
“Stuck Inside A Cloud” was an odd choice for the first single, very reminiscent of his early-’80s sound with lots of electric piano played by son Dhani. “(Can Only) Run So Far” had appeared on an earlier Eric Clapton album, and is probably the weakest track here. “Never Get Over You” hearkens back to the love songs on Extra Texture crossed with the production of Somewhere In England, but stands head and shoulders above those songs. We know George loved the ukulele and old standards, which makes his version of “Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” so charming. “Rocking Chair In Hawaii” is something of a surprise to ccollectors, considering that its seeds came from the All Things Must Pass sessions. All this leads up to the grand finale of the title track, an angry litany of the evils of the 21st century, much like “Save The World” was twenty odd years earlier. There’s a midsection with a reading from some ancient text, then back to the driving verses. What sounds like another detour turns out to be the big finish, a hypnotic chant performed by father and son. And that’s the end.
Brainwashed would be a good album even if George had lived to promote it. Dhani gets most of the kudos for learning from his dad, and he even manages to keep Jeff Lynne in check. All sorts of friends helped out, and it sounds like the sessions, however long a period they covered, were a lot of fun. We can only hope we’ll get more buried gems one day.
George Harrison Brainwashed (2002)—4
I've just discovered (maybe rediscovered) this blog, and I really enjoy your reviews. You could help me to reconsider some albums that I've really given short shrift to, like some of McCartney and Harrison where I'm mostly stuck in the 70's. You discuss a lot of my favorite artists and writers like Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, and Tom Petty, and that's just flipping back 6 or 7 pages. Thoughtful reviews and nice writing.
ReplyDelete-Bruce
Thank you sir! Please keep reading, as there's plenty more on the way.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog.
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Tony [from Tony's Music and Screening Room]
This is really an endearing album. It’s the most stripped down of any of his, even when compared with the Traveling Wilburys. George himself, supposedly, wanted Jeff Lynne to restrain himself (which means we may, indirectly, have him to thank for “Highway Companion”). Only “Rising Sun” and “Run So Far” sound distantly like the lushness of his earliest work.
ReplyDeleteThe first two tracks get the album off to a great start. What exactly George is trying to get at in “P2 Vatican Blues” is difficult to determine. My guess it’s about the same message as “Awaiting on You All”, but with more of a sense of humor. “Looking for My Life” is a great example of George expounding on his faith without getting preachy. “Marwa Blues” is an odd title for a track that is anything but the blues, but the guitar playing is gorgeous. “Never Get Over You” is a phrase usually associated with lamenting over the end of a relationship, rather than affirming a long standing one, but I’m sure that Olivia really appreciated it. It’s very reminiscent, lyrically, of the songs on his self-titled album. As for “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, I don’t hate it. But George carried his whimsy a bit too far, as he did with his 1981 Hoagy Carmichael covers. One would expect this sort of thing more of Paul, but it is in keeping with George’s sense of humor.
Finally, there’s the classic title track, which ended up as George’s final manifesto. He’s got one foot in the profane and material, another in the spiritual. And, at the conclusion, he finally lets it all go. It may be the most brilliant and moving conclusion to an album, ever.
Listening to this album makes me miss George more. By the way, tobacco is a scourge on the planet.