Brainwashed (2002)


 

  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

 

Few releases arrive with lower expectations and fewer still exceed them so completely. Brainwashed, issued posthumously in 2002, might have easily been a collection of unfinished scraps—loose ends from a largely retired artist. George Harrison had not released a proper solo studio album in fifteen years, and his focus in that period had seemingly turned inward: toward gardening, family life, the Wilburys, and—when required—the occasional Beatles-related appearance. That this album would emerge at all, let alone emerge with such coherence and power, was wholly unexpected.

That it does is due, in no small part, to the stewardship of Jeff Lynne. Harrison’s longtime collaborator, Lynne stepped in following Harrison’s death to complete the album—working closely with George’s son Dhani to honour both the intention and the spirit of the material. Despite Harrison’s request that the demos remain untouched, Lynne wisely (and affectionately) ignored him, admitting later that George would’ve let himself be talked round in the end. One suspects he’s right.

The result is perhaps the most focused album of Harrison’s solo career. While Cloud Nine had signaled a reawakening, and the Wilburys records showed a playful, collaborative George, Brainwashed feels uniquely personal—wry, serene, occasionally acerbic, and unmistakably final. There is no grand farewell, no overt sentimentality, but a quiet sense of closure permeates the record.

Musically, it picks up where Cloud Nine left off. The production is crisp but unfussy, the songwriting tight and melodic. Harrison’s voice—aged but expressive—is woven gently through a blend of acoustic warmth and electric clarity. The guitar work, as ever, is elegant and economical: no flash, no fuss, just perfectly placed phrases that serve the song rather than interrupt it.

The mood throughout is surprisingly light. Tracks like Any Road and P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) showcase Harrison’s well-worn, often underappreciated sense of humour. There is wit in abundance, matched by a calmness that seems born of acceptance rather than resignation. Even the more introspective tracks—Looking for My Life, Stuck Inside a Cloud—carry a kind of spiritual levity, the sound of a man who has made peace with all that troubled him.

Only in the final moments does the mood shift decisively. The closing title track, Brainwashed, begins in classic Harrison style—philosophical, lightly cynical, wrapped in a melodic sheen—but ends with a Hindu chant, an explicit gesture of faith that, if heavy-handed by secular standards, is entirely fitting. Harrison was always transparent about his beliefs, and it feels right that the last words on his last album be sacred ones. He was not afraid of death; he had, it seems, prepared for it.

Brainwashed stands as a remarkably assured final statement—free of bitterness, full of clarity, and quietly confident in its message. It avoids the pitfalls that so often mar posthumous releases and instead provides a graceful epilogue to a life and career too often overshadowed by larger personalities.

Harrison left quietly, but Brainwashed ensures he did not leave unnoticed. It is, quite simply, a beautiful way to say goodbye.

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