George Harrison

Cloud Nine

The Last Great George Harrison album

Review Score:

(8/10)
It took George Harrison almost five years between albums to present "Cloud Nine." But it was time well spent. The original eleven songs on this CD were probably the finest solo material he'd written/recorded since "Living In The Material World." There was an energy and spirit here; Harrison was obviously feeling rejuvenated. Just listen to "That's What It Takes," a sly but powerfully optimistic song. Or the enthusiastic slinky leads on "Cloud Nine's" title track (shared with pal Eric Clapton).

The other interesting note was just how comfortable Harrison felt with his Beatle-ness. The delightfully novel "When We Was Fab" and the great video that was made to go along with it probably said more about the Beatles' career than the "Anthology" series did, and only in four minutes. In fact, out of all Harrison's solo albums, "Cloud Nine" was probably the most playful. The romantic "Breath Away From Heaven," the catchy "gossip! gossip!" chant in "Devil's Radio" and the sublime choice for the Disc's single "Got My Mind Set On You" fit Harrison like a glove.

The reissue emphasizes the loose and cheery feel Harrison and friends Elton John, producer Jeff Lynne, longtime cohort Gary Wright and even a quick guest shot by Ringo brought to these sessions. It's that sense of joy that probably carried Lynne and Harrison into creating the Traveling Wilburys albums (how about a remaster/reissue on those two Out-of-Print CDs?). Some cool pictures are included to spice up the package, though the bonus cuts don't add much. If the years found this one slipping out of your collection, "Cloud Nine" is a worthy release.

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