George Harrison - Brainwashed

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Music reviews of Brainwashed

Music Review: Good music, and some spiritual comfort
Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes you're cool, sometimes you're lame,
Somewhere you pay your fare,
Bow to God and call him Sir,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

I left out a few verses and lines, and the first time I heard it I was watching the video, so I couldn't help thinking that it was as good as anything used to be by the Traveling Wilburys, almost another "End of the Line" song, featuring George Harrison and Jeff Lynne doing Vocals and Backing Vocals with Dhani Harrison.

The second song, "P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)" is also a catchy combo by the same people with Ukulele and Wurlitzer, for a much less serious sound. Michelangelo in the first verse doesn't inspire much beyond "Claustrophobic and ex-Catholic Last Saturday night" in the second verse. The high point, highly suspect for such a rollicking good time, is the middle verse:

It's quite suspicious to say the least
Even mentioned it to my local priest
One Our Father, three Hail Marys
Each Saturday night.

The song seems to repeat the "One Our Father three Hail Marys" line often enough to prepare listeners for George Harrison's shift to Eastern religion in the final song on the CD, "Brainwashed," in which Shiva Shiva and Hare Hare are the main repetitions.

The song "Pisces Fish" adds a few more musicians for Additional Keyboards. This music is more contemplative, and the rest of the album, too, though perhaps not as well.

The first verse and last two verses of "Looking for my Life" end with the chorus,

I never knew that things exploded
I only found it out when I was down upon my knees
Looking for my life.

The other verses are as glum, unless "Caught up on me with intensity, Had no idea where I was heading" is given an interpretation which is more mystical. If you check the "Oh"s in the printed lyrics, there's "Oh Lord," "Oh Love," "Oh boy," "Oh Lord," "Oh boys," and "Oh Lord."

I could even make the song, "Rising Sun" sound sad. The glorious part, for me, is based on the idea that the atoms of our bodies have been formed long ago in stars. Taking the long view, you have the:

Universe at play inside your DNA
You're a billion years old today
Oh the rising sun . . .

"Marwa Blues" does not have any words, but it has George Harrison playing Slide Guitar, Keyboards and Finger Cymbals, and you can imagine what the other four people are doing, though this is the only song on the CD with Strings Arranged and Conducted by Marc Mann. It has a peaceful, soothing quality, and it is easy to relax and just let them play it for whatever reason they have.

"Stuck Inside a Cloud" is a song on "Talking to myself, Crying out loud." The next song has enough pep that it might be more cheerful, but the main line is "There's no escape, can only run so far." Then "Never Get over You" actually uses the word, "Girl," and could be romantic.

I knew when you arrived
That no words could describe
What your love made me do
I'll never get over you . . .

You warm the coldest feet
Can cool me in the heat

"The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" was not written by George Harrison, and sounds more traditional than the other songs on this CD, with a tuba featured just before the last line.

"Rocking Chair in Hawaii" is a shy woman Hawaiian blues song, with George Harrison on Dobro Slide, Ukulele, and the usual instruments and Backing Vocals.

The final song, "Brainwashed," strives for the most significance. The first chorus starts with:

God God God
A voice cries in the wilderness

The second chorus ends with:

God God God
Your nature is eternity
God God God
You are Existence, Knowledge, Bliss.

It is easy to miss the list of things in the verses, which go by so fast.

Brainwashed in our childhood
Brainwashed by the schools

If there is a funny line in this song, it is "They even got my grandma when she was working for the mob." The song and CD end with Namah Parvarti performed by George and Dhani Harrison, which is another peaceful part of this album. You might not understand that part, but it is not really boring. They sound like they know what they are doing, and you could get into it after a while.

Description of Brainwashed

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