Brainwashed (album)
Encyclopedia
Brainwashed is the final studio album
by George Harrison
, released in 2002, almost a year after his death at age 58. As a posthumous release, Brainwashed garnered much attention upon its unveiling.
" being written during the making of a video for "This Is Love" from the Cloud Nine
album) and would continue to do so in a sporadic manner over the next decade and a half. After recuperating from being attacked in his home by Michael Abram on 30 December 1999 Harrison focused more on getting his album finished, simultaneously sharing his ideas for all its details (from the sound of the finished songs to the album's artwork) with his son Dhani
— information that would ultimately prove very valuable.
Harrison had successfully battled throat cancer
in 1997; in 2001 he underwent surgery
to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs, and radiotherapy for lung cancer
which had metastacised
to his brain. Once he realised it was an irreversible situation, he worked further on the album's songs—in conjunction with Dhani and his old collaborator Jeff Lynne
—until he was unable to do more. Harrison's final work on the album was done at a recording studio in Switzerland shortly before his trip to the United States for cancer treatment. On 29 November 2001, Harrison died, leaving Brainwashed not quite finished, but with a guide to completing it in the hands of his son and Lynne.
After a few months away from the project, both the younger Harrison and Lynne returned to working on George's final songs and adding the appropriate instruments—as per their composer's specifications—to the recordings. So close to completion was the project that the two used the exact timetable and session bookings which George had booked himself. After some difficult but rewarding sessions, the work was done and George Harrison's final album was completed.
Brainwashed received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album holds score of 77, based on 16 reviews, which means "generally favorable". A live tribute of Harrison by an assembly of his musical contemporaries, entitled Concert for George
, took place at the Royal Albert Hall
simultaneously with the release of the album. The album sold respectably—though perhaps slightly below expectations—reaching #18 in the US and going gold
, and #29 in the UK, where "Any Road" became a Top 40 hit single in spring 2003. In 2004, Brainwashed' s "Marwa Blues" won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Grammy. The album had also been nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album
, as well as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
(for the track "Any Road").
and a CD. A special limited edition CD-box was also released, containing a Brainwashed poster, a Dark Horse sticker, a guitar pick with George's signature on it, and a Bonus-DVD with a seven-minute featurette about the making of the album.
, except where noted.
Additional personnel:
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, released in 2002, almost a year after his death at age 58. As a posthumous release, Brainwashed garnered much attention upon its unveiling.
History
Harrison had begun recording the tracks that would eventually see issue on Brainwashed as early as 1988 (with "Any RoadAny Road
"Any Road" is a song by George Harrison and is the opening track to his posthumous album, Brainwashed. It was written in 1988 during the making of a video for his 1987 album, Cloud Nine....
" being written during the making of a video for "This Is Love" from the Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)
-Personnel:The following personnel was credited in the liner notes.*George Harrison – vocals, guitars, keyboards, sitar*Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards*Eric Clapton – guitar*Elton John – piano*Gary Wright – piano*Ringo Starr – drums...
album) and would continue to do so in a sporadic manner over the next decade and a half. After recuperating from being attacked in his home by Michael Abram on 30 December 1999 Harrison focused more on getting his album finished, simultaneously sharing his ideas for all its details (from the sound of the finished songs to the album's artwork) with his son Dhani
Dhani Harrison
Dhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
— information that would ultimately prove very valuable.
Harrison had successfully battled throat cancer
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
in 1997; in 2001 he underwent surgery
Lobectomy
Lobectomy means surgical excision of a lobe. This may refer to a lobe of the lung, a lobe of the thyroid , or a lobe of the brain ....
to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs, and radiotherapy for lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
which had metastacised
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
to his brain. Once he realised it was an irreversible situation, he worked further on the album's songs—in conjunction with Dhani and his old collaborator Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
—until he was unable to do more. Harrison's final work on the album was done at a recording studio in Switzerland shortly before his trip to the United States for cancer treatment. On 29 November 2001, Harrison died, leaving Brainwashed not quite finished, but with a guide to completing it in the hands of his son and Lynne.
After a few months away from the project, both the younger Harrison and Lynne returned to working on George's final songs and adding the appropriate instruments—as per their composer's specifications—to the recordings. So close to completion was the project that the two used the exact timetable and session bookings which George had booked himself. After some difficult but rewarding sessions, the work was done and George Harrison's final album was completed.
Brainwashed received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album holds score of 77, based on 16 reviews, which means "generally favorable". A live tribute of Harrison by an assembly of his musical contemporaries, entitled Concert for George
Concert for George
The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organized by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne...
, took place at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
simultaneously with the release of the album. The album sold respectably—though perhaps slightly below expectations—reaching #18 in the US and going gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
, and #29 in the UK, where "Any Road" became a Top 40 hit single in spring 2003. In 2004, Brainwashed
Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011.*In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental*From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance...
Grammy. The album had also been nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album
Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop music albums...
, as well as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
(for the track "Any Road").
Release versions
Brainwashed was released both as an LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and a CD. A special limited edition CD-box was also released, containing a Brainwashed poster, a Dark Horse sticker, a guitar pick with George's signature on it, and a Bonus-DVD with a seven-minute featurette about the making of the album.
Track listing
All songs by George HarrisonGeorge Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, except where noted.
- "Any RoadAny Road"Any Road" is a song by George Harrison and is the opening track to his posthumous album, Brainwashed. It was written in 1988 during the making of a video for his 1987 album, Cloud Nine....
" – 3:52 - "P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)" – 2:38
- "Pisces Fish" – 4:50
- "Looking for My Life" – 3:49
- "Rising Sun" – 5:27
- "Marwa Blues" – 3:40
- "Stuck Inside a CloudStuck Inside a Cloud"Stuck Inside a Cloud" is a song by George Harrison and is the seventh track to his posthumous album Brainwashed. It was released to radio stations in the United States and the United Kingdom in 2002, peaking at #27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S...
" – 4:04 - "Run So Far" – 4:05
- First recorded by Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
on his JourneymanJourneyman (album)Journeyman is an album by blues/rock musician Eric Clapton, released in 1989.The album has an electronic sound, mostly influenced by the '80s rock scene, but it also had blues songs like "Before You Accuse Me", "Running On Faith", and "Hard Times"...
album in 1989, with Harrison on guitar
- First recorded by Eric Clapton
- "Never Get Over You" – 3:26
- "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue SeaBetween the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (song)"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is an American popular song published in 1932 with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ted Koehler.It was originally recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931. It is now considered a standard, with recordings by many artists, such as George Harrison. The Boswell...
" (Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
/Ted KoehlerTed KoehlerTed L. Koehler was an American lyricist.-Life and career:Koehler was born in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville shows and Broadway, and he also...
) – 2:34 - "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" – 3:07
- "Brainwashed" – 6:07
- Includes a concluding prayer, the "Namah Parvati", chanted by Harrison and his son Dhani HarrisonDhani HarrisonDhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
in unison
- Includes a concluding prayer, the "Namah Parvati", chanted by Harrison and his son Dhani Harrison
Chart positions
| Chart (2002) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 62 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 19 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart | 45 |
| German Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Media Control Albums Chart |
17 |
| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
21 |
| Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
9 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
18 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
58 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
29 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
18 |
Certifications and sales
Personnel
- George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, dobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, ukuleleUkuleleThe ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, keyboards, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, percussion - Jeff LynneJeff LynneJeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
– bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals - Dhani HarrisonDhani HarrisonDhani Harrison is an English musician and the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Olivia Harrison. Harrison debuted as a professional musician when completing his father's final album Brainwashed after George Harrison's death in November 2001...
– guitar, Wurlitzer electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, backing vocals - Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional personnel:
- Mike Moran – keyboards (3)
- Marc Mann – keyboards (3), string arrangement (6)
- Ray CooperRay CooperRay Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
– percussion (6), drums (10) - Jools HollandJools HollandJulian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
– piano (10) - Mark Flannagan – acoustic lead guitar (10)
- Joe BrownJoe Brown (singer)Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
– acoustic guitar (10) - Herbie FlowersHerbie FlowersHerbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
– bass (10), tuba (10) - Bikram Ghosh – tabla (12)
- Jon LordJon LordJonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
– piano (12) - Sam Brown – backing vocals (12)
- Jane Lister – harp (12)
- Isabela Borzymowska – reading from "How To Know God" (The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali) (12)