George Harrison - Cloud Nine
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Music CD Cover
Artist: George HarrisonEdition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2004-02-24
Music Label: Capitol
Soundtracks:
- Cloud Nine
- That's What It Takes
- Fish On The Sand
- Just For Today
- This Is Love
- When We Was Fab
- Devil's Radio
- Someplace Else
- Wreck Of The Hesperus
- Breath Away From Heaven
- Got My Mind Set On You
- Shanghai Surprise (Bonus track)
- Zig Zag (Bonus track)
Free Music Notes for Cloud Nine
Free Music Review: Cloud Nine (1987)
Hit: 5 Stars
CLOUD NINE
I walked through 1987 with a great sense of satisfaction around me. The Dark Horse that no one betted on, won the race. He was the first out of the gate (`My Sweet Lord' being the first No.1 hit by a solo Beatle), and he was also the one that finished first in the race (`Got My Mind Set On You' is the last solo Beatle song to reach No.1). Along the way, others overtook him, media jockeys tried to run him off the course, former producers and band-mates derided his work and importance, but he still finished, and won. And this kind of circular event plays throughout Harrison's entire career. The first song to be recorded by The Beatles was Harrison and McCartney's `In Spite of All The Danger'. In this case, no one is willing to say truly how much was Harrison, and how much was McCartney. But these were the days of The Beatles when Harrison was on equal footing with Lennon and McCartney, he was a member of the band, not a sidekick or employee. Or hindrance in some minds. If `In Spite...' was not enough, `Cry For A Shadow' by Harrison and Lennon is the next Beatles original composition to be recorded. There's a trend beginning. And at the end of their RECORDING career, the last song to ever be recorded while all four members were alive, was Harrison's (with help from McCartney) `I Me Mine'. Had Harrison not met Paul McCartney, and knowing how life has many twists and turns, you would never have had The Beatles to begin with. I am suggesting something here. Whether you pick up on it or not, isn't really what I can control. I'm just suggesting that `The Quiet One' was a lot louder in other ways than can be perceived on the surface. There are many circles that run throughout the living of life, and it is quite possible Harrison's circle was quite powerful, and a bit more encompassing than some would like to believe. It doesn't take anyone remarkably observant to note that Harrison is riding the only dark horse in the Penny Lane promo. Nor to notice that as his partners signed away their copyright ownership, he was busy forming his own publishing company. There's quite a bit about Harrison a lot of people underestimate him on, and I think in the end, he's going to surprise a lot of people that look at a puddle, and think because its comprised of water, it's the same as the ocean.
Back to my satisfaction in 1987. Harrison released the triumphant Cloud Nine to a public that had written him off. Not that he cared much, because he walked away very quietly and with little fanfare. He had a garden to tend to, and a son to raise, a wife to devote his time to, a film company that was helping save the British Film industry, and a lawsuit over a nice song with nothing Bright about it, while The Jam played a song that sounded a little too much like a song called `Taxman'. He was still extremely busy without putting out full albums. He also played with Carl Perkins and Ringo Starr, appeared in a movie with Ringo and Eric Clapton, went and tried salvaging what was left of Madonna's and Sean Penn's fiasco ridden Shanghai Surprise, contributed a song to the Porky's soundtrack, performed at The Prince's Trust, received a citation and a cheque of £11,000,000 from UNICEF for his work for Bangladesh, and that money was all the royalties that were accrued when the entire benefit was held up in court. His battles with EMI and the British/American governments over Bangladesh were enough to give him a Knighthood, let alone a citation from those whom he was trying to help. He was a very busy, if not always seen, George Harrison.
When Cloud Nine came out, I was one of those happiest for George's success. We always knew he had it in him; it just took a matter of patience waiting for all the other spectators of the race to notice he had emerged victorious. He's not the richest former Beatle. He's not the martyred former Beatle. But he was the former Beatle that won an altogether different race. One that said all those who walked away from the grounds cursing because they had not bet on the wildcard of being the first and last to do something time and time again in relation to the other `horses', even though they seemed like they were in no way able to lose. They realised, or have yet to realise, the race was not about winning on the sure bet, or The Winnings. The track is a circle, it begins where it ends. And looking at Harrison's history, he seems to always be right there at the beginning, and right there at the end. It barely, if ever, changes. `My Sweet Lord' and `Got My Mind Set On You'. `In Spite of All The Danger' and `I Me Mine'. The first charity single in pop history. The first large scale benefit concert in pop history. The last former Beatle album to be released on the Apple label proper. The first proper solo album while in The Beatles. The first to address social/political commentary in the Beatles catalogue. The first of his peers to fully incorporate Indian instrumentation into Western pop music, by not emulating the Sitar with a Stratocaster, but actually playing the Sitar, and learning it for 2 years with Ravi Shankar. The only Beatle who was able to read and write music, even if it was Indian notation. The first triple album in pop/rock history. One of the first, and few people in 1960's Britain who publicly welcomed the Asian community, and went out of his way to promote their culture, their beliefs and their musicians. One of the first British musicians to own a Moog synthesiser, and one of the first, if not the first, musicians to release an album entirely composed on Moog synthesiser that was not an interpretation of classical music.
The list truly goes on and on, as to why those that were betting should have known to bet on the dark horse.
Cloud Nine is the most Beatle sounding of any of Harrison's recordings. But this should be no surprise, since so much of the Sonics, the sounds of The Beatles lay so much in his fingers. From the Rickenbacker, to Sitar, to the Synthesiser, to meticulously arranged backwards guitar solos, from Spanish guitar to psychedelic organ, George Harrison was quite simply the man who gave The Beatles `Sound'. One would like to think this is with the George Martin's, or the Geoff Emerick's. But neither of these people told Harrison to get a Rickenbacker. Or play a Sitar. They helped him recreate Fog in music when writing `Blue Jay Way', but did not write what required such an artistic use of effects. Martin only emulated what Harrison's Indian notation told his Indian friends to play. Martin could not communicate to an Indian musician, please play Sa ri ga ma pa dha ni. Harrison could. Martin's orchestration is based more on Harrison's instruction, than Martin's own writing skills, because he was naïve in dealing with Indian music, and Indian musicians. Some might suggest ignorant. Western music is comprised of 12 octaves. Indian music is comprised of 22 octaves. You do not know how large the Piano that would have to be built to play Indian music on a Western instrument would need to be. In Indian music, 12 keys are not enough to make an octave.
Cloud Nine is a joy to listen to, particularly for George's guitar work, the production, Jeff Lynne's collaborations and contributions, and the songs themselves. Each one is a great addition to the Harrison catalogue of great work. The remaster makes an omission or two for no apparent reason, and I have yet to figure out why `Hottest Gong In Town' was not included in the additional tracks. Or 3 songs that were recorded after Cloud 9's release. And one is an absolute must have. All 3 appeared on the Best of Dark Horse collection in 1989, and these songs need to be released again. They are POOR LITTLE GIRL, COCKAMAMIE BUSINESS, and CHEER DOWN (written with Tom Petty). And it's `Cheer Down' of these 3 that ranks among the very best songs Harrison ever wrote, but what is even more magical, is his slide guitar work for this song. I'm a huge fan of the other two songs as well, particularly Cockamamie Business, but Cheer Down is a song that sits amongst Harrison's best work very comfortably. Why they are not included here, along with the glaring omission of `Hottest Gong In Town' is beyond me. And why not, if it couldn't be put on Somewhere In England, include `Lay His Head' on this set, which was the B-side of `Got My Mind Set On You'. Why not the alternate mixes of `Got My Mind Set On You' and `When We Was Fab'? There are a lot of missed opportunities on what is regarded as one of Harrison's biggest successes. But then again, EMI haven't really known what to do with George Harrison. I say this in respect to Olivia, who may have had more to do with this, or not at all. My complaint is not with her, because these albums are out there in the stores because of her, which is where they always belonged.
CLOUD NINE is simply a must have.
Bet on the Dark Horse, you'll get what you invested returned to you, and a lot extra.
Cloud Nine Poster
George Harrison Photos
 |  |  |
More from George Harrison
 The Best of George Harrison |  The Concert for Bangladesh |  Living in the Material World |
 Somewhere in England |  Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 |  The Concert for Bangladesh DVD |
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