George Harrison
The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992
(Capitol)
Part Five: Cloud Nine
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2004, Volume 11, #6
Written by John Metzger
Cloud Nine
(Capitol)
After a five-year hiatus from recording, George Harrison released Cloud Nine
to rave reviews by critics and fans, who touted the collection as his
long-awaited comeback album. In reality, however, it wasn’t all that different
from Harrison’s other solo outings in that it offered his usual blend of
spiritual musings (Fish on the Sand), social commentaries (Devil’s
Radio), lightweight relationship songs (Someplace Else), and reworked
oldies (Got My Mind Set on You), although this time, with the help of
former Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne, the music contained a bit
more pep and pizzazz, which served to enhance its infectious pop-oriented
sensibility. Propelled by the MTV-era, Cloud Nine was a massive commercial
success, though in hindsight, its stylistic approach was as tied to the ’80s as
George Harrison was to the ’70s. In other words, it was a solid
collection of songs, but it also wasn’t anywhere near as astounding as most made
it out to be. The reissue features a pair of bonus tracks taken from the
soundtrack to Shanghai Surprise — the forgettable title tune and the
jazzy curiosity Zig Zag. 
˝
This is the first installment of a seven-part series, which will examine each
album in The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992. The entire boxed set is rated: ˝
Of Further Interest...
George Harrison - Thirty-Three & 1/3
George Harrison - George Harrison / self-titled
George Harrison - Somewhere in England
George Harrison - Live in Japan
George Harrison - The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992 DVD
Cloud Nine is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
This album is also part of the box set
The Dark Horse Years 1976–1992 is available
from Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004 The Music Box