George Harrison - Cloud Nine (1987)
Now at first glance, you might think this looks pretty cheesy, but underneath that dated 80s album cover lies a truly great album. Now I've only heard so much of former Beatle George Harrison's solo career, but this is easily my favorite Harrison record. With some great songs, all star accompaniment including; Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and Elton John, not to mention very tightly produced by Jeff Lynne. This album marked George Harrison's comeback into music as one of the great songwriters of the 20th century.
The year was 1987 (five years since Harrison's last album) when George decided to take a break from producing movies and take another crack at recording an album. With his last few attempts being critical and commercial failures, Ol' George felt a new wave of inspiration in 1987 and made the album Cloud Nine. By utilizing tight drums, rich backup vocals and an appropraite mix of synth and Harrison's trademark slide, George (working closely with Jeff Lynne) managed to create a new and fresh sound for himself, while even spawning some new found commercial success with his cover of Rudy Clark's "I Got My Mind Set on You" and it's follow up single "When We Was Fab" (George's tribute to Liverpool and the Fab Four). Now though Cloud Nine might sound a little dated these days, it doesn't stop these songs from retaining their catchiness. From tender ballads like "Someplace Else" or "Just for Today" to the rock and roll sounds of "Fish on the Sand" or "Devil's Radio" Cloud Nine is a standout work in Harrison's discography and has certainly drawn me in from time for many listens, too bad my original copy was destroyed.
Favorite Tracks: "This is Love", "When We Was Fab", "Fish on the Sand"
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