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Brainwashed isn't just a success, it's one of the finest records Harrison ever made.
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UncutAlthough brass and strings add muscle, a certain monotony creeps in towards the end. And there aren't enough strong tunes from the least melodically facile Beatle. [Dec 2002, p.134]
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Brainwashed is a rich musical treasure trove well mined in execution and production.
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MojoA mature and often profound record. [Dec 2002, p.102]
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Q MagazineAbout as well-rounded and polished as albums get. [Dec 2002, p.100]
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Brainwashed is a warm, frank goodbye, a remarkably poised record about the reality of dying, by a man on the verge.
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Harrison never seemed to recognize the difference between philosophical profundities and the sound of a catchy song, and that may have been his greatest gift to the world. Brainwashed offers a fine, final reminder of that gift.
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Entertainment WeeklyStacks up remarkably well against the rest of his oeuvre. [22 Nov 2002, p.76]
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The sad thing about Brainwashed is that for the first time in as long as one can remember, it leaves the listener with high hopes for what Harrison would have done next.
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BlenderBrainwashed suggests that Harrison's last years were largely comfortable, slow-paced and unaffected by any worries about his relevance. [#12, p.144]
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Beautifully fatalistic and unimposingly pedagogical, Brainwashed is quite possibly Harrison's next-to-best album and a sober reminder that his passing is a loss too large to measure.
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The result is pretty much what you'd expect from an album bearing Lynne's name on the credits.
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The album certainly holds enough strong melodies and well-written songs to elevate it above the majority of Harrisons uneven solo career, but is somewhat brought down by Lynnes posthumous production.
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The songs don't exactly have the stripped-down demo feel Harrison intended--but mercifully aren't as over-glossed as those on his last solo album, 1987's Cloud Nine.
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It's a low-key and playful exit, without highs or lows.
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Brainwashed is rich in warm Harrison vocals, couple with his distinctive slide guitar style. Unfortunately, it's also rife with often too-glossy production.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 37 out of 41
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Mixed: 0 out of 41
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Negative: 4 out of 41
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Jul 9, 2016
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Sep 26, 2012
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May 26, 2011