Brainwashed
by George Harrison
  • Record Label: Capitol
  • Release Date: Nov 19, 2002
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 41
  3. Negative: 4 out of 41

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  1. YANCARLOSRCOSTA
    Jul 9, 2016
    10
    It's an spiritual journey, since "Don't Bother me" to "Horse to the Water", Brainwashed has every side of the great George Harrison, it has social critics, spiritual messages, exquisite slide guitars, deep lyrics, great rock songs, Indian sounds, a lot of fun, serenity and sadness, after all this is the last one, but through this album what we get is a ride with an old friend who has notIt's an spiritual journey, since "Don't Bother me" to "Horse to the Water", Brainwashed has every side of the great George Harrison, it has social critics, spiritual messages, exquisite slide guitars, deep lyrics, great rock songs, Indian sounds, a lot of fun, serenity and sadness, after all this is the last one, but through this album what we get is a ride with an old friend who has not changed in all these years. As George said to John, "Through the good and the bad, I always look up to you"! Yes, we have, thanks for everything.… Expand
  2. nintendoid13
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    I love this album. Harrison's writing is pure genius from "Taxman" and "Here comes the sun" to "What is life" to "Any Road". His death was a true tragedy but as Ringo said in his song "Never Without You", 'And your songs, will live on, without you'
  3. sayid_islam
    May 26, 2011
    10
    insane and vintage Harrison slide guitar work. great vocals. hard to believe that Harrison was actually dying while recording this album. the vocals are so strong and they make you believe what they project.
    Lyrics like on a typical Harrison album are philosophical and great. but the highlight is the guitar work. it contains some of his best twang in years. and that slide guitar, not    insane and vintage Harrison slide guitar work. great vocals. hard to believe that Harrison was actually dying while recording this album. the vocals are so strong and they make you believe what they project.
    Lyrics like on a typical Harrison album are philosophical and great. but the highlight is the guitar work. it contains some of his best twang in years. and that slide guitar, not blues-cliched but so lyrical. very beautiful. also one of Harrison's favorite instruments, the ukulele makes quite a few appearances. Needless to say, it adds to the beauty of the record.

    George couldn't have asked for a better farewell. but it also makes you sad, wondering what George could have produced after this, if he had continued. Sublime melody, certainly.    … Expand
  4. MoeG
    Jan 10, 2007
    10
    This album is an education, on may levels!
  5. DanteB
    Aug 14, 2006
    10
    This is an absolutely beautiful set of songs. It brings tears of joy (at the gift of hearing them) and sadness (over the fact that we didn't get more work like this from George over the last two decades of his life, and that no more will be forthcoming). It is certainly among the best solo albums release by any of the former Beatles. A classic by a towering talent.
  6. Rev.Rikard
    Oct 7, 2005
    9
    It is quite easy to rate this album through the eys of sentimentality rather than with a critical ear. After all, his death was a tragic loss. However, Harrison's last album ranks among his best. His acoustical songs reveal flashes of the greatness that wrote "Here Comes the Sun," and "My Sweet Lord". Harrison allows his deep spirituality to baptize his lyrics and melodies with what It is quite easy to rate this album through the eys of sentimentality rather than with a critical ear. After all, his death was a tragic loss. However, Harrison's last album ranks among his best. His acoustical songs reveal flashes of the greatness that wrote "Here Comes the Sun," and "My Sweet Lord". Harrison allows his deep spirituality to baptize his lyrics and melodies with what I call, for lack of a better word, "sweetness." This is not a party album. Like all of Harrison's late and post-Beatles work, the songs are intended to create introspection, and to remind us that we are more than a collection of molecules and cells. This last albumn accomplished what Harrison desired. If we fail to understand "why" he wrote his songs "it is a pity and shame."… Expand
  7. Brian
    Sep 14, 2005
    10
    I'm stunned people would call this over-produced. Perhaps that's just the critics' anti-Lynne bias showing. This album has some really high points, an only a couple low ones. It might not measure up to All Thing Must Pass, but neither did Babe Ruth hit 60 HR every season.
  8. alsdert
    Sep 2, 2005
    10
    better than cloud 9 which means as good as all things...marwa blues..rising sun....piches fish...looking for my life...slide guitar...warm lyrics...beautiful sounds..meaningful songs...just beautiful and unforgetable..and melancholic
  9. JanV
    Jun 11, 2005
    10
    I wish he was still between us!
  10. Gabriel
    Feb 28, 2005
    10
    Excelente!
  11. AntonioGómezH
    Jan 19, 2003
    10
    Maravillosas canciones de un genial músico que supo conjuntar melodía con sensibilidad, belleza con meditación, sinceridad con profundidad espiritual. Otra de sus obras maestras.
  12. JimB
    Dec 24, 2002
    9
    Would of liked to have listened to George's songs with just he and a slide guitar. As akin the his outake of "Something" from the Abbey road album.
  13. KimF
    Dec 6, 2002
    9
    This is one of george´s best albums. I will surely miss you.
  14. montimerm
    Dec 5, 2002
    9
    This album rates a 9.5-9.7. What strikes the listener here concerns Harrison's lyrics; he delivers his strongest, wittiest, and even at times poetic lyric since perhaps his days in that fabulous art-soul band from Liverpool. Still, a few missteps keep this part of the album from attaining an outright "10"; sometimes Harrison loses the fine balance between pop whimsy and earnest This album rates a 9.5-9.7. What strikes the listener here concerns Harrison's lyrics; he delivers his strongest, wittiest, and even at times poetic lyric since perhaps his days in that fabulous art-soul band from Liverpool. Still, a few missteps keep this part of the album from attaining an outright "10"; sometimes Harrison loses the fine balance between pop whimsy and earnest profundity to become merely didactic. Happily, this occurs only rarely. Otherwise, Harrison's guitar leads and slide work provide an outstanding argument as to his importance as a rock guitarist. Many have underrated Harrison as merely a "fine" guitarist in contrast to brilliant peers, such as Jeff Beck. But Harrison worked with a subtle palette that underplayed the wide vocabulary of styles of which he was familiar; for a rock guitarist, he incorporated elements of jazz (listen to his use of diminished and augmented ninth chording and key changes in his solos) as well as the fluidity of indian sitar music. Rockablility, folk, and blues coloured his guitar work as well, and on Brainwashed Harrison's ecclecticism not only provides for the lovliest of shadings, but reminds any listener---and guitarist---just how FINE a musician he really was. "Brainwashed" leaves us Harrison's enduring and haunting farewell. A lovely and poignant work, revealing brilliance and flaws altogether. All things may pass, indeed, but never George Harrison's legacy, as this album confirms. … Expand
  15. AviS
    Nov 26, 2002
    10
    I knew it was a great album when nearly every song hit me in the gut and brought a tear to the eye. George succeeds at "the art of dying" and does it with memorable tunes, firm voice and fluid slide guitar. A posthumous gift and final confirmation of his introspective greatness.
  16. EricS.
    Nov 22, 2002
    10
    I have no doubt that this is George's best album since "All Things Must Pass" and it's even better than that album in its production. There's no Wall of Sound standing in George's way, and despite what some people think, there's very little, if any at all, of Jeff Lynne's "ELO Treatment" that he usually stamps all over everything he produces. Lyrically, I have no doubt that this is George's best album since "All Things Must Pass" and it's even better than that album in its production. There's no Wall of Sound standing in George's way, and despite what some people think, there's very little, if any at all, of Jeff Lynne's "ELO Treatment" that he usually stamps all over everything he produces. Lyrically, it's right up there with "All Things Must Pass", too. For anybody familiar with recent work by the ex-Fabs, I can tell you one thing -- "One, two, three, four, five, let's go for a drive" this is NOT!… Expand
  17. [Anonymous]
    Nov 22, 2002
    10
    There is no one like George, never will be.
  18. DavidH
    Nov 22, 2002
    10
    A beautiful album! Thanks George, Dhani, Jeff & anyone else involved. :)

Awards & Rankings

86
#86 Best Album of 2002
51
#51 Most Discussed Album of 2002
44
#44 Most Shared Album of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. The A.V. Club
    80
    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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  2. Launch.com
    70
    Brainwashed is rich in warm Harrison vocals, couple with his distinctive slide guitar style. Unfortunately, it's also rife with often too-glossy production.
    Read full review
  3. Mojo
    80
    A mature and often profound record. [Dec 2002, p.102]
See all critic reviews »