Harrison shines on his last album

The quiet one. The shy one. The spiritual one. These were some of the monikers that came with Beatle George Harrison. When I heard about Harrison succumbing to cancer last November, I remembered listening to Beatles songs on various Chicago oldies stations and loving them all. As I grew older, my taste in music changed. What happened to my appreciation for good ol' rock and roll?\nHarrison's posthumous Brainwashed brings about a resurgence in my love for rock and roll. This album contains strength, vulnerability, rich emotions and a strong sense of spirituality. In essence, it brings out Harrison's personality.\n"Any Road" starts us off on the right track as an up-tempo number with Harrison's dusty voice sounding more energized than ever. "If you don't know where you're going / Any road will take you there," Harrison sings. \nElectric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne and Harrison's son, Dhani, contribute their musical talents to much of the album, since Harrison passed away before the CD was completed. His son, with the help of Lynne, filled in the holes and released Brainwashed almost a year after his death.\nWorth mentioning is "Pisces Fish." While I am sure there is some deeper meaning, I am simply judging the piece on its musical value, of which there is much. This track slows things down, allowing Harrison's voice to complement his electric and acoustic guitars as well as his playing on the ukulele. \n"Stuck Inside A Cloud," the album's first single, stretches Harrison's limited range, but not too much. It seems to push his voice just enough to sound vulnerable yet empowered.\nThe best track, hands down, is "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," a thoughtful cover of Harold Arlen's song. Harrison sings along while playing the ukulele, keeping the steady, grooving beat. The track sounds very traditional Beatles, very vintage, but then again, the whole album has that vintage feel about it.\nThe album concludes with an old recording of Harrison performing an Indian chant, later double-tracked with the voice of his son. And while the overall sound quality of the album seems less than spectacular, this last track provides the perfect ending to a perfect album.