Cloud Nine

[The Big Guy]

Released in 1987.

[Kylenz]

I was so excited for this album when it came out. Got My Mind Set On You was a huge hit all around the world, with a zany video featuring George in front of a fireplace. The cool thing is, the Cloud 9 album is different musically to Got My Mind Set On You, it's got a tight brooding bluesy title track, there are breezy uplifting pop songs (If That's What It Takes, This Is Love), cool straight-ahead rock tracks with great lyrics (Fish On The Sand, Devil's Radio - both have the 'Jeff Lynne' production stamp on them haha), and of course there's that Beatle psychedelia knock-off - When We Was Fab - a great song, reminded me of However Absurd which had come out only a year before from Paul. This would probably be George's best album if it wasn't for that triple album monster by the name of All Things Must Pass!!

[chris]

i agree, kyle. if not for ATMP...

this album was fantastic. in spite of the jeff lynn production...it had george's sound all over it. george was going through a re-introduction of sorts to fame with this. he was popular again (the introduction of the travelling wilburies didn't hurt either)

for a guy who seemed to shun the spotlight...it was refreshing to see george do interviews and talk show circuits to promote this album (although he clearly looked unconfortable...or uninterested)

[mervap]

"Cloud Nine" is hard to compare side-by-side with "All Things"...excellent tunes on both, but while "All Things" is a work of sprawling majesty, "Cloud Nine" is the product of two very focused professionals. I certainly don't mean that in a bad way, far from it....this album is tight, with fine performances all the way round. "This Is Love", "Wreck of the Hesperus", "Devil's Radio" and "Fish On the Sand" are very spiffy rockers and the ballads are filled with the kind of exquisite slide guitar playing we love for George to indulge in.

Funny that George's two acknowledged masterworks were produced by fellows who are known for a specific production style....and in both cases, George is still the star.