Cloud Nine (Bonus Track Version) [Remastered]

iTunes Review

It was with the Traveling Wilburys that George Harrison found his rightful home decades after his career with the Beatles. Harrison was always a compliment to other people’s music and someone who could be counted on for a few stray numbers of his own. But Cloud Nine was the album that paved the way for that eventual collaboration, as it put ELO’s Jeff Lynne in the production chair. Lynne was the one producer who could coax the best from Harrison and knew his strengths and weaknesses well enough to assemble what was one of Harrison’s finest solo albums. Whether playing along with his legacy on “When We Was Fab” or bringing his pure pop experience for “Got My Mind Set On You,” Harrison sounded relaxed and at home in the studio, rejuvenated at a time when many other ‘60s musical veterans were struggling to find their groove. Add in “Cloud 9” and “Devil’s Radio” as well as bonus tracks from the Shanghai Surprise soundtrack, and you’ve got a well-rounded collection of mid-‘80s album-oriented rock.