Teaming with legendary
Beatles obsessive
Jeff Lynne,
George Harrison crafted a remarkably consistent and polished comeback effort with
Cloud Nine.
Lynne adds a glossy production, reminiscent of
ELO, but what is even more noticeable is that he's reined in
Harrison's indulgences, keeping the focus on a set of 11 snappy pop/rock numbers. The consistency of the songs remains uneven, but the best moments -- "Devil's Radio," "Cloud 9," "Just for Today," "Got My Mind Set on You," and the tongue-in-cheek
Beatles pastiche "When We Was Fab" -- make
Cloud Nine one of his very best albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine