eorge Harrison has left us with one of his greatest albums with his posthumously released “Brainwashed.”

            From George’s opening directions to “Give me plenty of that guitar” to his performance of “Namah Parvarti” with his son Dhani that ends the CD, “Brainwashed” covers the waterfront of his many experiences from joy to sadness as he battled cancer that eventually took his life Nov. 29, 2001.

            Unlike some of Harrison’s albums that were criticized for being too spiritual, his final release is spiritual without being overbearing. His search for the divine in its many forms is at the core of the work, but it is not strident and is frequently humorous.

            Harrison has been underrated as a lyricist, other than when he drew critical raves during the late days of The Beatles and for “All Things Must Pass,” his first solo masterpiece. His gift for descriptive lyrics shines throughout “Brainwashed,” helping to make it second only to “All Things Must Pass” among his solo work.

            “Any Road” is an upbeat tune that opens the CD in the spirit of Harrison’s Traveling Wilbury’s work. It has a clear spiritual message, telling of his spiritual quests. His conclusion may be in these lyrics:

“I keep traveling around the bend/There was no beginning, there is no end/ It wasn’t born and never dies/There are no edges, there is no sides/Oh yeah, you just don’t win/It’s so far out – the only way out is in/Bow to God and call him Sir.”<o:p></o:p>

The humor is present in songs such as “P.2. Vatican Blues,” where he points to his Catholic youth that preceded his exploration of Eastern spirituality.

Clearly, Harrison knows his time in this incarnation is short as he recorded these songs with the help of his son and Jeff Lynne, who has worked on Harrison’s projects since “Cloud Nine” in 1987. Jim Keltner, Jools Holland and Sam Brown are among others who offer exceptional musical assistance.

In “Pisces Fish” (Harrison’s Feb. 25 birthday makes him a Pisces in the Zodiac world), he writes eloquently about the ending of his search for answers. “Have we time to sort all of these things out.”

Harrison, who tended to shun the spotlight, acknowledges how contradictory his life was.

“Some times my life it seems like fiction/Some of the days it’s really quite serene/I’m a living proof of all life’s contradictions/One half’s going where the other half’s just been.”<o:p></o:p>

Possibly the most painful, but incredibly powerful song, is “Stuck Inside a Cloud.” Here he reflects on losing his concentration, his desire to eat, talking to himself, crying out loud, smoking excessively and only wanting to touch the “lotus feet” of Olivia, his wife. “Never Get Over You” is testimony to his love for her.

There is little that is revolutionary in this exceptional set of songs, but some who haven’t paid close attention to George’s work may be surprised by a couple of things.

As one of rock’s all-time greats, Harrison’s love of the ukulele and Hoagy Carmichael music may be surprising to some when they hear it on “Brainwashed.” But those interests have steadily grown over the years and their presence is found here, particularly in a joyous version of Carmichael’s “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.”

The final songs, however, should not surprise many.

“Brainwashed,” the final song, preceding “Namah Parvarti,” is a powerful social criticism, much like “Awaiting On You All.” Social commentary was a powerful part of Harrison’s work from “Taxman” and “Piggies” through “Bangla Desh” and beyond. In this song, Harrison laments the efforts of stock markets, governments, educators and the media to brainwash people throughout their lives.

The CD “Brainwashed” is highly listenable. There are laments, but there are joys and insights, too. There is humility as well, even regarding Harrison’s long spiritual journey.

“Never been so crazy/But I’ve never been so sure/I wish I had the answer to give/Don’t even have the cure.”<o:p></o:p>

George Harrison didn’t find a cure for his cancer, nor possibly all of his spiritual questions, but his final work is a masterpiece. God, in whatever form one finds the higher power, truly blessed us with the 58 years George walked the Earth and once more with this final gift. Praise

   od .