John Lennon - Some Time in New York City/Live Jam [Remastered] [Audio CD]
![John Lennon - Some Time in New York City/Live Jam [Remastered] [Audio CD]](http://s4.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/7BB904B8.jpg)
The first album co-billed to John Lennon and Yoko Ono to actually contain recognizable pop music, Sometime in New York City found the Lennons in an explicitly political phase. This was understandable -- at the time, Lennon was neck-deep in his struggle to remain in the United States, a conflict rooted in his antiwar and antiestablishment politics and the enmity of the Nixon administration. At the same time, having written, recorded, and released the music on the Plastic Ono Band and Imagine albums -- and musically exorcising many of the emotional demons associated with aspects of his past, and working out a musical and publishing "divorce" from Paul McCartney -- he was now reveling in the freedom of being an ex-Beatle and exploring music and other subjects that he'd never felt fully free to delve into during the first decade of his career. This album was actually a long time in coming, as there had been hints of Lennon moving in this direction for years. He'd long looked upon Bob Dylan with unabashed envy, emulating his sound at moments ("You've Got to Hide Your Love Away") and striving for some of the same mix of edginess and depth, once the group got beyond its original two-guitars-bass-drums and love songs sound. "Revolution" (and "Revolution No. 1") and the anthems "Give Peace a Chance" and "Power to the People" saw him trying to embrace outside subjects in his work, and Sometime in New York City carried his writing a step further in this direction, introducing John Lennon, protest singer. True, he was ten years late, in terms of the musical genre (even Joan Baez and Judy Collins were doing pop-style records by then), but it was a logical development given the time in Lennon's life and the strife-filled era with which it coincided. Seeking his own voice in all of its permutations, and living amid the bracing pace of New York City (which made London, much less Liverpool, look like a cultural and political backwater), Lennon entered a phase similar to Dylan's 1963-1964 period, represented by songs such as "The Ballad of Hollis Brown," "The Death of Emmett Till," and "Talking John Birch Society Blues." Except that where Dylan had toned down that side of his work, never officially releasing his versions of two of those songs (the two most confrontational, in fact), Lennon didn't hold back, delivering his topical songs with both barrels smoking, expounding on such topical subjects as radical feminism, the Attica prison riot, the treatment of activists John Sinclair and Angela Davis, and the rising strife in Northern Ireland (which was on its way to becoming for the British the same kind of military and political quagmire that Vietnam was for America). Lennon had some advantages in getting heard, as an ex-Beatle, not an up-and-coming talent as Dylan had been a decade earlier, and if the subject matter of his new songs puzzled or alienated some fans, he also still had a huge amount of rock & roll street cred, which was only enhanced at the time by his having made Nixon's enemies list; at the time, there were a lot of people to whom that mattered more than his past as a Beatle -- at the April 24 antiwar rally in New York in 1971, where he appeared with Yoko Ono and the Elephant's Memory Band, he showed himself to be among the few musicians who could get a quarter of a million or more people singing and chanting spontaneously, in unison. And Sometime in New York City was a logical progression from that event. Especially in the case of Lennon's songs, there is an appealing rock style to the material here, even if the lyrics limit the record's appeal. And even Yoko's songs have something to recommend them, "Sisters, O Sisters" representing a peculiar form of reggae-pop, "Born in a Prison" possessing a strange pop ambience, and "We're All Water" offering a preview of late-'70s punk/new wave rawness (Lena Lovich may well have worn out that track). At the time of its release in June of 1972, all except the most devoted fans were put off by the album's topicality and in-your-face didacticism, and the bonus live disc was challenging in other ways. Heard today, the studio disc rocks in enough of the right places, as well as drawing on influences ranging from blues to reggae, to surprise listeners and even delight them. The relatively tuneless "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" manages to favorably recall elements of "Come Together," and both it and "New York City" have some of the best electric guitar ever heard on a Lennon album, while "John Sinclair" shows off Lennon's blues playing (on a steel National guitar, no less) brilliantly. Even those who were of the left at the time may wince at "Angela" some decades on, but "We're All Water" has lost none of its intellectual or musical resonances, even if Nixon and Mao are long dead. The Elephant's Memory Band may not be the best set of musicians that Lennon could have been working with, but that was less important than the fact that he seemed to respond to their club band R&B and jazz background with a roots-oriented approach to songwriting that's ultimately refreshing. Co-producer Phil Spector gives most of the music a larger-than-life ambience, with a reverb-drenched, rhythm-heavy approach recalling his Wall of Sound productions, which gives a lot of even the most didactic songs a big-band pop/rock smoothness, when the songs weren't lean and stripped down like "John Sinclair" (which sounds in terms of texture like a Furry Lewis side from 1930). Sometime in New York City was released with a "free" bonus disc containing a live medley of Lennon's "Cold Turkey" and Ono's "Don't Worry Kyoko," from an antiwar rally at the Lyceum in London with George Harrison, and an appearance by the Lennons at a Mothers of Invention concert from the Fillmore East. The Lyceum tracks were well recorded and, apart from both going on too long, exude a certain power; these may not be the songs you'd have had performed at the one recorded post-Beatles concert appearance by Lennon and Harrison, but "Cold Turkey" is good, if a little disorganized near the end, and "Don't Worry Kyoko" has some pretty fair rock & roll jamming going on behind Ono's vocal acrobatics; the Fillmore stuff sounds less good technically, and captures a spontaneous moment that's mostly wasted, though not without a moment of personal musical reflection from Lennon in "Well (Baby Please Don't Go)." [For the 2005 reissue of Sometime in New York City, the album was condensed to a single disc, with only half of the second live disc included; "Jamrag," "Scumbag," and "Au" have all been cut from the disc. In their place are two bonus tracks: Yoko's "Listen the Snow Is Falling" and yet another release of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)."] ~ Bruce Eder & William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide « less… more »
![ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, T-Shirt, Working Class Hero-ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, T-Shirt, New York City-ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, Poster, NY Peace-ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, Girls V-Neck T-Shirt, I Wanna Love Ya-ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, Girls T-Shirt, War Is Over-ROCKWORLDEAST - John Lennon, Girls T-Shirt, New York City-Fab Fan Memories-The Beatles Bond-Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond by Louise Harrison-Imagine Series Limited Edition piano John Lennon x Steinway & Sons-Beatles - British Invasion Ladies T-Shirt-Gibson John Lennon 70th Anniversary J-160E Guitars-Number 9 t-shirt - Inspired by John Lennon t-shirts tank tops tie dyed t-shirts | Infinitee Rock Band T-shirts-Women's Ladies Girls Rock & Fantasy Art Crew Neck T-shirts & Spaghetti Strap Tank Tops | Infinitee Rock Band T-shirts-Rock n' Roll Band Fantasy Art Crystallized Men's Women's T-shirts Tank Tops | Infinitee Rock Band T-shirts-Coulson Macleod Typographic Art-Apple Records - Apple Remasters-John Lennon Box of Vision-In His Own Write - John Lennon-Wonder large Vinyl Text Wall Words Decals by singlestonestudios-John Lennon's "Jai Guru Deva" bracelet-love by the beatles-John Lennon - Wonsaponatime [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Milk and Honey [Bonus Tracks] [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Anthology [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Rock 'n' Roll [Bonus Tracks] [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Mind Games [Bonus Tracks] [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Acoustic [Audio CD]-John Lennon - Shaved Fish [Audio CD]](http://s7.thisnext.com/media/browse/john-lennon/)
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This John Lennon shirt features a clasic Lennon photo with a UK flag on a pre-shrunk black cotton shirt.
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John Lennon left The Beatles in September 1969 (Starr had previously left and then returned during 1968, and Harrison had left on 10 January 1969, during the filming for Let It Be, but returned after a Beatles' meeting at Starr's ... John Lennon left The Beatles in September 1969 (Starr had previously left and then returned during 1968, and Harrison had left on 10 January 1969, during the filming for Let It Be, but returned after a Beatles' meeting at Starr's house two days later).
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This John Lennon poster features the famous NY Peace photo and comes rolled, free of charge, in a poster tube.
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This John Lennon girls v-neck shirt features a purple photo on a pre-shrunk pink cotton shirt.
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This John Lennon girls shirt features a photo with the saying "War Is Over If You Want It" on a pre-shrunk yellow cotton shirt.
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John Lennon Girls T-Shirt features a photo of John Lennon with his signature on a chocolate long cut ladies shirt.
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Everyone remembers the first time they heard the Beatles. Whether it was on the Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960’s or in your parent’s car 30 years later, the Fab Four continue to leave an indelible print on listeners both old an... Everyone remembers the first time they heard the Beatles. Whether it was on the Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960’s or in your parent’s car 30 years later, the Fab Four continue to leave an indelible print on listeners both old and new. That’s why the new release, Fab Fan Memories – The Beatles Bond from WannaBeats Records makes our top-ten this month. This Spoken Word album is hosted by George Harrison’s sister Louise Harrison and features interviews with Beatles fans from across the globe including special guests such as Janis Ian, Melissa Manchester, Alan Menken and Wesley Orbison. Produced by two-time Grammy and Emmy award winner Dennis Scott, the memories and stories shared on this album are both hearfelt, funny, and totally fab. It’s release is also concurrent with Martin Scorsese's HBO Documentary 'George Harrison: Living In The Material World'. 2012 will be the 50th anniversary of the formation of The Beatles and FAB FAN MEMORIES - THE BEATLES BOND is a treat for the true Beatles fan. Combined with unforgettable interviews and Beatles inspired music, this unique recording belongs in everyone’s library. Click the “ThisNext” button to download this album in MP3 form or, for an album that actually spins, you can get a good ol' hard copy on CD from amazon by copying and pasting this link: http://amzn.to/rS8zHC
Tags: Rolling Stones, nostalgia, The Beatles, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Fab FourAdded 2 Years Ago from Apple -
Everyone remembers the first time the heard the Beatles. Whether it was on the Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960’s or in your parent’s car 30 years later, the Fab Four continue to leave an indelible print on listeners both old and... Everyone remembers the first time the heard the Beatles. Whether it was on the Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960’s or in your parent’s car 30 years later, the Fab Four continue to leave an indelible print on listeners both old and new. That’s why the new release, Fab Fan Memories – The Beatles Bond from WannaBeats Records makes our top-ten this month. This Spoken Word album is hosted by George Harrison’s sister Louise Harrison and features interviews with Beatles fans from across the globe including special guests such as Janis Ian, Melissa Manchester, Alan Menken and Wesley Orbison. Produced by two-time Grammy and Emmy award winner Dennis Scott, the memories and stories shared on this album are both hearfelt, funny, and totally fab. It’s release is also concurrent with Martin Scorsese's HBO Documentary 'George Harrison: Living In The Material World'. All things considered, one can’t deny that Fab Fan Memories – The Beatles Bond is a real treat for the true Beatles fan and a slection that belongs in everyone’s library. Click the thisnext button to download this album from iTunes, or you can get a good ole hard copy on CD from amazon by copying and pasting this link: http://amzn.to/rS8zHC
Tags: Rolling Stones, nostalgia, The Beatles, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Fab FourAdded 2 Years Ago from Apple -
Designed to commemorate the 70th birthday of John Lennon. This limited edition series is modeled after the white Steinway grand piano that John presented to Yoko Ono on her birthday in 1971. Each piano incorporates John's signatur... Designed to commemorate the 70th birthday of John Lennon. This limited edition series is modeled after the white Steinway grand piano that John presented to Yoko Ono on her birthday in 1971. Each piano incorporates John's signature, music, and a medallion indicating its uniqueness. Each piano incorporates one of four different John Lennon original drawings making Imagine Series the most lighthearted Steinway I've ever seen.
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The ladies hang with their boys, John, Paul, Ringo and George. Great photo-booth portraiture over Union Jack Graphic.
Added 2 Years Ago from Oldglory -
John Lennon is known for his music, but I think his drawings are wonderful, I kinda wish he had done graffiti while he and Yoko lived in New York. Just take a look at how his drawings delightfully transforms this ordinary guitar f... John Lennon is known for his music, but I think his drawings are wonderful, I kinda wish he had done graffiti while he and Yoko lived in New York. Just take a look at how his drawings delightfully transforms this ordinary guitar from your average Acoustic Gibson in to a lovable art object. Maybe we will see John Lennon skate board desks soon, I hope so.
Added 2 Years Ago from Rollingstone -
A one of a kind hand painted by the artist himself with airbrush on a tie dyed, crystallized, white t-shirt or tank top. The "Number 9" original artwork t-shirt was inspired by the 1960's English rock band The Beatles & rock band ... A one of a kind hand painted by the artist himself with airbrush on a tie dyed, crystallized, white t-shirt or tank top. The "Number 9" original artwork t-shirt was inspired by the 1960's English rock band The Beatles & rock band icon John Lennon who's music and lyrics will be forever playing in my head and swirling around my mind, influencing everything little I do!
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Women's Ladies Girls Rock & Fantasy Art Crew Neck T-shirts & Spaghetti Strap Tank Tops hand silk screened and painted with airbrush
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Beautiful hand painted Rock nRoll and Fantasy art t-shirts!
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John Lennon - A chunky handmade, vintage-style, rough-sawn solid oak frame surrounding an oak panel printed with distressed typography.
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Apple Records We've missed you!
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The John Lennon Box of Vision Time Capsule is just that, a beautifully packaged snapshot in time, a collection of Lennon recordings, photos, writings and what-not, but it isn't a definitive collection, with that said, the design d... The John Lennon Box of Vision Time Capsule is just that, a beautifully packaged snapshot in time, a collection of Lennon recordings, photos, writings and what-not, but it isn't a definitive collection, with that said, the design dose include recordable discs so you can add what you like. I think this box set is an excellent homage to Lennon's work. What I've love to see is a twin box for Yoko Ono.
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Lennon's collection of stories, drawings and poems, this time with a new wrapper, nice one.
Added 3 Years Ago from Guardianbookshop -
A great quote for your walls, so you can see it everyday & wonder...
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Beautiful in every way. Sadly can't seem to buy this - it's from the official John Lennon site. It's a shame, though - I think they'd have 5 kazillion sold if they made it.
Added 3 Years Ago from Lennon -
the beatles don't need much explanation. you're most likely familiar with their music and if not, damn, i dunno what to say! this album is super special. the tracks have been remastered and seamlessly move about until suddenly the... the beatles don't need much explanation. you're most likely familiar with their music and if not, damn, i dunno what to say! this album is super special. the tracks have been remastered and seamlessly move about until suddenly the albums over before you know it. you will be pressing play again!
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Released simultaneously with Anthology, Wonsaponatime condenses a four-disc box set into a digestible single disc that feels more revelatory than its parent. That's because the compilers did an excellent job of selecting the highl... Released simultaneously with Anthology, Wonsaponatime condenses a four-disc box set into a digestible single disc that feels more revelatory than its parent. That's because the compilers did an excellent job of selecting the highlights from the long-winded box, spotlighting the best alternate takes and unreleased songs. Wonsaponatime has a similar feel to Anthology, since it is culled from the same rough takes and studio rambling, but it's simply more accessible, letting less dedicated fans appreciate everything from the Cheap Trick-backed "I'm Losing You" and "God Save Oz," to alternates of "Working Class Hero," "God," "I Found Out," and "How Do You Sleep?" Again, these outtakes are not revelatory in the manner of Dylan's Bootleg Series, or even the Beatles' own Anthology, but they humanize Lennon, who has often been viewed as something of a saint in the years since his assassination. For that alone, Wonsaponatime is as welcome an addition to his catalog as the exhaustive Anthology. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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The sessions for 1980's Double Fantasy were supposed to yield two albums, the second to be released at a future time, but Lennon's assassination tragically halted the project in its tracks. A bit over three years later, Yoko Ono i... The sessions for 1980's Double Fantasy were supposed to yield two albums, the second to be released at a future time, but Lennon's assassination tragically halted the project in its tracks. A bit over three years later, Yoko Ono issued tapes of many of the songs planned for that album under the title Milk and Honey, laid out in the same John-Yoko-John-Yoko dialogue fashion as its predecessor. Not unexpectedly, it's a rougher, less polished product, lacking the finishing touches and additional takes that Lennon most likely would have called for. Nevertheless, Lennon's songs at this point in their development were often quite strong, tougher than those on Double Fantasy in general, and the ad libs and studio chatter that might not have made the final cut give us more of a glimpse of Lennon's delightfully quirky personality. "Nobody Told Me," the advance single off the album, is a rollicking, quizzical piece of work, maybe the best thing to come out of John's 1980 sessions, despite the unfinished-sounding transition to the chorus. "Borrowed Time," another single, is a thoughtful, sparely-worded meditation on growing older attached to a Caribbean beat. Yoko's contributions, while not as strong as John's, are surprisingly listenable -- the reggae-based "Don't Be Scared," in particular -- and more current in texture, and her lyrics do tend to answer John's songs. As the album comes toward the close, the tone turns sentimental, culminating with one of John's loveliest tunes, "Grow Old With Me," as presented on a home-recorded cassette in lieu of a studio recording. The ironies of this song and some of the other Lennon material are obviously poignant in the light of the cruel events of December 8, 1980; that and the fact that these songs haven't been as exposed as much as those on Double Fantasy lead some to prefer this sequel. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide « less… more »
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During the great John Lennon revival of the late '80s, Yoko Ono licensed to have the Westwood One Radio Network air scores of unreleased home recordings and demos as the Lost Lennon Tapes radio show. At the time, there was endless... During the great John Lennon revival of the late '80s, Yoko Ono licensed to have the Westwood One Radio Network air scores of unreleased home recordings and demos as the Lost Lennon Tapes radio show. At the time, there was endless speculation about when highlights would be released, likely as a box set. The proposed set never materialized, yet most of the material was heavily bootlegged, as the producers and Ono must have suspected. Despite the bootlegs, Ono didn't agree to an official collection of unreleased Lennon material until 1998, after the Beatles' Anthology series proved a critical and commercial success. Hence, the birth of Lennon's Anthology -- a four-disc box set, comprised entirely of unreleased home recordings, demos, and outtakes, many of which have never been previously bootlegged. As it's constructed, it's more of an aural biography than a music album. All the dialogue snippets, half-finished songs, throwaways, and parodies ensure that it's never casual listening, yet that very approach creates an intriguing portrait of Lennon -- a portrait of the man, not the artist. As such, there aren't really any forgotten treasures buried on the collection, even if many of these songs and takes are either completely unheard of or legendary among collecting circles. For every small pleasure, such as the Cheap Trick-backed version of "I'm Losing You," there is a small disappointment, such as how the Dylan diatribe, "Serve Yourself," doesn't quite live up to its legend. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if there are no major works or revelations, just a few good alternate tracks, because Anthology goes a long way toward capturing Lennon with all of his strengths and weaknesses. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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Rock 'n' Roll has long been one of John Lennon's least appreciated albums, partially because an album of covers has never been embraced by a fan base that loves him as a singer/songwriter, and partially because the production on t... Rock 'n' Roll has long been one of John Lennon's least appreciated albums, partially because an album of covers has never been embraced by a fan base that loves him as a singer/songwriter, and partially because the production on the 1975 album has dated poorly. Over the years, its reputation has grown somewhat, at least among Lennon fanatics, since it is true that John was one of the greatest rock & roll singers, and it's a pleasure to hear him sing this set of oldies. That doesn't erase the biggest problem with the record: the production and the arrangements. This is the sound of '70s studio pros cutting loose with talk boxes, fuzz and slide guitars, clavinets, and way too many horns, playing arrangements that are just a little too show biz for their own good (witness how Lee Dorsey's easy-rolling "Ya Ya" turned into a lively little number that would have sounded perfect on a television variety show). The 2004 reissue of Rock 'n' Roll -- whose production is "personally supervised by Yoko Ono" -- attempts to remedy those problems through a remix that pushes up the guitars and drums, pushes down keyboards and horns, and tries to bury, even remove, talk boxes. It's marginally successful in making Rock 'n' Roll sound leaner, but it's no tougher than in its original incarnation because it's still more show biz than street. Which doesn't necessarily make it a bad listen. After all, Lennon is a great rock & roll singer, he's having a good time here, and the album is enhanced by four bonus tracks -- including the outtake "Angel Baby," featured on Roots, the legendary, controversial, unofficial early version of Rock 'n' Roll, but not its companion cut, "Be My Baby," which remains in the vaults (the other three bonus tracks are "To Know Her Is to Love Her," a reprise of "Just Because," and a take on Elvis Presley's version of Arthur Crudup's "My Baby Left Me," here inaccurately titled "Since My Baby Left Me," which suggests it's a cover of the Ivory Joe Hunter chestnut when it's not). This makes the package worth getting for hardcore Lennon fans (even if they'll likely gripe that there is a total lack of liner notes, which is a fair complaint, considering that there are many interesting stories surrounding this record), but no amount of remixing can enhance the album's deservedly mixed reputation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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After the hostile reaction to the politically charged Sometime in New York City, John Lennon moved away from explicit protest songs and returned to introspective songwriting with Mind Games. Lennon didn't leave politics behind -- ... After the hostile reaction to the politically charged Sometime in New York City, John Lennon moved away from explicit protest songs and returned to introspective songwriting with Mind Games. Lennon didn't leave politics behind -- he just tempered his opinions with humor on songs like "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)," which happened to undercut the intention of the song. It also indicated the confusion that lies at the heart of the album. Lennon doesn't know which way to go, so he tries everything. There are lovely ballads like "Out of the Blue" and "One Day (At a Time)," forced, ham-fisted rockers like "Meat City" and "Tight As," sweeping Spectoresque pop on "Mind Games," and many mid-tempo, indistinguishable pop/rockers. While the best numbers are among Lennon's finest, there's only a handful of them, and the remainder of the record is simply pleasant. But compared to Sometime in New York City, as well as the subsequent Walls and Bridges, Mind Games sounded like a return to form. [The edition reissued in 2002 appended three extra tracks, the "home versions" of "Aisumasen," "Bring on the Lucie," and "Meat City."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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There sure hasn't been a shortage of John Lennon compilations over the years, but there hasn't been a new collection since 1997's Lennon Legend and there haven't been any two-CD sets covering his entire career -- until 2005's Work... There sure hasn't been a shortage of John Lennon compilations over the years, but there hasn't been a new collection since 1997's Lennon Legend and there haven't been any two-CD sets covering his entire career -- until 2005's Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon, that is. Released on October 4, 2005, this surely was intended as a tie-in to the Broadway show Lennon: The Musical, but it wound up appearing ten days after the musical concluded its disastrous run. Even if the show did tank, it provided the occasion for this strong collection. Working Class Hero may tread familiar territory -- not only does it have all the usual suspects, from "Instant Karma" to "(Just Like) Starting Over," it has them in a sequencing that feels familiar, even it doesn't correspond to any specific previous release -- but that's fine, because it provides a rather thorough overview of Lennon's best-known solo songs. In many cases, these are often his best, but there are surely some great songs missing here, particularly because the comp emphasizes material with a slight romantic bent or songs that play into the myth of St. John (meaning, mixed alongside the hits there are plenty of songs about Yoko and being a father, and rockers are given short shrift). But these are minor complaints: anybody who wants a succinct yet comprehensive compilation of most of Lennon's solo best should be satisfied with this. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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The 2004 compilation Acoustic collects 16 tracks featuring John Lennon alone (more or less) backed only by his acoustic guitar. It's a good idea for a compilation, but the execution is problematic. First of all, Lennon's solo albu... The 2004 compilation Acoustic collects 16 tracks featuring John Lennon alone (more or less) backed only by his acoustic guitar. It's a good idea for a compilation, but the execution is problematic. First of all, Lennon's solo albums didn't have all that many solo acoustic songs on them; they were carefully constructed in a studio, often featuring layers of overdubs, even on such emotionally direct albums as Plastic Ono Band. So producer Yoko Ono has chosen to rely primarily on demos and home recordings for this compilation -- a choice that may not sit well with casual fans lured in by the simple, classy title, thinking that this is a more polished affair than it is. More problematic is that this 16-track collection is a hodgepodge of nine cuts previously released on the 1998 rarities box Anthology and seven previously unreleased tracks. Home recordings and demos are by their nature music that appeals primarily to die-hard fans, of which Lennon has many. However, those very fans will already own over half of this collection on the box set, and they'll not only wonder why they have to buy these songs again, but why the seven "new" songs didn't appear on Anthology in the first place, especially since they are very good. Of particular note: a lean, mean version of "Well Well Well" with a heavily phased vocal; a folky, laid-back "God"; a revved-up, tense "Cold Turkey" where John uncannily mimics Marc Bolan's high-pitched, lamb-like warble; a terrific, rollicking "What You Got" that cuts to the quick of the song; and a simple, light "Dear Yoko." These are all well worth hearing, but it's hard to recommend Acoustic as an album not only because of the recycling but because of the haphazard liner notes that never acknowledge when the recordings were cut (outside of the live tracks taken from a 1971 Ann Arbor, MI, rally for John Sinclair and a cut from an Attica benefit concert that year), nor offer any liner notes or context. The booklet simply offers fake book arrangements for the 16 tracks here, complete with lyrics, a chord chart, transcribed chatter ("I just wanted you to go and A&R it. OK, I'll try it."), and the meaningless instructions of "Flat Tuning," which presumably means that John's guitar was slightly out of tune when he cut the song (it's hard to tell, since "flat tuning" is not a musical term). This booklet along with the repeated recordings makes Acoustic feel like less than the sum of its parts, but those hardcore fans will likely buy it anyway because these seven previously unreleased tracks are worth hearing. But they'll grumble when they lay their money down. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide « less… more »
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At the time of its release, Shaved Fish didn't attract as much attention as any compilation of John Lennon's work would have either a few years before or a few years after. Lennon had just issued the somewhat disappointing genre a... At the time of its release, Shaved Fish didn't attract as much attention as any compilation of John Lennon's work would have either a few years before or a few years after. Lennon had just issued the somewhat disappointing genre album, Rock 'n' Roll, and was only a year from Walls and Bridges, not one of his strongest albums, and had also grown somewhat stale as a public figure. Drawing on his singles up to that point in his career, it shows a punkier, more defiant vision of Lennon's work than subsequent compilations, which would dwell on a broader cross section of his output. "Happy Christmas" and "Imagine" are moments of peace in the company of artifacts from his political/agitprop ("Power to the People") and primal scream ("Mother") periods, and his attempts at topical songwriting ("Woman Is the Nigger of the World"), and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," which was unique to this LP, was a better piece of mainstream rock & roll than any of the late-'50s numbers that he ground out for Rock 'n' Roll. This collection, which was the last LP release to come from Lennon in any form until Double Fantasy five years later, was the only compilation of his work released in Lennon's own lifetime, and has since been supplanted by various posthumous assemblies of his music. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide « less… more »
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