John Lennon

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robertff
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John Lennon

Postby robertff » 20 May 2022, 16:27

Image


So, I’m listening to the above album and I have to confess that following Imagine and Plastic Ono Band it is probably my favourite Lennon album. After Imagine nothing really is that great is it? Most of what comes after Imagine is pretty dull it seems to me, okay a few good tracks here and there but not a lot that really excites. Walls and Bridges is the nearest to a good album after the three I mentioned.

What a shame Double Fantasy was shared with Yoko, it could have been a pretty good album if he written enough of the same quality of music to fill it up but he didn’t.

Perhaps I’m being unfair or am I? When was the last time you listened to a Lennon solo album?


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ChrisB
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Re: John Lennon

Postby ChrisB » 20 May 2022, 16:35

Never owned or even listened to a solo Beatles (except "Band on the run"), let alone a solo Lennon

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Mike Boom
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Re: John Lennon

Postby Mike Boom » 20 May 2022, 16:58

Yeah "Mind Games" is a bit average apart from the title track which is brilliant of course, but I really like "Walls and Bridges" .

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Re: John Lennon

Postby Matt Wilson » 20 May 2022, 17:15

Rock and Roll? I'm surprised you like it. There's not one song on that album better or even as good as the original. Whereas I have no problem with either Mind Games or Walls and Bridges.

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Re: John Lennon

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 17:30

If you get the Anthology box set, there are previously unreleased Spector productions on there. I've got all the solo Lennon, except for the experimental albums that he did with Yoko. I actually owned "Two Virgins", but only listened to it once.
Last edited by GoogaMooga on 20 May 2022, 19:46, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby robertff » 20 May 2022, 18:57

Matt Wilson wrote:Rock and Roll? I'm surprised you like it. There's not one song on that album better or even as good as the original. Whereas I have no problem with either Mind Games or Walls and Bridges.




Find it more entertaining than the two you mention Matt. It’s worth it just for his Stand By Me if for nothing else.


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Re: John Lennon

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 19:01

"Rock'n'Roll" was the last Lennon solo album that I bought. After I got the Lennon Anthology, it whetted my appetite for more.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 19:02

I agree, his "Stand by Me" is outstanding. As good a cover as his take on "Twist and Shout".
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Re: John Lennon

Postby robertff » 20 May 2022, 19:12

GoogaMooga wrote:If you get the Antology box set, there are previously unreleased Spector productions on there. I've got all the solo Lennon, except for the experimental albums that he did with Yoko. I actually owned "Two Virgins", but only listened to it once.




Like you Googa, I’ve got all his solo albums and Anthology, which I find hard to listen to for any length of time.

With the exception of Imagine I bought all his albums on vinyl, (not the silly ones), and Anthology extremely cheaply. Bought more on the merit of his previous reputation, (apart from the Beatles LPs I liked Imagine), and a desire to complete than for any other reason - oh and a friend of mine who could see no wrong in anything Lennon recorded.

Nevertheless for such a previously accomplished and successful artist most are pretty dull.


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Re: John Lennon

Postby Matt Wilson » 20 May 2022, 19:25

Thing is, his contractual obligation record of rock 'n' roll songs is pretty dull too.

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Re: John Lennon

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 19:50

robertff wrote:
GoogaMooga wrote:If you get the Antology box set, there are previously unreleased Spector productions on there. I've got all the solo Lennon, except for the experimental albums that he did with Yoko. I actually owned "Two Virgins", but only listened to it once.




Like you Googa, I’ve got all his solo albums and Anthology, which I find hard to listen to for any length of time.

With the exception of Imagine I bought all his albums on vinyl, (not the silly ones), and Anthology extremely cheaply. Bought more on the merit of his previous reputation, (apart from the Beatles LPs I liked Imagine), and a desire to complete than for any other reason - oh and a friend of mine who could see no wrong in anything Lennon recorded.

Nevertheless for such a previously accomplished and successful artist most are pretty dull.


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There's no "Band on the Run" in his solo catalog, but I think he was pretty consistent. "Shaved Fish" is an excellent comp, but so is the 2CD "Working Class Hero", both are great distillations. The song "Imagine" has gotten so much flak over the years that I am going off it. But the album itself has some pretty good stuff on it.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby naughty boy » 20 May 2022, 20:49

GoogaMooga wrote:There's no "Band on the Run" in his solo catalog


no, but there's his first solo album which is far superior.

but as it doesn't have any dopey-arsed pop songs on it I doubt it would be to your taste
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Re: John Lennon

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 21:34

OUTPLAY wrote:
GoogaMooga wrote:There's no "Band on the Run" in his solo catalog


no, but there's his first solo album which is far superior.

but as it doesn't have any dopey-arsed pop songs on it I doubt it would be to your taste


No, POB is not far superior, at best it is equal to BOTR. Depends on what you are looking for, good pop craft or Janov's Primal Scream confessionals.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby pcqgod » 21 May 2022, 20:42

To my recollection, I've never heard that album aside from the version of "Stand by Me." I'm pretty sure I've heard all the others aside from 'Sometime in NY City' and the early experimental ones. The only ones I feel I need to own are his 'Plastic Ono Band,' 'Imagine' and 'The John Lennon Collection.' Oh, and 'Plastic Ono Band Live Peace in Toronto.' That one rocks.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby trans-chigley express » 24 May 2022, 05:46

I like Mind Games and Walls and Bridges well enough. Neither set the world alight but I can enjoy them. The title track of Mind Games is actually my favorite solo Lennon track of all.

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Re: John Lennon

Postby Quaco » 24 May 2022, 22:19

I like all his pre-retirement output.

Rock and Roll is great. There's that thread about musicians not playing to their strengths. Well, it's great to hear Lennon just singing '50s tunes. He's really good at it! His voice cuts through.

And it's nice it happened 1974-ish when music and technology was still in the same area as it was in the '50s. Something about McCartney's Run Devil Run (1999) that sounds wrong.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby toomanyhatz » 25 May 2022, 18:10

You lost me with the last sentence, but otherwise I agree. And I don't know that his "Stand By Me" is necessarily 'better' than Ben E. King's, but they're both pretty great vocal performances, and different from each other. And there's a lot of emotion and commitment emanating from John's performance.

I love Run, Devil, Run, though.
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Re: John Lennon

Postby robertff » 25 May 2022, 19:39

toomanyhatz wrote:You lost me with the last sentence, but otherwise I agree. And I don't know that his "Stand By Me" is necessarily 'better' than Ben E. King's, but they're both pretty great vocal performances, and different from each other. And there's a lot of emotion and commitment emanating from John's performance.

I love Run, Devil, Run, though.



Not sure I love it but I like it well enough, you reminded me to give it a play.



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Re: John Lennon

Postby Quaco » 14 Jun 2022, 02:29

robertff wrote:
toomanyhatz wrote:You lost me with the last sentence, but otherwise I agree. And I don't know that his "Stand By Me" is necessarily 'better' than Ben E. King's, but they're both pretty great vocal performances, and different from each other. And there's a lot of emotion and commitment emanating from John's performance.

I love Run, Devil, Run, though.



Not sure I love it but I like it well enough, you reminded me to give it a play.



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Re: John Lennon

Postby Rorschach » 14 Jun 2022, 10:02

robertff wrote:
So, I’m listening to the above album and I have to confess that following Imagine and Plastic Ono Band it is probably my favourite Lennon album. After Imagine nothing really is that great is it?


I feel the same, except I don't rate Imagine that highly. It has Imagine on it for a start.

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