The Cavern
Rock & Words
JOHN LENNON / PLASTIC ONO BAND (John Lennon, 1970)
Artist: John Lennon (C)
Recording Dates: Sep 26 – Oct 9, 1970
Release Date: December 11, 1970. UK
Record Label: Apple (EMI)
Producer: Phil Spector
Rating: 10 (MUST HAVE)
Era: The Great Transition (1970-1980+)
Subgenre: The Great Transition
Best Song: Mother, or Love, or Working Class Hero...
Tracklist: 1) Mother; 2) Hold On; 3) I Found Out; 4) Working Class Hero; 5) Isolation; 6) Remember; 7) Love; 8) Well Well Well; 9) Look At Me; 10) God; 11) My Mummy's Dead.
John Lennon, together with our "beloved" Yoko, has some " albums " released prior to this '70 work. Works such as Two Virgins , Life With Lions and the Wedding Album, which are tremendously " misunderstood" "works of art"...
Seriously though, Yoko's toxic influence caused John to lose his way, and in a misguided search for experimental paths and with the desire to do things diametrically opposed to the brilliant pop-rock of the Beatles, he released the aforementioned horrendous garbage, somehow taking advantage of the naive fans who fell into the trap (intentionally or not) and gave the Ono couple a few dollars for acetates full of noise and filth. I could start Lennon's discography with those records… But let's be honest. Are they worth it? I don't even know if it's worth calling that music. The records are incredibly difficult to find, but that's something we should be grateful for, and we should even try to erase them from the face of the earth: They are proof that when John Lennon put his foot in it, he put it way down to his chin. Furthermore, I lack the wit and sarcasm to review those kinds of albums, so if you'd like to read something about it, here's a link to Mecko 's blog , where he reviews the worst albums in history. The review of John & Yoko/ Plastic Ono Band – Sometime in New York City can perfectly be applied to the aforementioned albums, and in this way, you won't feel like we've skipped over these "all-important" albums. I'll leave you with the genius of Mecko , who specializes in this kind of work and undoubtedly does it better than I do:
http://lospeoresdiscos.blogspot.com/2008/12/john-6-yoko-plastic-ono-band-sometime.html
That said, we can move on to John's first "serious" work, which is John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band in 1970. The truth is, by then, another "avant-garde" Lennon album would have ruined his reputation forever, even risking someone beating Chapman to the punch. John was furious about the Beatles' breakup, just like Paul. It's understandable that they were both terrified of cutting the umbilical cord that bound them together. Although they hadn't composed together in a long time, they always sought each other's opinions to refine the songs, and that kind of songwriting rivalry they had in the quartet somehow gave them a certain security. Now they were both on their own. Worse still, John was with Yoko, and that's why malformed abortions like the ones already mentioned came about. After the bitter divorce from the Beatles, John was in the throes of a breakdown and went to Los Angeles to see the psychiatrist Arthur Janov, who, in addition to videotaping him for commercial purposes screaming at the top of his lungs and writhing on the floor due to his childhood traumas, charged him a fortune. He didn't cure John, but he saved us from a potential "Two Virgins Two," so he deserves a monument. Janov at least managed to make the pile of childhood muck stirred up in Lennon's consciousness give birth to one of the best (if not the best) solo works of this genius.
The result is a remarkably simple album, not because it's a silly, cheesy pop record, but because of its sparse instrumentation. At most, two or three instruments appear per song: his friend Klaus Voormann on bass, the ever-faithful Ringo on drums. This highlights the lyrics and Lennon's delivery in a powerful way. The album can't be considered folk since it's not John with his guitar, although it resembles the genre in its ferocity and raw lyrics. Nor is it rock, since the few moments when the songs soar are due to the raw emotion in John's voice, not the instrumentation. I agree more with those who consider it the best minimalist album in history, especially because it was planned this way from the beginning and not as commercial remakes of MTV Unplugged performances.
One thing that stands out from the first listen is the tremendous sincerity that John exudes in every song. From intense fury and pain to poignant tenderness, John seems to be singing these songs to purify himself, as the culmination of the catharsis begun with Janov, not as the guru and generational leader who hurls sometimes contradictory political pronouncements. John bares his soul and reveals his raw heart in every note and every word, creating a deeply personal, profound, and moving work.
The album opens with bells serving as an intro to "Mother". This is one of Lennon's many autobiographical songs, taking us back to his childhood when his father leaves and his mother leaves him with his sister Mimi to raise while she marries and has two daughters (yes, Lennon actually has two sisters, or half-sisters). Musically, it's almost nothing special; the song is built around Ringo Starr laying down a simple beat with the bass drum and a few scattered piano notes. However, it 's John's voice that moves us, starting with a sad and reproachful tone, slowly rising in pitch and stirring us with every second until it reaches its Primal Scream-esque self-therapy coda , where he screams at the top of his lungs, tearing his throat and heart apart: Mama don't GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! DAAAAAAAADDY COME HOOOOOOME!!! The song is simple, but even if it doesn't appeal to everyone, it touches a nerve, and therein lies Lennon's genius.
Next up is "Hold On", a beautiful ballad with a very simple structure in which John plays some tremolo guitar riffs. It's an optimistic song, sung by John to himself as a sign of hope, a way to hold on to something. The song has a calm and relaxed atmosphere, a total contrast to the theme of Isolation . Hold On John/Yoko/World you're gonna see the light… Only Lennon could put two such contrasting songs on a single record. Is it my imagination, or is it Ringo who says "Cookie" at 1:05?
We continue with "I Found Out", perhaps the most rock-oriented track on the album, thanks to the distorted guitar and the raspy, gritty vocals typical of an angry John. Its rockier sound doesn't make it overly complex, but it achieves the intended energy with minimal instrumentation. Ringo joins in at 28 seconds with a magnificent display of his drumming talent, doing things we never heard him do with the Beatles. By the way, is it just me, or does this song sound suspiciously like "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier Mama"?
The fourth track is "Working Class Hero", an anthem presented by John alone with his guitar and his peculiar, accusatory cynicism. The guitar work is simple, with just a couple of chord changes and variations, very repetitive and Dylan-esque, but perfectly suited to the accusatory tone of the lyrics. John was known for being the most socially critical member of the Beatles, but he never sounded so biting, acidic, paranoid, sharp-tongued, harsh, and incisive with his words. More than proclaiming himself a guru, as the title might suggest, it's a scathing critique of the middle class and its apathy throughout its life cycle. 'Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV/And you think you're so clever and classless and free/But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see.' A true Lennon classic that has been covered by everyone from Pearl Jam to Green Day.
Next up is "Isolation", a tremendously bitter and painful song that, as we mentioned, contrasts with Hold On because of its tremendous pessimism: " We're afarid of everyone , Afraid of the sun "Ahahaaa … Isolation ." The melody is basic but fascinating, highlighting John's disenchantment in the verses and the rage in the choruses and that loooooong bridge at 1:25.
Next comes “Remember”, another light rocker with great work from Ringo and a very cool, prominent piano . The song begins with a kind of nostalgic flashback to the past, and then in the coda, it mentions something about Guy Fawkes Day on “November 5, ” which is a sort of British equivalent of Halloween. Clearly, something happened to Lennon in his childhood on that date. The song ends abruptly with a sound like a bomb blast, which could spark various theories that I'll leave to your imagination.
The seventh song is “Love”, one of my favorites from Lennon’s entire repertoire. The song is simple yet enchanting, from the piano riff—sad, tender, delicate, and profound—to the simple concepts John uses to define love through wordplay. The false fade-out at 2:45 and the sublime return always give me goosebumps. Another example of this man’s tremendous genius.
After this display of sublime beauty, the furious John returns with "Well Well Well". The lyrics are quite curious, and it must be an anecdote that actually happened to John and didn't end very well, judging by the Primal Scream therapy he prescribes for himself for quite a while. What a way to strain his throat! On the other hand, Ringo sounds spectacular again in this song. Perhaps cutting a couple of minutes wouldn't have made it so excessive, but at least it's not Yoko screaming. Well, at least neither It's not even Yoko singing.
Next up is “Look At Me” which stands out a bit from the rest of the songs because it has a very cute and tender arpeggio, in the style of Julia and which recalls those times of the White Album precisely because it was written along with those songs while doing yoga in India.
Nearing the end of the album, John takes aim at half the world through his pronouncements in "God". The song is very basic, featuring a piano intro played this time by his old friend Billy Preston. John lists things he disagrees with, or wants to sever ties with, from God, through Elvis, Hitler, the Bible, Jesus, Kennedy, and Buddha, culminating in the reason he wrote the song and possibly the entire album: 'I don't I believe in the Beatles… I just "Believe in me, Yoko and me." Rude, egotistical, selfish, whatever you want to call it, but it was a break with the Beatles that he needed, and he needed to make this declaration not only publicly but on a record to convince himself and his audience of it. I am not the Beatles, I am not The Walrus, I am John. The phrase with which he ends is as powerful as it is poetic: Dream Is Over.
The album closes with a very short song called “My Mummy's Dead", a mere 50 seconds long and recorded with a retro sound reminiscent of the 1940s or early 1950s, is nonetheless poignant , its few lyrics giving the impression that it is sung by a desolate child who doesn't know what to do in the face of his own orphanhood.
So, John distanced himself from the Beatles by making a very personal, very intelligent, very minimalist, and very beautiful album . Perhaps people expected sharp lyrics, but I imagine the sincerity and emotional depth found here came as a complete surprise. This album is brilliant, proof that John wasn't creatively dependent on Paul and that he could do great things when he looked within himself and not to the chimpanzee he had as a partner. I like this album more than Imagine because, besides being more sincere, he hadn't yet started playing at fighting with Paul, and I like it more than Double Fantasy because Ono only appears on the cover title.
By the way, did you notice that the best minimalist album of all time was produced by none other than Phil Spector, aka Wall of Sound ??? Strange things happen, indeed.
By Corvan
Nov/11/2009
