John Lennon Mind Games LP. What's wrong with it

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by johnny moondog 909, Aug 25, 2016.

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  1. Blue Cactus

    Blue Cactus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    Mind Games could have benefitted from some more rockers on the album. Too many mid-paced tunes and ballads.

    At least Some Time In New York City had some balls to it and rocked out a bit.
     
    David Austin likes this.
  2. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter


    The knock I have about the Mind Games album, isin't that it has any terrible songs on it. It's that nearly everything sounds the same.

    Kind of bland sounding, mid tempo to slow ( mostly ) same instrumentation & vocal sounds. Same echo, same everything. Same pedal steel guitar, same backround singers,

    No one will ever say about this album, wow I love the one with the ripping organ solo or the really psychedelic song, it's a nice album but it lacks much variety. Arrangements aside, the mixing just sucks the life out of it. The remixed version is slightly better, but a really different mix from scratch without preconditions might help it.
     
  3. DmitriKaramazov

    DmitriKaramazov Senior Member

    Speaking for myself (as opposed to someone else?) this album has really aged well. I actually enjoy the "pop" songs -- "One Day at a Time", "Intuition" etc. -- more now than when the album was first issued.

    I don't find them "bland" -- maybe a little light weight, but they are "pop" songs after all, so yeah, this album is always an unexpectedly great listen whenever I come back to it. Would have liked another one similar to Tight As or Meat City, but, I don't feel the "sameness" overall. In my oh so humble opinion.
     
  4. dudley07726

    dudley07726 Forum Resident

    Location:
    FLA
    Even Tight As is light weight as a rocker.
     
  5. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter

    Tight A$ is very Beatles 64 sounding imo.

    But vocally on Tight A$, & most of the album his vocals are mixed back slightly in the pocket, not buried really, but not really out front either. Somehow I think another stab at remixing Tight A$ could make it stronger & get across to more people. Same might go for Meat City & Freeda Peeple too. These are the only 3 rocking tracks out of 11 songs, so it's important to make em shine. Maybe an edited remixed Rock N Roll People could help, making it 4 rock tunes out of 12, instead of 3 out of 11.

    I spend too much time pondering Lennon's albums as a Monday morning armchair quarterback, pseudo excecutive producer, I'm aware if it.

    It's just with his tragically shortened life, & discography of only 5 Lennon studio albums, plus 3 more John & Yoko albums, every track & album is critical for fans & history. To make everything as good as possible, at least in my record collection.

    I'm grateful he lived long enough to release those works. The supposedly lazy Lennon managed 8 albums in 11 years, plus about a dozen singles & outtakes. Not bad considering his "5" year layoff.

    I have love & appreciation for all his post Beatles stuff, to some degree, but Mind Games might benefit from a little posthumous tinkering. I think Mind Games needs a different & better mix, & STINYC needs an adjustment to the tracklist, to make it more of a Lennon solo album. Adding Happy Xmas & Power To The People to STINYC & dropping 2 Yoko songs gives it an immediate boost. But STINYC is a different thread

    By the way I'm not anti Yoko, or anti Yoko's music. But I'm not a fan of their vocal duets or her singing, it's fine, just not my cuppa tea, I'd rather hear his songs on Lennon lps & hers on Yoko lps.
     
    blutiga likes this.
  6. paulmccartneyistheman

    paulmccartneyistheman Forum Resident

    I really love Mind Games, I like everything about it. Great album
     
  7. majoyenrac

    majoyenrac Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    It needs some punch. Also the ending song "you are here" is a snooze and closes the album
     
  8. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Seems like you fell asleep before the actual final song then ;)
     
  9. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    Add 'Bring On The Lucie' to have 10 songs and I'd be happy.^^ Love this song!
     
    john lennonist likes this.
  10. majoyenrac

    majoyenrac Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Lol. I hadn't played Mind Games in a while (maybe 18 mos) seems I forgot about Meat City....
     
  11. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    I'm listening to the album right now (2010 remaster) to re-check. I think it's fab. Nothing to complain. Love some of the arrangements there.

    +1!!
     
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Prefer Shaved Fish.
    Now that's a great comp.
     
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  13. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    My first Lennon CD in the '80s. Great one.
     
    alexpop likes this.
  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Good track sequencing.
     
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  15. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Searched for a thread with "artists that can best suited with just a greatest hits album" but, alas none.
    Anyway that could be best suited to John Lennon ( plastic ono band ..aside ).
     
  16. andybeau

    andybeau Forum Resident

    Location:
    Coventry, UK
    One of my favourite albums
     
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  17. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    The East German vinyl pressing of Shaved Fish contains the full single version of 'Give Peace A Chance', that's how I heard John's solo works the first time.
     
  18. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    With The Beatles, he only had to come up with four or five gems. Same went for Paul. Add in a top notch (or three) George Harrison co position and there you have it....a great Beatles album. I love The Beatles and respect much of their solo stuff, but to me , they were all erratic as solo performers. Paul had the most time and obviously he gets the edge if for no other reason that he pretty much put out at least one great single for almost every year in the '70's. John's albums --with the very notable exception of POB were all loaded with filler.
    George's All Things Must Past is a true enigma. I want so much to love that album--the quality of the songs is there--but it puts me to sleep.
     
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  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Amiga Records ?
     
    andrewskyDE likes this.
  20. chrischrischris

    chrischrischris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, UK
    It's 100% production for me. Would love to hear a'stripped' version. If the album had the production of the One Day at a Time Anthology demo version, it'd be a delicious album.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
  21. jl151080

    jl151080 Senior Member

    Location:
    Bristol, UK
    Personally I don't agree with the above description. I think it's a great album, and listen to it far more than some other Lennon albums, Imagine for one. I'm not a huge fan of the production, but the 2002 remix rectified that somewhat. Out The Blue is, IMO, one of the finest pieces of music Lennon ever wrote. The weakest track, by a fair margin, is Meat City, though I do love the domo version included on the 2002 reissue.
     
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  22. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    Correct!
     
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  23. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I love POB and Imagine, but not this one. Great title track, the rest is just ordinary. Freda People is like the last gasp of his "protest phase"...zero conviction. It's not an offensive or really bad album, just ordinary, and he wasn't an ordinary musician.
     
    johnny moondog 909 likes this.
  24. PNeski@aol.com

    [email protected] Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    don't think Some Time had much of anything
     
  25. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan Thread Starter

    Well it did. Not great songs but good songs & great rock verve & excitement. The problem is, the official release only has 3 Lennon lead vocals & 4 co-lead vocals. No question Yoko's vocals ruin songs like "Luck of the Irish". Attica State comes off better, but it's a weaker song.

    Now on the other hand, if you take STINYC & add the non LP single "Happy Xmas" & a few other good Lennon numbers cut about the same time like "Power To The People" "God Save Us" & "Do The Oz".

    All of a sudden STINYC Becomes a bonafide Lennon solo album, where he sings about 7-8 songs, & co-sings 2-3 with Yoko. It's much better this way, the bonafide Lennon political album. Of course it's subjective which tracks to add & or subtract. But there are 6-8 Lennon songs cut within a few months of the STINYC, that don't appear on another studio LP, that can be used, to alter the tracklist.

    If people love Mind Games the way it is, I think that's great. Sadly I feel it has weaknesses in the arrangements & mixing, some of which an be corrected. I'm a big Lennon fan, obviously. Or why would I care at all ? But it is what it is, & at this late date, there don't appear to be any plans to ever enhance it with a better mix.

    On the other hand, fans lobbying for a more Lennon only version of STINYC, could really sell well & add 1 more Lennon lp to his totals, if Yoko allowed it. Not to denigrate Yoko or belittle her in anyway, but to fashion 1 last "new" album out of what's available in the archive. There are 10 ten late 71-early-72 songs recorded to fashion a legit album.

    1. New York City
    2. Woman is the $$ of the world
    3. Luck of the Irish ( John only )
    4. Attica State
    5. God Save Us- needs new mix & intro

    6. John Sinclair
    7. Angela- needs mix with more John
    8. Power To The People
    9. Do The Oz
    10 Happy Xmas

    Now that is a bonafide Lennon NYC album, Yoko is there supporting her hubby, but it's a John LP with 2 hit singles, all recorded either during, just before, or just after STINYC. It's also all produced by John Yoko & Phil.

    Rock N Roll People & Here We Go Again, could be considered also, although technically they are Mind Games tracks. Here We Go Again is a Spector production also, probably intended as a single or b side for Rock N Roll, it was recorded between STINYC & Mind Games I believe.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2017
    linclink and Blue Cactus like this.
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