Poll--The Weakest Link: John Lennon's 1980 Songs, Round 2

We won't miss "Dear Yoko" for the rest of this game. We showed no contrition about booting "(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess."

Two more need to go this time.

Discussion question: Let's do the Yoko bashing now, if we are going to do it: What did you think of the alternating song arrangement on DF and M&H? Assuming an album like the original line-up we had for this game wasn't going to happen, would you have preferred to have had each artist's songs on one side of the release?

T12 Dear Yoko
T12 (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess

JcS

 

I'm a Yoko fan, and I like most of her songs on these albums. I wouldn't change a thing. These were intended as John/Yoko albums.

 

Woman, I Don't Want to Face It

DQ: Double Fantasy is designed as a "heart play." It is a conversation. The entire point of the record is hearing the contrasting views and emotions of John and Yoko. I love the alternating track-list, especially "I'm Losing You" and "I'm Moving On" paired together.

 

Not a Yoko hater here. I like her songs on Milk and Honey mostly better than those by John. I understand the concept, but still I never warmed up to it. Yet it can feel a bit embarassing to listen just the John's songs. Yoko gives it some edge.

 

I just listen to the John songs these days, wish it was more like POB with an album for each artist.

 

I don't wanna face it and cleanup time.

Original press for the album DF said there'd be 2 songs by Yoko on it. When I found out there were actually 7 I was devastated to say the least. But all things in perspective I suppose. Less than 4 weeks later I was crushed even more

 

I Don't Want to Face It
I'm Losing You

I'm surprised to see so few votes for "I'm Losing You". The middle 8 is teeerrrible.

 

I showed up just in time to see my favorite song ("I Don't Want to Face It") get voted off!

Looking at the list and already struggling for songs to remove reminds me of how much I like this music.

I'll go with "Borrowed Time" and "I'm Losing You".

DQ: The albums are exactly as they should be.

 

I went with "Cleanup Time" and "I Don't Wanna Face It".
I'm no Yoko fan but the alternating songs don't bother me on Double Fantasy. They seem to fit together pretty well but I don't think the same of Milk & Honey. Her songs aren't as strong on that album.

 

I go with the alternating dialog approach rather than 1 side each.

Sad bit not surprised we said good bye to the joyous Dear Yoko.

 

Borrowed Time
I Don't Want to Face It

I've not been a Yoko anything, in a freak of timing, at the opening of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member at the time (Save it!) I got in right after the opening ceremony. Once inside, I saw James Brown in front of me, so I walked up to him and told him that, I thought he was great. He shook my hand and grabbed my elbow and said "Thank You", then just walked away. I said that, to say this, I was then walking into the museum right past Yoko Ono, so looking her in the eye and sticking out my hand to her, I said, "Thank You for sharing John with us". She moved my arm away, hugged me and said "Thank You, for being there" she then turned and waved as she left. That was a good day!

 

I don't wanna face it....Cleanup Time.

Haven't heard Yoko's contributions to Milk and Honey....but liked them on DF. I'm good with the alternating songs.

Bern

 

Clean Up Time & Beautiful Boy

Probably controversial but I've never rated Beautiful Boy. The verses are quite sweet, some nice lines, but the chorus really sets my teeth on edge.

The song found immediate gravitas in the aftermath of December 1980 (how could the sentiment of the song not break our hearts at that dreadful time).
However, if I'd ever written a chorus as sappy as that, my old band mates would have been telling me to go away and not darken their doorstep until I've got something less toe-curling and cringeworthy.

 

I Don't Wanna Face It and Cleanup Time

I would have rather had all the John songs together.

 

I don't think I ever listened to Double Fantasy all the way through. I probably would now. I have the Lennon and Ono boxes so that's how I've listened to them for years.
Cleanup Time and I Don't Want To Face It are fabulous throwaways but I had to pick one of them to go.

 

Cleanup Time / I Don't Want to Face It need to go....

Would have preferred to have John's tunes on one side of he album.
Listened to plenty of Yoko's stuff nut just don't like her voice at all.

 

Cleanup Time & Borrowed Time

Sorry won't be joining the "Yoko bashing". Leave them as is. As others have mentioned Double Fantasy is a concept piece. You can always make a CD with all of John's tracks.

 

"Cleanup Time" and "Grow Old with Me"

I don't think many of John's 1980 songs really work outside of the dialogue with Yoko; they strike me as somewhat samey. Plus, I like many of her DF / M&H songs better than his. I'd leave them as they are.

 

I like the Yoko stuff on "DF" - my favorite songs on the album are hers. I'm 100% fine with the album sequencing.

I have less of an opinion of "M&H" because I've not played it nearly as much. I've heard those songs mainly through Lennon compilations, so I don't know the Yoko tracks well...

 

Cleanup Woman

DQ: I always accepted them for what they were; if the artists were J&Y, so be it. I like(d) Double Fantasy quite a bit (only heard Milk And Honey a couple times). But I won't pretend I raved about Yoko's songs; they're just part and parcel of an interesting album.

 

Take a good look folks at those 11 tracks.
That would have been John's best album since POB and one of the most compete albums by any artist.
It's amazing to think John had this much great stuff in one session at 40.
I so wish they would have spent time finishing his future M&H tracks instead of Yoko's garbage and released in 1980 this epic comeback Lennon masterpiece.

 

John was like that - once he was inspired he was very prolific. An album with just Johns songs would be a truly great album. Perhaps better than Imagine

 

Cleanup Time (only mediocre song left)
I Don't Wanna Face It (though I really like this song-just the others are a bit better)

DQ: The alternating John/Yoko works on DOUBLE FANTASY. On MILK AND HONEY the Yoko songs aren't as good. I would much rather have had more John demos and outtakes.

 

If I hadn't taken that option out of play in the question, that would have been my choice as well. I don't begrudge anyone that likes listening to Yoko; I just don't happen to be one of them.

I don't hear that there is really much of a dialogue. Yeah, "I'm Losing You/I'm Moving On" meets that criteria, and "Beautiful Boy/Beautiful Boys" are at least working the same side of the street, but much of it doesn't sound related to me. I would have much preferred having Lennon's songs on one side and Yoko's on the other. I would have listened to the Lennon songs more often than I have--or had, until I got THE JOHN LENNON COLLECTION, which had all but "Cleanup Time" on it.

I don't think there was any such pretense about a dialogue on MILK AND HONEY, and that one certainly needed the segregation.

JcS

 

I Don't Wanna Face It ---- is taking a beating but I've always liked it---especially later on with the Anthology version