John Lennon song by song album by album thread.

That's an awfully low rating for the whole album compared to the average song rating. But the more I think about it, the more I agree. I'm not sure if I've ever listened to M&H on its own, as opposed to the songs I like from there on a standalone basis.

 

I will attempt to avoid Yoko bashing, but this is the obvious answer. She married the greatest singer-songwriter ever (IMO). I do not have to guess why the M & H tracks are a big drop off for her.

 

The song ratings are for John’s songs only. The entire album...

 

You’ve reminded me of a poignant little exchange in Catch-22:
“He was very old.”
“But he was a boy.”
“He died. You don't get any older than that.”

 

I know I’m too late for tallying, but to catch up:

(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess: It has potential, but the composition needs development. 2/5
Grow Old with Me: A fine composition. 5/5.

Milk and Honey (John’s songs): It was so nice to have Lennon back when this came out in 1984. These tracks aren’t so associated with the painful events of December 1980 for me and I like many of them, especially the rockers and Grow Old with Me. A solid 3/5.

This Jack Douglas quote in “Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy” by Ken Sharp raised my eyebrows: “When we did ‘Walking on Thin Ice,’ John said to me, ‘You know, this is the one that’s gonna get Yoko really off the ground. She’s gonna get the critics on her side, everybody.’ He said, ‘So the next record will be the boys only, if you know what I mean.’”

So, if Douglas is to be believed, John was eager to do records without Yoko. I’m stepping out, indeed…

Are we addressing John’s version of “Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him” from 1984?

 

At least the John songs are listenable on M&H even if unfinished....

 

My understanding was (and still is) that we were supposed to base our ratings only on his portion of the album. That's what I meant with my 4/5, anyway. I don't like Yoko's songs a bit.

 

Thanks for commenting, cool to know that machine existed at that time. I still have a Tascam Porta 07 which I used maybe as late as 2006... It's not working correctly though. Only thing I miss about it is the ability to play and record tracks backwards, I haven't figured out a way to to that with my digital rig.
Milk and Honey---------------3.0
I think the performances are pretty good and of course per the rules...This is John only....
Including Yoko would drive it down a lot..

 

It has always driven me crazy that John's demos sound so poor. Buddy Holly home demos from 1959-60 sound incredible, but John Lennon can't afford a decent setup?! John told us he's lazy, but come on John.

 

Yep it is pathetic that as a 16 old buying recording equipment and instruments out of my earnings from delivering papers and bussing tables I was able to make demo recordings in 1981 with better sound quality than those John made in 1979-80. He clearly did not give a damn about how they sounded and was just using recordings as a note pad to remind him how the songs went.

 

I don't think that John would have expected that anyone else apart from him would ever hear them. And, I don't know what he would think of how widely they have been heard and what has happened to them. Note: I'm not implying he would object - I'm just saying I honestly have no idea what he would think.

 

If you were to make an album out of the top twelve songs, it would be an interesting collection. But 5 songs from POB it, to me, overrepresentation. Remove three POB songs and add your three favorites that didn't make the list.

 

Are we discussing compilation albums now ? We are finished with all the John & John & Yoko studio albums.


If that is true, may I suggest or request, that we compile a quick but accurate list, of all non studio lp tracks, which came out only as non lp singles, B-sides, outtakes on later compilation albums, and go through them one at a time ?

For example, here is a quick list, if memory serves, of John Lennon songs, studio recordings, which were released, but never on any of the 8 proper studio albums. A few may have been discussed, out of order already.

1-Cold Turkey
2-Give Peace A Chance
3-Instant Karma
4-Power To The People
5-Happy Xmas
6- Here We Go Again
7-Rock N Roll People
8-I'm The Greatest
9 --Goodnight Vienna
10-Only You
11-Move Over Ms L
12-God Save Oz
13-Do The Oz
14-Baby Please Don't Go
15-Fame w/David Bowie
16-Angel Baby
17-Be My Baby
18-Since my Baby Left Me
19-To Know Her
20-Every Man Has A Woman Who L Him
21-Free As A Bird
22-Real Love


To my recollection those are the 22
studio recordings, officially released, at some point, not on a regular studio album, featuring at least a Lennon co-vocal.

Some were discussed out of order, there are additional live or non studio demos, or without Lennon singing, or which remain unreleased.

There are a large percentage of Lennon's post Beatles hits & other songs of note, I would ask the OP and participants, That we discuss these too.

 

Snoddy, I like the passion with that you seem to hate 1980 Lennon.

Actually, I cannot believe the collective wisdom of the SHF has decided that the nothingness that is Mind Games scores higher than MH, STINYC and Rock'n roll! But such is life...

My ranking would probably be:

1)Plastic Ono Band
2)DF
3) MH
4)Walls n Bridges, Imagine
5) Toronto, Rock'n roll, STYNC
6) MG

I love his MH songs.

 

Thanks for keeping this thread going! It is one of my favourites.

 

To all John Lennon and Beatles fans, I just turned on YouTube and brand new 3 days ago post of live at Shea Stadium uncut and all performing 33 min. Very little montage mainly all live band performing. If this is old news my apologies and didn't mean to derail thread.

Enjoy, carry on and Cheers

 

That makes one ****ing brilliant album!

Plastic Ono Band might be overrepresented but I think it’s fair: I don’t think John was ever as inspired as he was on that album ever again.

 

We will be discussing & rating each posthumous album in chronological order & a day will be allotted for each newly released composition.

We covered the non-album singles already, in their order of release.

As for cover versions, I didn’t allow us to rate them initially - as this was meant to be a thread focussed on Johns own compositions - but then we decided to cover each track on the Rock n Roll album individually, so I think we will also allow a day for the leftover cover songs that appear on Menlove Ave, but no others.

When we reach the Anthology, I have considered spending a day on each of the four c.d’s, as each is a distinct period with a lot of ground to cover. The only songs we will rate and discuss for a day each will be newly released John compositions.

As for Fame, I kind of overlooked it & we already passed it chronologically. I know it’s a loose co-write but John didn’t write or sing the lyrics, as far as I know; he just added some guitar & made some sound like “ame” which Bowie then added an F onto. I think he really just wanted to see his & Johns names together as co-songwriters, more than anything.

For reference, here is my list of the order we will be discussing the remaining songs & albums in:


LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY


Album 1986

.....................................................


MENLOVE AVENUE


Album 1986.


Here We Go Again

Rock n Roll People

Angel Baby

Since My Baby Left Me

To Know Her Is To Love Her

...............................................................

IMAGINE


Soundtrack Album 1988.


.....................................................


REAL LOVE


.....................................................


JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY


Box-set 1988.


ASCOT


NEW YORK CITY


LOST WEEKEND


DAKOTA


God Save Oz

Do The Oz

I’m The Greatest

Goodnight Vienna

Serve Yourself

Life Begins At 40

The Rishi Kesh Song

Dear John

Mucho Mungo


....................................................

HELP ME TO HELP MYSELF


Released on the 20th anniversary Reissue of Double Fantasy, 9 October, 2000.

....................................................


ACOUSTIC


Album 2004.


.....................................................


JOHN LENNON SIGNATURE BOX


Box Set 2010.

Home Tapes c.d:

One Of The Boys

India India

 

Thanks to all of you; this thread wouldn’t exist without your continued interest & input.

 

Wow! I’ll be checking this out!

Thanks for the tip!

 

I hear what you're saying about ' John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band ' and I agree. That was absolutely the album he wanted to make.
Can the same be said for any of the others? I don't really think so.
' Imagine ' was sugar coated , ' Sometime In ..' was just poiitical ranting , ' Mind Games ' was a bland offering , ' Rock and Roll ' was pieced together , ' Walls and Bridges ' is only fairly executed and ' Double Fantasy ' was a lovey-dove experiment with his little Flower Princess.
' John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band ' was Lennon through and through. Nobody else could have made that album.

 

I agree, but I’d say that Plastic Ono Band was the album he had to make - like he literally had no choice - & once he’d purged himself he was, more often than not, a craftsman rather than an inspired artist.

 

LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY

Album released 10 February 1986. Recorded 30 August 1972.

This album is a pretty historical release, capturing the only full-length solo concert John ever played (well, he played two sets that day at Madison Square Garden) that consisted of primarily his own songs.

Unfortunately, it has been said that Yoko chose to release the afternoon performance - or, as John called it, ‘the rehearsal’ - which many have claimed was the weaker of the two sets; which seems like an odd decision.

The set is only 11 songs long (Yoko’s songs from the shows are not included) but it is full of classic Lennon moments & is mostly performed well. A lot of people complain that Elephants Memory were an awful live band, but I think they do a great job - with special mention going to the sax & lead guitarists - especially considering they were basically winging it in a huge venue at what was the first (& last) concert by one of the worlds biggest music stars.

If anything, I’d say it’s John himself who sounds a little rough around the edges, vocally; but when he hits his mark, he’s on fire. No-one roars & screams quite like Lennon, but let’s admit the facts: he hasn’t played live regularly in 6 years & his vocal chords haven’t been in training. There are moments when he just can’t deliver - most notably the throat-shredding ‘Weeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllll’s at the end of Well, Well, Well - but he gives it his best shot & carries himself with humour when talking to the audience inbetween songs; he knew they weren’t perfect, but they’d been asked to play these gigs as a benefit & he agreed... which took a lot of bottle for a rock giant out of the game like John.

Overall, I’d say it deserves a 4/5 & after listening to the whole album right now, I’m hoping we might someday get an official release of the superior evening performance.

 

Rough vocals (I like how he shrugs after the first 'so I') but he screamed pretty damn well.

Wonder why he insisted on chewing gum while singing though...

 

John seemed to like chewing gum whilst singing; most famously whilst singing All You Need Is Love during the worlds first global satellite television event.

Was he also chewing gum during The Beatles’ rooftop gig?