John Lennon song by song album by album thread.

I have been surprised to find out so many people like "Cold Turkey".
I never heard it when it was released (and I was an 11 year old AM radio top 40 kid) and I was surprised later to find out it even cracked the top 40 at all. It isn't single material.
I find the song somewhat painful, which may be the point considering the subject matter. It is better as art, than as music.
But it does rock and the crunchy guitar is cool for a while (until it starts getting on your nerves)
I do enjoy the LIVE PEACE version more-it fits that setting better.

Rating: 3/5

 

It’s a gritty rock single. The biggest surprise to me of Lennon’s solo career is probably how little music he made like this.

I admire this single. I’ve witnessed a friend go through this, and the lyrics and the music both are incredibly good at capturing the experience. it is a very well executed work. It isn’t commercial at all. A small percentage of the population can truly relate, and even they won’t want to listen to it over and over again.

A cool song. I love John being this raw. But I don’t really want to hear it often. So I vacillate between a 3 and a 4.

3.5/5

 

I thought this was perhaps a christmas single. But no.
5/5

 

Apologies accepted!

Actually I find the Peace Choir version even more horrible! Is that MC Hammer?

 

Don't think Mother or WITNOTW were singles in the UK. Every single he released before his death made the UK top 40 with 6 top 10s.

 

One of my faves. Raw,nasty,unapologetic. 5/5

 

Cold Turkey - this is like a forerunner to the songs on POB. Like POB, I would rarely choose to listen to it - I hadn't actually listened to either Cold Turkey or any of POB for several years prior to yesterday. However, the performances are compelling, with the relentless main guitar riff sounding quite harrowing. Plus, unlike some of John's other work, the production / sound is crystal clear and open.

This is a strong 4/5 for me.

 

It's a compelling piece of music, something I can admire but perhaps not love.

Raw, honest with a performance/production to match. This grading songs is difficult, but let's say 3.5/5?

 

Cold Turkey: 5/5

Pop/rock music made certain natural progressions throughout the 60s. We moved from happy bubble-gum pop to drug-enduced psychedelia to cultural malaise and a harder edge to music. This edge could come in the form of more raw music like ZZ Top or it could be just more hard rock than ever before. John’s Cold Turkey coming out in 1969 really wasn’t that exasperating given that bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath also starting around this time among a multitude of others rocking hard. What shocks people is that it’s John who also contributed to this latest phase. Maybe people were just wanting the old band back together again doing what they do but those days were over. John liked to push the envelope as much as anyone. He thrived on exploring new territories and musical tastes. It’s something he demonstrated time and time again throughout his Beatles career. This was simply his next exploration.

So for John to go into a cathartic phase right at the death of this beloved band, I can’t say I’m really surprised that he wanted to explore his pain and feelings in his songs. As a matter of fact, John and Yoko even participated in some of Janov’s Primal Scream therapy. The therapy sessions occurred technically occurred AFTER this song’s release but it’s hard not to drawl some comparison nonetheless.

As for the song, this thing is pretty awesome. I’m glad Klaus came into the fold here as a ‘Paul replacement’ for lack of a more delicate term. He certainly has a thumping presence in the sparse framework of this song. Ringo turns in one of his most effective performances ever too. I say that because in a song this stripped down, that drum becomes as equally important as anything else going on. His chugging keeps everything tied together as always and provides a relentless marching that leaves you feeling like you are on the run. Who else but to get Eric Clapton for some of the best guitar work you could want? And there out front is John in perhaps his most aggressive yet most pained vocal we had heard up to that point. The cumulative result is a bursting aneurysm that should send chills down your spine.

The Beatles were dead. John Lennon was in the process of being born again. I guess in a way to reference the song’s lyrics, he was both dead and a baby at the same time.

 

Cold Turkey has such a vocal performance that only John Lennon can deliver. Haunting yet sombre. Again i dig the production values - very raw and organic sounding.

5/5 again for me. Love it.

 

Saying the verse lyrics to GPAC are lazy is just a fact. How much time do you think he spent on bon mots like "this-ism that-ism ism ism ism ism"?

I will have plenty of positive things to say about John's solo work.

 

Doesn't matter how much time he spent on it, it has meaning. Or do you prefer to dwell on how much witticism?

 

I don't get much meaning from the verses either.
"Everybody's talkin" means something.
The rest of the verses not so much.

My initial point was only that they were lazy, not that they were bad or meaningless.
But since you raise that issue I elaborated.

 

Cold Turkey. One of his very best solo tracks - and the song that helped split up the Beatles, of course. 5/5

 

I think that there is much purpose in the almost throw away nature of the verse lyrics. It's saying that there so much nonsense that isn't important, nonsense that perhaps the media press were concentrating at that time in relation to Lennon. And then there's the all important chorus, the message that perhaps the press were ignoring. If the verses had been done in a different manner that point would have been lost.

 

Give Peace A Chance. as a recording, it's never been a favorite but as a message, it's good.
Cold Turkey. as a recording, the 45 rpm single is hard to beat. as far as songwriting, it doesn't matter too much because it's put forth so real and raw. 5/5

 

Totally dig ' Cold Turkey ' Gritty and raw.
" Temperature 's rising , fever is high. Can't see no future , can't see no sky..."
Read that Paul and George weren't too keen on it but why is that? I realize there was a lot of ego games in the group but you'd think ( and hope ) that if someone came into the studio one day with a song like this the rest would say : " Oh , man ! Let's do it !"

 

"Cold Turkey" is a pretty bold statement from a Beatle; Lennon was definitely making a great statement here. Musically it might not be that sophisticated, but it definitely rocks. Incredible vocal. Nice thuddy drum and bass sound, and John's guitar is cool, while Clapton adds some cool atmosphere. Are we rating these? I'd definitely give this a 4/5. Maybe it should ge more just for being such a classic; but I think the reason it's a classic is mainly becasue it was done by John Lennon. Just imagine this single on the radio in any later era -- it wouldn't happen! Those were different times.

 

Cold Turkey-3/5

It's a cool sounding track, I don't love the last minute or so. I enjoy the Acoustic version more.

 

Ratings are appreciated, thanks.

 

Cold Turkey 10/10

About as well done as you could possibly do a song on this subject. Just at the time that John is sometimes accused of phoning in his performances or not putting as much effort into his songs, he comes out with this track. He really commits to the vocal and in doing so vicariously takes us through one of the most intimate and terrifying ordeals that can happen to a person. Well done John, good on you Mate!

 

Oh ! I like all that moaning and screaming at the end.
Very glad John didn't get Yoko to add her screaming to it though.

 

Pants are appreciated, but you can't make the Weirdest Cow from Minnesota wear them!

 

The first appearance of 'Cold Turkey’ was a live performance on Sept 13, 1969, released on "Live Peace in Toronto” LP, introduced as: “A song about pain”.

John's unique cathartic screaming at the song’s finale was ‘before' he read “The Primal Scream” and before he met the book’s author Dr. Arthur Janov. Like ‘Twist and Shout” from Feb 11,1963, John always knew how to scream effectively. Regarding the screams, John stated: "When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream.”

John: "Cold Turkey" is self-explanatory. It was banned on American radio, it never got off the ground. They were thinking I was promoting drugs, but instead... They're so stupid ! They're always arresting kids with a few joints in their pocket. They never face the reality. They're not looking at the cause of the drug problem. Why is everybody taking drugs? To escape from what? Do we live in such a terrible situation that we can't do anything without reinforcement from alcohol or tobacco or sleeping pills? I'm not preaching about 'em. I'm just saying why we take them is important, not who's selling it to whom on the corner”. John Lennon 1980 Interview with David Scheff.

 

Give Peace a Chance - When I hear this I picture Tommy Smothers and Timothy Leary and a bunch of hippies in that Montreal hotel room. Not a pretty sight. Supposedly Lennon gave McCartney a songwriting credit as a thank you for Ballad of John and Yoko. Some thanks. I won’t deny it holds a special place for aging hippies 1/5.

Cold Turkey - Much better. I’ll take raw Lennon over hippy dippy Lennon any day. 4/5.

Also funky CT cover by Freddie Hubbard and the fellas on the Red Clay Deluxe reissue. GPAC can’t be helped.