Rating: - Happy 59th, John!
As the title reads, today would've been John's 59th birthday. This CD set is more for the diehard Lennon fans than casual ones (I'm a diehard fan, which is why I gave this one 5 stars). It starts out with "Working Class Hero" (which seems to ring true even now). It's a treat to hear the members of Cheap Trick backing John up on "I'm Losing You". John was always known for his sense of humor, sometimes gentle like on "In The Sky", sometimes silly like on "The Great Wok" and "Life Begins at 40", and often cruel, like on "Serve Yourself", "Satires 1-3", (both slam Dylan)"Yesterday Parody", and "Rishikesh" (the last 2 slam Paul and George. Ringo is the only Beatle not slammed on this set!). "I'm the Greatest" sounds great, too bad Paul was missing! George Martin does a beautiful job with his one-of-a-kind orchestration on "Grow Old with Me" (I'm sure Mr. Lennon would be honored!). It's funny hearing John and Phil at each other's throats! Finally, if you're curious as to how "Real Love" sounded without overdubs, it's on here, too. I know Yoko Ono takes a lot of heat, but I'd like to offer her some well-deserved thanks for approving this set!
Rating: - This box-set is well worth the price.
This set spans John's years as a solo artist from 1970 to 1980. I've always felt John's solo albums were over-produced by himself and Phil Spector, John's voice seemed to get lost in the recordings, however in this set his voice is to the fore and the songs sound 10 times better than than do on his albums. Disc 1 ASCOT: (the best) revolves about his first two solo albums, Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. Disc 2 NEW YORK CITY: John's political phase with Sometime In New York City and Mind Games. Disc 3 THE LOST WEEKEND: John's infamous "Lost Weekend" which features Walls And Bridges and Rock N'Roll. And finally Disc 4 DAKOTA: which features many rare demos as well as his Double Fantasy and Milk & Honey albums. However I should state this set is probably only for hardcore fans of Lennon, but those true fans will cherish listening to John singing Real Love on his own, a diffrent version of Imagine, a live Come Together from Madison Square Garden and John chatting with Sean at the Dakota.
Rating: - An Invitation to Experience the Many Sides of John Lennon
I cannot adequately describe how I feel listening to this set; the words just don't convey the feeling. This is not just a collection of outtakes. It's an uncompromising portrait of a brilliant musician, writer, artist, father, husband and human being. Hearing the music on this set in its most pure, raw form...the home demos, the unembellished studio tracks, is like opening a treasure chest. Poring over the starkly revealing liner notes while listening to the accompanying music makes the listener feel as if John is a friend, someone who has decided to share his creative process with us. The lunacy of the Phil Spector studio chatter, and tenderness of the "Sean" tracks...the accompanying artwork which seems to fit every disc perfectly...this is BEYOND the best gift any Lennon fan could ever hope for. This set isn't really designed for the casual listener. I feel it will have its greatest impact on those of us who already love John but remain forever fascinated by his complexity. Perhaps it will help fill in more of the puzzle pieces. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me smile. It made me remember over and over again why he was to so many of us a shining musical beacon. Not just as a musician, but as a person. John is so alive here; and while he has been gone for almost twenty years now, he will continue to remain alive where it matters most - in our hearts. I recommend this for ANY Lennon fan. You will not be disappointed. And you can't afford NOT to experience it.
