Average Rating: 
Rating: - Gorgeously Lush and Fun to Listen To
I will preface by saying that Mind Games was one of the few Lennon albums I never did buy or listen to on vinyl or cd, so I can't comment on the comparison between the original (which I plan to get soon, for that reason!) and this remaster.
What comes across most to me (and another reviewer commented on this) is the warmth of the sound. The tracks are crisp and clear, and John's vocals never sounded better, his voice positively radiates on most of the tracks, from the strong and gorgeous opening 'Mind Games', followed by the rocking 'Tight A$' (double entendre John at his best), to the softness of 'Aisumasen' and 'Out the Blue', the falsetto almost over the top 'One Day (At A Time)' and the raunchy, steely rocking of 'Meat City'. Besides 'Mind Games', which is just such a beautifully crafted song, John's 'Bring on the Lucie (Freda People)' has to be one of the great political anthems, it uses its happy, uplifting melody as a counterpoint to the more gritty, earlier 'Power to the People'. Even the weaker songs sound good!
It also seems that John must have had a blast recording this, the vocals convey this sense of happiness and excitement and they are stronger, I think, than on any other of his solo releases.
The only lacking point I think are the 'bonus' tracks. I don't find them very stimulating. I have an old home recording of 'Out the Blue' from the 'Lost Lennon Tapes' show that I recorded off of radio, and this version is so nice. I can't figure out why Yoko (or whoever) thought that those particular three bonus tracks included were worth adding to the cd.
Otherwise a definite must have and surely underrated Lennon effort.
Rating: - CLASSIC LENNON WITH A TWIST
This review refers to the 2002 Capitol CD release of MIND GAMES, a totally remixed and remastered version of the classic Lennon album. A lot of purists are angered that the John Lennon remastered series is also remixed, but to my untrained ear I really can't tell that much of a difference. I also have the original Parlophone CD versions of all of the classic Lennon albums, and this new remastered series is deffinately a huge sonic upgrade over the older Parlophone CDs. So all in all, buy this disc if you are a Lennon fan, the expanded liner notes alone make this CD a good value. But if you are looking for Beatlesque music, this disc will disappoint you.
Rating: - Just as Tight as You Can Make It
Only four stars. That is not for the material, but for the remix. The instruments do indeed sound clearer and more distinct than they did on either the LP release or the original CD. That, like on the IMAGINE remix, is a much-needed improvement. My issue is with the vocals. John Lennon employed a delay effect (OK, he used it to death, to be perfectly honest) on his lead vocals to such a degree that it became his trademark (listen to Paul McCartney's vocal on "Let Me Roll It" from BAND ON THE RUN, a song written to John). While there were times that one could argue against the effect, it is immediately identified with him and his music from this period. Hearing these songs without that distinctive vocal effect is a bit like seeing AMERICAN GOTHIC without the pitch fork.Now, about the music. This album came out in 1973, following the abominable SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY. MIND GAMES was a return to form, and enjoyed a much warmer reception. Several of the songs on this album are among my favorite Lennon compositions. "I Know" is a strikingly beautiful ballad with wonderful backing vocals. "Tight A$" shows the sense of humor for which John was so famous and was sorely missing on his previous album. Like others who have reviewed this album, I love "Meat City", a frenetic rocker that doesn't take itself too seriously. The rest of the album is just as good. My advice is to buy this remixed version to hear the drastic improvement in sound quality of the instruments, but do not part with your LP or previously-issued CD version. Besides, comparing is half the fun, and in all fairness, the vocal delay was a bit overdone. But it just seems to belong there now. If anyone associated with the remixing should read this, please use restraint on WALLS AND BRIDGES.
|
