John Lennon - Anthology
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Free Music Notes for Anthology
Free Music Review: An Invitation to Experience the Many Sides of John Lennon
Hit: 5 Stars
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.Free Music Review: Lennon vs. Spector the main event?
Hit: 5 Stars
Maybe not, but the hilarious one-upsmanship that pervades the "Rock n Roll"-era selections on Disc 3 are just about worth the list price of this box. That they could still manage to record "Just Because" and "Stand By Me" while drunkenly attempting to take each other down a peg proves their genius, if not their maturity.Fortunately, this repartee is one of many gems found on the "Lennon Anthology." There are also the demos and takes of "One Day at a Time," "Scared" and "Steel and Glass" that prove better mixing and cleaner arrangements might have improved "Mind Games" and "Walls and Bridges" considerably.
Fortunately, Lennon's voice was never a problem on his official albums, and it's never sounded better than in these unadorned moments. Check out the laughter that undercuts "Remember," the disgust that underscores "John Sinclair" and the desperate, druggy warbling that adds a chill to his demo of "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." Sadly, he sounds his best on Disc 4, exhuding wryness and wisdom on his last songs.
Unlike the admittedly great Beatle anthologies, we get closer to the artist here, and we're never disappointed. Kudos to Yoko for giving us this collection. The second verse of "Luck of the Irish" wasn't bad either.
Free Music Review: The best box set of all time
Hit: 5 Stars
First things first. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Ms. Yoko Ono for doing such a great job, and for doing us hardcore Lennon fans a favor, and for putting together such a great set.OK, here we go. I cannot even begin to say how much I love this box. The set is beautifully packaged, and the book that comes with it rocks. Disc 1 is Ascot, which covered the period during which John recorded the classic Plastic Ono Band and Imagine albums. Then, New York City, which contains live performances and many great songs. Next is The Lost Weekend, which covers the work John did with the period of his life of the same name. Finally, Dakota. For this one, it was obvious John needed a break, because the songs that poured out of him during this period are amongst his finest.
This box rules, I would not want to be without it. It shows us who John really was, a happy, sad, angry, witty, intelligent, and funny man. This box could not have painted a better picture of him.
Yoko, if you are reading this, I know it was hard for you to do this, and I greatly appreciate you giving your time to do this, as do many others. Also, it was best that you do it, because what would satisfy you the most would satisfy us the most. Thank you, once again. You did a great job.
Free Music Review: Happy 59th, John!
Hit: 5 Stars
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!Free Music Review: Perfection...all of it!
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't really want to get into a review for each disc, so let me just say that this whole thing is SO worth the money. It's just amazing, but that's a term I use freely when I talk about John Lennon. Many of these songs are parred-down, and the production is simply brilliant. You get to hear that voice so clearly...what more could you ask for?In my book, the Plastic Ono Band and Imagine album are tied for best solo Beatle albums...ATMP comes up there, and then there's a few others. So its so great to have these songs on here, with different versions. I've heard people say they like this version of "Imagine" better than the original.
Rare stuff like "Be My Baby", "Dear John", "My Life", and acoustic DF stuff, un-Spectorized Rock and Roll cuts, and some really awesome live tracks from the STINYC album (which is underrated)...I mean, the treats just go on.
Plus it's so beautifully put together. I don't care how many people dislike the woman, Yoko Ono is a first rate lady and a fine widow. She takes great care of her husband's gorgeous legacy, and I think her introduction on this box says enough. It is amazing, In my book...the best thing John Lennon related that I own...and, heck, that is saying quite a lot. No?