John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

It's definitely John and he is definitely referencing Cookie Monster! The man had impeccable taste and timing

Yoko's songs range from pretty good to great though, and all that studio polish accentuates their subversiveness, imo.

xpost

John Lennon was apparently a giant couch potato and tv addict, for long stretches, which makes me feel better

I always thought the Cookie Monster thing was a joke for Sean.

McCartney's the opposite, I learnt from reading his book - couldn't sit still for a minute for chasing skirt, drawing fliers for crappy art projects, slinking about in disguise, etc etc. Could do with a bit of that myself.

Yes, now he likes to remind everyone that he was listening to Stockhausen and palling around with Tom Jefferson and John Adams during drafting sessions of the Declaration of Independence.

I always thought the Cookie Monster thing was a joke for Sean.

Sean wasn't born until 1975.

First time I heard "cookie" I seriously thought someone had fucked with the mp3 I downloaded.

I love the production on Double Fantasy. "Starting Over" is a great sounding single.

Anyone who votes for "Working Class Hero" to be banned from ILX.

― Wenlock & Mandelson (Tom D.), Friday, May 28, 2010 11:01 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

because they're smarter than everyone else?

― Filmmaker, Author, Radio Host Stephen Baldwin (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

Because that was the "hit".

Deep album cuts only, plz. You've been warned.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

xp Working class hero wasn't even on "The john lennon collection." It's a popular album track, but hardly a "hit."

Went for "isolation" bc I enjoyed daniel johnston's cover.

Working Class Hero

Great album that I listened to a lot as a teenager. Eventually I used it up, and I've never gone back to it. Like Joy Division, for me, it belongs to a specific time in my life. I'd probably vote for "God," but I won't vote.

I think I still love "Love," though it's been a while since I've heard it.

Speaking of which, and this will be a real longshot, but is anyone familiar with a cover of "Love" from around '91 or so, came out (I think) not long after St. Etienne's cover of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and very much in the same vein (female singer, Soul II Soul-ish groove, etc.)? I heard it once, in a record store in Vancouver, thought it was great, didn't think to buy it, have never heard it since, have never been able to find anything about it on the web. I may have been stoned that day and imagined the whole thing. Please tell me I'm wrong.

P.S. I much prefer Double Fantasy, truth be told. I don't think Lennon made great albums as a solo artist (loads of good songs, though), but I probably still enjoy 75% of what's on there, and Yoko's stuff helps tip the scales in the right direction. (I am, oddly enough, sick of most of the singles from DF, though, and never cared much for "Woman" or "Starting Over.")

Last thought and I'll shut up, but... this might still be my favourite commentary on Lennon's primal scream phase:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qrMEEN6WxM&feature=related

(song is from National Lampoon's 1972 LP)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufK7ryaVuqU

Voted Working Class Hero just to be a contrarian fucker.

I never heard WCH until I heard the album, so I have no qualms about voting for it (not that I would anyway).

I didn't hear the Beatles apart from TV commercials until I was 20. It just wasn't in my house growing up (both father and mother too young/not big music people).

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

mine only got three votes, yet i can't fault anything in these results--flawless record if there ever was one

that's pushing it a little far, but it's a nice record, if just a tad self indulgent as was much of Lennon's solo career. I'm struggling to think of anyone else in rock who succesfully managed to make it by being so internalised and self-referential as John on songs like "Oh Yoko!" etc.

An interesting taking sides would be POB vs Imagine.

flawless record if there ever was one

I wouldn't say it's flawless, but it's certainly a flawed album that would suffer from being reorganized, cleaned up, polished or otherwise changed in any way. It's great in spite of (and often because of) its flaws.

That is correct.

I really really like "Hold On". Wish it would have placed higher.

I think the self indulgence mostly showed later. He genuinely seemd to have mined his psyche and personal history on this record, to strip himself down to the man, instead of the god of beatles. So the great pop musician takes a backseat. The songs sound intimate, and - despite the odd bit of screaming, an acceptable habit for a rock n roll singer - the emotion lightly worn.

I agree! It is perfect in its imperfection...thanks for clarifying!

Kinda surprised you rate this album, ilxor!

It's an all-time favorite! Why surprised?

I think the self indulgence mostly showed later.

This is one of the most self indulgent albums ever released. Also, most of it is rubbish. But "Love" is still a beautiful song.

This is one of the most self indulgent albums ever released.

More than "Two Virgins"?

I'm possibly the only person that thinks it has a charm all of it's own.

I've searched for reviews but most degenerate into straight-out racism.

Played it again today. Remember is just so quietly insistent till the final boom

The Classic Album Plastic Ono Bank is currently on BBC iplayer (if you're in the UK) till 21st July.

Struck by how much Arthur Janov looks like Michael Palin with a wooly wig. And Elliot Mintz doing himself no favours with a creepiness aura.

Ringo and Klaus come over pretty well.

COOKIE!

I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-Ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that's reality

The dream is over
What can I say?
The dream is over
Yesterday
I was the dream weaver
But now I'm reborn
I was the Walrus
But now I'm John
And so dear friends
You just have to carry on
The dream is over

love this song, so much. it's amazing that a piece with a relatively slow tempo can build up so much tension (the series of I Don't Believes). that last bit ("the dream is over", etc) is such a perfect coda, lyrically and compositionally. it feels like the end of the 60s, not in a sad way or a optimistic way, it just is. he was in the center of the zeitgeist so i suppose it would make sense that he'd be one of the first to recognize that a unique moment had passed, but were dragged from the 60s kicking and screaming it still seems impressive.

sorry, meant to say "so many people" were dragged from the 60s blab blag blah

i still don't really think i understand the beginning of the song, though: "god is a concept by which we measure our pain". lennon told RS "pain is the pain we go through all the time. You're born in pain. Pain is what we are in most of the time, and I think that the bigger the pain, the more God you look for." i get that, sure...but did he mean that pain is the primary element that drives people to create the concept of god? and what kind of measure was he talking about? or was he just high?

He left out "I don't believe in yesterday". But at least he worked that line into one of his last interviews

the way john sings the last two verses of 'god' -- after the whole 'i don't believe...' section -- is so crushing. just so gorgeous and sad it's almost painful.

I don't think he knew what he meant tbh

xp

kinda feel like it's time for the anti-lennon backlash to take its course -- for my money this one and 'imagine' are the only two beatles solo albums i ever feel like hearing all the way through.

It's an all-time favorite! Why surprised?

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, June 8, 2010 12:51 AM (2 years ago)

Hope you weren't waiting all this time for a reply, ilxor! (Or whatever you're calling yourself now, if you're still around...) Anyways, it was just some old poll you started plus a few random posts made me assume you hated the entire "classic rock" canon, or whatever.
(Sorry if there's any typos in this post - currently got asevere migraine & can only see the screen peripherally...)

i still read occasionally, i just dont ever really post, busy with life-- not big on classic rock but i do unequivocally love almost all beatles, lennon solo, and early mccartney/harrison solo (mccartney, ram, all things must pass...)

"Hold On" still my favorite here. I love the sound of this album, particularly how "Remember" feels like it could really fall apart at any moment, and does.

The pre-POB Lennon/Ono solo stuff is really wonderful and way too overlooked. I mean how awesome is it that singer/songwriter in the world's biggest pop band released this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBicW0CDdp4

*cookie*

otm

The definition of "personal" and the admiration of "personal" art strikes me as remarkable in 2023, and I post it without condescension: I didn't expect it.

I think he’s is saying that Lennon is disingenuous stating “look at me naked” when really he’s wearing a very fancy coat and it’s a bit awkward and uncomfortable.

Personal is too flimsy a word. The personal can make great art, and terrible art. It’s a matter of whether you can communicate something pure through your personhood, and that purity is often tarred by vain overindulgence. Lennon has always come off as overindulgent to me. Track number 1 on this album case in point.

Mother vs Julia

Both intensely personal, one screeches, expresses an insularity, communicating this is my experience alone and I live on this island no one may dock at (so why record it?), the other speaks outside of itself and so allows the listener to partner with the personality, considering their own relationship with their mother, consider their object of love, consider the love their actions seek

“When I cannot sing my heart, I can only speak my mind”

More singing, less speaking

expresses an insularity, communicating this is my experience alone and I live on this island no one may dock at

It does?

Could you talk to a bloke singing that outro?

Is there a thread for “songs to never sing at karaoke”?

(xp) Sure, why not?

Got more patience than me

POB's use of echo acts as the essential distancing device: I hear a series of performances by a guy almost as alien as Bowie would be.

Is there a thread for “songs to never sing at karaoke”?

Performative is a good description of this album