Live Peace In Toronto 1969 - The Plastic Ono Band

Live Peace in Toronto 1969

The Plastic Ono Band

Apple Records SW-3362

1969

My longtime hero, John Lennon, would have turned 80 yesterday if he had not been murdered 40 years ago.  I find that staggering and a little depressing as well.  I like to imagine what he might be like if he were still with us.  I hope he would still be making music, but I'm pretty sure it would not sound anything like this record which I think is unquestionably the hardest rocking album he released outside of the Beatles and that includes his album actually titled "Rock 'N' Roll."  The album was recorded under chaotic circumstances at a rock festival in Toronto by an ad hoc band with little rehearsal time.  The record begins with Lennon announcing that they are only going to play songs they know because they have never played together before.  It gets off to a roaring start with Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" which features a sizzling guitar solo from Eric Clapton.  I enjoy Lennon's enthusiastic vocal.  It is followed by an extremely heavy version of "Money."  I like the power of the new version but the vocal is much weaker than the version Lennon sang with the Beatles.  Lennon does better with "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" which is also heavier that the Beatles version but retains the intensity and charisma of that version.  The band tackles an original Beatles song with "Yer Blues" off of the "White Album."  Lennon and Clapton had performed the song together previously on the Rolling Stones' television show "Rock and Roll Circus."  The arrangement is similar to the Beatles' version although the song does benefit from the heaviness of the Plastic Ono Band sound and Clapton offers up another smoking guitar solo.  The next song is Lennon's solo single "Cold Turkey" which had yet to be released at the time of the concert.  Yoko Ono makes her presence felt with banshee wails and bleats in the background.  I prefer the studio version, this sounds a little sloppy which is hardly surprising since Lennon says they have never performed it before.  Side one concludes with a lumbering version of  Lennon's first solo single "Give Peace a Chance."  It is messy and Lennon apparently couldn't remember the words to the verses but it gets the job done.  Side two features Yoko doing "her thing all over you" as Lennon puts it.  Like many Beatlemaniacs I loathed Ono's music when I was younger and almost never played side two of this record.  I grew to like her music however as I got older and now play the second side as well.  The opening track "Don't Worry Kyoko" is my favorite Ono song although I prefer the studio version.  Ono howls away over a plodding riff from the band that I think ought to be taken at a little faster tempo.  I still find it compelling though, especially compared to the next song "John, John (Let's Hope For Peace)" which had been introduced in the "Amsterdam" segment of John and Yoko's "Wedding Album."  It features Ono running through her throat shredding bag of tricks over drones of guitar feedback.  If I am not in the right mood it sounds interminable and torturous and even if I am in the right mood it can be kind of grueling but it offers an inspired performance from Ono that impresses me.  She and the band exit the stage but leave their instruments on emitting a prolonged cycle of ringing feedback to conclude the song.  This is definitely a young man's album - loud, heavy, confrontational and experimental.  It is hard to believe that the same two artists were responsible for the cozy domestic bliss of "Double Fantasy" a mere 11 years later.  I assume that if Lennon were still around making music it would be a lot more like "Double Fantasy" than this which would be fine, I'd be thrilled to have any kind of music from him.  But this album represents many of the qualities I most admire in Lennon including his fearlessness, his honesty, his brashness and his sincerity.  Listening to it 80 years after his birth I'm reminded of how much I miss him and how much he has meant to me throughout my life.  Recommended to Kabuki theater fans who dig rock and roll.

Rock 'N' Roll - John Lennon

Rock 'N' Roll
John Lennon
Apple SK 3419
1975

Last year I finally got around to reading Philip Norman's epic biography of John Lennon.  I've had it for years but could not bring myself to read it, partly because it is so freaking long (more than 800 pages) but mostly because I was afraid of what I might learn about my longtime hero.  Having read lots of Beatles books (including Norman's own excellent one) I knew Lennon was no choirboy and I was worried about reading things that might make me think less of him.  In actuality I came away from the book feeling even better about Lennon as a person.  Norman paints a sympathetic portrait of the man, he doesn't shy away from his bad behavior but puts it in context and I found myself respecting and liking Lennon more than ever.  It is a very informative book, I finally learned the backstory of this album which has always puzzled me.  I assumed that Lennon was returning to his roots in search of inspiration, but in fact the motives behind the album were a lot crasser.  Record mogul Morris Levy, a guy I've always despised for stealing copyrights and exploiting artists, sued Lennon for the resemblance of "Come Together" to Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" which he owned.  As part of the legal settlement Lennon agreed to record three songs from Levy's massive publishing catalog of oldies.  Lennon decided to make an entire album of oldies and brought in Phil Spector to produce.  Spector in full maniac mode made the sessions difficult even firing a gun in the studio and eventually walked off the project taking the master tapes with him.  Lennon took a break and recorded "Walls and Bridges" and then resumed the project without Spector, recording most of the album from scratch although the Spector tracks were eventually recovered and a few of them made the final album.  Prior to release Lennon gave a rough mix to Levy who promptly bootlegged it on an album sold on television.  The story behind the album is a lot more interesting than the album itself which consists entirely of well-known oldies given mostly faithful interpretations by Lennon.  He performs with affection and enthusiasm, there is no doubt that he loves the music and is good at it, but the album seems like a waste of time to me.  Back when it came out, I was very disappointed by it.  The Beatles had done such a great job energizing the many oldies they covered early in their career and they had recorded songs that weren't necessarily big hits or really well-known.  This album would be better I think if it had a few obscure or lesser known songs on it.  Instead just about every song is a famous classic.  I like it better now than I did back in the 1970s but I still don't play it much.  My favorite cut is his version of "Stand By Me" which comes close to besting Ben E. King's original thanks to Lennon's passionate vocal and a robust arrangement.  I'm charmed by his heartfelt performance of Lloyd Price's "Just Because" which benefits from a spoken intro and conclusion by Lennon.  I wish there was more of this informal quality to the album which is entirely too slick for my taste.  I also like his punchy version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" although Cheap Trick's cover a few years later is better.  The most interesting track is a reggae influenced re-working of "Do You Want To Dance" which revitalizes the song the way a good cover should.  On the negative side there is a lackluster medley of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" and "Send Me Some Lovin'."  Lennon's uninspired take on Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" is even weaker.  I think the rockers mostly come off the worst on the album.  "Be-Bop-A-Lula," "Ready Teddy/Rip It Up," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Slippin' and Slidin'," and "Bony Moronie" lack the manic intensity and urgency the Beatles would have brought to them (if you don't believe me listen to the Beatles' Star-Club recordings or the BBC sessions.)  Lennon's vocals are undermined by the lifeless, polished arrangements delivered by the studio pros backing him.  The exceptions are "Peggy Sue" which slavishly imitates the Buddy Holly original and the Spectorized cover of "You Can't Catch Me" which thanks to the noisy arrangement and Lennon's crazed vocal I prefer to Chuck Berry's original.  It really captures the energy that makes early rock and roll so exciting unlike most of the rest of the album.  I think the best thing about the album is the cover photo of Lennon taken by Jurgen Vollmer during one of the Beatles' visits to Hamburg.  It says more about rock and roll than the music on the album.  One thing that really strikes me about the record now that I didn't notice when it came out is how 1970s the thing sounds, more "Crocodile Rock" than "Rock Around the Clock."  Since I don't really dig the 1970s I don't think that is a good thing, but I suppose it beats pure imitation.  Recommended to people who think it would be cool if Jerry Lee Lewis jammed with Steely Dan. 

Pussy Cats - Harry Nilsson

Pussy Cats
Harry Nilsson
RCA CPL1-0570
1974

I was at a Neko Case show last month and I heard her do her cover of "Don't Forget Me" which she recorded on "Middle Cyclone."  That inspired me to pull out the original version which appeared on this album.  You will probably notice the smiling mug of Dr. Winston O'Boogie on the cover combing Nilsson's hair and Lennon gets co-billing as well even though he was only the producer on the album.  Ringo is on the album too but if you want to see him you have to look at the pictures in the gatefold (where you will also see Keith Moon, the other big guest star on the album.)  The album dates from the period when Yoko Ono threw Lennon out of their home and he and Nilsson were drinking buddies.  Lennon's influence is definitely felt on the record which resembles Lennon's mid-1970s work in its grandiose sound, something Lennon presumably picked up from his association with Phil Spector.  This is evident from the very first track, a splendidly heavy cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross" with strings and echo and a spectacular vocal from Nilsson.  Nilsson reportedly injured his vocal cords making this record and listening to his vocal here it is easy to see why.  The wall of sound continues with a rollicking cover of Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."  It is followed by the best song on the record, "Don't Forget Me."  The wall of sound is wisely replaced with Nilsson playing piano accompanied by a tasteful string arrangement.  It is a heart breaking song about divorce.  I like Neko Case's version, but Nilsson's version is superior, she has a great voice but she doesn't match the plaintive and desperate feelings he gives to the song.  "All My Life" brings a complete change of mood.  It is a light-hearted, humorous song about a guy who is all partied out and tired of getting wasted which immediately calls to mind all the stories about Lennon and Nilsson raising hell in Los Angeles.  The side ends with the subdued "Old Forgotten Soldier" on which Nilsson's voice sounds very ragged.  It is vintage Nilsson, a charming old-fashioned shuffle, like Randy Newman, Nilsson had the ability to blend classic Tin Pan Alley pop songwriting craftsmanship with a modern rock sensibility creating a very satisfying hybrid.  Side two kicks off with a slow cover of "Save The Last Dance For Me."  With its echoey sound, loud drums, stately piano and strings it sounds like an outtake from Lennon's "Mind Games."  Nilsson sings it beautifully, the song is done so seriously one almost forgets that it is a silly love song.  Lennon provides the song "Mucho Mungo" which is paired with a Nilsson song called "Mt. Elga."  It is a nice bit of pop fluff with a tropical feel.  It is followed by another oldie, a cover of Johnny Thunder's early 1960s hit "Loop De Loop."  Nilsson's voice is so raspy he sounds like Joe Cocker on it.  The song is of course completely inane, but it gets Spectorized nonetheless with a chorus and no less than three drummers, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Jim Keltner.  The results are silly but fun.  Once again the record shifts mood abruptly with the solemn "Black Sails" which is just Nilsson and strings.  It is a creepy song about a guy rhapsodizing about his lover's varicose veins, when it comes to lyrics Nilsson is nothing if not original.  The album ends on an upbeat note with a manic jumping cover of "Rock Around the Clock."  When I first heard this album back in the 70s I was disappointed, but I've come to really like it.  This is not Nilsson's best album, but it is one of his most charming and fun ones and it has aged rather well.  It has acquired a cult following it definitely didn't have when it came out.  The Walkmen even covered it in its entirety.  Recommended to fans of Lennon's "Rock 'N' Roll."

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions - John Lennon/Yoko Ono

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions
John Lennon/Yoko Ono
Zapple ST 3357
1969

It was John Lennon's birthday a few days ago.  He would have been 71 had he not been murdered, nearly as old as my Mom.  It is hard to imagine what he might be like were he still alive.  I wonder what he would think of this record if he could hear it now.  I suspect it would hold a lot of memories for him.  It was a record born out of love and pain, half of it was recorded in the hospital in London where Ono was recovering from the miscarriage of their child which is depicted on the front cover.  On the reverse side the couple are seen getting busted for drug possession by some smug looking English bobbies.  Side one consists of "Cambridge 1969" which was recorded at a 1969 concert at Cambridge University.  It is 26 minutes of Ono howling, bleating, laughing, groaning and making bird sounds while Lennon lays down a storm of shrieking guitar feedback.  Towards the end they are joined by a percussionist and a sax player at which point the cacophony of sound reminds me of free jazz.  It sounds like torture, but I kind of dig it.  I like the exuberance of the performance and it is sort of trippy.  It sounds like a tone deaf person trying to sing a work by Gyorgy Ligeti.  I admire Lennon's willingness to explore new sounds and new forms of music.  Whatever criticisms one might make about this record, there is no denying that Ono certainly expanded Lennon's musical horizons.  You can't get much farther from Elvis and Chuck Berry than this.  I don't like side two as much, but is definitely out there as well.  It begins with "No Bed for Beatle John" with Ono and Lennon singing the text of press articles about them and the Beatles, it resembles the kind of choral polyphony one would associate with medieval church music.  It suffers from Ono's limitations as a conventional singer, I find her more effective in her banshee mode.  It is followed by "Baby's Heartbeat" which is five minutes of a recording of their baby's heartbeat prior to his death.  I find it depressing to listen to, although the sound itself is mildly compelling.  It is almost a relief when it is followed by "Two Minutes Silence" which is exactly that.  The side finishes with "Radio Play" which is twelve minutes of someone messing around with the radio dial (back when radios still had dials) abruptly switching frequencies every couple of seconds.  Now this is torture.  I find it extremely irritating and the only thing I find interesting are the bits where you can hear Lennon talking on the telephone in the background.  Nevertheless of the three Lennon/Ono avant-garde albums, I like this one the best by far.  Admittedly I almost never listen to side two, but side one appeals to me both as music and as art.  As difficult as they are at times to listen to, all three albums succeed to varying degrees as personal statements and in that sense I think can be considered to be artistically successful.  It is debatable whether they work as music, but as works of performance art, I think they are interesting.  Lennon and Ono do have chemistry together and listening to these records you can feel the affection and enthusiasm they have for each other.  I suppose you could argue that their art was exhibitionistic and narcissistic but I like that quality in art.  Recommended for people who'd prefer a trip to the museum over a rock show.

Wedding Album - John and Yoko

Wedding Album
John and Yoko
Apple SMAX-3361
1969 

This originally came in an elaborate box with various posters and facsimiles of wedding stuff.  The box isn't terribly difficult to find although it is generally pretty expensive in collectible condition.  I bought the record without the box, but it only cost me $4.00 and even at that price I think I overpaid.  I've had this record more than 30 years and this was only the fourth time I ever listened to it.  It was the first John Lennon solo record I ever bought.  My crummy hometown briefly had a used record store and I saw this in the Beatles bin and bought it out of curiosity.  Of the three John and Yoko avant-garde albums, I like "Life with The Lions" best and "Two Virgins" least and this one is in the middle.  Depending on how you feel about Yoko's singing there is little on this album that resembles pop music, aside from John crooning a few bars of "Good Night" from the "White Album."  It is actually more like a performance art piece.  Side one features "John and Yoko" which consists of them reciting each other's name accompanied by some heartbeats for about 22 minutes.  It is not quite as boring as you would expect, it even made me smile a few times.  It would be decent background "music" for doing housework or some other mundane activity, it is easy to sing along with, maybe you could try saying your own name along with them.  It was presumably inspired by Stan Freberg's classic record "John and Marsha" which is the same idea only shorter and funnier.  Side two is entitled "Amsterdam" and begins with Yoko apparently improvising a song about peace.  I'm not a big fan of Yoko's crooning but this song would suck even if Sandy Denny were singing it.  That is followed by various excerpts from the couple's 1969 Bed-In in Amsterdam.  They are both funny and irritating.  Aside from Yoko and her son, I can't imagine who could possibly enjoy this album very much.  I find it more interesting than fun and not all that interesting at that.  Recommended for people who like Yoko's art more than John's music.