My 50 Favorite Albums (continued)

I have avoided "best of" albums for obvious reasons on the Top 50 list.

But I can't help myself as I am running out of choices. I've got only eight slots left.

And this one's gonna go to a "best of" album from probably my all time favorite musician - John Lennon.

Everyone loves the Beatles.  So do I.  But I love John more, way more.  Paul's songs are too neat and clean for me.  John rocked, he pushed, he screamed, and he told the truth, even when it was brutal.

Unfortunately there are no Beatles albums full of John's songs.

And his solo albums are pretty mixed.  I love Imagine and Plastic Ono Band, but when I am in the mood for John Lennon, I pull out Shaved Fish.

It's got Cold Turkey on it.  What a great song that is.  I'll never get addicted to anything after listening to that one.

And its got Imagine, maybe the most powerful song ever written.

And its Instant Karma, Power to the People, Mother, Woman, Whatever Gets You Through The Night, Mind Games, #9 Dream, Happy XMAS, and of course, Give Peace A Chance.

I love John Lennon and I love this record.

I am playing it in vinyl right now.

Comments

[jackson]

Of course when I saw the album cover as the page was loading I just about screamed 'NO FAIR, NO PACKAGES!!!!" But, as I read your post, you are absolutely right. Lennon never had to write a full album when he was in the Beatles, and maybe it's true, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, because he never really got around to writing a complete record. Imagine, and Plastic Ono Band come close, but short of the golden 'every song is great' mark. Some people may think that a songwriter can access that muse 24/7, but even the greats must wait for the magic. The best you can do is be ready when it comes. For that reason, obviously, having multiple writers, a la the Beatles, Stones, you can get consistant greatness.
Shaved Fish was my first Lennon record. I always held John above the rest of his bandmates for the same reasons you point out, his guitar playing on Yer Blues is a great example of that. I am, however, going through a Paul reconciliation after years of very harsh criticisms (The Long And Boring Song), but as I prepare to put my band back together a few years after a rough "I Hate You" break up, I'm finding inspiration in Venus and Mars/Rock Show, and "Let Me Roll It".

[JayR]

I would pick Imagine over Shaved Fish. Nothing against Shaved Fish, but you lose the soul that Imagine has. Imagine had some great songs, only one of which (Imagine) is on Shaved Fish. You don't get Jealous Guy, which is amazing. You don't get Crippled Inside or Oh Yoko, which are fun, or Gimme Some Truth, or How Do You Sleep, a really scathing indictment of his former writing partner. Not every song is great, but I don't think you can come up with 50 albums (or even 20) where that is the case. What set John apart from the others wasn't his musical talent or his craftsmanship (Paul probably wins on both counts), but his ability to be so human. He didn't write songs in the third person, and he wasn't playing a character. You listen to Imagine and the tragedy of his loss is palpable, because you realize that there's nobody who can replace him. There have been a few who can really reach you on a human level from time to time - Neil Young and Kurt Cobain come to mind. But nobody could do it as well or as consistently as John, and Imagine is where he did it best.

I've always held a soft spot for Wings, as they my first concert ever was a Wings concert in 1976 at the Garden. And Jackson, if you don't already have it, I highly recommend Wings Over America, the live album from that tour, particularly the Venus and Mars/Rock Show/Jet medley. Paul's music lost its emotion when he stopped writing with John, but he still put out some good albums through the '70s, Band on the Run in particular.

[Jack]

Shaved Fish was my first Lennon Album too. But I'd have to say that "Plastic Ono Band" would take the prize if it was my list.

[jackson]

OMG, Gimme Some Truth is the all-time best. Imagine is a lovely idea put to a lovely melody, but Gimme Some Truth - awesome.

[GasparLewis]

Hey, I was there as well; definitely a fantastic outing if there ever was. Of course, I'm a tad curious as to why you didn't mention the encores. All four of them. Including the pajama-clad finale with the house lights up to "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues".

But still, fantastic show (remember when the projector conked out?); I expected no less from E, and got more than I bargained for.