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JOHN LENNON and THE PLASTIC ONO BAND - "Imagine"
Featuring George Harrison, Nicky Hopkins, Klaus Voorman, Tom Evans and Joey Molland of Badfinger, King Curtis, Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues and Alan White of Yes
"...When You're Crippled Inside..."
Some albums come loaded with
their own legend and in the case of John Lennon's extraordinarily patchy solo
work - it's easy for fans and admirers alike to start throwing around 5-star
appraisals at 1971's "Imagine".
His famous second solo LP
and most commercially successful (No. 1 on both sides of the pond) -
"Imagine" is a good John Lennon album. I didn't think it was amazing
back then as a teenager and 46 years later it hasn't morphed across time into a
latter day masterpiece either (none of his Seventies solo LPs are five-star
load-outs to me). But man oh man when Lennon's songwriting talent hits that
sweet spot - he could articulate affection with a tenderness that would disarm
an atheist ("Oh My Love"). Liverpool's finest could be a genuinely
adoring husband in "Oh Yoko!" - only to become a poisonous spoiled
little retch riling against a former friend and musical journeyman in "How
Do You Sleep?" – his famous vitriolic attack on Paul McCartney for
perceived slights on his "Ram" album released earlier in the year
(May 1971).
I suppose that's what makes
"Imagine" something you keep coming back to despite its flaws. Lennon
was the most captivating of the post Beatles - a man plagued with all manner of
demons both mental and physical that came out in his music - hitting you with
an embarrassing honesty that often felt like an open wound with a neon above it
saying 'smack me and smack me hard'. "Imagine" was truthful –
reflecting both him and Yoko and their place in the world in 1971. Personally
tender one moment - politico ranter the next – constantly searching for a truth
that always seemed elusive and out of his/their grasp. "Imagine" is a
ramshackle thing really despite nowadays being perceived as a coherent whole.
And frankly would we have it any other way...
Which brings me to this
latest 2010 CD Remaster in its natty gatefold card sleeve. Here are the
head-in-the-clouds reissue details...
UK released October 2010 -
"Imagine" by JOHN LENNON and THE PLASTIC ONO BAND on EMI/Apple 5099990650222
(Barcode 5099990650222) is a straightforward CD Reissue and Remaster of the
1971 Apple Records album that plays out as follows (39:47 minutes):
1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Want To Be A
Soldier
6. Give Me Some Truth [Side
2]
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album
"Imagine" - released 9 September 1971 in the USA on Apple Records SW
3379 and 8 October 1971 in the UK on Apple Records PAS 10004. Produced by John
Lennon, Yoko Ono and Phil Spector - it peaked at No. 1 in both countries.
This CD leaves out video and
bonus tracks – so we don't get that self-indulgent and self-obsessed pair
wandering around white rooms like they're all deep and in touch with greater
forces than you or I. We're just left with the music as was presented – and a
thoroughly excellent new remaster.
While the 16-page booklet is
pretty to look at and tactile - it bears little resemblance to the Apple
Records LP we all grew up with and loved. The track list wasn't on the rear
sleeve and since when did "Give Me Some Truth" become 'Gimme Some Truth'
or "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" start to be called 'I Don't Wanna
Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die'. The stunning inner bag that came with
1971 vinyl LPs with the lyrics on one side and the musician credits on the
other (both in circles) is not pictured - the lyrics now in the booklet
followed by a more readable credits section. I get why that was done – both are
now readable. But I still miss it not being here. Why couldn’t a repro version
of that paper inner been used as a protective inner bag for the picture CD in
the left part of the card digipak (a bit of imagination on the part of EMI
would have lifted this flimsy thing out of the ordinary). The foldout black and
white poster of John at a piano and the postcard of him holding a pig by the ears
that came with original 1971 Apple pressings are built into the booklet and the
gatefold card sleeve too. And although it doesn't actually say so anywhere on
the packaging or disc as an official title – these 2010 CD reissues have become
known as 'The Signature Collection' because of that signature design on the
left side of the front card sleeve – signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
The new liner notes by PAUL
DU NOYER give a potted history of the album including his ludicrous attack on
McCartney's looks and songwriting gift in the vicious "How Do You
Sleep?" Compared to the austere and bare bones debut solo LP in 1970
"John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" – Noyer rightly concludes that
"Imagine" did feel like George Harrison’s "All Things Must
Pass" – the actual launch of a solo career and not the noodlings and
experimentation that preceded it. There are lovely black and whites of John
with Yoko, John with Phil Spector on the headphones in the studio and best of
all is a witty snap of Lennon with George Harrison larking about with a Yoko
Ono Grapefruit mug – his cheeky chappy working-class hero grin as evident as
ever.
Overall - I find these card
gatefold reissues and their glossy feel a string mix of the classy and nastily
cheap – nice to look at – but oddly unsubstantial. I can’t help thinking
die-hard fans will want the inevitable Japanese SHM-CD of "Imagine"
with its Mini LP Repro Artwork using this 2010 remaster when it shows up
(legendary reissues famed for their attention to fan-pleasing detail).
Meanwhile back here in
cheapoville - the big news for us is the audio on "Imagine" - a
notoriously lo-fi album now given the best transfer possible. PAUL HICKS, SEAN
MAGEE and SIMON GIBSON – part of the team that handled the Apple Label
catalogue and all the Stereo and Mono Remasters of the Beatles catalogue in
2009 – are once again at the master tapes helm. With Yoko Ono and Alan Rouse as
Producer and Project Co-Ordinator – the boys have done the transfer deeds at
Abbey Road Studios and the results are impressive. There’s a sudden power and
clarity to all the tracks without ever being over-trebled or rammed on the
loudness gauge – just subtle and present. If anything its made "Crippled
Inside", "Jealous Guy" and "I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier"
all the more eerie and spaced out on the Production front.
While Klaus Voorman (Bass)
and Yes’ Alan White on Drums gently fill in the anthemic "Imagine" –
it’s those ‘the world will live as one’ strings that now sound so sweet –
tugging on your heart like never before - and those lyrics that make you cry.
Lennon’s electric guitar opening to "Crippled Inside" is now even
more otherworldly and I’m loving that superb Dobro solo from George Harrison -
followed shortly after by Nicky Hopkins plinking away like a drunken sailor on the
old Joanna in an East End pub at closing time. In a strange way – it took his
loss and Bryan Ferry’s cover version in 1980 for me to really love
"Jealous Guy". Jim Keltner on Drums, Klaus Voorman on Bass, Alan
White providing Vibes – but its that Harmonium played by John Barham that leaps
out of the new remastered mix.
I'd forgotten how cool
"It's So Hard" is especially that brilliant string introduction -
taking the song to places you hadn't expected. I've always found the near seven
minutes of "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" hard work - a jam that's
trying to be something but never quite gets there. It has George Harrison on
Guitar, Tom Evans and Joey Molland of Badfinger on Acoustic Guitars, Mike
Pinder of The Moody Blues on Tambourine, Nicky Hopkins giving it some keyboard
and even King Curtis on Saxophone. "Give Me The Truth" that opens
Side 2 gives me the same creeps - a self-righteous rant without ever saying
what it is he expects (George Harrison plays lead guitar). You're then clobbered
with beauty - "Oh My Love" - as gorgeous a song as he's ever written.
It's also beautifully produced - no gimmickry - just great music played sweetly
and taped as such. It's a shame he vented in "How Do You Sleep?"
because musically it’s good too. I always thought of "How?" as one of
the album's truly brilliant moments – with its complimentary strings and simple
piano-melody – it’s a beautiful song that would have elevated the "Let It
Be" album into the stratosphere. And it ends on the jaunty "Oh
Yoko" - Nicky Hopkins adding so much with his rolling piano while John
impresses with those Mouth Organ flourishes.
"...My love will turn
you on..." - John Lennon sang on "Oh Yoko". Despite its
presentation flaws - I suspect this 2010 CD Remaster of the mighty
"Imagine" LP will have you doing the same. R.I.P. you wonderful
dreamer and thanks for all the imagining memories...
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