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"...Political Prisoners..."
I'm 62 and can vividly remember the tirade of 1972 bile that accompanied the release of the Lennon/Ono double-album "Some Time In New York City" - especially after the LP crowd pleaser of "Imagine" from the year prior.
By the end of 1971, most of the world was in love with John Lennon's songs of social-change vs. personal highs and lows. But all that good will and affection went right out the window with the truly terrible crud that appeared on this pretentious dog. Well meaning no doubt in his political convictions, Lennon seemed to not understand either the sheer ire that Yoko Ono's dreadful songs and voice elicited amongst listeners. Not even elaborate gatefold packaging with inners and inserts galore saved it (more in the USA than in the UK) – while the lyrics on the front sleeve to the notorious "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World" song only made it more unpalatable and cringing.
The album might have been appraised better too had it stood alone as a single LP. But the inclusion of a truly dire Live Jam album as a supposed Free Extra where only famous names and a gritty version of "Cold Turkey" saved the day - the rest of it firmly nailed him as confrontational for the sake of it – and worse – a pretentious out-of-touch git. Yoko's scream-fest on "Don't Worry Kyoko" probably did more damage than any ripe-for-ridicule hippie bed-in while the world watched – near seventeen minutes of absolute tosh - with The Mothers of Invention noise stuff on Side 4 even more unlistenable and downright antagonistic.
Maybe if he’d included the non-album December 1971 US 45 for "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" in its picture sleeve with the "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" flipside as an extra instead of the Live Jam LP, reactions might have been more sedate or even positive. Both would have fitted in with the humanitarianism themes on the studio album and the War Is Over If You Want It wording scribbled (along with every other credit) on the Live LP inner sleeve.
But I think despite its rep as a terrible instalment in a patchy solo career – there are tunes here to be reassessed. Let's get to the details...
UK released October 2010 - "Some Time In New York City" by JOHN & YOKO / PLASTIC ONO BAND with ELEPHANT'S MEMORY and INVISIBLE STRINGS on Apple 5099990650727 (Barcode 5099990650727) is part of the John Lennon Signature Collection Series - a straightforward reissue/remaster of the 1972 2LP set onto 2CDs that plays out as follows:
CD1 "Some Time In New York City" STUDIO Album (42:23 minutes):
1. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World [Side 1]
2. Sisters, O Sisters
3. Attica State
4. Born In A Prison
5. New York City
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday [Side 2]
7. The Luck Of The Irish
8. John Sinclair
9. Angela
10. We're All Water
CD2 "Live Jam" LIVE Album (43:24 minutes):
1. Cold Turkey (Live) [Side 3]
2. Don't Worry Kyoko (Live)
3. Well (Baby Please Don't Go) (Live) [Side 4]
4. Jamrag (Live)
5. Scumbag
6. Au (Live)
CD1 and CD2 are the double-album "Some Time In New York City" - released 12 June 1972 in the USA on Apple SVBB 3392 and 15 September 1972 in the UK on Apple PCSP 716. Produced by JOHN LENNON, YOKO ONO and PHIL SPECTOR - it peaked at No. 48 in the USA and No. 11 in the UK.
The glossy gatefold card sleeve with its 12-page booklet feels strangely flimsy and unworthy - but the Remaster handled by a trio of Audio Engineers associated with The Beatles reissues - SEAN MAGEE, PAUL HICKS and SIMON GIBSON – feels like a real improvement. The slide guitar of "John Sinclair" is great while the lush strings of "Angela" finally feel powerful. I can't say I notice anything about the rubbish live set other than the two vaguely listenable tunes "Cold Turkey" and "Well (Baby Please Don't Go)" (an old cavern R&B fave) have great power even if Lennon's vocals on the second disappear into the ether (how it was recorded).
I don't care how brave the opening "Woman Is..." song may appear to some or the Yoko sung "Sisters, O Sisters" - the first is a painful and patronising Lennon listen while the second has her lead vocal ruining everything. The first tune for me of any real interest is "Attica State" (Track 3) which along with the Yoko sung "Born In A Prison" and John's riffing "New York City" rescue Side 1 for what is already becoming a very testing album.
As an Irishman, I loathed both "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "The Luck Of The Irish" on Side 2. Both felt pointed in all the wrong directions even if Lennon was legitimately trying to make the British government accountable for actions that caused the loss of life and arguably another three decades of six-county tit-for-tat misery. The album's other two great cuts are the bluesy and beautifully remastered "John Sinclair" (about unjust internment) and the lovely string-swell of "Angela" where Yoko Ono finally sounds like she's nailed both the lyrics and an actually decent song to go with them.
The 'live jam' set has always made my blood boil - all that "Scumbag" and "Jamrag" noise crescendo feeling like an aural insult to the audience rather than a gig meant to stimulate. Second LP guests included Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett, Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, Klaus Voorman, Aynsley Dunbar, Bobby Keyes and Jim Price of Rolling Stones fame and more – not that you can actually identify any of them through their playing.
Lennon would return with "Mind Games" in 1973 that was again another only-ok LP (the dullard artwork didn’t help much either) and it wouldn't be until the re-energised "Walls And Bridges" in 1974 that I'd start listening again with any real heart.
Even after nearly 50 years of trying to actually like this release, I cringe whenever I look at this double-bubble vinyl splurge from 1972. But this 2010 Signature Collection 2CD Reissue has made me think it wasn't all lefty preaching while his wife wailed on like a banshee regardless of the cost.
The better four or five cuts out of the principal ten make "Some Time In New York City" worth returning to. And you have to admire the star-crossed lovers and their sheer wear-it-on-your-sleeve belief that love and knowledge would cure the ills of the masses even when those masses riled against them.
Apple of my eye or badly basted turkey – take your pick. In the end I just wish that all that emotional hutzpah had been backed up with better tunes which you have to say is probably what dismayed most listeners and fans more than anything...
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