John Lennon

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Beatles? Lennon? Dylan?

You're a bit of a softie, aren't you Shug?

Yes he is a Big Softie :D

Shug wrote: So basically no bastard has this DVD then? ;)

I never used to rate Lennon on his own at all, but me mate Mark had Legend and continually brought it round for parties (in between neworder and all my Madchester stuff) and I fucking loved Mother the more I heard it, he was ace at the autobiographical material, in the same way Help was brilliant for The Beatles.

I went on a neworder type trek with Lennon and started off by buying the Plastic Ono Band album then Imagine and so on. He wasn't the nicest of people at times, but then again, we've probably all been caught short once or twice with regrettable incidents, I know I have!

Anyway to me, Lennon's solo stuff is right up there with the best of The Beatles, and I have all of The Beatles albums I think. It's a shame he was taken away, cos he was writing some of his best material at the time, Nobody Told Me and Watching The Wheels are up there with the best stuff he recorded either by himself or with the band.

My dad used to have live in NY, and I remember watching it and thinking it was shite, but having seen snippets on the TV since I would really like to get masel a copy.

Listen to his vocals on Do You Want To Know A Secret, a crap song from 1962, I think. Listen to the part where he sings "Say the words you want to hear, I'm in love with you." The best voice in rock. Listen to his vocals on Mother. He was in primal scream therapy at the time, and he incorporated that into Mother, so some of it is marred by the primal screaming, but his vocals are superb.

Lennon's critics here are totally misunderstanding the man. He wasn't some hypocritical peace & love type going around mugging people in his Rolls Royce. He was a working class kid from Liverpool with a father who ran out on the family and a mother who died when he was young; he started out a Rocker from the streets and transcended that to become an introspective poet and an advocate for peace. He was just a human being, with human faults, who did his best to rise above his faults. For the most part, he succeeded; sometimes he failed. He was just a human being.

I was gutted beyond words when he was murdered.

Shanker wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote: Beatles? Lennon? Dylan?

You're a bit of a softie, aren't you Shug?

Yes he is a Big Softie :D

Big? You've obviously never stood next to him. :D

bLuE oRdEr wrote:

Shug wrote: So basically no bastard has this DVD then? ;)

I never used to rate Lennon on his own at all, but me mate Mark had Legend and continually brought it round for parties (in between neworder and all my Madchester stuff) and I fucking loved Mother the more I heard it, he was ace at the autobiographical material, in the same way Help was brilliant for The Beatles.

I went on a neworder type trek with Lennon and started off by buying the Plastic Ono Band album then Imagine and so on. He wasn't the nicest of people at times, but then again, we've probably all been caught short once or twice with regrettable incidents, I know I have!

Anyway to me, Lennon's solo stuff is right up there with the best of The Beatles, and I have all of The Beatles albums I think. It's a shame he was taken away, cos he was writing some of his best material at the time, Nobody Told Me and Watching The Wheels are up there with the best stuff he recorded either by himself or with the band.

My dad used to have live in NY, and I remember watching it and thinking it was shite, but having seen snippets on the TV since I would really like to get masel a copy.

Listen to his vocals on Do You Want To Know A Secret, a crap song from 1962, I think. Listen to the part where he sings "Say the words you want to hear, I'm in love with you." The best voice in rock. Listen to his vocals on Mother. He was in primal scream therapy at the time, and he incorporated that into Mother, so some of it is marred by the primal screaming, but his vocals are superb.

Lennon's critics here are totally misunderstanding the man. He wasn't some hypocritical peace & love type going around mugging people in his Rolls Royce. He was a working class kid from Liverpool with a father who ran out on the family and a mother who died when he was young; he started out a Rocker from the streets and transcended that to become an introspective poet and an advocate for peace. He was just a human being, with human faults, who did his best to rise above his faults. For the most part, he succeeded; sometimes he failed. He was just a human being.

I was gutted beyond words when he was murdered.

"Do You Want To Know A Secret" was a George vocal, actually... (I made the same mistake for years, and considering how close George is in mimicing John, it's natural to assume so. But George found his own voice thankfully).

Anyway, all this Lennon talk has forced me to go back to my music files and make a "Lennon playlist". It was going to be "best of Beatles and Solo" according to my tastes, but ended up being pretty much some of my favorite John vocals during the Beatles years. I might try a more balanced attempt later (and post a list of the first one, so you can say "hey, that's a great list!" or "Gosh, my thumb is great!" or even "Man, I didn't even know my toes were on my feet!")

Harrison was the best voice in rock. period. :p

bLuE oRdEr wrote: Listen to his vocals on Do You Want To Know A Secret, a crap song from 1962, I think. Listen to the part where he sings "Say the words you want to hear, I'm in love with you." The best voice in rock.

Phhhh....... everybody knows it's George Harrison's vocal.

In early days Harrison tried to imitate either Lennon or Mccartney on Beatles records, hence the similarity.

Okay, my list (with brief explanations for some of the choices)

Twist and Shout

Please Please Me

I Want To Hold Your Hand

Baby, It's You (very tender Lennon vocal here)

Please Mr. Postman (very energetic take on a warhorse of early rock, with an inspired call- response between Lennon and the other two)

This Boy (achingly earnest in the middle, with John solo for the first time in the song)

A Hard Day's Night

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (so-so track from "Beatles for Sale" that always stuck with me as more than just what it purports to be, perhaps)

I'm A Loser (in the same vein as previous, but a bit more well-known)

Help!

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (somewhat too Dylan-esque in places, but brave for 1965 mainstream pop)

It's Only Love (nice love song, piffle really, but Lennon sounds great)

In My Life

Norwegian Wood (probably my favorite Beatles song lyric-wise. Very smart and "daring" for 1965)

And Your Bird Can Sing (easy to dismiss, maybe, but a great performance)

A Day In The Life

Yer Blues

Dear Prudence

Happiness Is A Warm Gun (ironic considering what happened later, but a worthy tune nonetheless)

I Am The Walrus (in a wrestling match between this and "Strawberry Fields", this has to win just for the whole "Edgar Allan Poe being beaten by penguins" line)

All You Need Is Love

Baby You're a Rich Man (nice compare-contrast between these two)

Oh! Darling (better than the overrated "Come Together" when it comes to John's Abbey Road contributions)

The Ballad of John and Yoko

You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (bizarre b-side that I think reflects John's odd sense of humor best)

I may try for a more balanced list later (beatles and solo)

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote:

bLuE oRdEr wrote: Listen to his vocals on Do You Want To Know A Secret, a crap song from 1962, I think. Listen to the part where he sings "Say the words you want to hear, I'm in love with you." The best voice in rock.

Phhhh....... everybody knows it's George Harrison's vocal.

OK, so George Harrison was imitating John Lennon, the best voice in rock. The sincerest form of flattery. And he did an outstanding job.

By the way, when Harrison found his own voice, and his own style of playing, he became quite outstanding in his own right. His solo work was superb at times.

Taboo # 7 wrote: Okay, my list (with brief explanations for some of the choices)

Twist and Shout

Please Please Me

I Want To Hold Your Hand

Baby, It's You (very tender Lennon vocal here)

Please Mr. Postman (very energetic take on a warhorse of early rock, with an inspired call- response between Lennon and the other two)

This Boy (achingly earnest in the middle, with John solo for the first time in the song)

A Hard Day's Night

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (so-so track from "Beatles for Sale" that always stuck with me as more than just what it purports to be, perhaps)

I'm A Loser (in the same vein as previous, but a bit more well-known)

Help!

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (somewhat too Dylan-esque in places, but brave for 1965 mainstream pop)

It's Only Love (nice love song, piffle really, but Lennon sounds great)

In My Life

Norwegian Wood (probably my favorite Beatles song lyric-wise. Very smart and "daring" for 1965)

And Your Bird Can Sing (easy to dismiss, maybe, but a great performance)

A Day In The Life

Yer Blues

Dear Prudence

Happiness Is A Warm Gun (ironic considering what happened later, but a worthy tune nonetheless)

I Am The Walrus (in a wrestling match between this and "Strawberry Fields", this has to win just for the whole "Edgar Allan Poe being beaten by penguins" line)

All You Need Is Love

Baby You're a Rich Man (nice compare-contrast between these two)

Oh! Darling (better than the overrated "Come Together" when it comes to John's Abbey Road contributions)

The Ballad of John and Yoko

You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (bizarre b-side that I think reflects John's odd sense of humor best)

I may try for a more balanced list later (beatles and solo)

My dear... there's no Don't Let Me Down???

bLuE oRdEr wrote:

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote:

bLuE oRdEr wrote: Listen to his vocals on Do You Want To Know A Secret, a crap song from 1962, I think. Listen to the part where he sings "Say the words you want to hear, I'm in love with you." The best voice in rock.

Phhhh....... everybody knows it's George Harrison's vocal.

OK, so George Harrison was imitating John Lennon, the best voice in rock. The sincerest form of flattery. And he did an outstanding job.

By the way, when Harrison found his own voice, and his own style of playing, he became quite outstanding in his own right. His solo work was superb at times.

Wheras Ringo still struggles to make intelligle sounds come out of his mouth

Just kidding...some of Ringo's better-known solo stuff is pretty good.

And we all know who the greatest voice in rock belongs to...

[note: I was going to post a picture of one of the following: David Hasselhoff/Neil Diamond/Ray Stevens/Tom Waits, but I figured that was just cheap and easy laughes. And it might offend some people. And it might open the door to countless disucssions of how Stevens'"The Streak (They Call Me)" revolutionized rock and addressed for the first time the short-lived craze of public streaking. So I'm taking the high road this time, folks. Don't get used to it, but do thank me later if you please :p )

Oh Darling is sung by McCartney... phhhh.... what an ignorance...

Having said all that, I am not a Beatles fan. I prefer punk rock.

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote:

Taboo # 7 wrote: Okay, my list (with brief explanations for some of the choices)

Twist and Shout

Please Please Me

I Want To Hold Your Hand

Baby, It's You (very tender Lennon vocal here)

Please Mr. Postman (very energetic take on a warhorse of early rock, with an inspired call- response between Lennon and the other two)

This Boy (achingly earnest in the middle, with John solo for the first time in the song)

A Hard Day's Night

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (so-so track from "Beatles for Sale" that always stuck with me as more than just what it purports to be, perhaps)

I'm A Loser (in the same vein as previous, but a bit more well-known)

Help!

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (somewhat too Dylan-esque in places, but brave for 1965 mainstream pop)

It's Only Love (nice love song, piffle really, but Lennon sounds great)

In My Life

Norwegian Wood (probably my favorite Beatles song lyric-wise. Very smart and "daring" for 1965)

And Your Bird Can Sing (easy to dismiss, maybe, but a great performance)

A Day In The Life

Yer Blues

Dear Prudence

Happiness Is A Warm Gun (ironic considering what happened later, but a worthy tune nonetheless)

I Am The Walrus (in a wrestling match between this and "Strawberry Fields", this has to win just for the whole "Edgar Allan Poe being beaten by penguins" line)

All You Need Is Love

Baby You're a Rich Man (nice compare-contrast between these two)

Oh! Darling (better than the overrated "Come Together" when it comes to John's Abbey Road contributions)

The Ballad of John and Yoko

You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (bizarre b-side that I think reflects John's odd sense of humor best)

I may try for a more balanced list later (beatles and solo)

My dear... there's no Don't Let Me Down???

Nah, doesn't quite...*do it* for me (for some reason, I felt the urge to put a pregnant pause in the response. Then again, it doesn't really work in writing...so just ignore it.)

Anyway, I might go ahead and do the list now...or be lazy and wait 'til tomorrow after I get off work. I gotta do something with the two blank CDs I have left, if my CD player will actually read and play them

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote: Oh Darling is sung by McCartney... phhhh.... what an ignorance...

Dammit, I'm exposed as the secret Macca lover that I am

For some reason I thought it was a Lennon song...shows what I know, Mr. "Number One Beatles Expert" over here

Oh Darling is McCartney's exercise on Little Richard's vocal technique. So is John Fogerty's Travelin' Band.

Taboo # 7 wrote:

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote: Oh Darling is sung by McCartney... phhhh.... what an ignorance...

Dammit, I'm exposed as the secret Macca lover that I am

For some reason I thought it was a Lennon song...shows what I know, Mr. "Number One Beatles Expert" over here

I guess you can be sure about the Ballad of John and Yoko

Taboo # 7 wrote: I Want To Hold Your Hand

A teenage love song, but if you weren't there when it was released, you don't know the emotions it taps when you hear it.

"Oh yeah you've got that something, I think you understand, When I see that something, I want to hold your hand"

The Stones resonded with "Let's spend the night together." :p

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (somewhat too Dylan-esque in places, but brave for 1965 mainstream pop)

Exactly what I meant by PS listening out of context. The adult commentators thought the Beatles were just a passing teenage fad; insetad, they transformed themselves from teen pop idols (Epstein's makeover) to artists. Poets. Dylan ent electric because of the Beatles. And the Beatles went folk because of Dylan. This was the result.

Norwegian Wood (probably my favorite Beatles song lyric-wise. Very smart and "daring" for 1965)

Again, the Beatles were cutting edge. Like Blue Monday was cutting edge in 1983.

Happiness Is A Warm Gun (ironic considering what happened later, but a worthy tune nonetheless)

Another great Lennon vocal.

I Am The Walrus (in a wrestling match between this and "Strawberry Fields", this has to win just for the whole "Edgar Allan Poe being beaten by penguins" line)

And another.

You forgot I'm only sleeping off Revolver. A classic Lennon song.

|| | ||| 6217|| 8 || 3 wrote: Oh Darling is McCartney's exercise on Little Richard's vocal technique. So is John Fogerty's Travelin' Band.

McCartney was always a HUGE Little Richard fan.

Glad I didn't include any comment alongside "Oh! Darling" like (Lennon's vocal was superb here, almost as if he's channeling bandmate Paul)

I thought about "I'm Only Sleeping", but it's always been just on the periphery of Beatles album tracks that I recommend people listen to (people who might have "gotten into" the Beatles because of Number Ones (I despise those people, btw).

It's a good song, but never really struck me as "this should be on a future list of favorite John performances with the band, albeit with a stupid mistake over 'Oh Darling' which is actually Paul's performance". Nope, the thought never crossed my mind

If anyone needs stereo versions off the vinyl, I have recorded some Beatles records onto a CD.

I'm Only Sleeping is a classic Lennon tune in every sense of the word-- lyrically, musically, the experimental backwards looped instrumental at the end; it's the perfect Lennon song.

bLuE oRdEr wrote: I'm Only Sleeping is a classic Lennon tune in every sense of the word-- lyrically, musically, the experimental backwards looped instrumental at the end; it's the perfect Lennon song.

I may concur. Have you heard the vibraphone version?

No.

It's instrumental. Can be found on Anthology.

Two more Lennon classics from Revolver:

She Said She Said Tomorrow Never Knows

Here's a list of my favourite artists (who influenced me or only entertained).

FOREWORD

It doesn't mean that I still listen to some of these artists on daily basis. JD & NO are excluded for obvious reasons.

KraftwerkThe Sex PistolsElvis PresleyThe Velvet UndergroundThe ClashFuture Sound Of LondonFront 242Dead Can DanceEddie CochranThe BeatlesThe KinksThe Beach BoysPet Shop BoysUltravoxLadytronThe ShamenThe Happy MondaysUltravoxLittle RichardChuck BerryThe FallLeftfieldBlurGeri HalliwellThe Crystal Method808 StateAmanda LearABBACreedence Clearwater RevivalThe Hollies

Thought this was amusing when it made the rounds a few days ago (The FBI was releasing files on those they considered "Communist subversives" in the entertainment industry). Haven't read all of this, but it's just great to know that the FBI used to waste their time even less efficently than when they investigated Clinton's blowjob and not the unususally high number of young Arab men enrolling in flight schools

FBI thought Lennon was too stoned to start a revolution By David Usborne in New York Published: 23 September 2005 It was apparently with much relief that the FBI had a sudden revelation about the former Beatle John Lennon, back in 1972. For months the agency had been fretting that the singer-turned-activist was preparing to disrupt the Republican National Convention in Miami. Then somebody said it: Lennon was far too stoned to be a real threat. The moment when the FBI concluded that pot had got the better of the late rock star is recorded in one of a myriad of files on deceased celebrities released by the US government this week under freedom of information statutes.The same collection of papers reveals how far the agency went to spy on other celebrities, ranging from Marilyn Monroe - supposedly a Communist - to Liberace, who apparently had a gambling problem.There has never been any secret about the preoccupation of the US government with Lennon after his arrival in America from Britain with his second wife, Yoko Ono, in 1971. Their political views and high-profile activism - including the famous Montreal "bed-in" in which they expounded on world peace while wearing pyjamas - caused deep suspicion in the Nixon administration.The surveillance only really ended in 1976 after Lennon won his battle with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service for the right to remain in the US. In possession of his precious green card he vanished into virtual seclusion with his wife at their apartment in the Dakota Building in Manhattan - the scene of his murderfour years later.In one memorandum from 1972 an FBI agent writes that Lennon wanted a visa extension only so he could "engage in disruptive activities surrounding the Republican convention that renominated Richard Nixon for a second term.But an informant advised the FBI not to get so exercised about the singer from Liverpool. He said that although Lennon "appears to be radically oriented", he did not give the impression of being seriously committed to any cause, "since he is constantly under the influence of narcotics".The travails of Lennon as he tried to make America his new home through the 1970s while battling against the suspicions of its government will be explored in a new documentary film.Due for release in the middle of next year, The US vs John Lennon, to be directed by David Leaf, is described as a chronicle of the surveillance of the ex-Beatle until 1976, when a Democrat, Jimmy Carter, won the presidency. Yoko Ono, who still lives in the same Dakota Building apartment, 25 years after her husband's death, has co-operated on the project. She was also involved in a Broadway musical, Lennon, that opened to poor reviews six weeks ago. The musical lingers on Lennon's battle to win residency in the US. The show failed to impress either critics or theatre-goers and will close after a final performance tomorrow.This week, the BBC revealed that in November it plans to broadcast for the first time in Britain an hour-long interview that was given by Lennon to Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, just after the break-up of the Beatles. The interview will be broadcast on Radio 4. It was apparently with much relief that the FBI had a sudden revelation about the former Beatle John Lennon, back in 1972. For months the agency had been fretting that the singer-turned-activist was preparing to disrupt the Republican National Convention in Miami. Then somebody said it: Lennon was far too stoned to be a real threat. The moment when the FBI concluded that pot had got the better of the late rock star is recorded in one of a myriad of files on deceased celebrities released by the US government this week under freedom of information statutes.The same collection of papers reveals how far the agency went to spy on other celebrities, ranging from Marilyn Monroe - supposedly a Communist - to Liberace, who apparently had a gambling problem.There has never been any secret about the preoccupation of the US government with Lennon after his arrival in America from Britain with his second wife, Yoko Ono, in 1971. Their political views and high-profile activism - including the famous Montreal "bed-in" in which they expounded on world peace while wearing pyjamas - caused deep suspicion in the Nixon administration.The surveillance only really ended in 1976 after Lennon won his battle with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service for the right to remain in the US. In possession of his precious green card he vanished into virtual seclusion with his wife at their apartment in the Dakota Building in Manhattan - the scene of his murderfour years later.In one memorandum from 1972 an FBI agent writes that Lennon wanted a visa extension only so he could "engage in disruptive activities surrounding the Republican convention that renominated Richard Nixon for a second term.But an informant advised the FBI not to get so exercised about the singer from Liverpool. He said that although Lennon "appears to be radically oriented", he did not give the impression of being seriously committed to any cause, "since he is constantly under the influence of narcotics".The travails of Lennon as he tried to make America his new home through the 1970s while battling against the suspicions of its government will be explored in a new documentary film.Due for release in the middle of next year, The US vs John Lennon, to be directed by David Leaf, is described as a chronicle of the surveillance of the ex-Beatle until 1976, when a Democrat, Jimmy Carter, won the presidency. Yoko Ono, who still lives in the same Dakota Building apartment, 25 years after her husband's death, has co-operated on the project. She was also involved in a Broadway musical, Lennon, that opened to poor reviews six weeks ago. The musical lingers on Lennon's battle to win residency in the US. The show failed to impress either critics or theatre-goers and will close after a final performance tomorrow.This week, the BBC revealed that in November it plans to broadcast for the first time in Britain an hour-long interview that was given by Lennon to Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, just after the break-up of the Beatles. The interview will be broadcast on Radio 4.

They keep you doped with religion and sex and tv. And, uhh, dope.

bLuE oRdEr wrote: They keep you doped with religion and sex and tv. And, uhh, dope.

Mr. Mysterioso, you know it better. You've got a degree.