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John Lennon very overrated: "Working Class Hero" ? What do YOU think of John Lennon, his solo career ???
Imo. he's very overrated, judging by this 2-CD: Working Class Hero, The Definitive Lennon, 
Disc one "(Just Like) Starting Over" – 3:56 "Imagine" – 3:02 "Watching the Wheels" – 3:30 "Jealous Guy" – 4:14 "Instant Karma!" – 3:20 "Stand by Me" – 3:26 "Working Class Hero" – 3:48 "Power to the People" – 3:22 "Oh My Love" (Lennon, Yoko Ono) – 2:44 "Oh Yoko!" – 4:18 "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)" – 5:07 "Nobody Told Me" – 3:34 "Bless You" – 4:37 "Come Together (Live)" (Lennon/McCartney)– 4:22 "New York City" – 4:31 "I'm Stepping Out" – 4:06 "You Are Here" – 4:07 "Borrowed Time" – 4:29 "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" – 3:37 Disc two "Woman" – 3:33 "Mind Games" – 4:12 "Out the Blue" – 3:22 "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" – 3:27 "Love" – 3:23 "Mother" – 5:34 "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" – 4:01 "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" (Lennon, Ono) – 5:16 "God" – 4:09 "Scared" – 4:36 "#9 Dream" – 4:46 "I'm Losing You" – 3:55 "Isolation" – 2:51 "Cold Turkey" – 5:01 "Intuition" – 3:08 "Gimme Some Truth" – 3:15 "Give Peace a Chance" – 4:50 "Real Love" – 4:12 "Grow Old With Me" – 3:20 I only likes these 14 out of 36 songs.... that's rather disappointing imo. Am I wrong here, what do you think?? Is John Lennon (solo) overrated?? I used to have Imagine on vinyl, that wasn't good either, imo. The title song is classic of course, but the rest didn't appeal to me. [Edited 6/23/09 12:37pm] [Edited 6/23/09 12:38pm] Prince 4Ever.  | |
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thedance said: What do YOU think of John Lennon, his solo career ???
Imo. he's very overrated, judging by this 2-CD: Working Class Hero, The Definitive Lennon,
Disc one "(Just Like) Starting Over" – 3:56 "Imagine" – 3:02 "Watching the Wheels" – 3:30 "Jealous Guy" – 4:14 "Instant Karma!" – 3:20 "Stand by Me" – 3:26 "Working Class Hero" – 3:48 "Power to the People" – 3:22 "Oh My Love" (Lennon, Yoko Ono) – 2:44 "Oh Yoko!" – 4:18 "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)" – 5:07 "Nobody Told Me" – 3:34 "Bless You" – 4:37 "Come Together (Live)" (Lennon/McCartney)– 4:22 "New York City" – 4:31 "I'm Stepping Out" – 4:06 "You Are Here" – 4:07 "Borrowed Time" – 4:29 "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" – 3:37 Disc two "Woman" – 3:33 "Mind Games" – 4:12 "Out the Blue" – 3:22 "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" – 3:27 "Love" – 3:23 "Mother" – 5:34 "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" – 4:01 "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" (Lennon, Ono) – 5:16 "God" – 4:09 "Scared" – 4:36 "#9 Dream" – 4:46 "I'm Losing You" – 3:55 "Isolation" – 2:51 "Cold Turkey" – 5:01 "Intuition" – 3:08 "Gimme Some Truth" – 3:15 "Give Peace a Chance" – 4:50 "Real Love" – 4:12 "Grow Old With Me" – 3:20 I only likes these 14 out of 36 songs.... that's rather disappointing imo. Am I wrong here, what do you think?? Is John Lennon (solo) overrated?? I used to have Imagine on vinyl, that wasn't good either, imo. The title song is classic of course, but the rest didn't appeal to me. [Edited 6/23/09 12:37pm] [Edited 6/23/09 12:38pm] I think you left out some nice ones:Mind Games, Love, Mother, Beautiful Boy, I'm Losing You, and Grow Old With Me... | |
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I have a 4 disc solo set from him and I quite like it. John had far more edge and grit in his solo career. Frankly, I prefer some of the Beatles' solo work better than their work w/ the group, in particular, John and George. All in all, I like John w/ the Plastic Ono Band best. | |
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thedance said: Am I wrong here, what do you think??
Yes. thedance said: Is John Lennon (solo) overrated??
No. | |
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everyone has their opinion. mine does not match yours. i think lennon was a fantastic lyricist, both with and without the beatles. some of his stuff was a little avant garde, but that's more about wrapping your ears around what he's trying to do and less about his music being "bad". some of his albums might have been difficult, but i can't think of one that lacked quality. | |
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Anxiety said: everyone has their opinion. mine does not match yours. i think lennon was a fantastic lyricist, both with and without the beatles. some of his stuff was a little avant garde, but that's more about wrapping your ears around what he's trying to do and less about his music being "bad". some of his albums might have been difficult, but i can't think of one that lacked quality.
That was the COOL part to me.  John's stuff was so much more challenging once he went solo. He really stretched his legs as well as revisited his 1st love....50s rock. Yoko and going solo really influenced him to go w/ his instincts. | |
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brooksie said: Anxiety said: everyone has their opinion. mine does not match yours. i think lennon was a fantastic lyricist, both with and without the beatles. some of his stuff was a little avant garde, but that's more about wrapping your ears around what he's trying to do and less about his music being "bad". some of his albums might have been difficult, but i can't think of one that lacked quality.
That was the COOL part to me. John's stuff was so much more challenging once he went solo. He really stretched his legs as well as revisited his 1st love....50s rock. Yoko and going solo really influenced him to go w/ his instincts.well said, and for me honestly? i like john solo and i dislike paul solo | |
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motownlover said: brooksie said: That was the COOL part to me. John's stuff was so much more challenging once he went solo. He really stretched his legs as well as revisited his 1st love....50s rock. Yoko and going solo really influenced him to go w/ his instincts.well said, and for me honestly? i like john solo and i dislike paul solo i like paul's really old solo stuff. the 80s stuff was mostly unforgiveable. i liked that recent album he did, "chaos and creation in the backyard". but yeah, paul's solo stuff was never as solid as john's. | |
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Like all of the Beatles, John's solo work was hit and miss.
But Plastic Ono Band is a stunning album from start to finish, and Imagine is terrific as well. I'm also a big fan of Double Fantasy. * * *
Prince's Classic Finally Expanded The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue http://www.popmatters.com...n-reissue/ | |
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Anxiety said: motownlover said: well said, and for me honestly? i like john solo and i dislike paul solo i like paul's really old solo stuff. the 80s stuff was mostly unforgiveable. i liked that recent album he did, "chaos and creation in the backyard". but yeah, paul's solo stuff was never as solid as john's. You mean when he was w/ Wings? | |
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I'll recommend George's solo stuff very highly. He did little compared to the other two, but it's really solid. | |
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i like all of the songs.
The first time I bought a JL album (Imagine) I only had the Beatles' Red and Blue albums... I was shocked and even deeply diapointed. I thought John's album was bad. His songs were not always instant hits. The Imagine album has some songs like It's So Hard, I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier that were tough to take. On the other hand there agre many great songs. I think the only real bad album John made was Sometime In New York City The POB album is genious, but again hard to take. I love Double Fantasy and Walls & Bridges. Bless You, Going Down On Love, #9 Dream, Surprise Surprise are really beautiful songs. Bless You always reminded me of Stevie. There's a part where the melody skips down. "A-pa-ha-ha-hart..." | |
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brooksie said: Anxiety said: i like paul's really old solo stuff. the 80s stuff was mostly unforgiveable. i liked that recent album he did, "chaos and creation in the backyard". but yeah, paul's solo stuff was never as solid as john's. You mean when he was w/ Wings? yup...was "ram" wings? i think it was just paul, or paul & linda...ah, i forgot, i also liked that album he did with flood as "the firemen" a year or so ago. it's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a really nice sounding album. | |
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I recently saw the Classic Albums special on John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and it was interesting in how the album was recorded. I haven't really had time to get into Lennon's solo stuff and I don't really know where to start. Some of the material on Plastic Ono Band disturbs me (and this is only from watching that special, i don't own the album), but I think I should give the album a try. Check me out and add me on:
www.last.fm/user/brandosoul "Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley | |
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graecophilos said: I think the only real bad album John made was Sometime In New York City Yeah, that album really was horrible. No discipline or songwriting really at all, just obnoxious political screeds that weren't coherent songs. * * *
Prince's Classic Finally Expanded The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue http://www.popmatters.com...n-reissue/ | |
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The Beatles are the very definition of overrated to me, and John Lennon as a solo artist isn't far behind.  Feel free to join in the Prince Album Poll 2018! Let'a celebrate his legacy by counting down the most beloved Prince albums, as decided by you! | |
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To be honest, I only like a few solo John cuts. I would like to say "overrated" but decided it's just not for me right now. Maybe when I'm 40 I'll "get it". | |
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it's been said many times before, but i'll go ahead and mention it here. even though they each had some stellar moments as solo acts, John and Paul were at their best when they were there together to iron out each other's extreme songwriting/arranging/producing tics. | |
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Cinnie said: To be honest, I only like a few solo John cuts. I would like to say "overrated" but decided it's just not for me right now. Maybe when I'm 40 I'll "get it".
I don't think you have to be old to get John, Cinnie. He's just an honest songwriter. He rarely rhymed dancing with romancing. | |
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graecophilos said: Cinnie said: To be honest, I only like a few solo John cuts. I would like to say "overrated" but decided it's just not for me right now. Maybe when I'm 40 I'll "get it".
I don't think you have to be old to get John, Cinnie. He's just an honest songwriter. He rarely rhymed dancing with romancing. or "shit" with "dick" Your point??? | |
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Cinnie said: graecophilos said: I don't think you have to be old to get John, Cinnie. He's just an honest songwriter. He rarely rhymed dancing with romancing. or "shit" with "dick" Your point??? these things don't go together well... | |
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Overrated?? Are you fucking kidding me?
JL was a genius musician. It hurts my heart to think of the great music he would've made had he not been murdered. His writing skills were unique and profound and his message was all about love and respect. | |
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Cinnie said: graecophilos said: I don't think you have to be old to get John, Cinnie. He's just an honest songwriter. He rarely rhymed dancing with romancing. or "shit" with "dick" Your point??? Solo John wrote from a non pop sensibility. Paul was always the pop one in the Beatles and continued to be, but not John. I guess people who are used to the Beatles may feel like John's solo was a big  ...but this guy did write "I Am A Walrus". | |
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Empress said: Overrated?? Are you fucking kidding me?
JL was a genius musician. It hurts my heart to think of the great music he would've made had he not been murdered. His writing skills were unique and profound and his message was all about love and respect.  * * *
Prince's Classic Finally Expanded The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue http://www.popmatters.com...n-reissue/ | |
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NoVideo said: Empress said: Overrated?? Are you fucking kidding me?
JL was a genius musician. It hurts my heart to think of the great music he would've made had he not been murdered. His writing skills were unique and profound and his message was all about love and respect. no, he was not the peace lord people think he was. The same time he recorded Imagine he was arrested in Mallorca for kindnapping Yoko's daugther. John may have longed for peace, but at the end he said it himself in one of his last songs: "(I'm) Tryin' to save humanity but it's people that I just can't stand". For every Give Peace A Chance there was a Power To The People, to every Imagine a Yer Blues. He was both sides. His songs reflected peace and respect... but as he just imagined it. He didn't neceassarily practice them both. [Edited 6/24/09 12:55pm] | |
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graecophilos said: NoVideo said: no, he was not the peace lord people think he was. The same time he recorded Imagine he was arrested in Mallorca for kindnapping Yoko's daugther. John may have longed for peace, but at the end he said it himself in one of his last songs: "(I'm) Tryin' to save humanity but it's people that I just can't stand". For every Give Peace A Chance there was a Power To The People, to every Imagine a Yer Blues. He was both sides. His songs reflected peace and respect... but as he just imagined it. He didn't neceassarily practice them both. [Edited 6/24/09 12:55pm] No offence, but you need not educate me. I'm 46 and have been a fan for over 35 years. I know he was not a perfect person and did things he may regret. And, I completely agree with your quote above. Some days I feel the same way  | |
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John's got that whole Bob Marley thing (who wrote "One Love" as well as "Burnin' and Lootin' " )....people tend to look at him as one thing or another, but not usually the whole. He was a very complicated guy and contradictory. His music nor his life are simply one thing or another.
The Beatles' image was so far from who they really were it's a trip. That sort of contradiction is the story of John's life! Those nice cute 'mop tops' were the same teddy boy dudes who conquered Hamburg. Back then, Hamburg made 1970s NYC look like a walk on a nice beach....if you weren't hard, you'd get eaten alive. If it ever came down to a fist fight, the Beatles could busted The Stones' ass...even nice little Paulie!  | |
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Empress said: graecophilos said: no, he was not the peace lord people think he was. The same time he recorded Imagine he was arrested in Mallorca for kindnapping Yoko's daugther. John may have longed for peace, but at the end he said it himself in one of his last songs: "(I'm) Tryin' to save humanity but it's people that I just can't stand". For every Give Peace A Chance there was a Power To The People, to every Imagine a Yer Blues. He was both sides. His songs reflected peace and respect... but as he just imagined it. He didn't neceassarily practice them both. [Edited 6/24/09 12:55pm] No offence, but you need not educate me. I'm 46 and have been a fan for over 35 years. I know he was not a perfect person and did things he may regret. And, I completely agree with your quote above. Some days I feel the same way Cool, 35 years is great. Thing is: Older people always make the past perfect. People like John, whose solo career was hit and miss (commercially) is now Jesus John because he's dead and people connect him with their youth. And most evil facts only were reveleaed long after his death. You coulda been the biggest Beatles fan in the 60s, and still I could know more about them simply because back then there was rarely anything known. | |
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I'd like to know if people back then knew of their Cavern and Hamburg periods? The Beatles are probably the band that comes close to having a Chitin' Circuit experience, so was this known? | |
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brooksie said: Cinnie said: or "shit" with "dick" Your point??? Solo John wrote from a non pop sensibility. Paul was always the pop one in the Beatles and continued to be, but not John. I guess people who are used to the Beatles may feel like John's solo was a big ...but this guy did write "I Am A Walrus".Seems to me "non pop sensibility" just means lacking hooks/melody in the case of John's solo work. Which is FINE, but I'm not checkin' for his stuff. | |
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