 "Mind Games" | 2005-12-18 |
| - Reviewed By mortonsguitar |
Not one of John Lennons biggest selling albums, Mind Games is still one of his better albums. Coming out right after Sometime In New York City its no wonder it didnt sell that well. No one expected much after that release. Mind Games was probabley Johns Most solid album to this point and it probabley was his best recorded as well. Mind Games is full of sentamental, social political, rock and roll lyrics, some of which are his all time best. this is more laid back then John Lennons other albums, nothing really to rockin' but thats ok because he makes it work and he does it well, very well in fact.
Mind Games is often overlooked because of its lack of hit singles. The only hit single was the opener and title track, 'Mind Games.' Even it didnt become a very big hit. Even though its a really nice song with reall good lyrics it isnt one of my favorites in fact it and 'Nutopian International Anthem' or NIA are my least favorite songs on the album.
With as good as this album is its not one of my favorite John Lennon albums. It's two laid back for me. The ballads out weigh the rockers and I dont like that. I love John Lennon for when he picks up a guitar and rocks out best. I love all his music but thats my favorite side of him, here you mainly just get him and the piano which he is good at and which I still like but most people cant sit and listen to that all the time, because its not that exciting.
'Meat City' is the song that closes the album, and in my openion its the best song on the album. Lennon picks up the guitar and rocks out. It reminds me why I love John Lennon and why so many where influenced by him. This song also reminds me why this isnt one of my favorite John Lennon albums. He plays very little guitar on this record. I love it when he plays guitar he is a very good player. Sometimes his playing even rivals the playing of his Beatle brother George Harrison who is concidered by players to be one of the all time best.
So to wrap things up this is a very good album, not John best but still a very good album. Its a little weak in some places but the good does out weigh the bad. I do think he could have done better but if he was happy with it when he released it then I guess thats all that matters in the end. |
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| "Keep on playing those mind games forever." | 2005-10-10 |
| - Reviewed By clayface9 |
| While this album is not quite a classic, it is still a solid album by John Lennon. "Mind Games" is, of course, a classic song that everyone remembers. But there are several other good songs, like "Out the Blue", "Only People" and "Meat City". And, of course, the "Nutopian International Anthem" just may be the best song Lennon ever wrote. John Lennon fans will probably enjoy this album. |
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 "You've got to try this !!!" | 2005-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: AX1U81IBKR0GE |
Being a longtime Beatle fan, like most I find it a shame the band broke up when it did. Lennon himself said that for all those who still want the Beatles, just get their solo albums and play a song from each back to back.
Well one of the best listening pleasures I have ever found, and I could just listen to continuously... and if you have a cd player with a 3-disc changer you have got to try it.
McCartney's Red Rose Speedway, Lennon's Mindgames, Harrison's Living in the Material World cds in a 3 disc changer on shuffle play! All three discs are from 1973 and almost sound as if they were made to fit together... they are albums a bit more obscure (than say Imagine, or Band on the Run for example) and seem fresher because of it. But these 3 discs fit together so well it really is amazing! By this time, the 3 of them were acheiving their own individual sound and style musically and lyrically (the Paul songs are very Paul, George songs are very George, and Lennon's are very Lennon), but the songs are also still Beatle-esque in their own way.
It is like having a new triple CD of the Beatles from 1973... has enough top quality hits like Mindgames, Hi Hi Hi, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth), and My Love. And has some great songs that would be given more weight if Beatle records, to add to the arsenal such as Meat City, That Is All, You Are Here, Mess (Live), Out The Blue, Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite, Be Here Now, Only People, When The Night, Get on the Right Thing, The Light That Has Lighted The World ...
It is just so awesome... with the shuffle play you never know what is coming next. The songs sound great together, and hearing a John song, followed by a Paul, then a George makes them sound even so much better and fresh. |
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 ""Imagine," without the fizz" | 2002-11-10 |
| - Reviewed By jlizon |
Coming after the, shall we say, dissappoinment that was called "Sometime in New York City," if Lennon had farted on his next album it would have been a welcome relief. He made "Mind Games" and herein lies the problem. The album is a true return to melody and lyrics worthy of Lennon, with several outstanding songs as good or better than anything on "Imagine." The problem is the album is plagued with mediocre production and a few substandard songs that once you've finished the album, leave you with a feeling of....dissapointment.
"Mind Games"--the song, shows just how brillant John can be lyrically. The backing is perfect for his wordplay. "Tight As" is a song where the production lets Lennon down. The backing thunders along but you really can't distinguish anything. There's a solo in here somewhere but its barely audible in this mix. This kind of aborts any power this track could have had. "Aisumasen" is one of those love it or hate it kind of songs. It's long and slow and most people might not have the patience to really listen to it but I think its phenomenal. The clear sound, good singing, great feeling and maybe the best guitar solo on an individual Beatles record, make this a killer track. It's followed by "One Day at a Time." This is a nothing song. This is the kind of song they play in hospitals to keep patients sedated. It's that bad and totally out of character for Lennon. Maybe he stole it from McCartney. "Bring on the Freda" is supposed to be a rocker but it doesn't go anywhere. Also, the steel pedal guitar is prominent in the mix--did someone forget to tell Lennon the steel pedal guitar is not a rock 'n roll instrument? It's too prevelant on this album to its detriment. "Intution" has some really good words although they are wasted with music that is way to poppy. "Out of the Blue" is a just a good song, period. "Only People" is one of those let's-all-sing-this-together type of song and like "Lucie" it doesn't have the force it should. "I Know, I Know" while having some interesting work by bassist Gordon Edwards is another underrated Lennon classic. Its just a superb song. "You Are Here" is a nice acoustic, insignificant filler track with very little going for it. "Meat City," the closing song, would probably be my choice for highlight of the album. John just cuts loose. The songs is a balls-out rocker the way "Lucie" and "Only People" tried(and failed) to be. I would give it 4 stars but I have to deduct one star for poor judgement and mediocre production. If you want to buy this album, buy "Imagine," first. |
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| "Love it! Just love the whole thing..." | 2002-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| This album is extremely underrated, but I think a lot of John's work is seriously overlooked and unjustly criticized (I'm talking about solo. When he was Beatle John, it seems you just can't touch him). I kind of wish everyone would just love John Lennon's music, like people like TV or reading the paper. It just seems like it should be a normal, natural thing. But I guess not. The songs on here are really amazing. All of them. I give it 5 stars because when I got Mind Games, I wasn't expecting it to be like POB or Imagine or Double Fantasy, or even Walls and Bridges, or any of those John albums held higher than it. But, after hearing it a few times, I was amazed at how beautiful it is. I love it more than W&B's and the songs on here are so heartfelt and beautiful. I Know (I Know) is absolutely gorgeous. One Day At A Time...perfect. The only song I would ever call "weak" is Only People. But that's only because of that chorus. Anyway, its gonna be remastered and I'm going to get it. Its totally worth it. I always said, the only thing Mind Games ever needed was to be remixed and remastered and its happening. Yay! I'll be listening to it for a long time, that's for certain. |
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| "Life Without Yoko" | 2002-03-16 |
| - Reviewed By premature |
| This may be John's most overlooked album due to the somewhat muddy sounding production. If you prefer John when he was a Beatle, you'll probably like "I Know I Know". |
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| ""Madness is the first sign of dandruff."" | 2002-02-11 |
| - Reviewed By dadew |
| After the Beatles meandered their separate ways, John Lennon released two studio albums�Plastic Ono Band and Imagine�that were pure genius, though not received exceptionally well by the buying public. Some Time in New York City, Lennon�s third serious studio effort, was a royal stinker that seemed born from a drug and alcoholic stupor. Lennon�s problems with Yoko�which stemmed from his excessive drinking and the threatened deportation during the Nixon years�seemed enough to reduce his genius to pure drivel. Despite his continuing difficulties with alcohol and drugs, John managed to pull himself together for a period of intensely creative output. Mind Games was the first of three superb albums that would improve on the previous one exponentially. Before John Lennon �retired� to become a house husband and enjoy Sean�s childhood, he left a legacy of three extremely fine albums�Mind Games, Walls and Bridges, and Rock �n� Roll. The centerpiece of Mind Games was the continuing saga of John and Yoko�s difficulties with the US government. The liner notes contains a Declaration of Nutopia, which is a conceptual country built on the logical outcome of �Imagine�. The �Nutopian International Anthem� is a four-second period of silence on the album. �Mind Games� remains one of the most powerful songs ever written by Lennon�a perfect marriage of the genius and smart aleck that was John Lennon. Remember the Beatle who responded to the question, �How did you find America?� with �I turned left at Greenland�? Lennon even had a name for himself during this period that seemed to sum up that genius/smart aleck well�Dr. Winston O�Boogie. Love songs �One Day (At a Time)� and �Out the Blue� are very poignant looks at the condition of love. Although Lennon had left Yoko for the company of May Pang, the songs are quite obviously aimed at Yoko. With the exception of �Meat City�, Mind Games represents a mellow Lennon. There are no overt rockers, just powerful songs from a man whose life is seemingly falling apart. The Plastic Ono Band members were Ken Ascher, David Spinozza, Gordon Edwards, Jim Keltner, Michael Brecker, and Sneaky Pete. |
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| "Too Many Games...but great Entertainment" | 2002-01-09 |
| - Reviewed By sweetguy44 |
| Mind Games is an album seeing Lennon return to his rock/pop roots while maintaining his beliefs in politics, spirituality and love. For me this album fuses many of the important elements in his previous albums (Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Sometime in New York.) The first track is ofcourse Mind Games which (if you are a Lennon solo fan) most people have heard of. Lennon was known for procrastination and leaving many elements out of songs. Mind Games left out many guitar parts and cut out many other forms of instrumentation as well. Yet we are left with an song that is clean, somewhat repetitive and sweet. The next song Tight As, is an example of Lennon's ability to break into an amazing jam session and pull off a decent track. While Tight As is at times dragging it maintains a rocking beat with humourous lyrics. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) is a song that had me questioning why he had to include his wife's name. After reading several books and articles on Lennon I feel that if he had not displayed his wife quite as much he might have had more commercial success in the States. Aisumasen does maintain a tender love ballad and is reminiscent of his work on Plastic Ono Band. One Day (at a time) seems to be weak, however after several listens I determined that if you give the song a chance its not so bad after all. The song does show Lennon being a man far ahead of his time, the song probably was vital in being one of the songs that shaped the music of the 1980's. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) for me is the most powerful song on this entire album. I am suprised that it was not included on the John Lennon Collection. The rest of the songs seem to be fillers with the exception of I know and Out of the Blue (which could have been dusted off material from Imagine.) All in all this album is one that has been sorely over-looked by the public. Perhaps if Phil Spector had produced the album it might have been a bit cleaner or more of a commercial success. I think this album demonstrates that Lennon was a complete indivudal and a brillant singer/songwriter. |
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 "I'm Sorry" | 2000-10-30 |
| - Reviewed By laddie5 |
| After the resounding flop of "Some Time in New York City," one of the most hated and reviled albums of the rock era, John Lennon beat a hasty retreat with "Mind Games." On this record, gone are "Some Time's" naive agitprop lyrics and radical left cliches; gone is any trace of Yoko Ono as co-writer or duet partner (?!!); and also gone, sadly, are the great musicianship and exhilirating production. This is the worst set of songs Lennon ever recorded -- one limp, whining apology to Yoko after another. And the production, as my friend Sean MacFalls used to say, sounds like glue. If you're getting into solo Lennon, then stick with "Plastic Ono Band," "Imagine," and yes, even the notorious "Some Time in NYC." |
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| "John Lennon Mind Games" | 2000-10-09 |
| - Reviewed By lukesundance |
| You know, I just got my hands on a copy of this CD, and it sounds great.I forgot how much I loved and listened to this album (an old friend has returned). There really is a lot of great stuff on here. I'll be tearing apart the songs to teach my students how to put songs together. The vocals are absolutely phemonmenal on this album. The balance between rockers, ballads and mid-tempo songs is terrific. "I Know" and "Aisumasen" are just beautiful songs, "Tight A$" is a really really good bluesy rocker,Meat City rocks with reckless abandon, and last but not least, there's the title track! This album never ever got it's just due which is a shame. Capitol should have a re-release party for this baby!!!!!(Why Not!) |
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