 "The Far-From-Plastic Ono Band" | 2008-05-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3VXBO4QQX3ZG8 |
Why he called it "plastic", I have no idea, unless it was to signal the nihilism that pervades this mind-blower. In my opinion, this album is one of the greatest albums ever made by an individual male vocal artist, right up there with Dylan's classic holy trinity of "Bringing It All Back Home", "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde". But Lennon's work holds the trump card of blunt honesty.
In the latter half of his Beatles career, Lennon began to move away from decorative, sanitized pop expression, and toward exposing a more "real" self. However, he tended to veil it in imagery which turned out to be so clever and powerful that it resulted in some of the most brilliant pop poetry ever written, personal but perceptive too of what was happening in ever-changing 60's society. I cite as examples "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Strawberry Fields", "Lucy in the Sky", "A Day in the Life", "I Am the Walrus", "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", "Come Together", "Across The Universe" and "I Dig a Pony".
Releasing "Plastic Ono Band", with Yoko as his muse and his enabler, he was liberated from the shackles and trappings of Beatledom, and he showed his feelings as nakedly as the couple had shown their physiques on the cover of "Two Virgins". The torrent of hurt, fear, anger, bitterness, contempt, and rejection of his past was harrowing yet thrilling when I first heard it, like a "rush". In "Mother", he not only laments very loudly that his parents had abandoned him, but also that he was now abandoning US: "Children...I just gotta tell you goodbye, goodbye." After this trauma, John's first rule of survival in this godawful world is in the second track, "Hold On". He sings, "When you're by yourself/And there's no one else/You just have yourself/And you tell yourself to hold on." Illusions are shattered in "I Found Out", to the accompaniment of some very primitive, grating rock: "There ain't no Jesus gonna come from the sky/Now that I found out, I know I can cry." The somber, sarcastic folk song "Working Class Hero" is a classic, right on the mark. My favorite track, "Remember", hits us with pounding drums, pounding bass and pounding piano, to make us recall the hypocrisy and fairy-tale foolishness of things we endure in life: "Remember how the hero was never hung/Always got away...how the man always, always let you down...Remember ma and pa, just wishing for movie stardom/Always playing a part?" In the midst of all this fear and loathing, Lennon takes the time to describe "Love", and more importantly, places the words in a delicate melody which floats, rises and falls with all the beauty of any Beatles ballad. In "Well Well Well", we hear of a typical day in the life of John Ono-Lennon, ex-Beatle, activist, comrade of Yoko, accompanied by raw, rough rock and including the famous "primal screams". "God" is the finality of all finalities. With bluesy piano backing, Lennon declares that he doesn't believe in God, Dylan (Zimmerman), Tarot, I-Ching, Buddha, Kennedy, nothing and nobody except himself and Yoko. In a climactic moment in pop history, he sings, "I don't believe in BEATLES...And so, dear friends, you'll just have to carry on. The dream is over."
As bonus tracks, we get "Power to the People", which I have always liked since my own pseudo-radical days, and "Do the OZ". I would describe the latter, a duet with Yoko by the way, as an avant-garde rock parody of dance songs like "The Hokey Pokey". But as silly as it seems, it also mirrors the new, wild impulsiveness in John's heart and the absurdity he finds in the world.
Taken as a whole, this outpouring transcends pop music. In its own way, this is art, just as the writings of Shakespeare, Coleridge, the Brownings, and T.S. Eliot are art. Lennon found a way to be lyrically real, musically authentic (raw, no frills, to match the emotions), and entertaining all at the same time, and that is an accomplishment most pop or rock stars would sell their souls for. In addition, the entire CD package is a class act. The sound is magnificent, the cover is gorgeous, the wonderful photos inside are new to me, and the lyrics provided are from John's own notes. For any fan of John Lennon, this is a treasure and a must-have. |
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| "You don't analyze pain, you feel it." | 2008-04-15 |
| - Reviewed By j2ecksc |
This album, as most folks know, is Lennon's solo masterpiece, and I must say I'm happy to have the unadorned version of the CD; that is, I've had a couple different vinyl versions, but when to get the CD, forget about the reissue which throws on Power To The People right after My Mummy's Dead.
That's sacrilegious.
You don't temper with perfection, or mess with a bare naked statement about pain, isolation (well, semi; he had Yoko you know); and the brutality of growing up, be it school or home (Working Class Hero, clearly one of his best songs); false idols (Elvis, Dylan, Beatles) and the facing that they're vicarious (or plain false--as 'idols', 'heroes') and keeping you metaphorically 'drugged'.
Then there's Lennon's unresolved issues over his mother's death; he had said before he had suppressed it for years.
In case you didn't know this, Lennon shut himself off, his emotions toward pain, for years; like during the rise to success (that word doesn't seem enough...); and this album was the result of Dr. Janov's primal scream therapy, which Lennon embraced (as did P.F. Sloan).
Just listen to Lennon screaming his guts out on the word 'well' in Well Well Well. Beautiful.
The best song on here is the one that terrifies you before it actually happens; My Mummy's Dead.
It sounds like it was recorded with the most primitve, tinny device known to man. Perfect. Adds to the desolation more.
John sure sounds numb there; numb and sad.
It's the most truthful song he EVER wrote.
This album is a grade A classic, and you need this in some form or other, but DON'T, please don't buy the reissue, not new anyway; it shows support for the bonus tracks, screamin' at you after the coda of My Mummy's Dead.
Shows support for the record company idiots.
Hopefully one day this will be released without said tracks.
But I ain't holding my breath.
You STILL waiting for The Beatles first four in stereo?
That's a good one...
Buy this USED, without the bonus tracks, like I did. OR, if you get the new version, get it used, and copy it for yourself sans the bonus tracks, and re-sell the dreadful version, keeping less brand-new copies of the desecrated version of this album from selling. (Or buy the album for download--all ELEVEN songs).
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 "A stark, despairing statement of resigned individualism" | 2008-02-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2YHBBZ8W3ULQQ |
Harrowing, dark, each song a worn and tattered photograph from a troubled man's life photo album. John Lennon was one of the most famous people in the world at the time of this release, and he incorporates his disillusionment with that fame on Plastic Ono Band, but the record is so sincere, so emotional, and so troubling that one who had never heard of John Lennon (impossible, I know, but just imagine) might listen to Plastic Ono Band and think it the debut record from a starving artist who has seen little or no fame. The songs speak of pain, and the grim reality of being let down by people who love you and people's prescribed doctrines. It is an album of finding yourself, and ultimately that is what John is doing here, especially when he comes to the coda in "God"...
"I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me..."
...he is starting over from his past life in the most famous rock band ever. The album starts with bells ringing grimly in "Mother," a stark and angry, but overall profoundly sad, song about a mother who never provided. "Hold On" is a peaceful love interlude that shows John obsessively leeching onto Yoko as he becomes a new man. (That's an ironic juxtaposition in this album--how John emphasizes individualism and not trusting anyone, yet becomes totally obsessed with Yoko Ono.) "I Found Out" is a scathing rocker about not trusting anyone...
"Don't take nobody's word
about what you can do.
There ain't no Jesus gonna come from the sky
now that I found out, I know I can cry"
...with bold lyrics attacking humanity's most cherished false beliefs. "Working Class Hero" is a grim and quiet murmuring song full of the most powerful verses on the album. "Isolation" emphasizes just how alone each of us is bound to be in this barren world and "Remember" touches upon memories. "Love" is another interlude, a very beautiful ballad, and "Well Well Well" is the rawest song on the album. Another love interlude, "Look at Me," is followed by "God," in which John declares his disbelief in everything but himself...and Yoko, of course. The album drops off after that, with the uninteresting "My Mummy's Dead," the great single but out of place on the album "Power to the People," and the absolutely pointless "Do the Oz." |
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| "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" | 2008-02-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A276M3NSIY9B82 |
John Lennon was an incredible lyricist & this album does nothing to dispel the fact. This is his first true solo project (studio) of his career. Lennon had a multi-faceted personality, he was perhaps the most complex of the Beatles. At this point in his life he was going through primal scream therapy, this album reflects every aspect of it. Lennon had things to deal with in his life & primal scream caused him to confront these problems head-on & openly. That angst is very apparent in the music & lyrics presented here.
This album was recorded about the same time as "Cold Turkey" which should have been a bonus cut on this album, it would've a perfect fit. There's not a weak moment on this album. Outstanding songs include "Love", "Working Class Hero", "I Found Out", "Well Well Well" & "God". There are two bonus cuts: "Power to the People" & "Do the Oz".
Lennon is so raw & powerful on this album that it's palpable. He was also very politically active with the "left" & some of that comes through. That was also a problem for him; it kept interfering with his desire to reside in the U.S. There were so many conflictions within him we may never truly understand the man, Yoko Ono included.
It's so sad we lost him the way we did. If he had retained the sort of dynamics that were working on this album we would've gotten some really incredible compositions from him. But I, for one, was glad to see the peace he received from his five year self-imposed exile as a househusband. It mellowed him (a good thing) & his music (not the best thing). Enjoy this album from John Lennon, it still stands as the best one of his shortened career. |
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| "Lennon's solo masterwork" | 2008-02-13 |
| - Reviewed By the_q_is_slient |
Time has softened the effect of "Plastic Ono Band" (tracks like "Mother" and "God" are no longer shocking in the least by today's standards), but the songs still hold up well. Easily the angriest of the three 1970 Beatles solo albums, but it can't quite top George's double album of the same year. But the two are so different in their method and themes that it's easy to love them both on equal if opposing grounds (let's just leave the McCartney record out of the counversation, shall we?).
Years of punk and metal have done nothing to lighten the impact of Lennon's primal howls on tracks like "Isolation," "I Found Out," and "Mother." And "Working Class Hero" may be the album's finest moment, a tirade-type song that almost anyone can get behind. Far sparer than George's and not just a bunch of pop songs like Paul's, somehow this has been overshadowed by "Imagine" for far too long now. "Plastic" may not be easy to get into (its confessional style can be harrowing and unflinching), but it's also one of the most so-called "rewarding" albums ever made.
Best cuts: "Working Class Hero," "I Found Out," "Remember," "Mother," "Isolation," "God," "Love," "Well Well Well," "Hold On" |
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| "The dream is over... the dream lives on!" | 2007-09-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3P9V3OD3PW0W9 |
Thirty-seven years after the release of this album, it still has the power to grab you. John Lennon strips his writing and his music to the bare bones. The effect must have been cathartic for John.
In 1970 Lennon had undergone primal therapy with Dr. Arthur Janov. A great deal of bile must have been dredged up from that experience and spewed into the tracks of "Plastic Ono Band." The album, although simple in instrumentation and arrangements, is NOT easy listening. Lennon's theme is pain, and he went through a lot of it during his lifetime.
I will go out on a limb and call this the "best" Beatles solo album. It is an album that John simply had to get out of his system to go on with his life. It really isn't a piece of entertainment, but more of a confessional journal. No other Beatle could have come up with this album. Even if John had never been a Beatle and ONLY recorded this album it would still be a significant work. The influence of this album is still being felt today. It had a huge impact on the work of Kurt Cobain of "Nirvana." It wouldn't be too far off the mark to call it one of the first "punk" albums. The anger in the lyrics and music was a blueprint for what English bands would be experimenting with for the decade after its release.
In "God" Lennon sings a litany of things in which he does not believe- ending the list with "Beatles." He sings that "the dream is over." Beatlemania may be over, but the influence of Lennon and the Beatles will be felt as long as people are still around to listen to music. |
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| "Pain Knows No Creed" | 2007-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By jpski3332002 |
'Plastic Ono Band' is still ingenious and uncompromising since its inception. John, who always wanted to be successful doing it his own way, let us know throughout the Beatle years what was on his mind: From "Help," and "I'm a Loser," to "Strawberry Fields Forever," and "I'm So Tired," Lennon never took the easy way out in pop music, except being honestly himself is easier than posturing. Here on 'POB' John showcases blistering self-pity at a time of needed catharsis and healing. Just through the angst of the Beatles split, off of heroin, and having to draw from memories of a childhood of rejection and hostility elicited from "Primal Therapy", he spares us no sentimentality. The economy of John's songwriting has seldom been sparer as he lays it all on the line.
At the time, it's been said over and over again that he alienated his audience. Since then, looking at alternative music before Kurt Cobain, et al, it seems to be several steps ahead and only time has made the no-nonsense production catch up to this brilliant work without becoming dated.
"Primal Therapy" has often been mocked and derided in the media, particularly TV and movies, but it served as a marvelous vehicle for the man and his music. The slow-crescendoing "Mother," which opens the album ends like a few others with screaming. John's sonorous vocals resonate as simple dirge-like chords accompany himself through the loss of a mother who gave him up to his auntie. (A loving relationship, if not at a distance, he lost her at seventeen, and his father abandoned them both much earlier.) Not compensated by institutions, Lennon goes after the church in "I Found Out," and "God," the finale'. In between he has a solid rocker with "Remember," a cornerstone of the album surrounding his mother's loss, but also the loss of faith in elders. "Well, Well, Well," pulsates more as he pummels over sexual shame in the midst of attempted cohesion. The album mixes slow songs well to give the listener some solace. "Love" is simply exquisite with breathey vocals and a beautiful piano and bottom-line lyrics regarding the necessity of requited love. "Isolation" does to social separation what "Well, Well, Well" did with the sexual--only more quietly. "Working Class Hero" incorporates folk to meander over societal expectations of machismo in Liverpool. "Look at Me" looks to the beloved--here Yoko--for consolation and regress for others' faults.
Ever since my first listen back in 1980 a couple months before his tragic murder, 'Plastic Ono Band' has always been a cathartic experience for me. Regardless of how I relate to my own creed in contrast to Lennon's in "God," I feel, nevertheless, the same pain. "Mind Games" would offer a different set of beliefs, for although non-religious, Lennon was certainly spiritual, and therefore not setting up a contradiction. 'POB' is accessible to everyone because he expresses so well the pain of the alienated, the rejected, and the hurt. No one does it like Lennon did, and he, like any great poet/singer/songwriter can speak a message on everyone's behalf. Here he has a corner that no one has done before or as well since. In the end all of our creeds may be different, but our pain remains the same. |
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| "Johnny, we hardly knew ye....." | 2007-06-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A12EMR6POXWQR8 |
John Lennon was my hero back then, he remains my hero. Not trying to give a critical analysis, just saying that this album is unique in the history of rock and roll. The pain addressed is music to my ears. This is the only album in the history of rock and roll that proves that you don't have to spout dogma to tell the truth. Art and music were made better by this album. We love you Yoko, remain strong.
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| "lennon's best solo effort." | 2007-03-13 |
| - Reviewed By catrinka@citilink.com |
| over the years i have read so much about what an outpouring of pain this album contains. it has often been made to sound almost unlistenable because of it's dreary atmosphere. well, there are no feel good hits of the summer here, that's for sure. but it is an outstanding piece of work that bares repeated listening. "mother," "i found out," "working class hero," "isolation" "God," and "my mummy's dead," are all very bleak; songwriting confessionals where the soul is laid open, exposing pains to the listener that are not 'pleasant' to hum along with. lots of great art is painful, however. read many novels? anna karenina comes to mind. not a laugh riot, but a great piece of literature, most agree. this is sad music, painful music, yes. but this is a classic achievement in the world of music. you should not miss it just because of it's heavy atmosphere of sorrow. |
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| "The Best Solo Beatles Effort" | 2007-02-27 |
| - Reviewed By otteaux |
First, I must say that I will not criticize John Lennon for his lack of lyrical consistency - after all, consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. So I don't really care about his "message of the week" - I'm only interested in the tunes.
With that said, Plastic Ono Band is IMHO the best Beatles solo album to be released to date, and unless Paul or Ringo are unveiling something seriously unexpected sometime soon, I'd imagine it will stay that way. This album is John Lennon naked - raw emotion, frantic playing, and gutteral singing.
The opening track "Mother" starts off a harmless enough piano-based song with a nice melody, but soon transforms into Primal Scream therapy from John. "Well, Well, Well" is another example of vocals unrestrained; you can hear echoes of these two songs in later music such as Nirvana's "In Utero".
"God", "Working Class Hero", "Remember", "I Found Out" are fine examples of John working out his internal issues here for all to see - something his writing partner in his old band never had the capability to do effectively. This is about as HONEST of a CD as you'll see a performer release, and the timing of it - released in the storm of the Beatles Breakup - makes it even more interesting.
The musical styles range from gospel ("God"), to straight up reverbed rock and roll ("I Found Out") to folk ("Working Class Hero") to proto-punk ("Well, Well, Well") to tender balladry ("Love")... and Lennon shows here he can successfully execute all of those styles. Unfortunately, his first album would turn out to be his best - by quite a wide margin, IMO.
There are not a lot of bad things about this album - however, it's not as good as any of the later Beatles output (save 'Let It Be'), so to give it five stars would be unfair to those classics. But if you want to see the peak of post-Beatles creativity from the Fab Four, this would be it. The fact that the individual Beatles never rose to greater heights should tell you that the sum of the Beatles were most definitely greater than its parts. |
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