John Lennon

[gryphon]

The Beginners Guide To : John Lennon



1962-1969 Saw John Lennon as a member of the Beatles………………….But with the onset of his meeting with Yoko Ono…………Things changed for John and the seeds were set for Beatle divorce and a new solo career beckoned………………….
As 1969 progressed one could see that the change of feel on “The White Album” was not just a temporary blip……………it was more of the beginnings of four separate Beatles.
Solo music for John was a complex and diverse affair………………………There were many factors that were pulling in different directions, trying help to form the embryonic solo man……….
John was many things…………..Beatle…………….writer/poet…………..political animal……………artist……………..journalist……………activist……………….guitarist……………..partner of Yoko………………….

Thus, the beginnings were complex.
However, the first two influences on his solo career were drugs and incompatibility of a song with The Beatles……………..


Cold Turkey 1969 Solo single and maybe good starting point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnNEIVR9EM


Whilst still a member of the Beatles ……this was the first real sign that most people saw that John could and was working outside the Beatles.


However it as not his first real performance outside:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCp73KNcn_I


John has stepped out to play a part in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus BUT : this project was not public…………………The Stones choose to shelve this project at the time and it was not until many years later that one of John’s earliest public solo performances was shown to the public.



There are one or two other ports of call that need mentioning :
John the Artist and collaborator with Yoko Ono produced three solo albums:
·

• Two Virgins
  

• ·Life With The Lyons
  

• The Wedding Album
  

These are not great starting points for an introduction to John Lennon, but do merit a mention because they are historical documents.


Again looking to the singles market john put out this excellent rock artist/journalist type song:
· Instant Karma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqP3wT5lpa4

So now we move to a good starting point

• · John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band
  

Involved with Arthur Jannov ( Leading psychologist and advocate of Primal scream therapy) and Phil Spector ( Rock and Roll producer , Wall of sound man and character and lately: inmate!)
John produced one of greatest albums of all time…………………Very few artist have the courage to bear their flawed soul for all to see but, in making this album John took his tormented soul and let the demons fly free.


Further listening

• · Mind Games
  

• · Walls and Bridges
  

• · Imagine
  

• · Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band ( Sister album to John’s ….forget Yoko, listen to John the musician)
  

Books…….
There are just so many written about John but try

• · John Winston Lennon & John Ono Lennon by Coleman Ray
  

• · "Playboy" Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono by David Sheff, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and G. Barry Golson
  

• · John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman
  

• · Avoid this: The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman ( It’s fiction!)
  

DVDs
· Imagine


The Come Back
· Double Fantasy ( John’s Tracks !)

John's Own Books

• In His Own Write
  
• A Spaniard In The Works