JOHN LENNON - WORKING CLASS HERO

We've looked at Paul McCartney's solo work in two previous articles so now I thought is the time to look at the solo work of Lennon, always the most complex and interesting of The Beatles. He's certainly retained the image of the coolest Beatle and is often used, unfairly as a means to criticise McCartney when the Macca gets too sickly sweet. But then Lennon, a man made up of paradoxes, could be equally sickly sweet on times and was more guilty of indulging himself on record than his former band mate ever was.

Lennon's first three solo albums, released when The Beatles were still officially together, are simply that - weird electronic experiments that would have perhaps been better kept as private projects between himself and Yoko. Lennon considered it all avant garde but George Harrison famously called it, "Haven't a clue."

I think I agree with George and the three albums - Two Virgins, life with the lions and the wedding album are merely representative of Lennon's crazed state at the time of recording. Of course Two Virgins is infamous for featuring Lennon with his Beatle-bollocks out on the cover but the music, noises rather, inside the sleeve are basically nonsensical. I loved Lennon when in experimental mode but this stuff is a bit too nutty professor for my liking.

Live peace in Toronto came in 1969 is a live album from the Toronto Rock and Roll festival. Lennon was not at his best during the performance, forgetting the words to Give Peace a Chance and the album sounds too raw. Although it does contain one or two inspired moments.


Plastic Ono Band (1970) was Lennon's first solo masterpiece and to many, myself included, his best solo album. It didn't go down well at the time of release - Lennon had been attending primal scream therapy and he uses this technique to sing out his anguish. But the result is a powerful album that is both intelligent and rocky. This was punk before punk and to many Lennon will always be the ultimate punk. But chiefly it is an artist revealing his inner self, warts and all, in music. This album could never have been made by another artist - Lennon was quite unique and this album is an absolute classic. Lennon cries the lyrics of My Mommy's Dead in a child-like cadence to the tune of three blind mice, he screams in anger on Well, Well, Well and I Found Out and he somehow makes Working Class Hero sound biting, truthful and angry despite being a millionaire rock star.

Imagine followed in 1971 and was commercially and critically a massive success. Many prefer it to Plastic Ono Band and I'm undecided on that but it's another masterpiece. The music is sweeter but the sentiments are just the same - Give me some Truth screams out at lying politicians and businessmen, I don't want to be a soldier is a anti-war song as powerful as Lennon or anybody else for that matter has ever recorded. Imagine - the famous title track - offers us the possibility of a world without hunger, greed, religion and war. The sentiments are as radical as ever but because it's all wrapped up in a beautiful melody people were able to swallow the message.


Some Time in New York City with Yoko Ono followed in 1972 and once again Lennon was letting politics and his campaigning get in the way of his innate musical talent. Lennon means well but the album just doesn't work.

Mind Games (1973) was an improvement. The release of the album coincided with Lennon's 18 month split from Yoko and the music itself was a return to form. The album is not as strong as Imagine or Plastic Ono Band but it's still a mighty fine LP. Mind Games was the big single hit but there are several strong tracks on the album. It's a great album even if it does fall short of being essential.

Walls and Bridges in 1974 was another classic, a masterpiece - Bless You is probably the most gorgeous love song Lennon ever wrote. Whatever gets you through the night and 9 Dream are both classic songs and even the lesser songs like Nobody loves you when you're down and out and Scared are excellent. This then is another must have album for any Lennon/Beatles fan.

Rock and Roll (1975) is a superb album of rock and roll standard covers from Lennon who delivers them in the style of Beatle John. Every song is brilliantly realised and Spector's production adds life and sparkle to the recordings. Excellent.

It was a five year gap before Lennon released another LP - 1980's Double Fantasy is half a masterpiece - each of Lennon's songs are brilliant but the problem is that half of the album is made up of Yoko's noise which post punk doesn't actually sound that bad but the problem is that Yoko and Lennon's styles were so different that they don't sit well together on the same discs. If the Yoko tracks had been dropped and the Lennon's songs from Milk and Honey which were actually recorded at these sessions were used to replace them then this would be a true masterpiece. As it is it's pretty much essential for the Lennon tracks.

On Dec 8th 1980 John Lennon was shot dead outside his New York home by crazed fan Mark Chapman who, only hours before, Lennon had signed a copy of Double Fantasy for. That particular copy went for $525,000 at auction making it the most valuable album ever.

Milk and Honey came in 1983 was intended to be the follow up to Double Fantasy but it was shelved following Lennon's death. Again it was made up of half Lennon and half Yoko and it's a touching album with the Lennon Songs, Nobody Told me and I don't want to Face it standing out.

Live in New York City came in 1986 - it captures a 1972 performance at Madison Square Gardens which was actually Lennon's last live performance. This time Lennon was mostly on form and it's a great record of the man on stage without The Beatles.

Menlove Avenue also came in 1986 and is a collection of tracks left over from the Walls and Bridges and Double Fantasy sessions. It's one for completists only.

There are several greatest hits collections available - perhaps the best is the double album, Working Class Hero which supplements the singles with some essential album tracks.

In death Lennon has become a kind of saint and perhaps such adulation would disturb him. But you never can tell with John Lennon - he was a man of paradoxes and no one has ever been so truthful on record. It was not only on album covers that Lennon stripped naked for he left himself naked in his music too. Whatever John Lennon was it is clear he had a beautiful soul.

We still miss him.