John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - Classic Albums

Letting it all out for the world to hear

to hear Labelled “The definitive, authorised story of the album,” this is an engaging account aimed at fans who prefer not to learn too much about the person behind the public figure, albeit one turning his life into an open and often ludicrous book throughout the years immediately surrounding the beginning of his final decade. Excerpts from the bed-ins, Live Peace At Toronto 1969, the soul-baring Rolling Stone interview and correlated events are used to contextualise the cathartic musical outcome (solo releases by the second Mrs Lennon as well as John) of a course of Primal Scream therapy under Dr Arthur Janov.

The Californian psychologist, plus Yoko, Ringo, bass player Klaus Voorman and studio engineer Phil McDonald, are among familiars whose reminiscences punctuate archive clips that include commentary from the fellow himself. Extra snippets of factual detail are provided by nearly 40 minutes of material not seen when the documentary was televised last summer. These conclude with a newly short-haired, if unkempt, Lennon plugging Instant Karma!, the single that preceded the album, on Top Of The Pops, with Yoko next to him on a stool, blindfolded and holding up scrawled signs with “PEACE”, “BREATHE” and more buzz words on them, while mouthing silently into a microphone. Weird, eh?

Eagle Rock | EREDV 674

Reviewed by Alan Clayson
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