DM's Beatles forums
Solo forums => John Lennon => Microscopes => Topic started by: Bobber on September 22, 2014, 08:43:34 PM
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WALLS AND BRIDGES
(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSCLsFuELwNNkcmPAFL-Hu1LFi2TNLcHCbRMJrV_jI7v5fcEqIO)
01 Going Down On Love
I think it is a slow start for an album that might be Johns best. It’s not the best song on the album. Still, there are enough signs in this song that show us that John is really putting effort in this album. The brass-section for instance is spot on and not overwhelming, like it can be sometimes. The harmonies are great as well. Plus John is showing that his voice is as good as ever.
02 Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
Overplayed. Nevertheless it is a great uplifting song. The opening saxophone by Bobby Keys is simply wonderful and remember I am not a saxophone fan. But here it is really right on the spot. Elton and John sound somewhat like John and Paul in the good old days and I’m pretty sure that was a major thing in getting John to #1 with this song. The honky tonk piano is a great addition to the song as well and Elton is responsible for this. The story goes that Elton’s participation had not been planned. John was in the process of finetuning when Elton was brought in by Apple’s Tony King. Eton asked if he could ‘put a little piano on it’. When rerecording the lead vocal, Elton put a harmony on it. John remarked that ‘it was like having George or Paul there again. It was the same good feeling.’
Is that a bad edit at 1.45? Seems slightly out of rhythm. Love the high notes on 1.52. And I have always wondered about Elton’s notes on 3.07. Is it out of tune or not? Don’t know really, but I have always found that a markpoint in the song.
03 Old Dirt Road
With the strings and dobro or slideguitar, this song sounds a bit as if it is a Mind Games left over. But then, it has the tension that many on the former album has not. Nice building up to a climax from 2.30 onwards. One would expect the song finishes there, but John uses another solo and a very long fade out to really finish it. Not a spectacular song, which is by the way co-credited to Harry Nilsson, but good enough.
04 What You Got
Firm funky rocker, What You Got is reminiscent of Me And My Monkey somewhat. John is really singing with a voice that would absolutely kill it live. but he’s doing it really well. Listen to 0.52.. Horns are spot on throughout the song. Top song.
05 Bless You
Bluesy ballad. An oasis after What You Got. Sung with lots of feelings and it’s hearable. Nice trumpet solo. I think Nick Hopkins on the keyboards doing a wonderful job. Great song.
06 Scared
Inspiration for Michael Jackson’s Thriller at the start. Howling wolves. John repeating I’m Scared in the beginning of the first verse. Great atmosphere. John’s voice is in top form once again. Fully in control and not at all sounding like the alcoholic he was said to be in this lost weekend. After listening to side A it is pretty obvious to me that John was knowing exactly what he wanted and was perfectly able to get his band doing what he intended. Building this song layer upon layer towards the end. Well done.
07 #9 Dream
Absolutely John’s best solo effort. I adore this song. The dreamy atmosphere, the way John is singing it, the strings and the melody they make, repeating after John’s sung melody, the acoustic guitar licks, May Pang’s whispering ‘John’ after ‘someone’s calling my name’ and the Awapokana pousse pousse or whatever he sings. Everything adds to the greatness of this song.
08 Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
A song for May Pang. Nice twist with the rhythm right at the start. A light hearted song, although John sounds somewhat heartbroken. The song sounds alright productionwise, but it drags on a little bit. The ears open up again with the little nod towards Drive My Car at 2.30.
09 Steel And Glass
John redoing How Do You Sleep, but this time attacking Allen Klein. Acoustic guitar sounds great. Strings coming in and adding to John’s voice. Brass section is playing the lick from How Do You Sleep. In fact, I like this version of the same song better to be honest. Like in #9 Dream, the orchestration is completely adding something to the song. Nothing too much, nothing too little. Another great song.
10 Beef Jerky
Almost instrumental. Could well be used in documentaries or b-movies. Brass is very tight. Guitar is simple but very well played. The little chance in melody at 3.00 minutes is a welcome tho late variation.
11 Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out)
Now this sounds as if John came right out of the pub, but then it is intentional. A massive ballad with a lot of orchestra behind him. Once again, John’s voice simply sounds better than he has in years. Listen to the ‘middle eight’ starting at 3.27. And the prophetical ‘Everybody loves you when you’re six feet in the ground’. Wonderful.
12 Ya Ya
With Julian Lennon (11 years old) on drums. John end this album like he did on Plastic Ono Band with My Mummy’s Dad. While that song was painful, this is completely the opposite. It’s light and full of hope and love.
Overall
Like I said, this is not an album from a man who went from one drink to another, like John was said to do in the Lost Weekend. On the whole album, it is pretty clear that John is sober, ready to work and knowing exactly what he’s doing. This is a great album that has survived to tooth of time. To me, it’s John’s best solo effort. But that, my friends, is food for discussion of course. Have a look here by the way: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=16156.0 (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=16156.0)
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Yes, very good review Cor and I agree with most of what you say.
It is one of his best
I would love to hear this whole album with the other Beatles playing and singing on it (wouldnt we all :()
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A strong effort in the context of John's solo career. I think Imagine is still a better album, but Walls And Bridges is good enough. The most well known songs are classics ("Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" and "#9 Dream") and most of the rest is entertaining.
About "Beef Jerky", the guitar playing sounds a lot like Paul's "Let Me Roll It", doesn't it?
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I've listened to this album a couple of times a few years ago, but the only thing I remember is being turned off by the smooth-L.A. production/sound. It's been a while though, I'll re-listen. #9 Dream is a great track however.
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I also can't stand the ultra-smooth production, something I'd level at the whole decade and not just 'Walls and Bridges'.
It's why I put 'McCartney' above 'Band On The Run' or 'Venus and Mars'.
A few years ago on 'Sound of the 60s' (hosted by Brian Matthews who is still going strong in his 80s) Brian played the b-side of 'The Weight' by The Band.
Now I didn't know what the b-side of 'The Weight' was but, within 5 seconds of the thing starting, I said to my wife, 'There is NO WAY that is from 1968'.
Checked it out and found that they'd played a re-issue of the single with a b-side recorded in (urgh!) 1974.
Believe me, I can spot it through a thick fog and a ten-foot deep concrete wall.
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This isn't as accessible as Imagine. But it's not the hard slog of Plastic Ono Band. It has claim to be his most rounded solo product. It really shows John flourishing in the mid 70s before Yoko halted his deprogramming and dragged him back under her influence.
I too would love to have heard the other Beatles contribute to these tunes though.
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I also can't stand the ultra-smooth production, something I'd level at the whole decade and not just 'Walls and Bridges'.
It's why I put 'McCartney' above 'Band On The Run' or 'Venus and Mars'.
A few years ago on 'Sound of the 60s' (hosted by Brian Matthews who is still going strong in his 80s) Brian played the b-side of 'The Weight' by The Band.
Now I didn't know what the b-side of 'The Weight' was but, within 5 seconds of the thing starting, I said to my wife, 'There is NO WAY that is from 1968'.
Checked it out and found that they'd played a re-issue of the single with a b-side recorded in (urgh!) 1974.
Believe me, I can spot it through a thick fog and a ten-foot deep concrete wall.
I love that smooth production.
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It's completely soulless. Thank God that wasn't the prevailing technology when The Beatles were recording.
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It's completely soulless. Thank God that wasn't the prevailing technology when The Beatles were recording.
It's from past 1968, what do you expect? But then again: I don't think tracks like Scared, What You Got or #9 Dream are soulless. But that's just me.
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John was such a good pop/rock singer. This album underscores it.
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I can see where Ovi and OBS are coming from. That generic 70s LA sound with the horns and funky bass is as much of a cliche as the synth heavy gloss of the 80s.
But good albums can transcend that. I think W&Bs has enough depth and variety that it rises above the period production. Just as Tug of War and Cloud 9 do in the 80s.
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A strong effort in the context of John's solo career. I think Imagine is still a better album, but Walls And Bridges is good enough. The most well known songs are classics ("Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" and "#9 Dream") and most of the rest is entertaining.
About "Beef Jerky", the guitar playing sounds a lot like Paul's "Let Me Roll It", doesn't it?
Yeah it does Hombre
When I think of his solo albums this is high on the list, his 1st solo album is for me his best, most artistic, Lennon was always at his best for me when he was writing personal stuff, that being said Imagine and W & B are a lot more accessible than POB, I also think his songs on Double Fantasy are great as again they are of a personal nature, I even like 2 of Yoko's songs on there Im Moving On & Kiss Kiss Kiss, I cant help liking them ha2ha
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I also can't stand the ultra-smooth production, something I'd level at the whole decade and not just 'Walls and Bridges'.
It's why I put 'McCartney' above 'Band On The Run' or 'Venus and Mars'.
A few years ago on 'Sound of the 60s' (hosted by Brian Matthews who is still going strong in his 80s) Brian played the b-side of 'The Weight' by The Band.
Now I didn't know what the b-side of 'The Weight' was but, within 5 seconds of the thing starting, I said to my wife, 'There is NO WAY that is from 1968'.
Checked it out and found that they'd played a re-issue of the single with a b-side recorded in (urgh!) 1974.
Believe me, I can spot it through a thick fog and a ten-foot deep concrete wall.
Really mate, I never knew you felt like that about the 70's..
ha2ha
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Saying that the whole decade of the 70's has the production/sound of 'Walls and Bridges' is just insane and shows how little you know about music, oldbrownshoe. Really, you're just embarrassing yourself and your musical knowledge at this point. I know you're trying to be witty or something to highlight how much you love the 60's, but putting down the other decades of music in such an ignorant way is just laughable to me (and probably to other members as well).
Anyway, my original was point was that the production doesn't really fit some of the songs, and I often have that problem with John's post-Imagine solo songs. Even Mind Games which I love I think would've worked a lot better with a bare-bones/sparse arrangement.
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Yeah it does Hombre
I even like 2 of Yoko's songs on there Im Moving On & Kiss Kiss Kiss, I cant help liking them ha2ha
Strewth mate. You're going soft on us. :o
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Calm down Ovi!
The vast majority of big name LPs (Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Wings etc. etc.) DID have that soulless sheen in the 1970s. Technology had overtaken talent; self-satisfaction had overtaken hunger.
I simply think that such 'clean' production goes right against what rock 'n' roll music was meant to be about in the first place and, in his heart of hearts, I think Lennon probably did as well.
It can't have escaped your notice (actually maybe in America it might have, punk 'broke' in 1991 didn't it?!) but the pub rock/punk bands in London were also pretty much beginning to think the same thing in the mid-1970s.
Dr. Feelgood's debut, released three months later and which is alarmingly better than 'Walls and Bridges', was deliberately UNDER-produced.
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Calm down Ovi!
The vast majority of big name LPs (Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Wings etc. etc.) DID have that soulless sheen in the 1970s. Technology had overtaken talent; self-satisfaction had overtaken hunger.
I simply think that such 'clean' production goes right against what rock 'n' roll music was meant to be about in the first place and, in his heart of hearts, I think Lennon probably did as well.
It can't have escaped your notice (actually maybe in America it might have, punk 'broke' in 1991 didn't it?!) but the pub rock/punk bands in London were also pretty much beginning to think the same thing in the mid-1970s.
Dr. Feelgood's debut, released three months later and which is alarmingly better than 'Walls and Bridges', was deliberately UNDER-produced.
I get that you hate the 70's, you've mentioned it in about 90% of your posts in the 12 months since you joined the forum. I dont mind you hating anything, but I love 70's music and I get a bit bored of reading that what I love is rubbish, you base thousands and thousands of artists on a few mainstream albums by people like Wings & Elton John, I probably have lots of 70's that you have never even heard. And whats this about punk hitting America in 1991, have you never heard of the Ramones ?
This thread is about Walls & Bridges, not about 70's production values, and yet you have made no comment good or bad about the actual songs he wrote for the album. no interesting narrative about how the album compares with his other solo albums, just the usual............'its not 60's so it sounds terrible'
I agree with what Ovi said, in fact its got that way now that when anyone on this forum mentions an album thats not made in the 50's or 60's I just know you are going to post the same thing within a day or two.........about it being inferior to the records that you prefer
Im beginning to thing your living room looks like this;
;D ;D ;D
(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/05/0e/a8/31/50s-prime-time-cafe.jpg)
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Sweet. I'll get mine together tomorrow.
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Sweet. I'll get mine together tomorrow.
Hurry up. I'm bored. 8)
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Hurry up. I'm bored. 8)
(http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121119220243/theamazingworldofgumball/images/7/7b/I-see-what-you-did-there-015.jpg)
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Walls And Bridges
1. Going Down On Love – This song isn’t one of my favorites. Its kind of monotonous and boring. Song shifts a lot, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Like the percussion in the beginning while John sings along. The falsetto at the .14 mark isn’t favorable to my ears, but its John. Song has nice piano and horn playing and the production is better than anything we’ve gotten up to this point. Sorry, but this is a pass for me.
2. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night – John’s only US #1 song and again, not one of my favorites. This song is hard for me to describe. Its too busy for my liking and nothing sets out. Just feels like a jumbled mess. Horn playing is great, Elton is a nice addition (voice wise more so than his playing), Keltner is in the background and even he sounds a little messy here. John’s voice is ok, but he doesn’t do anything to impress. It’s a good song, but I always find myself turning it when it comes on.
3. Old Dirt Road – Love John’s voice on this song. Not much into that slide guitar though. Keltners drums sound good. The middle part is good with John preaching and the music marching behind him. Klaus sounds good too here, but it’s a simple song. Slower number, but I like it and I usually dismiss tunes like this. Who knows.
4. What You Got - Love the groove with the drums, percussion, and bell or xylophone (not sure what it is). Everything sounding great, and then John starts singing. I hate his yelling voice here. What a turn off. It could have been so much more. This is an unfortunate song for me. I love the music itself, but the vocals kill it for me. Pass.
5. Bless You – Another slower song, but it has a somewhat 70’s pop feel to it if anybody can make sense of that. Maybe it’s the organ that does it. Maybe I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about. Anyways, John’s vocals sound good. Music is tight and played well although the song plods along. Not much more to say except that I like this song too.
6. Scared – Ah, the wolf howls. Every song having something to do with fright or nightmares start off with wolf howls it seems. Nice guitar playing, but that just reminded me that all of John’s songs sound the same to me. I think that’s why I have an issue with most of his solo stuff. Love the bass sound. Thumping. I always think John had too much brass and horns in his music, but I like them on this one. Its an ok song, but boring as hell.
7. #9 Dream – Best song on the album. I always liked this one. I will say that John wrote and sang the song to fit the atmosphere of a wandering mind or dream like the title suggests. That’s a nice touch. If I had something to complain about, I guess it would be the whining guitar and muddy drum sound. Great song though. I don’t skip this one.
8. Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) – Another one of my favorites from John. Love the guitar sound and his voice. Horns are good here too and make the song sound full. Great piano. The double tracked voice or background harmonies are way off at the 1:39 mark. Voices arent together. Keltners hi hat splashes are hypnotizing. Love it. Really like this song and always have.
9. Steel And Glass – Really like John’s voice here (holds that note for a long time at the :38 mark). Guitar sounds nice. Like the organ and percussion coming in at the 1:18 mark. Is that the organ or strings? Organ sounding like strings? Anyhow, it’s a pretty good song with a haunting melody and I like it.
10. Beef Jerky – The Magic Carpet Ride intro is cool. Nice beat with guitar and drums. Horns at the :50 mark. The middle really thumps with the horns and so forth. This is a good song. Infectious and makes me tap along.
11. Nobody Loves You (When Your Down And Out) – John and his acoustic. Has somewhat of a Pink Floyd flavor going on. Of course the whole band comes in at the :40 mark, but it doesn’t add anything in my opinion. The song is a slow, depressing song that would have been better off with just John and his guitar. This one is just too low and slow for me.
12. Ya Ya – John must have had some space to fill and came up with this little number in about 30 seconds. Nothing of importance or pleasurable here. Very short little blues number that I’ve forgotten about already.
This microscope was weird. I always held ‘Walls And Bridges’ at the top of my Lennon solo album list and now I’m wondering why. Admittedly, I haven’t given this an honest listen since I was probably in college, but I always remember liking it a whole lot more than I do today. The production blows anything John had put out before it, but the songs aren’t strong in my opinion. I like a few, but not many. Heck, I think I like ‘Mind Games’ more than this one now. Ask me in another 20 years and that will probably change too.
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Nice review Cor. We don't see eye to eye on this effort, but that's how it rolls.
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Always had a soft spot for the marvellous Walls And Bridges a wonderful solo album and without doubt one of John's best efforts.
Going Down On Love
Nice, relaxing track to open with; John sounds at ease and confident and the vocal is - needless to say - spot on, riding along atop a soothing blend of percussion, horns and subtly pleasing piano. A well balanced track if a little tame and unambitious.
Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
A corker. I love it. The title came from a phrase John heard whilst viewing a late night TV show and it struck an instant chord with him. So he sat down and built a song around it...he was good at that! Cheeky, pugnacious, fizzing with energy and enlivened by just the right amount of sassy saxophone and Elton's choppy honky tonk piano, this is a joy from start to finish, delivered in the same snappy, spontaneous vein as "Instant Karma!". John is having a ball and it shows! A real highlight which always prompts me to up the volume whenever it's on.
Old Dirt Road
The tempo slows down again and John delivers another masterclass in vocal subtlety. I like the slide guitar and the light interplay of strings and piano which beautifully temper the whole piece. It's very soothing yet incorporates that nicely escalating march which provides a bit of shape and prevents the whole thing from getting too mushy. Nice track. Not remarkable. But nice.
What You Got
Have to agree with tkitna here. A great, funky vibe to this one and yet - perhaps uniquely for a Lennon outing - it's the singing which lets it down. I can hardly believe I've just said that - but we're listening to some seriously classy proto-disco grooves overlaid with a barked, almost punkish vocal which really does not work for me. John can (and usually does) do much better than this. Shame.
Bless You
I used to skip this one, but perhaps I've mellowed with age. Pleasingly back in full vocal control, John deftly guides us through a poignant, heartfelt ballad. Beautiful keyboards underpin the whole thing. A nice song and better than I remembered it.
Scared
From the opening wolf howl through the relentless drum-plod and John's mounting vocal tension we're treated here to a deliciously menacing slice of pure paranoia. A nice way to expose the underbelly of the album; riddled with doubt, fear and uncertainty it makes a neat counterbalance to the calm (and even fun) displayed by the previous tracks. This was after all the period of John's lost weekend and we get a sobering glimpse of a mid-life crisis right here.
#9 Dream
What a truly fantastic song this is. Not only one of my favourite Lennon tracks, it would be near the top of my list of ALL ex-Beatle solo cuts. John's twin obsessions with the number 9 and sleep combine perfectly as his hypnotic, gorgeous vocal floats on the tide provided by that dreamy acoustic blend of strings, keyboard and drums. Elusive whispers and nonsense language (Ah! Bowakowa Poussé Poussé!) wonderfully enhance this gossamer light, beautiful, wispy trance. It's a masterpiece and I don't use the word lightly. "Magic in the air" indeed.
Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
Always liked this one. John himself openly disavowed it as throwaway rubbish - but that was after he'd returned to Yoko of course, and this is after all a paean to May Pang. But it's a good track, quirky opening, jaunty melody, sweetly sung. I like the falsetto fade-out. The lyrics indicate John's revelation at life's unplanned twists and turns. There's a touchingly hopeful quality to this one and I really like that.
Steel And Glass
Sooner or later you just know you can rely on a bit of Lennon venom making an appearance, and here it is. Terrific, world-weary acoustic opening complete with cynical chuckle, John soon unleashes his predatory bile upon Allen Klein in a viciously calculated attack. The vocal control is awesome as usual, with a sinister orchestral undercurrent very reminiscent of its progenitor "How Do You Sleep?". It's a powerful, brilliant track.
Beef Jerky
Virtually an instrumental and an effective one at that. Guitars and drums hit a repetitive but infectious groove pretty quickly and the piece soon becomes pleasantly mesmerising. A foot tapper. I like the UFO intro and outro too!
Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)
The paranoia of "Scared" resurfaces, this time sounding more like a drunk wallowing in self pity. Doesn't do much for me with its heavily over-orchestrated layers, although I do like the brief cry for freedom at around 3:30. In my opinion a less lavish, sparser production on this one would have worked better with the hungover vocal and sulky lyrics.
Ya Ya
John was dismantling walls and rebuilding bridges (see what I did there?) with his son Julian around 1974. What better way to strengthen the paternal bond than to let your youngster bash about on the drums whilst you run through one of your fondly favoured R&R standards... and then use it to round off your latest album? It sort of works...like being privy to a personal photo album for a few minutes. Musically nothing but humanly touching.
Overall my faith in Walls And Bridges has been reaffirmed. A slickly produced, wonderfully polished album belying John's reputation for the raw, spiky, primitive approach. He barely puts a foot wrong here and everyone - brass section, keyboard players, horns, strings, drumming - the whole works - pull together brilliantly and the finished product has to be one of the best solo Beatle albums of the 70s.
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7. #9 Dream – [...] I will say that John wrote and sang the song to fit the atmosphere of a wandering mind or dream like the title suggests.
I think we could say the same about this song:
Hung Up On A Dream - The Zombies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOd6Uajh-4#)
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Apparently Ya Ya was johns half assed attempt at fulfilling his copyright violation obligation to record songs from Morris Levy's catalogue, stemming from the Come Together/You can't catch me lawsuit.
Needless to say it didn't impress levy.
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Morning all.
Just listened to this album for the first time in over 30 years, "without prejudice."
First a confession - I have trouble separating the music from the man - a bit like looking at Hitler's paintings. Very nice and all, but but.....
I really want to be fair, my favourite seventies album is Supertramps Crime Of The Century from the same year, and they're not disimiliar. So what's the difference?
Anyway, it's very much of it's time, very Elton John, Thin White Duke, Halls and Oatsey. Very west coasty FM kind of thing. It's okay, but apart from here and there Lennon's whiney reverbed vocal is annoying, and the "poor me" songs grate. And I don't like boogie, regardless of who playes it. It's okay, but nothing more.
On the up, nostalgia churning through my veins, I took the chance to listen to Sometime in New York City for the first time in 30 years. God - when he's confident and unshackled he is good. Very good.
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Thanks all for the great reviews.
And I like that the Album seems to be a product of its time. It means John was a man of his time in 1974. Things would certainly be different 1980.
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On the up, nostalgia churning through my veins, I took the chance to listen to Sometime in New York City for the first time in 30 years. God - when he's confident and unshackled he is good. Very good.
Hey Kevin, I really don't mean any offense, but I just gotta ask: how is this possible? Even the artists that I don't care much for or completely dismissed in the past get a listen once every 2-3 years (worst case scenario, I think). As long as the album is there in my collection...
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Hey Kevin, I really don't mean any offense, but I just gotta ask: how is this possible? Even the artists that I don't care much for or completely dismissed in the past get a listen once every 2-3 years (worst case scenario, I think). As long as the album is there in my collection...
None taken. I sold all my vinyl in the early 80's when I came to the UK. I've never rebuilt anything like a real collection since (I moved between NZ and UK 3 times since).
Anyway, after Back To The Egg and Double Fantasy I lost all interest in the Beatles as solo artists.
Now, I would possibly part cash for POB, Imagine, SMTNYC, Ram, Band On The Run and All Things Must Pass.
More shocking news - I only own Rubber Soul and The Blue album. But for a good long time I listened to nothing but The Beatles. Something by the way now I now really regret.
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It's okay, but apart from here and there Lennon's whiney reverbed vocal is annoying, and the "poor me" songs grate.
You do wish during this period that John occasionally would have found inspiration in a really tasty bagel he had or something. Anything to break the introspection.
George with his save the world Krishna stuff was as bad. Luckily George lived long enough to lighten the f@&$ up again.
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George with his save the world Krishna stuff was as bad. Luckily George lived long enough to lighten the f@&$ up again.
Yes. It seems both John and George thought that once The Beatles were over they could reinvent themselves in another guise. Unfortunately the world disagreed . I dont think the Lennon of Sometime in New York City would have imagined he'd soon be recording something so Beatlesque as Number Nine Dream. John would have to be content with being the dream weaver he had so rejected earlier on POB
And something I don't get. Someone said earlier that album belies Johns reputation as raw and primitive. But if you exclude POB his catalogue is as "produced" as anyone, in fact maybe even more.
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And something I don't get. Someone said earlier that album belies Johns reputation as raw and primitive. But if you exclude POB his catalogue is as "produced" as anyone, in fact maybe even more.
I said it Kev, and what I meant was that John had that "bull at a gate" image of knocking stuff out quickly (like "Instant Karma!") and not caring if things were a bit rough around the edges. POB the perfect example: stripped down, gutsy, get the message out there and don't prat about agonising over endless takes (remember how he moaned about Paul and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"?). He was a raw and spiky guitarist compared to the polish of McCartney or Harrison.
But I think "Walls And Bridges" showed a care and attention in production values perhaps only previously hinted at on "Imagine".... I suspect John was (at least sometimes) more of a perfectionist than he'd have liked to have us think.
Just a thought ;)
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Hey Kevin, I really don't mean any offense, but I just gotta ask: how is this possible? Even the artists that I don't care much for or completely dismissed in the past get a listen once every 2-3 years (worst case scenario, I think). As long as the album is there in my collection...
I fully understand. I haven't spun this record in at least 20 years until now.
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I really want to be fair, my favourite seventies album is Supertramps Crime Of The Century from the same year, and they're not disimiliar.
You have great taste my friend. "Crime Of The Century" is easily one of my top 20 albums ever.
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I was introduced to half the songs on this album through the Menlove Avenue album and it means much to me...
John Lennon - "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0J3XVy5jTM#ws)
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Hmmm... I had intended to comment on this microscope when first put up but I became busy and forgot. Wall and Bridges is my favorite Lennon solo LP and I think it's his best. I listen to it regularly. The one odd thing though, is that "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" is my least favorite track on the entire LP.