I think John Lennon as a solo artist proved he was the mastermind behind the Beatles going for the extreme instead of the mainsteam unlike his former bandmate Paul McCartney after the breakup even though his avant garde crap with Yoko like Two Virgins, Life With The Lions & the Wedding Album didn't make too  much sense to Beatles fans at the time or to this day.  I think Live Peace In Toronto showcases John at his finest as a rocker without a doubt as well as being one of his best live solo performances if you have seen  the video. John Lennon Plastic Ono Band & Imagine are creatively, musically & artistically his solo masterpieces of epic proportions with John  above his former bandmates which they never surpassed.  Sometime In NYC could have been a more popular because the music is great even though the lyrics are too radical left while I haven't heard Mind Games yet but Walls & Bridges is mediocre at best with Lennon lost as an artist & as a legend at the time during his lost weekend.  I haven't heard the Rock & Roll album yet but his cover of Stand By Me is better than the original while Double Fantasy is John's most commercial album to date with the former Beatle at peace with himself which is sadly his final album before his tragic death. 

Some good points there Wayne

that's great

I have known all this for a long, long time now being a dedicated Beatles fan like I am.  I know most of the younger fans probably don't know that much about John's solo history.  I just wanted to give everybody my opinion whicgh is what this forum is all about.  I wouldn't doubt it if the younger fans got into the Beatles via th Anthology series & CD's as well as 1 & LIBN.

I think John showed not the best of his ability and talent during his solo years. Plastic Ono Band (tho I really hate the screaming, therapy or not) and Imagine are absolutely his best. But that's what Wayne is writing as well. Mind Games (not heard by Wayne), Rock & Roll (ditto) are hardly worth getting. Walls And Bridges is mediocre, has some fine moments. But yes, John had a tendency to go to extremes but that doesn't always mean it comes to masterpieces. I find it hard to say that POB and Imagine were the best efforts by a solo Beatle. Double Fantasy is absolutely mainstream, made in the same time Paul did an absolutely rockalbum with Back To The Egg. It depends on what side you look at the subject.

I'm not getting into the whole Paul versus John crap again, but RAM and Band On The Run are as good or better than Plastic Ono Band and Imagine in my opinion. Another opinion I have is that All Things Must Pass is the greatest solo effort from any Beatle. Maybe George was the mastermind behind the group. Ever think of that?

Also, just to let you know, Walls And Bridges finds my CD player way more than Plastic Ono Band and Imagine combined. I'm not saying its better or worse, but I like listening to it more. Just my 2 cents.

Quoted from tkitna

I'm not getting into the whole Paul versus John crap again, but RAM and Band On The Run are as good or better than Plastic Ono Band and Imagine in my opinion. Another opinion I have is that All Things Must Pass is the greatest solo effort from any Beatle. Maybe George was the mastermind behind the group. Ever think of that?

Also, just to let you know, Walls And Bridges finds my CD player way more than Plastic Ono Band and Imagine combined. I'm not saying its better or worse, but I like listening to it more. Just my 2 cents.

Mostly agree: Ram is better than any Johnic album (maybe Band On The Run but surely All Things Must Pass too - the collection of demos that is Plastic Ono Band is so so so overrated!) ... and Walls And Bridges is the best Johnic work: his masterpiece, tho I prefer Mind Games (very underrated, ... so is Sometime In New York too).

P.S. My two cents.