What do people think of it. I think:
Plastic Ono Band - even though it's not an easy listen it's a standout piece of work. The only truly original work by a solo Beatle and the only solo Beatle album that would make my essential-album list.

Imagine - great commercial release and a nice companion to POB. Shows he could still knock out a good tune.

Sometime in NYC - I think it's a really powerful album and a shame it bombed. He wanted to make the ultimate protest album and did he ever. A real snap shot of the times number.

Mind Games / Walls and Bridges. Yawn. Uninspired blandness by an artist with no confidence and nothing to say.

Rock'n'Roll - okay if you like this kind of thing.

If he hadn't have withdrawn in 1975 I dread to think what he would have done next. Sean came along just in time to salvage a sinking career IMO. (and I know he had his onbly US #1 in '75, but it sounds more like Elton John than John Lennon)

Quoted from Kevin

What do people think of it. I think:
Plastic Ono Band - even though it's not an easy listen it's a standout piece of work. The only truly original work by a solo Beatle and the only solo Beatle album that would make my essential-album list.

Imagine - great commercial release and a nice companion to POB. Shows he could still knock out a good tune.

Sometime in NYC - I think it's a really powerful album and a shame it bombed. He wanted to make the ultimate protest album and did he ever. A real snap shot of the times number.

Mind Games / Walls and Bridges. Yawn. Uninspired blandness by an artist with no confidence and nothing to say.

Rock'n'Roll - okay if you like this kind of thing.

If he hadn't have withdrawn in 1975 I dread to think what he would have done next. Sean came along just in time to salvage a sinking career IMO. (and I know he had his onbly US #1 in '75, but it sounds more like Elton John than John Lennon)

Plastic Ono Band It's impossible to describe how shocking this album was when it was released. Listening to him say 'I don't believe in Beatles' only months after the official announcment that they'd split was nothing short of traumatising for some people. Good, but not brilliant.

Imagine Another good album, and my personal favourite. (I know I said otherwise on another thread, but I've recently changed my mind.) I think it has stood the test of time better than POB.

Sometime In NYC Take away Yoko's wailing and you've you've got quite a good album. If John were alive today I expect he would say that, of the period, this was his finest achievement. Better than POB.

Mind Games Yawn.

Walls And Bridges Ditto.

Rock 'n' Roll Overproduced crap. Paul's Chobba b CCCP, and Run Devil Run are far superior.

Quoted from Kevin

What do people think of it. I think:
Plastic Ono Band - even though it's not an easy listen it's a standout piece of work. The only truly original work by a solo Beatle and the only solo Beatle album that would make my essential-album list.

Imagine - great commercial release and a nice companion to POB. Shows he could still knock out a good tune.

Sometime in NYC - I think it's a really powerful album and a shame it bombed. He wanted to make the ultimate protest album and did he ever. A real snap shot of the times number.

Mind Games / Walls and Bridges. Yawn. Uninspired blandness by an artist with no confidence and nothing to say.

Rock'n'Roll - okay if you like this kind of thing.

If he hadn't have withdrawn in 1975 I dread to think what he would have done next. Sean came along just in time to salvage a sinking career IMO. (and I know he had his onbly US #1 in '75, but it sounds more like Elton John than John Lennon)

Complete agree about what you put about his albums here... especially with walls and bridges/mind games...to be honest, it's pure shite.

Plastic Ono Band: A very strong piece of work but a hard listen.
                         No songwriter had written this kind of material before,
                         the way he expressed everything in the songs is very emotional i think.
                         If you've been through of lot of pain in your life then you know what
                         this man is writing about.

Imagine: One of my fav Lennon albums ever & a complete classic in my opion.
              classics like Jealous Guy, How do you sleep, Oh My Love & of course
              the title track!

NYC: Not a great fan of the album. It lacks good lyrics but has some nice melodies
        in there. to be honest, i always liked Yoko's songs on it. Born in a Prision i think
         is quite a beautiful song no matter what people say. but my least fav Lennon album.

Mind Games / Walls & Bridges: I really can't understand why people critisze these albums
                                            so much, as i think they were some of Lennon's most
                                             underated.This albums are properbly my fav period
                                             of John's recording career.  horses for courses, i know.

Rock n Roll: A pretty good sounding covers album which i've recently
                 got a lot into, but i'm not a big fan of the echo / phil spector sound.
                 Fine album, but in no way a definitive lennon record.

POB: Great at times (Remember, Mother, Working Class Hero, Love, Isolation) but the rest are a little sophomoric (God, in particular, but also Well, Well, Well and I Found Out).  

Live Peace in Toronto: Could have been a definitive r'n'r statement--John's in great voice, but somebody needs to erase Yoko's caterwauling.  

Imagine: a very good album with the strongest set of individual songs (only How do you sleep and I dont want to be a soldier seem less than inspired)

Sometime in NYC: a mess all the way around; Yoko's interfering with references to the Blarney Stone notwithstanding.  Agitprop at its most obvious and, perhaps sincere but totally misguided.  Woman is the N---- of the World?  What does that make women of color?  And how many time does he have to repeat "we got to got to . . . " in John Sinclair?  And, finally, you're in NYC in the early 70s and you're running around with David Peel and the Elephant's Memory Band?  Que Pasa, New York, indeed.  

Mind Games: John's writing good melodies, its the lyrics that sound like they came off fortune cookies.  One day at a time?  Did we just invent AA?  Aisumen at least uses foreign words.  Tight A$$ is a cheap sex reference from the guy who wrote "Happiness is a Warm Gun."   "Only People" and 'Freeda People Now"--ugh!!  A million heads are better than one, c'mon?  Not if you're trying to write a decent song.

Walls and Bridges: Tired.  The boogaloo machine is dated and What You Got has some funk but goes nowhere.  At least he sounds sincere on You Don't Know What You Got.  #9 Dream has a great hook (Like Mind Games) but goes nowhere lyrically: both songs come from the "I Dig a Pony" lets-throw-some-words-together-and-I'm-John-Lennon-and-hopefully-it-will-sound-deep.

Rock'n'Roll--I dare to even call this an album.  To think what he might have done with these classics--instead they end up in mid-70s mush pop with no grit except John's occasionally cracking voice.  Is this the same guy who blared out "Twist and Shout" and "Rock and Roll" and even "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"?  Sad.  He makes the late bloated Elvis sound like a champ by comparison.  

All in all, Imagine is the best album, even tho POB may "startle."  Actually I think the idea of POB was done much better by Lou Reed and the Velvets on any number of albums.  Neil Young's Tonight's the Night also does a much more artful take on the POB terrain than John.  

All in all, John's solo career sounds like he had a lobotomy.  I can't think of a single song lyric that matches his best lyrics as a Beatle.  

Mind Games/Walls & Bridges sound dated. It's the Little Big Horns. They just sound rather 70's.

Quoted from adamzero

: both songs come from the "I Dig a Pony" lets-throw-some-words-together-and-I'm-John-Lennon-and-hopefully-it-will-sound-deep.

  

That is one of the most succint summaries of John's solo career I've ever read.

Was he trying to sound deep though? He's basically making honest statements about whatever he happens to be championing on that particular day, even though sometimes his research left a lot to be desired. It's only since he died that he's attained this kind of - John can do no wrong, wow he's so deep man' kind of status. He was always quite critical of his own work. And the reviews of his albums, when they came out pretty much follow along the same lines of this thread. Personally, I have 4 Lennon albums: POB, Imagine, Wonsaponatime (for curiosity sake), and Working Class Hero which basically has all the other stuff on it that I need.

I've never paid full price for any Beatles solo record, nor have I ever rushed out and bought them immediately they come out. Not one of them, IMO, has ever produced an album that is as good as the best Beatles albums.

Quoted from adamzero

Live Peace in Toronto: Could have been a definitive r'n'r statement--John's in great voice, but somebody needs to erase Yoko's caterwauling.  

Yes, i forgot this one, & i totally agree with you AdamZero!

I think that Walls And Bridges is his best album tho Mind Games is my favourite one ... all his albums sound dated ... because they are ...

Sure, but those two inparticular sound stuck in the 70's. No audio face lift can change that. Alot of the versions on Anthology are better.

Listen to R'nR or Imagine ... those productions are sooo early 70s (Phil destroyed his originalittley) ... oh, and Plastic Ono Band is a bunch of (good) demos ...

Quoted from raxo

Listen to R'nR or Imagine ... those productions are sooo early 70s (Phil destroyed his originalittley) ... oh, and Plastic Ono Band is a bunch of (good) demos ...

I don't have a problem with an album sounding like the era to which it belongs. AHDN is SOOO 1964, and Pepper is definately stuck in a '67 groove. Belonging to your time can be quite a compliment. It's more the dreary songwriting that bugs me.

Quoted from raxo

Listen to R'nR or Imagine ... those productions are sooo early 70s (Phil destroyed his originalittley) ... oh, and Plastic Ono Band is a bunch of (good) demos ...

You are thinking on the exactly the same lines as me Raxo!
I really never liked the Spector production & can't really stand the echo on some
of his early work or even George's All Things Must Pass. even though they were brilliant &
amazing songs! still think his mind games / walls & bridges period is underated in terms of songs.
But of course it was a painful  time for John as it was the infamous 'Lost Weekend'...

Quoted from Andy Smith

[...]still think his mind games / walls & bridges period is underated in terms of songs.
But of course it was a painful  time for John as it was the infamous 'Lost Weekend'...

But that was the authentic and true John Lennon!
He even composed for others and produced them too! He was prolific a-gain!
Thanks John for your Lost Weekend!!!