Ive often wonderd if John sufferd from writer's block , when he went off and did his house husband job ?
What do other people think ?

DaveRam

He suffered from Yoko.

I think he really had no idea how to write a hit record anymore, or indeed, if that was what he wanted to do. No direction I think was probably the main problem. And for somebody who's been there, done that, and eaten the pie, a little apathy perhaps?

I disagree with the writer's block theory, mostly because I'm never sure how people are using this term. For me, writing is momentum. Once you get going, it keeps going. But you have to feed it.

I think John needed stimulation to write anything, and his circumscribed life in the Dakota led to not much stimulation. I think BlueMeanie is correct when he talks about "no direction" being the main problem. When an artist has something to say, it bursts out. You may need to tweak it, but you've got things to do, places to be--you're up for sharing! When you're sitting home, comfortable, rich, no needs, no worries-- it's much harder to get up the gumption to do anything.

John's lost weekend was a stimulating time for him, but he was so drugged or drunk he couldn't produce anything worthwhile. Ask Ringo, who went through the same problem. He started enjoying his life and career again after he cleaned up. It's terribly hard to produce good stuff when you're messed up. Also, being drugged takes energy away. It's too much bother to do anything.

John did feel much more active towards the end. If you believe Goldman's research, John was putting together some Carribean-type tunes (correct me, scholars--I don't have the book), and Yoko derailed him because she wanted to do a joint hubby-wife album. John's new tunes, which came about due to his cruise, were put on hold until after Double Fantasy-- and then of course there was no follow-up album. But by accounts of friends and coworkers, John was much improved his last year. I think it's terribly hard to crawl out of a hole when you can lie around with no consequences.

Hit tunes: well, you can have a hit with the most obnoxious piece of garbage on the planet, so I'm not a huge fan of hit tunes. I'm sure that John could still write one if he tried. But I think for John, he would have been well-served to write something that truly interested him. His interest coupled to his natural skill would make it compelling to listeners. I find I want to have music that is more thematic or thought-provoking playing in my house. I don't want to have an album that sounds like an advertising jingle!

It's not so much i wanted him to write hit records , but one or two more solo albums is what i wanted to hear , i know that's a bit selfish of me but it's what i wanted.
Im sure he had ideas , just feel a bit cheated we did'nt get an album in 77 and 79 . But i'm  greatful for what he did give us ,especially his Beatles classics.
It's OK Watching The Wheels but a few more Tickets To Ride would have been great ?

DaveRam

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I think he really had no idea how to write a hit record anymore, or indeed, if that was what he wanted to do. No direction I think was probably the main problem. And for somebody who's been there, done that, and eaten the pie, a little apathy perhaps?

Amen to that. And I think you can feel that from Mind Games onwards. I know we've discussed this before, but I don't think John really got over the rejection of STINYC.

Quoted from Bobber

He suffered from Yoko.

Ouch

actually no, he suffered from baking too many breads and hearing Paul's Wings crap on NY radio

Quoted from 679

It's not so much i wanted him to write hit records , but one or two more solo albums is what i wanted to hear , i know that's a bit selfish of me but it's what i wanted.

Be selfish, DaveRam. I think we all would have enjoyed this.

I was never too crazy about Double Fantasy...just didn't like ANY of the tracks except "Beautiful Boy" which is beautiful. The Milk & Honey album got to me, but that was posthumous, unfortunately.

Quoted from 829

Ouch

actually no, he suffered from baking too many breads and hearing Paul's Wings crap on NY radio

Yet Yoko tells that charming tale of an insomniac Lennon whinning to her about why his songs didn't become hits like Paul's.

Quoted from Kevin

Yet Yoko tells that charming tale of an insomniac Lennon whinning to her about why his songs didn't become hits like Paul's.

Lennon seems to have been caught between a rock and a hard place. He wanted to be taken as a 'serious' musician, and yet he also wanted what Paul had. If we're to believe what he said, and what Yoko says. I find both of them contrary and unreliable, so I guess we'll never know.

It's a bit sad he was preoccupied with what Paul was doing . He should have just concentrated on making albums .
If he had done that i'm sure people would have thought good on you John for not chasing hits.
It's not as if he had'nt already written plenty, makes me want to go back in time and give him a dam good talking too , if only  

DaveRam

*builds a time machine for DaveRam*

I think John was laying there thinking about what it is like to write hit songs or thought provoking lyrics. At the same time he probably wondered why the hell he was even thinking about it and if he should think about other things around him at the time. He must of realized he had done it already and it is time to concentrate on living his life and Yoko.
  Yet, he turns on a radio and there is Paul being played with his latest song and now he's thinking to himself " what the hell, I should write a few and turn on the radio and hear my own songs". But then, he would just go into the kitchen and talk about it with whoever. After a few minutes, he would just turn on the television and watch a show and forget about it. Then afterwards he reads the papers and has some soup and gets bored. A few days later that damn Paul is on the radio again.

    He was bored. Then one day he is on a boat and a storm rolls up.. he is stimulated, and he gets excited. His mind starts to race ahead of him and he catches up to it and it overflows.. then comes Double Fantasy. It is fun again.

All Double Fantasy illustrates is  he's  a former shadow of himself  , it's a very cosy record , Lennon's  " Pipe and Slippers album " ? Watching The Wheels is great but the rest of the songs are very safe imo ?

DaveRam

Hi Pasta Chef. It's a beautiful story but.....
Julian (amongst others) tells that when he visited John he was living like a recluse in his own room, Yoko sleeping elsewhere (like with her boyfriend) and a nanny was bringing up Sean. John was no bread-making house husband beloved of legend. He was a lone junkie without the support of his friends and family who he had abandoned and publicly humiliated.
He makes a record, which doesn't sell particuly well and is meet with critical disdain (rightly so) and then someone shoots him.