Recommendations of the Editorial team
I loved the Beatles as a boy, but I only became aware of the solo Lennon when I recorded my first album “Let Love Rule”. My future manager listened to the demos of my early songs and said, “Have you ever heard John Lennon’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’? Your stuff sounds exactly the same.”
So I bought “Plastic Ono Band” and barely listened to anything else for months. A monumental, ingenious work. I was overwhelmed by how minimal and how expressive this music was. Lennon had just finished his primal scream therapy and was just letting it all out – the loss of his mother, the Beatles, who he was.
John Lennon let his cock hang out
John Lennon had just come out of the biggest band in the world, and in that position most people would say, “How can I stay up? I don’t want to come down from that pedestal.” He didn’t care. He stripped naked and let his cock hang out for the cover of “Two Virgins.”
On “Plastic Ono Band” the music was also naked. Lennon went into the studio with just bass, guitar and drums and made a very raw record. The attitude and emotions of this album are harder and more direct than any punk rock. The honesty of the music made me a fan of him – I thought he was even better than the Beatles. It inspired me. This made me want to go even deeper in my own songs.
As a guitarist, Lennon had an incredible feeling – even the most sophisticated dexterity pales in comparison. He was never a virtuoso, no Jimi Hendrix, but if you listen to the early Beatles records, there are really clever things happening between him and George Harrison.
One of my favorite Lennon tracks is “How Do You Sleep?” – the guitar is incredibly funky. Most people have forgotten by now that Lennon co-wrote “Fame” with David Bowie. He also had a really cool and funky side.
If he were still around today, I think he would be interested in hip hop. The combination of opposing cultures would probably have appealed to him.
John Lennon – a prophet?
Lennon was much more than just a musician, he was a prophet. He made his political views clear, he opposed war and violence, even if he was persecuted and maltreated by the government for it.
For me, “Imagine” is one of the greatest songs ever, like a church hymn, and it makes it abundantly clear what Lennon believed in. Above all, Lennon was an icon of peace. Unfortunately there aren’t many of them left today.