Recommendations of the Editorial team
I loved the Beatles as a boy, but I only became aware of the solo lenon 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 Lennons, Plastic Ono Band ‘? Your things sound the same.”
So I bought “Plastic Ono Band” and hardly heard anything else for months. A monumental, brilliant work. I was overwhelmed how minimal and how expressively this music was. Lennon had just ended his primeval therapy and just let everything out – the loss of his mother, the Beatles, who he was. John Lennon just came from the largest band in the world, and most would say in the position: “How can I stay above? I don’t want to go down from this podium.” He didn’t care. He pulled out for the cover of “Two Virgins” naked and let his cock hang out.
The music was also naked on “Plastic Ono Band”. Lennon only went to the studio with bass, guitar and drums and made a very raw plate. The attitude and emotions of this album are harder and more direct than any punk rock. The honesty of the music made me his fan – I found him even better than the Beatles. It inspired me. This also wanted to go deeper in my own songs.
As a guitarist, Lennon had an amazing feeling – next to it, every dexterity that is as much fades. He was never a virtuoso, not a Jimi Hendrix, but if you listen to the early Beatles panels, really sophisticated things happen between him and George Harrison. One of my favorite Lennon tracks is “How do you sleep?” – The guitar is incredibly funny. Most people have now forgotten that Lennon wrote “Fame” with David Bowie. He also had a really cool and funky side.
Lennon was an icon of peace. Unfortunately there are not many of them today
If he were still there today, I think he would be interested in hip -hop. The connection of opposing cultures would probably have irritated him. Lennon was much more than just a musician, he was a prophet. He made his political views clear that he turned against war and violence, even if he was persecuted and maltreated by the government.
For me, “Imagine” is one of the biggest songs, like a church anthem, and he makes it unequivocally clear what Lennon believed. Above all, Lennon was an icon of peace. Unfortunately, there are not many of them today.