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John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band |  | Artist: John Lennon
Label: Parlophone
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £4.98
as of 21/11/2009 15:10 GMT details
You Save: £12.01 (71%)
New (43) Used (8) from £4.66
Seller: Amazon.co.uk
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 2851
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 28740
UPC: 724352874026
EAN: 0724352874026
ASIN: B00004WGEL
Release Date: October 9, 2000
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Mother | | • | Hold On | | • | I Found Out | | • | Working Class Hero | | • | Isolation | | • | Remember | | • | Love | | • | Well Well Well | | • | Look At Me | | • | God | | • | My Mummy's Dead | | • | Power To The People | | • | Do The Oz |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Decades later it's a little hard to appreciate just how shocking iPlastic Ono Band/i was at the time of its release. Yes, John Lennon's first post-Beatles solo album is still a must-own for any rock fan, but decades of punk, metal, and grunge have desensitised our ears somewhat to the naked howls of despair that fill tracks like "Mother", "Isolation", and "I Found Out". In addition, "I don't believe in Beatles," the climactic line of "God", doesn't have nearly the resonance as it did around the time of the Fab Four's break-up, when such a sentiment practically bordered on heresy. And yet it's a testament to the high quality of Lennon's songs that iPlastic Ono Band/i continues to be an incredibly moving listening experience. i--Dan Epstein/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
 Art, not Art for Arts Sake March 6, 2005
Glenn Kitteridge (Cheshire, England)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
N.M.E. said "Lennon put his balls on the line and the train ground to a halt out of sheer respect" As a 12 year old, I listened to this in awe and amazement! The first track "Mother" was so full of pain and honesty, it stopped you in your tracks. I had lost my own mother at 9 years old, so I could relate to the loss. Other tracks like "Working Class Hero", still sound great to me. "God" was a jaw breaker with its " I don't believe in list.......finishing with the Beatles, and "the dream is over, so my dear friends you just have to carry on", had their ever been such honesty on a record? Other great tracks like "Remember", the beautiful "Love" ,"Isolation" "Look at me" (could easily have been on the "White" album) were superb tracks, with not quite the publicity of the more famous tracks. Some friends of mine didn't like the album, too personal, too much pain, but to me it stands up as a great piece of work.
A Wonderful Album About Life May 28, 2004
L. Hutchinson (Newcastle Upon Tyne, Britain)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful
The cliché about singer-songwriters is that they sing confessionals direct from their heart, but John Lennon exploded the myth behind that cliché, as well as many others, on his first official solo record, 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'. Inspired by his primal scream therapy with Dr. Walter Janov, Lennon created a harrowing set of unflichingly personal songs, laying out all his fears and angers for everyone to hear. It was a revolutionary record-never before had a record been so explicitly introspective, and very few records made absolutely no concession to the audience's expectations, daring the listeners to meet all the artist's demands. Which isn't to say that the record is unlistenable. Lennon's songs range from tough rock 'n' rollers to piano based ballads and spare folk songs, and his melodies remain strong and memorable, which actually intensifies the pain and rage of the songs. Not much from this album is hidden. Lennon presents everything on the surface, and the song titles- 'Mother', 'I Found Out', 'Working Class Hero', 'Isolation', 'God', 'My Mummy's Dead'- illustrate what each song is about, and charts his loss of faith in his parents, country, friends, fans and idols. It's an unflinchingly document of bare-bones despair and pain, but for all its nihilism, it is ultimately life-affirming; its unique not only in Lennon's catalogue, but in all forms of music. Few albums are ever as harrowing, difficult, and rewarding as 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'.pHowever, if the above review has put you off- then all that I will say is that this it is the album 'Imagine' without the sugar.
One of the best of all time. October 6, 2000
David McCarthy
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND is absolutely remarkable. I feel that this album, which contains some of Lennon's most emotional works ever, rivals the genius of most of the Beatle's albums. The main reason that I love this album so much is that Lennon's lyrics and songs are quite simple when compared to some of the psychadelic, yet obviously great works, he compiled while being a Beatle. It is like he turned over a whole new leaf into a world that seemed to not exist while being in the world's most popular band. The album's first song entiltled MOTHER is a profound example of John's ability to communicate his feelings through music as you feel a pain that he obviously has. The song GOD absolutely blows my mind. It is, as I have already mentioned, a compleate 180 degree turn from his days as a Beatle; and he mentions the Beatles in a surprising way. The album's seventh song, and my favorite Lennon song ever, is called LOVE. This is truely the most beautiful song with lyrics that I have ever heard. Any memory or experience of love or someone you love can be brought to the forefront of your mind while listenging to this song's brilliant simple elegance. I recommend this album for any Beatle or John Lennon fan, or for anyone that just enjoys great, heart-wrenching music.
Honesty February 15, 2005
John Heaton (Budapest, Hungary)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is the most personal and moving album by any Ex Beatle. For sure. Lennon throughout his career, especially from the Rubber Soul album in 1965 onwards, was the most forthright and expressive Beatle....of his feelings, whether it be sadness at the loss of mother (Julia), resentmemt (How Do You Sleep), disullusionment (Sexy Sadie), uncertainy (Revolution) or just the high emotions of being in love (I Want You, Oh Yoko, Don't Let Me Down, or latterly with 'Woman'). brBut on this album, Lennon bares his soul. There are only two albums which match this level of intensity in my opinion. Dylan's 'Blood On The Tracks' (1975) and Lennon's own bdquo;Walls And Bridges" (1974). Such albums are not the easiest albums to listen to. There is no sugar coating (as Lennon put it), no silly or even joyous esacpism. These albums are mainly about Pain. brAnd so to this album. Opening with 'Mother'. If 'Julia' had been a song of losing his mother at the age of 15, this song is that song, multiplied by about 5. for whereas the former song mingled the loss of his mother with some positive and moving imagery of his newly found love, Yoko, this song is sung at a funereal pace (even starting with the deep chimes of a church bell) and unrelenting in its misery. Such songs are not intended as singles, and even taken out of context and placed on a complilation (eg Shaved Fish (1975)) they seem out of place. This album was a single artistic statement of the utmost intensity and it is in fact true of the whole album that these songs belong with eachother, not the stuff for some Sunny Day DJ or jumbled together 'Bests Of'. And moreover, these songs if played to an audience unaware of its context, probably have far less impact. Which brings us to the point. Would this album have been as good if it had come out as the debut of some singer songwriter in 1970 rather than the remarkable outpouring of emotion at the split of a band written by the man who launched the band in question, John Lennon, now 'Ex' Beatle? brFrankly, I don't care. All I can do is review how this album sounds to a Beatles fan and how I think it has aged. I cannot comment on how it might have been received at the time, being only 6 years old. But I do know that this album made and makes a big impression on anyone who listens to it. It is gut wrenchingly personal, and honest....and if your're in the right frame of mind, it is no less than the ultimate artistic statement.brThe second track is more gentle, Lennon urging himself to calm down and think positive in the face of the Beatles split and the torrent of abuse which the press (the British in particular) had unforgiveably aimed at his new bride Yoko. 'I Found Out' is an angry put down of the phoney elements of being a pop star icon. And these lyrics are amusing too. Not often the reknowned Lennon sense of homour was displayed on this album! 'Working Class Hero' is about the same subject, but here the lyrics are more biting with the pace of the song....and it has to be said the use of the F Word really drives the message home. Although it remains unclear just who is the target of Lennon's resentment? Is it the record buying public who made him a star in the first place? That would be a tad harsh. Or perhaps the press. I guess we'll never know. But the song is highly effective, regardless of who it is aimed at. It is clear that Lennon felt the claustrophobia of fame, and expresses this accordingly, and wonderfully well. Yet at the end of the day, maybe it's hard to pin the blame on anyone. 'Isloation', with its beautiful melody and piano, comes as a highly pleasant relief...until the screaming middle eight that is! Which is superb by the way, but the best thing about this song is the really fine melody in the verses which comes close to questioning the very definition of beauty.brSide 2 (of the original vinyl album) opens with 'Remember' which is a simple stomping rock number with just Lennon's vocal and piano, Klaus Voormans's bass and Ringo's drums. (in fact the album rarely goes beyond this trio). What really takes this song to another level is the chorus where the dirge like minor key is masterfully transformed to the major for the uplisting and positive 'Don't feel sorry' section. Brilliant. And then we come to the second sublime melody from this album: 'Love'. Up there with anything Lennon has written. Ever. The next track 'Well Well Well' is loud and raucous especially the screaming section at the end....Not the song to play in the presence of your Granny. Presumably Lennon's Aunt Mimi was appalled. The next one 'Look At Me' dates from the White Album, a simple and effective ballad although not on the masterpiece level of say 'Julia'. But again, in context, it works perfectly well. Ah now to the closing number 'God'. What can one say? It is at one stroke both incredibly beautiful and moving yet also heartbreaking in its official announcement that The Beatles Dream Is Over. The last verse, reaching out to his erstwhile ex colleagues to 'carry on' is wonderful in its warmth and sincerity. This would have been the perfect last word on the Beatles story. But unfortunately the following year (1971) was to contain some bitter infighting, particularly between John and Paul who even had to sue his fellow bandmates to free himself from the Beatles partnership, not least because of the incumbent Bealtles manager Allen Klein (appointed by John with the support of George and Ringo against Paul's wishes) who did nothing but sow discord....but got found out in the end. Not to mention the pointless and vindictive jibes of the 'Imagine' and 'Ram' albums.brThe last track 'My Mummy's Dead' is a short, harrowing number about the loss of his mother again, this time sureally put to the tune of a nursery rhyme.brPhew. Quite an album, as I have said, not the easiest to listen to. But the raw emotion of this album, combined with the sublime melodies on many of the cuts, and with Lennon on piano (where, let's face it, he wrote his best tunes) it is a moving and beautiful album, none less so 35 years on. Subsequent Lennon albums would often display the same touch of genius that was his and his alone, but nothing came together so majestically as 'John Lennon Plastic Ono Band'. brBy the way, the bonus tracks here, especially on this album, are to quote Samuel Johnson from Blackadder 'like fitting wheels to a tomato: time consuming and completely unnnecessary.'
Angry and yet very touching February 20, 2004
Mr. S. Clarke (UK)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an album that is mixed with emotion from pain to love to anger to sorrow. It is awe inspiring and probably John's best solo work. It was this album, (with Imagine) that showed the gulf in talent between Lennon and McCartney for me. Especially in their solo careers.p"John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" mixes Dr Janov's Primal Scream Therapy in "Mother" with the Dylanesque "Working Class Hero" the very eerie "My Mummy's Dead" and the Athiestic, (in every way),"God" with the Line 'I don't believe in Beatles....'. Which was John's way of saying, 'we're not getting back together, I said I wouldn't be singing "She love's you" when I'm thirty and I meant it.'pI remember when I bought that album after hearing the song "Working Class Hero" my Mum saying to me that it was the only time she accepted the use of the word f***.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
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