JOHN LENNON - ROCK 'N ROLL
Imagine you are at a camp deep in the woods with a couple of your oldest friends; it is late at night, you have had a few beers and need to pick things up a little - this album will do it.
John Lennon usually brings to mind ballads of peace and love enhanced by his talent for superb production values and innovative sound techniques, or maybe even his experimental music inspired by Yoko Ono. He also wrote powerful songs with intensely personal lyrics and full of emotion; almost to the point of baring his soul. But there is another John Lennon - the rock and roller. This recording from 1975 is John Lennon getting back to his roots before he was a Beatle - no political statements or studio innovations, no distortion or looping tapes and overdubs. This is his way of connecting with the past and with the artists who inspired him to make music in the first place.
Lennon does his rendition of many of the rock and roll classics from the 50's and 60's and manages to give them his own special treatment while remaining faithful to the original recordings. There is even some between track chatter adding an impromptu and genuine feel to the recording. "Stand By Me" "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Peggy Sue" are just a few of the standards covered as Lennon pays tribute to Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Buddy Holly.
Technically speaking, this is not a great album by the usual high standards attributed to an ex-Beatle but the sound is crisp and uncluttered and it is one of my perennial favorites nonetheless. It is an obvious labour of love and that is what makes it so enjoyable and enduring. That and the fact that everyone knows these songs and can sing along or at least clap along to the familiar tunes. My only copy of this recording is on a cassette tape - a medium that is quickly becoming obsolete so you can bet this is on my Itunes wish list. A great album for a singalong around a bonfire by the lake, or to listen to while the burgers are cooking.
This is John Lennon unplugged from all the accumulated musical baggage that comes with fame; this is the student paying tribute to his teachers while having a good old time. There is no political agenda here, no hidden message. Just rock and roll - and I like it.
I rate this album 8 out of 10.
1 comment:
You should borrow my copy of The Beatles, the Biography by Bob Spitz. It starts right back at the John Lennon at 16 learning rock and roll from the masters, Really takes you back there.
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