Mind Games
John Lennon
Michael Brecker, Yoko Ono
Engineer: Roy Cicala, Dan Barbiero,
Producer: John Lennon
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, 2004
1 CD
Catalogue #: 761
EAN: 0821797076128
UPC: 821797076128
You save: 25%
Personnel: John Lennon (vocals); Dr. Winston O Boogie & Los Paranoias (guitar, Clavinet, percussion); David Spinozza (guitar); Sneaky Pete (pedal steel guitar); Michael Brecker (saxophone); Ken Ascher (piano, organ, Mellotron); Gordon Edwards (bass instrument); Jim Keltner, Rick Marotta (drums); Something Different (background vocals).
Recording information: The Record Plant, New York, New York (1973).
On this disc, Lennon tackles his usual messages including love (of Yoko and mankind in general), peppy optimism in the face of dire circumstances, and humorous observations of crazy times and conditions. The breadth of his interests has always been gargantuan, and somehow when Lennon switches between the global focus of the title track to the personal "Yoko (I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, Yoko)," he convinces us that these sentiments are not all that far apart. The playful, sexy "Tight As" is a jaunty rockabilly number reminding us that Lennon knows where he comes from.
On "One Day At A Time," a love song with nursery rhyme metaphors, Lennon's silvery falsetto, usually featured in Beatle background vocals, takes the lead and is truly heart-wrenching. The surreal, country dream pop of "You Are Here," with its steel guitars and leisurely tempo, pre-dates the luxurious kd lang/Ben Mink approach. To resist chanting along with the chorus on "Bring On The Lucie (Freeda Peeple)" would be near impossible--it is as infectious as it is politically correct. Special kudos to Gordon Edwards, whose sure and melodic bass playing could turn Paul McCartney's head.
Tracklist
John Lennon
After exiting the Beatles, John Lennon cast off all artistic shackles and explored his muse fervently. Employing everything from primal screams to hard-rock minimalism, 1950s rock & roll, and plaintive balladry, Lennon simultaneously exorcised his personal demons and promoted a vision of utopian possibilities for the world's future. After a five-year retreat from the spotlight, during which he concentrated on raising his son Sean, John re-emerged with the striking comeback album DOUBLE FANTASY, on which he was aided, as ever, by his constant life/art companion Yoko Ono. Lennon's newly re-energized progress was tragically halted shortly after the album's release by the bullets of a crazed assassin's gun.
Michael Brecker
As one half of the famous Brecker Brothers, saxophonist Michael Brecker defined the sound of modern electric funk-jazz in the '70s. Since the 1980s, he has been one of the most in-demand session players, appearing on hundreds of recordings in both the jazz and pop fields, and his solo albums have received several Grammys. Brecker is known for his powerful tone, monstrous chops, and endless soloing stamina. He passed away from a leukemia-related illness in early 2006.
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono began as an avant garde conceptual artist in the '60s, part of the neo-Dadaist Fluxus crowd, and was a highly esteemed player in those circles. She was thrust into a much larger arena when she fell in love with and married John Lennon. Misunderstood in the early years of their relationship, she was blamed for the Beatles' inevitable breakup and her experimental compositions were widely misapprehended by pop audiences. Her more accessible work with Lennon, like DOUBLE FANTASY, won her more mainstream acceptance, and even after her husband's death she has continued as a vital solo artist.
