Here’s an LP I love that I haven’t listened to for about a decade, John Lennon Plastic Ono Band.
From its opening funereal toll* onwards this is precisely the sort of micro-focused rock star post-therapy album that should be shunned by all as a self-indulgent, pretentious, raw, sicky mess. I absolutely love this LP precisely because it is a brilliantly executed self-indulgent, pretentious, raw, sicky mess.
After his first band split up John Lennon headed for L.A to complete 4 months of primal scream therapy with Arthur Janov. The eviscerating, all-consuming emotional nature of this treatment was an attempt by Lennon to come to terms and mitigate the effects of his childhood losses and abandonment on his life. The therapy was begun but never completed due to visa constraints, but Lennon started to put down demos of the Plastic Ono Band tracks.
The beauty and potency of Plastic Ono Band lies in the simplicity of the songs and arrangements, the rawness of Lennon’s emotional state and the subject matter of his bruised psyche.
Another key is that the LP was mostly recorded as a trio with Klaus Voormann and Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and producer Phil Spector adding piano to a track apiece. This keeps everything focused and decidedly grungy in places.
A brief word on the production: it is the least Spector-like Phil Spector production ever, he just keeps every instrument clear and isolated, excellently recorded, keeping himself out of the way. He should have done that more often.
After hell’s bell finishes pealing we get hit with ‘Mother’, which is a real heart-wrencher, dialling everything back to a child’s most basic needs. I admire the way Lennon wishes them both goodbye and then as his voice deteriorates and cracks with emotion after every repetition of the refrain ‘Mama don’t go/ Daddy come home’, you see how hollow his goodbye is and how this wound won’t ever heal.
‘Hold On’ gives us a much needed spoonful of honey and there is something about that simple guitar line that brings the sun out from behind the clouds. Plus it contains a cookie monster impression part way through, a musical device that is much underused in popular music I feel.
The spare grunged-out rock of ‘I Found Out’ is just awesome and Voormann and Starr hold the line as Lennon supplies a great sparse guitar licks. This hit the streets in December 1970, at least 7 years ahead of its time.
I can remember my mum explaining ‘Working Class Hero’ to me when I was about 14 and hit me hard when I first heard it, stirs something emotional and smart-arsed in me, still does actually. Leaving aside the fact that Lennon never really was working class, the sentiments ring true and sharp**. Plus, you know, swearing.
I think that ‘Isolation’ may actually be a perfect song, vulnerable and slightly bombastic, Lennon’s piano playing on it is just perfect. I hear echoes of it in Dark Side Of The Moon.
For reasons of brevity I’m skipping ‘Remember’ and ‘Love’^ and I’ll hang out with the fucked-up howl of ‘Well Well Well’ instead. I have vague teenage memories of someone making a ballet out of this LP and choreographing this track in particular. This track appears to have sprung fully-formed from an unholy union of ‘Cold Turkey’ and ‘Helter Skelter’^^ and for my mind has Ringo’s greatest drum performance on it. The contrast between the everyday lyrics and the crunch and howl of singer and band is stark. It sounds like an offcut from In Utero in terms of unvarnished intensity and attack.
After the salve of ‘Look At Me’, which is a lovely White Album-esque pastorale we get to Plastic Ono Band‘s big statement, ‘God’. Yes it is pretentious and portentous as hell, but it works. Lennon gives the song so much feeling, attacks it so hard that, after his list of denials^*, sublimely accompanied by Billy Preston’s playing, you really do feel his hard won equilibrium; fragile as it may be. His vocal is incredible, it’s his best song by far.
The less said about how the LP actually finishes the better, it doesn’t work and it irritates me.
For my money Plastic Ono Band is the best music put out there by any ex-Beatle. I appreciate that Lennon’s catharsis doesn’t make for comfortable listening at times, but that’s really why I cherish it. It is very real, very raw.
My copy of Plastic Ono Band is a 1978 US version on Capitol Records, I wonder how it made its way here to my shelves, I bought it in Chester in 1997. There’s probably a Pulitzer winning book/docuseries in that, personally I can’t be bothered.
1172 Down.
*which as an AC/DC obsessive, I’m always a touch disappointed doesn’t roll straight into ‘Hells Bells’.
**folks really do need to stop covering it though, each and every attempt ends in abject fucking failure. Don’t do it musicians!
^the second one wins.
^^despite or because of the latter being a McCartney led one.
^*I don't believe in magic I don't believe in I-ching I don't believe in Bible I don't believe in Tarot I don't believe in Hitler I don't believe in Jesus I don't believe in Jesus I don't believe in Kennedy I don't believe in Buddha I don't believe in Mantra I don't believe in Gita I don't believe in Yoga I don't believe in rugby I don't believe in Wales I don't believe in Kings I don't believe in Elvis I don't believe in Zimmerman I don't believe in Beatles
I’ve never heard this all the way through either, but sounds like I need to! I have to ask, what do you make of the Manics’ take on “Hero”? Have you done that already?
It is a wonderfully raw album this, you just don’t get this sort of searing confessional from ludicrously famous people anymore.
I think the Manics take on ‘Hero’ is so-so, I’ve loved the original since I was about 10 and the swearing actually shocked me, so covers of it (Tin Machine, I’m looking at you also!) don’t really cut the mustard for me I’m afraid.
This is really excellent piece – the result being that I almost want to hear this one! (Can you believe I’ve never listened to a Lennon album?).
Ive never indulged but I can feel your “tough love”.
It’s a powerful, sometimes scarifying LP, for sure. And one prone to generate some strong opinions, too.
I, for one, like Marianne’s version of ‘Hero’. And fine though this one is, ‘All things must pass’ tops my solo-Beatle list quite comfortably, thank you very much.
PS. What’s that ‘authorised’ Beatle book like? The boy is working his way through the Fab catalogue at present (a much needed counterpoint to completing secondary school) and is reading Ian Macdonald’s wonderful ‘Revolution in the Head’ as he completes each album. Parenting is fun.
Hiya Bruce, I hear what you’re saying about Faithful’s cover, it’s a good effort (on a brilliant LP), but even so.
I’m a relative newcomer to ‘All Things’ I only bought my fancy pants box set version last year, I like it a lot but I’m a sucker for Lennon’s ire and bile.
It’s a good read, Revolution is a better guide – that and the illustrated lyrics too. I’ve also got a soft spot for ‘A Day In The Life’ by Hertsgaard too.
Great piece. For me too, it’s all killer, no filler. I have to listen to the whole thing all the way through, ‘difficult’ as it is.
Thanks Matt, there’s something seductive about its starkness for me.
I never listen to this one often, but it hits hard. Working Class Hero and God are two of my favourites. I’ve never thought hard about ‘My Mummy’s Dead’, but you’re right – it’s not very good.
It’s just not a worthy finish for the LP, should have left it as ‘God’.
I love this album and it deserves to be listened to while reading the Lennon interviews with Jan Wenner. I also love this comedy take on this period of Lennon, done by National Lampoon… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qrMEEN6WxM
Genius is Pain – I suffer it too Paul.
As read on record label – Also produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector.
I believe it was a Sesame Street song (speaking of Cookie Monster) that had the lyrics “One of these things is not like the others…”
That song also came out in 1970….hmmm.
The cookie conspiracy?
The cookie monster on this 1970 album was an obvious lookalike, since the real one died in 1969 at a Hollywood movie studio during the filming of the “moon landing”
I believe that 1978 U.S. pressing was given to John himself in New York.
Then he brought it over the ocean because he had a vision there would one day be a musical heir that could have the power the Beatles once had, and this person would eventually end up with said album.
Just let me know when you are done with all the groupies and hangers-on if you want to discuss the book/docuseries further.
Thanks Bop. I’ll book you in for a chat next Spring.
Hopefully there will be a time of airing out all the female pheromones.
Maybe wait until next Summer.