Mind Games? My head is battered (Mind Games - John Lennon)

Member Name: NikkiH

Product:	Mind Games - John Lennon
Date:	26/10/02 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It is average

Disadvantages: It is average

Sometimes when I read some of the brilliant music reviews on this site, I worry that my music tastes are too shallow, and that I do not appreciate some of the most influential musicians of the 20th Century such as Pink Floyd and Peter Andre...no maybe not the second one, but that was all I could think of. Well the chance came this week to open up my mind and take in some of the music of one of the most critically acclaimed artists of his time....John Lennon. My husband brought home a copy of this 1973 CD, Lennon?s 8th solo album, coming 2 years after the legendary ?Imagine?, so I have played it, listened to it and thought about it, and here is my review.

This CD was made right in the middle of a time John referred to as ?The Lost Weekend? as he and Yoko split up for 2 years, and he found himself reunited with in work with Ringo Starr, however this CD does not show a man enjoying the bachelor lifestyle, in fact it is quite the opposite, and shows a man who is clearly longing for the woman who is truly believed was his soul mate, someone without whom he felt only one half of a whole. He was also battling with US immigration officials to try and stay in America. He produced and arranged the whole album himself, therefore on here we get the real Lennon.

The first track is the title track ?Mind Games?, and it held no surprises for me. There were the obligatory references to peace and politics, coupled with a pleasant melody. A nice enough start, but then he tries to do a cheap impression of a country singer with ?Tight A$? (why a dollar sign I do not know). This is the kind of song I can imagine being a firm favourite in a line dancing class. Not for me I am afaid. The strangely titles ?Aisumasen? (I?m Sorry) changes the mood once again. It is a song which was obviously written about Yoko. Lennon sings about how he will never hurt her or cause her pain again, and is actually my favourite song out of them all on this CD. It is full of yearning, and he s
ings the words with so much emotion. A truly beautiful ballad.

?One Day (at a time)? had me frowning for the first minute or so, because Lennon sings in a falsely high and very out of tune voice, and then I know there is no hope for this song when the phrase ?you are my world? is repeated time and time again. I love a good love song as much as anyone else, but this is vomit inducing. ?Bring On The Lucie (Freeda Peeple)? is clearly a politically motivated song, but I am still not sure who it is directed at, and if anyone can enlighten me I will be grateful.

?Nutopian International Anthem? is about a conceptual country created by John and Yoko, and this is announced on the cover, and the country is governed by cosmic law. I really missed out on the chemical high which may make this a sensible statement. ?Intuition? is a really good upbeat song, and is very reminiscent of The Beatles as it is very positive and hopeful, something which is rarely heard in a Lennon song. ?Out Of The Blue? is another ballad, and once again it is for Yoko, and it is painfully obvious.

?Only People? reminds me of Elton John and I don?t even know why. Maybe it is the pop/rock piano accompaniment. Who knows? This song is about people who make a difference, and who enlist other people to help change the world. ?I Know (i know)? is a harmonious track, which I am sure acoustically this would have been a very impressive track. It does not stand out on here though. ?You Are Here? is about...yes you?ve guessed it...John and Yoko. There is only so much you can say about you relationship before it becomes boring, and Lennon is there now...I am starting to get bored. My heart just isn?t in it now.

?Meat City? is the final track. Will it finish the album in style I wondered. It tries, it really does. It is a track with a real rock influence, but the timing just feels off. The melody feels like it was written for some other lyrics, as Lennon seems to struggle to fit
the words in with the music. A very strange end. I am shaking my head, still wondering if I have missed something.

There I am just over 40 minutes later, and I have listened to a decent album with solid lyrics, a couple of notable, but not wholly memorable ballads, but still not impressive. It is just missing a certain something, maybe direction or consistency, or maybe I have to finally admit that although listening to this was not a painful experience, it still has not made me wonder what I have been missing out on.

I am afraid that I will not be jumping onto the Lennonmania bandwagon just yet.
This CD is actually a year older than me and it is has not aged too well. It is being re-released on 5th November, remastered and with some bonus tracks, and I know that Amazon are offering it for 7.99.

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