Classic Albums: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 'Classic Albums' series document the making of seminal pop albums
(Paul Simon's 'Graceland', Bob Marley's 'Catch a Fire', Fleetwood
Mac's 'Rumours', to name but a few of the previous releases) through
interviews with participants and associates and the playing of master
tapes (more on that later). This new 52' feature documents the making
of John Lennon's first 'proper' (i.e. accessible to the public at
large) studio album, 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band', recorded in the
fall of 1970 and released in December of that year.
Although light on the rare video side of things - there appears to be
no available footage of the sessions, so the producers have collected
little-seen (but previously circulating) clips of John attending the
Alexandra Palace psychedelic event in London (29 April 1967) and
sequences from the BBC '24 Hour' documentary (shown on 15 December
1969) -, the real treat for Beatles videos collectors are
previously-unseen excerpts of John and Yoko's appearance on
'Parkinson' (17 July 1971) which, to my knowledge, haven't been seen
since the original transmission. Other clips from that show have been
included in various programmes over the years, notably 'Imagine'
(1972) and 'Imagine, John Lennon' (1988) but the ones on this DVD are
different.
We also get new interviews with people involved in the making of the
album (Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Klaus Vormann, engineers Phil McDonald
and John Leckie), music critics (Jann Wenner, who interviewed Lennon
at length in December 1970 for 'Rolling Stone,' and Richard Williams),
the man responsible for inspiring the album (Dr. Arthur Janov,
proponent of the primal scream theory, whose seminar John and Yoko had
attended in the summer of 1970), Beatle historian Mark Lewisohn
(author of the superb 'The Beatles' Recording Sessions' and 'The
Complete Beatles Chronicles'), as well as Elliot Mintz, who was not
involved with the album at all. My impression is that the latter's
inclusion is due to the fact that he appears to be groomed, as Yoko's
PR man, to take over as guardian of John's legacy the day she passes
away. Here's someone else who'll be ready on day one...
But the main drawing point of this DVD, and what makes it in my
opinion an essential addition to any Lennon fan's collection, is the
playing of the original multitrack tapes at Abbey Road by the
engineers who worked on the album. As they isolate various tracks, we
get to hear John's spine-chilling voice on its own or the various
instruments on the - very spare - backing tracks (which usually
consisted simply of John on guitar or piano, Ringo on drums and Klaus
on bass).
We also get shots of various EMI Tape boxes, indicating the precise
recording dates of various songs on the album. Up until now, the only
known session date for a particular song was 9 October 1970, John's
30th birthday, when he recorded 'Remember'. Here are the dates we now
have:
26 Sep 1970: 'Mother' (take 61 -- possibly an in-joke, as this was the
first day of recording), 'Working Class Hero' (takes 1-9)
27 Sep 1970: 'God' (takes 1-2 of an alternate, acoustic guitar-based
version), 'Well Well Well' (takes 3-4)
30 Sep 1970: 'Hold On' (takes 1-6)
7 Oct 1970: 'Look at Me' (take 1), 'God' (takes 1-8 of a remake, still
guitar-based)
9 Oct 1970: 'Remember' (takes 1-4)
17 Oct 1970: 'Mother' (possibly a vocal overdub session)
24 Oct 1970: 'Mother' (another possible vocal overdub session)
There is another session sheet, but the date is cropped out in the
documentary. On that unspecified date (probably late September), they
recorded 'Isolation' (takes 24-29) and 'Well Well Well' (takes 5-6 of
a remake).
In addition to the 52' documentary, there's 35' of bonus
footage. On many DVDs, this is filled with boring stuff
considered not good enough to be included in the main feature. Here,
though, it's simply more great isolation mixes, two clips from John's
1972 concert at Madison Square Garden ('Well Well Well' and 'Mother'),
and the 'holding up signs' version of 'Instant Karma!' (broadcast on
'Top of the Pops' on 19 February 1970) in pristine quality.
* Spoiler alert! Don't read any further if you want to be
surprised by the musical contents of this DVD! *
The multitracks played are:
- a mostly complete 'Remember' (with some stop-and-starts and a recent
clip of Klaus playing the bass line at home) and an earlier (fun,
faster) take, which was partially released on 'John Lennon Anthology'
in 1998. This multitrack mixdown starts earlier, though.
- isolated tracks of 'Well Well Well', 'Working Class Hero', 'God'
(the released version and an alternate, acoustic guitar-based take),
'Mother', 'Isolation', 'Love.'
Bamiyan
Beatles on DVD

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"John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band" was John Lennon's first solo studio album after the break up of The Beatles. Both John & Yoko had been undergoing primal scream therapy in the lead up to the recording of the album and both this and Yoko Ono's companion album ("Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band") were deeply influenced by their therapy. This latest addition to Eagle's acclaimed Classic Albums series explores the creation of this groundbreaking album through new interviews, archive footage and detailed analysis of the original multi-track masters. Interviewees include Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and bass player Klaus Voorman.TRACK LISTING: Features excerpts from: Mother - Hold On - Isolation - I Found Out - Love - God - Working Class Hero - and more...

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Gimme Some Truth - The Making of John Lennon's "Imagine" Review

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(More customer reviews)As with almost every archival Beatles-related release, this is another product that tries to straddle the line of being for the collector and the casual fan both (leaving neither really happy with the end result). Once again they have erred on the favor of the casual fan, who will not be the one buying the majority of this release. Capitol/EMI never seem to learn from the great bootlegs how to compile really good releases.
If you have Imagine (the videos film), and Imagine (the documentary film), and Yoko Ono Then and Now, and the John Lennon videos collection, then you already have more of THIS video than you SHOULD have. The NEW stuff in this video is GREAT! Where is the rest of it? I could have gone for way more recording scenes, this hardly shows George playing, no King Curtis, no Badfinger. Just enough to tease us, then back to more recycled footage. Obviously these people filmed everything they did almost all the time, so why do we have to keep seeing the same scenes over and over again in each (NEW?) product. I am all for putting things in context, but the old stuff makes the basis for this dvd, not the new stuff. Just enough is left out of each product that you have to buy all of them, but once you have them it's pretty redundant. Of course the casual fan is not going to care because they will only see one of the versions, but for the rest of us this is getting really old. They also took the cheap way out and left in all the dust, hairs, scratches, and streaks in the video too, rather than cleaning it up like Yellow Sub. And, unlike Yellow Sub, the 5.1 soundtrack is not that big of a deal musically, and not that sonically different from the cd remaster.
The extra interview is nice, since they went out of their way to make that complete. I just wish as much thought would have gone into the main feature. Do you need this? Yes. If it's the only Lennon video you have, you'll probably be pretty happy, and it's much better than the videos version Imagine. If you have all the others, you still need this because there is just enough new to re-sell you the old again.

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GIMME SOME TRUTH:MAKING OF IMAGINE - DVD Movie

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The U.S. vs. John Lennon Review

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(More customer reviews)THE US VS. JOHN LENNON is a riveting documentary that shows how the judicial and immigration system works in the United States. John Lennon was placed under the microscope by President Nixon and the US FBI during the early 1970s because he posed as a threat to Nixon's political campaign, and an intense influence on the youth of America as a result of his music and iconoclastic image. Bottom line, the film focuses on Lennon's activism as well as the controversial and gray aspects of the meaning of activism and dissent.
Director David Leaf interweaves Lennon's music within the documentary with a collage of images of the mop-top Beatle to the bearded-hippie shouting for world peace from an Amsterdam hotel room alongside the press and fellow peers. The core participants and leaders of the late 1960s and early 1970s are presented in the film, such as John Sinclair, Angela Davis, J. Edgar Hoover, President Richard M. Nixon, and various writers and journalists who reported about Lennon. The interesting aspect are the recent interviews of those political activists who attempted to make a mark on society. Within Leaf's documentary is the past, but the political atmosphere of the present appears to parallel or bear similarities to the past.
THE US VS. JOHN LENNON is entertaining. In light of serious events that occurred in Lennon's life, he tend to press on. There are funny moments in the film as well as serious ones. But the film also presents the chilling aspects of the system of government, and the powers that be. Lennon may have been one the last influential figures of the 1960s who spoke and sang a thousand words to a generation that just wanted to be listened and understood, and politics did not stop him from creating his love of music for all to hear.
This film is highly recommended for all Lennon fans as well as those who would like to understand the relationship between politics and music.

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The compelling and provocative story of John Lennon's evolution from beloved Beatle to outspoken artist and activist to iconic inspiration for peace, and how, in the midst of one of the most tumultuous times in American history, Lennon stood his ground, refused to be silenced and courageously won his battle with the U.S. Government.

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The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're here looking at this DVD chances are the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show is meaningful to you. This is ground zero for modern Rock music, sure Elvis popularized Rock `n Roll, but this is where everything switches from singles to Albums and later to an Art form. The performances speak for themselves; the Boys are in fine form and in spite of the antiquated, very primitive sound system they sound great. This new version of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan DVD has been improved, the picture is brighter and a bit more clean, the 5:1 surround sound is quite good. If you're playing this through a surround sound system, the subwoofer handles the bass parts very nicely with little or no audible rumble, the vocals are clear and the overall presentation is quite remarkable especially considering the circumstances. A must buy for anyone of a certain age who wants to bask in the glory of the old days, and for newcomers who want to see what the fuss was all about. If you have the original SOFA release and you don't have a surround sound sytem, the old version will suffice, if you've got the Surround Sound, then spring for the new one, it's worth the investment. You shoulda been there.

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THE 4 COMPLETE ED SULLIVAN SHOWS STARRING THE BEATLES,DIGITALLY REMASTERED AND INCLUDING SOME PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL, TO BE ISSUED ON DVD BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES When The Beatles stepped onto Sullivan's New York stage on Sunday, February 9, 1964, to make their American TV debut, 86 percent of all TVs on at that hour--73 million Americans--tuned in. It was the most-watched program in history to that point and remains one of the most-watched programs of all time. Nearly 50 years after the four landmark live performances of The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show," those legendary appearances with newly remastered audio and carefully restored video will finally be made available worldwide on home video through a major distributor. The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles will be released September 7, 2010. The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles was produced by SOFA Entertainment. "We used the full extent of today's technology," says Andrew Solt, Executive Producer and CEO of SOFA Entertainment. "The quality is better than it ever was, in fact, better than when the shows aired, especially visually. For example, the February 16 performance was from Miami's Deauville Hotel, not from a studio. The quality of the tape image was very fragile. We went back and improved it frame by frame." With a running time of more than 250 minutes, The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles presents those shows uncut, including not only all of the other performances but also all of the original commercials. Also included is The Cast of Oliver! (featuring a young Davy Jones) singing"I'll Do Anything For You."The audio is available in both mono and a 5.1 remix. In addition, the new DVD set has been augmented with approximately 13 minutes of additional footage.

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John Lennon's New York - A Magical History Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)Want to visit all the New York sites significant in John Lennon's life but don't know where to start? This DVD should be required viewing before planning such a trip. Interviews with Bob Gruen, David Peel, and Lennon's Japanese language instructor provide a fascinating portrait of his New York years. Susan Ryan also interjects interesting facts about the history of New York itself. If you can't see these sites in person, "John Lennon's New York" is the next best thing!

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For almost a quarter of his life, John Lennon lived in New York, his ultimate tribute to his love of American music and people (though frequently not their politics) Guided by Trina Yannicos, whose life is spent conducting fans around the sites of New York that will be forever associated with this amazing personality, and accompanied by Susan Ryan, we make a grand tour of the Big Apple, honing in on the sites that will be for ever associated with The Beatles and John Lennon.

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Nowhere Boy (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sam Taylor-Wood's Nowhere Boy is a marvelously moving depiction of the early life of John Lennon, covering the period from when he is about fifteen and first becoming interested in music to when he is nineteen, when he and his band, The Quarrymen, are about to leave for a gig in Hamburg that would see them emerge as the band known all over the world as the Beatles.
Everything about this film works. Not only because of a great cast of actors, but in the way that it captures the look and feel not only of Liverpool in the late 50's and early 60's, but also of the transitioning music scene of the period, dominated in the beginning by American jazz and rock & roll but soon to be overturned by what would be called (on our side of the pond anyway) as the British Invasion. One of the many remarkable achievements that Taylor-Wood manages to pull off in the film is the subtle way in which she shows Lennon starting with influences like Buddy Holly and Elvis but then slowly moving to create his own sound, particularly after he connects with an even younger Paul McCartney.
The performances of the entire cast are worthy of praise, but two I feel deserve special attention: Aaron Johnson as John Lennon, and Kristin Scott Thomas as his Aunt Mimi. Johnson was best known for his perfomance as the title character in the cult super-hero film Kick-Ass, but his immersion in Lennon's character in Nowhere Boy was so thorough that he was almost unrecognizable. Scott Thomas, a veteran actress of many films of note, including The English Patient, Four Weddings And A Funeral, and The Other Boleyn Girl, was more recognizable, but all the more remarkable for bringing off the very complex character of Lennon's Aunt Mimi, the woman who raised him from the age of five. To bring out Mimi, Scott Thomas has to portray a woman who is tough as nails, making the hard decisions in life while keeping her inner feelings to herself, but who does in fact have feelings that every now and then must come out for the people she does in fact care deeply about. It is a highly challenging role and Scott Thomas pulls it off magnificently. Both performances are Oscar-worthy and I sincerely hope that the Academy will give them the recognition they so richly deserve.
I highly recommend this film for anyone with an interest in John Lennon, the Beatles, the music of this highly important period, or simply in the lives of musicians and how they become the people the world comes to know. Or for anyone who just loves an extraordinarily well-crafted movie with stellar performances and a truly moving story.

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Studio: Sony Pictures Home EntRelease Date: 01/25/2011Run time: 98 minutesRating: R

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