Lennon CD catalogue

[John Carsell]

When will John Lennon on CD ever find justice? I'm bettin' if he were still alive he'd be ashamed of Capitol/EMI's crappy work on his catalogue.

The remasteres of Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey were OK compared to the rest of his stuff that's out there.


For example Mind Games : 35 minutes of ear bleedin' (mixed with AM radio in mind I guess, could really use a better mix-more BASS)

Rock and Roll: Mudville. I wish who ever is placing the pillows in front of my speakers whenever I listen to this one would stop it.

Live Peace in Toronto 1969: Not a bad sounding disc mind you but that remixing job gave us more Yoko on Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Yer Blues. Gee thanks.

The list goes on.

[Gary]

So I'd better keep my vinyl, huh?

Thanks for the warning........... :(

[PsychFan]

I've listened to all of Lennon's solo work -- most of it on vinyl AND CD -- and can tell you a lot of it doesn't sound very good no matter what the medium is.

Albums like Mind Games and Rock and Roll were rather poorly recorded IMO. Very mushy, cluttered and muffled, with very little detail.

Also IMO, although each insisted on doing it many times, neither Lennon, Harrison nor (to a lesser extent) McCartney were ever very good at being their own producers. (I know, Spector was involved in some of Rock and Roll, but he was not exactly "with it" at the time ...)

By the way, I was never aware that Live Peace in Toronto had been remixed. Was it? When? That's one that I've only ever heard on LP ...

[Andrew]

Originally posted by Jeff Partyka

By the way, I was never aware that Live Peace in Toronto had been remixed. Was it? When? That's one that I've only ever heard on LP ...

The credit on the 1995 CD reads: "Remixed from the original 8 track tapes by Rob Sevens at Quad Recording. Digitally remastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound."

[Uncle Al]

Hmmmm..... looks like they snuck that remix of Live Peace right before my eyes...

[christopher]

a remaster of "walls and bridges" would be appreciated, too.

later, chris

[TimM]

I agree that most of Lennons albums are not great recordings, but they have still been treated badly on CD. My original issue LP of Mind Games sounds much better than the CD version and I think that is true of Walls and Bridges as well.

[Dave]

Other than the typical smiley face eq. problem the MFSL Double Fantasy is really good and wins hands down over any other cd version that I've heard.

Whatever in Gods green earth made either John or Yoko think that she was good enough to be put on an album.:rolleyes:

[Sckott]

You have to understand that both Phil Spector and John recorded everything in just that way. Listening to demos, a lot of their raw tracks sound great, but they have used ways to "Spectorize" the sound to a much different sounding product.

Still, a lot of the early masters from EMI had No-noise on em. Mind Games DOES sound muddy, but it's not the fault of mastering, from what I've heard, it's the product meaning to sound just that way.

True too of the Double Fantasy MFSL. That's GOD coming through them speakers!

[Matt]

I agree, the MFSL "Double Fantasy" is much more pleasing to the ears than the recent remaster (I think Peter Mew was given special thanks on the recent remaster...wonder what he did?), but I don't think the MFSL CD's have the "smiley face" EQ on them. For the most part, I thought MFSL CD's were cut relatively flat. Anyone else know?

P.S. I have the reissues for the Lennon material, too, but I'm beginning to totally see what Steve means about remixing. It really DOES change the feel of the recording. And as one person mentioned, that echo on John's voice when he sings "I just believe in me..." on "God" really does bother me. I wish Steve would do "Plastic Ono Band," but it's such a poor selling album, and the rights are probably tough to get...

[Dave]

Matt,

Actually there were quite a few of the MFSL's with the smiley face eq. problem but the worst that I've heard so far has got to be Heart: S/T, the highs are so shrill it absolutely causes pain at high volumes.:(

[Vivaldinization]

Naturally, my opinion here is unpopular, but I think the recent Lennon reissues (yes, including ANthology) sound fine. They're remixed, but I'm of the crew that didn't particularly feel terribly attached to the original mixes anyway. The no-noise isn't terribly overdone (esp. as it was applied to separate tracks), and you can tell the crew learned a LOT since Yellow Submarine (which was good overall, but had some nasty ****-ups, like Eleanor Rigby's desynching).

-D

[Matt]

Don't sweat it, David. Feel free to express any opinion, whether it be in dissent or in agreement.

This isn't a political party, it's a music forum.:D

[czeskleba]

Originally posted by David Goodwin
Naturally, my opinion here is unpopular, but I think the recent Lennon reissues (yes, including ANthology) sound fine. They're remixed, but I'm of the crew that didn't particularly feel terribly attached to the original mixes anyway. The no-noise isn't terribly overdone (esp. as it was applied to separate tracks),


Yeah, I actually like the remix of Imagine, too. I like the fact that they removed some of the Spectorian murk and the echo from John's voice, heretical an opinion as that may be. I could have done without the NoNoise, though, but you are right that it's used much more subtly than Mew or Astley's work.

[John Carsell]

Lennon mixed both Mind Games and Walls and Bridges by himself. Both of those sound better on UK versions of the CD's since no-noise was not used on those.

For my money the UK 180 gram vinyl reissue of Walls and Bridges from a couple of years ago sounds the best way to go on this one.

[FabFourFan]

Originally posted by Dave
Whatever in God's green earth made either John or Yoko think that she was good enough to be put on an album.:rolleyes: Aw, c'mon, Yoko had already released a bunch of great albums,
and many music critics felt that the Yoko songs on Double Fantasy were stronger than the John songs!

However, there's little disagreement that Yoko's music often lacks even a hint of leavening irony,
and tends to be, um, a bit too 'artistic' for the 'Top Of The Pops' crowd, to say the least. :)

[Dave]

FFF,

Aw c'mon Yoko couldn't sing her way out of a wet paper bag and yes I'm a professional singer.

[Douglas]

Originally posted by Dave
FFF,

Aw c'mon Yoko couldn't sing her way out of a wet paper bag and yes I'm a professional singer.

Yoko was/is a brilliant singer/musician. Not everyone appreciates her art or singing style, but Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band and Fly are excellent records. Yoko (or I) may feel the same way about your singing as you do hers.

[GuyDon]

I have to agree with FFF and Douglas. Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band and Fly are fantastic albums. One listen to Why & Mindtrain and I became an instant convert. Her last two albums, Rising and Blueprint for a Sunrise, are also very strong. However, in my opinion, her 1980's albums (It's Alright and Starpeace) do not hold up very well.

[PsychFan]

You have to admit that Lennon's material on Double Fantasy sounds almost staid and very conventional next to Yoko's songs. Hers clearly showed more contemporary influence and, dare I say it, creativity.

The high point of Yoko's musical achievement for me is her Approximately Infinite Universe album (Apple, 1972). I actually bought the Ryko double CD, and there are some great tracks. The caterwauling and tuneless material were gone, and she seemed to make a concerted effort to record a commercially viable album. It was championed by those involved in the feminist movement very strongly, and even attracted some critical acclaim. "Death of Samantha," "Yang Yang" and "Looking Over from My Hotel Window" are actually really, really good tunes. Listen with an open mind.

Oh yeah, her 1981 single "Walking on Thin Ice" is pretty cool as well.

[Paul Chang]

Originally posted by FabFourFan
Aw, c'mon, Yoko had already released a bunch of great albums,
and many music critics felt that the Yoko songs on Double Fantasy were stronger than the John songs!


The critics' opinions mean diddly-squat to me. The critics are those who couldn't make it themselves. We can all be critics, except Dave.;) I think more highly of the opinions expressed on this forum than the so called critics'.:)

[Paul Chang]

Originally posted by Douglas


Yoko was/is a brilliant singer/musician. Not everyone appreciates her art or singing style, but Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band and Fly are excellent records. Yoko (or I) may feel the same way about your singing as you do hers.

Different strokes for different folks. I guess what Yoko Ono generates fills your bill.

It doesn't matter how Yoko feels about Dave's singing or vice versa. What really matters is how the paying public, not the "critics", feel about Yoko's or Dave's singing.

[Chip Stylus]

I have a UK MFP (emi's reissue label) pressing of Mind Games,
sounds pretty good, a lot better than the cd in fact.

they are common in dump bins sealed, as they were released at the dawn of the cd onslaught.

[christopher]

Originally posted by GuyDon
However, in my opinion, her 1980's albums (It's Alright and Starpeace) do not hold up very well.

true enough. after self-producing IT'S ALRIGHT, ono brought in bill laswell--and a lot of his downtown NYC music cronies--for STARPEACE. it was kind of like having herbie hancock's "rock it" band backing up yoko ono. must have looked good on paper, but the reality produced mixed results.

SEASON OF GLASS still produces chills for me, though. and i agree with most of the board's asessment of POB and FLY; great, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants rock and roll.

and to the folks who view her as a no-talent, i'll simply say that she was an established artist years before she met lennon and she remains one to this day, no matter what medium she works in.

and lennon, with his art school background, recognized this. and for all his love for rock and roll, i think he realized maybe there was something more to music than verse/bridge/chorus. yoko ono was his portal into that other world, and after studying with john cage and lamont young in the early 60's, ono was well prepared to guide lennon through this world.

later, chris

[Andy]

I got Imagine on cd import from Japan and thought it souned fine.