Lennon

[OzziePete]

In Australia, I was at work as a 19 year old, headlong into music and trying to make sense of the finance company busines I was getting paid to work for. Poeple came back from lunch saying they'd heard that John Lennon had been shot, and I was stunned, I mean who would shoot him? It's not like he was Bob Marley.......but I guess in hindsight his status was too alarming for some.

Personally I hated him when I was growing up as a kid, but grew to firstly appreciate then love the stances he took musically. Politically I thought a lot of his comments and protests were off beat at best or just plain goofy.

Of course, following his death there was a lot of literature about him and it is obvious that he was flawed man, very angry at times, and one who could lash out with the worst sort of ascerbic wit to cut people down in front of others. He certainly wasn't perfect & if others are saying he was a hypocrite then that's fine with me too.

But the thing was, he used his public status to raise issues, he could have easily steered clear of controversial subjects and not become a lantern for many a cause. Let's see Justin Beiber or any bright smart pop icon start up a conversation about Afghanistan today and see how far they'll get. At least Lennon TRIED...

I think his 5 year break was more behind the scenes warranted than what his public comment has attributed it to. I suspect he had that many socialist counter revolutionaries knocking at his door plus also the spotlight of the FBI on him, that he was probably best advised to lay low. Also he may have been burnt out and in need of a break.

Personally I was highly anticipating of Double Fantasy when it was released. I wanted to see how his music had adapted to the times. I bought the album on the first day of release in Australia. Yeah, Yoko is on it, but the concept is interesting and the way he 'sold' it to the public was interesting too. I got the feeling he was only starting to work his career up again.

That is why I am so angry at his murder. As a fan I haven't seen his completed work.... I feel robbed with only Double Fantasy and Walking on Thin Ice as the legacies of what he had in mind at that time.

I didn't know why at the time I was so angry, other than at someone would kill a person who was so well loved throughout the world and who had spoken about peace. But later, I understood my own selfish anger at missing out on the rest of the story....

This really sunk in when Live Aid was on in 1985. McCartney came on for the last number at Wembley and did Let It Be, and I got so bloody angry. I realised that if there had been a moment when there could have been a possibility of a performance from The Beatles - if all had been alive at the time - then that would have been it! Lennon was always adament that The Beatles would never reform for money and this would have been a perfect vehicle to do it. The roar from the Wembley crowd would have knocked the satellites off their orbit.

Here's his last known recording, he was working on this song on the night he was killed. It is also freaky that the trem clashing guitar sounds remarkably like his old Rickenbacker...a lot of folks suggest it is.....

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J7X7s8S1ns[/youtube]

 

[ptirman]

Thanks for that. You know Ozzie Pete, He actually said in the interview that I saw on Imagine:John Lennon, the BBC show last night, that he was completely willing to do a reunion recording or live show with the Beatles again. He' said they'd buried the hatchet and the "wounds had healed". He made his mark. I just think he could have done more, what a shame.  Life and death goes on. Great music out there. A lot was influenced by this man.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Didn't he die on December 8th? :icon_scratch:

Yes. 12/8/80. I was 21 at the time. Quite a shocker.

So why are we posting a day early?

Close enough.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I think John was the tortured soul of the group and provided most of the negativity, but hell I wasn't in the group.  George may have been the guy that brough the room down, who knows?  That may have been some of the yin and yang that made the songwriting duo the sucess it was for the band.  Paul:  I've got to believe it's getting better.  Lennon:  Couldn't get much worse.

My favorite Beatles stuff was the stuff he sang, but I didn't care much for the solo stuff. 

 

[Hbom]

Thirty years and 3 hours ago I was on my way to work when I heard over the radio that John Lennon had been murdered. It was raining and I pulled off the road in Boring, Oregon. I sat and stared at the rain on my windshield and wondered what in hell had become of our world.
Not that I was a huge Lennon fan. I listened to the Beatles but was more into The Stones as a kid. By 80 The Beatles had been gone for a decade and Yoko had onosized John to the point that I had a hard time hearing what he said through her screaming. No one had heard any new music from him in quite awhile. And Shaved Fish was not a highlight in his career. Then he was dead!
And all I could do was imagine.
I know it's impossible for most of you to imagine pre-Beatles America and I'm not going to try to explain it. But I will say that I had turned 14 five days before the lads played Sullivan the 1st time. And my dad wouldn't let us watch it because they all had long hair!
Most people wouldn't consider that hair long today. Or even consider the hair.
In spite of their hair everyone was singing "I want to hold your hand" the next day. In fact we sang Beatle tunes everyday for the next 6 years. And then some.
Their music has been out again lately (heroes) and we're all listening to them digitally corrected now. Still it's impossible for many of you to imagine the impact some of those albums had on us. Imagine any other group that achieved such success in a dozen years. Or 30.
I was in South East Asia when the Stars & Stripes told me that Lennon had told the world he was more important than Jesus! Boy! I hated him for awhile for that one. Later I would realize that this was a major distortion of the facts. Over the years I've found that a lot of what I thought I knew about John Lennon was a major distortion of the facts.
I do believe that without Lennon and his song writing, music as we know it would not be what it is today.
And just as there was a time when I couldn't imagine Mick & Keith on stage in their 70's, I can't imagine what the world would be like with out Lennon's music today.
So while you're all talking about him today, good or bad, try to imagine what the world could have been if he was right and we had listened.
And try to Imagine the music we haven't heard because of what Mark Chapman did.


edit:sorry about the missed comma

Imagine that J.edger killed the J's. Jimi, James, Janis & John.

 

[ptirman]

Thanks hbom that was outstanding.

 

[AprioriMark]

On topic, I was weeks from turning 3 when he was killed.  I don't remember the day, but I sorta remember the period.  We were moving (shocker; air force family), and staying with my mother's parents for a short time.  Apparently, my mother's mother came down the stairs, sat my mother down, and said, "don't get too upset, but Jack Lemon was just killed in New York."  My mother later heard that *John *Lennon was killed, which was a bit of a different thing~

I guess I'm the only one with a funny story around such an awful day.

-Mark

 

[bagman67]

I learned of Lennon's shooting from Howard Cosell during Monday Night Football when I was a freshman in high school.  Since then, I'm reminded of the early Saturday Night Live Weekend Update skit, which for the first year of the show always opened with "Our top story tonight:  Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."  Substitute John Lennon and you're pretty much where I am on the whole thing.  Can we move on?

I had an army buddy who told me when he'd heard John Lennon had been killed, he wanted to know if he could donate 50 bucks and three more bullets to the killer so he could get the job done - make it four, so Yoko could go down as well. 

Please accept my apologies if this offends you, for I know this is all in terrible taste.  But there are some viewpoints out there that are at profound variance with the conventional wisdom that Lennon (and the rest of the Beatles, for that matter) was one of the best things to ever happen to rock'n'roll.

As always, your mileage may vary (and probably will, considerably),

Bagman

 

[Superlizard]

But there are some viewpoints out there that are at profound variance with the conventional wisdom that Lennon (and the rest of the Beatles, for that matter) was one of the best things to ever happen to rock'n'roll.

Exactly.

Because Zeppelin (not Lennon) is one of the best things to ever happen to RnR.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[m4rk0]

I was only 10, but remember it very clearly.. it was probably the next day though, since I remember reading the header on the front of the newspaper which was on the kitchen table..
I only really got into the Beatles about 6 years later (better late than never) and still a fan today, but I prefer their work from the second half of the 60s. never was a huge fan of Lennon's solo work though.

 

[ptirman]

I had an army buddy who told me when he'd heard John Lennon had been killed, he wanted to know if he could donate 50 bucks and three more bullets to the killer so he could get the job done - make it four, so Yoko could go down as well.  

Bagman

I think the 5 or so shots that Chapman fired did the job efficiently. I look a bit like Lennon and my wife is Asian. Man, I hope we don't run into your army buddy while he's packin'.

 

[Paul-less]

But there are some viewpoints out there that are at profound variance with the conventional wisdom that Lennon (and the rest of the Beatles, for that matter) was one of the best things to ever happen to rock'n'roll.

Exactly.

Because Zeppelin (not Lennon) is one of the best things to ever happen to RnR.   :icon_biggrin:

I agree. Zeppelin were the best thing to happen to this devil music some people call "Rockin Roll"

BUT, the Beatles were the most important thing to happen to music in general.

I still stand by the fact that there are only two perfect albums.
1: Abbey Road
2: Dark Side of the Moon

 

[Firebird211]

But there are some viewpoints out there that are at profound variance with the conventional wisdom that Lennon (and the rest of the Beatles, for that matter) was one of the best things to ever happen to rock'n'roll.

Exactly.

Because Zeppelin (not Lennon) is one of the best things to ever happen to RnR.   :icon_biggrin:

:icon_thumright:

 

[elfro89]

I never could get into the Beatles, mostly because of the Brit pop thing in the 90's. That spoiled a lot of music for me. Although I can't deny the significance of what they accomplished I just got sick of their fans constantly reminding me that they are (at least in their eyes) the most significant pop band to have existed. Just because they changed a lot, set standards sold more records and done this and that and influenced this and that, it doesn't mean I have to like it.

I hate to sound condescending but a lot of the music they created is what I take for granted as musical standards today, as in everyone should be able to play and write something along the lines of what the Beatles did at an early stage in their development (Yes they did a lot of different stuff no need to remind me.) I just don't find what the Beatles did to be exiting, breathtaking or eye opening as what Im sure they would have been at the time and as such, their music does nothing for me but sound like further examples of simple musical standards we should all know. I know that sounds pretty shitfaced of me but its how I feel  :-\

 

[Firebird211]

I agree with Paul-less, Dark Side of the Moon was a masterpiece.  I hold Floyd to the same heights as the timeless greats.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Lenin had a great goatee:

Oh...you guys are talking about LenNON. My bad.  :toothy10:

 

[Jusatele]

that is ok Elfro, everyone is entitled to an opinion, it is nice that you can defend yours, most guys can not
I think John had a huge influence on RnR, but it was biggest in the setting of the Beatles, I think the developmental process of the songs, within the bands studio work was the best he ever did, I agree he had good stuff after the Beatles, but feel his best work was within the Beatles.
Now what would have been if he had not been shot? Well who knows. I am not much of a JL fan but a huge Beatles Fan. Same with McCarthey. Funny thing is, I love Harrison's post Beatles stuff. I also consider him one of the better lead players ever, He never was fast, but his melodic style really put polish on songs.
I think if you're opinion has merit. Just not mine, Kinda like my opinion on Elvis, not a fan of his music, but listen to him when he is on as he had a great voice. Same a Deano

 

[Paul-less]

This is what I have to say:

NobodyAlmost Nobody is at the standard that the Beatles set. How many songs can you think of that are played in two keys? Alright, make that 5. Most pop/rock/blues you can hear the tension of the key change. Do YOU know where the key changes are in Beatles music?

In what group could all members be lead singer? Hands down the greatest harmonies ever sang were the Paul/George/John harmonies.

For the actual songs, you either like them or you don't. Personally, I feel they were excellent writers, and they had the ability to suit the music of the song to the idea they were trying to portray.

As for being a "pop band", I disagree with that term. As of lately, "pop" seems to have a single style of music in mind. The Beatles played all styles of music. They didn't have any gimmicks or crutches while writing. Yes, some of their earlier stuff was corny, but they actually grew as musicians and writers, rather than milk the cow to death.



NOW, this is obviously just my opinion, and I didn't mean to target anyone or anyone's favorite band, I was just saying how I viewed the Beatles. They aren't my favorite band or anything, but I can see their level of musicianship, and appreciate it.

 

[Superlizard]

I love the Beatles (as a group) - I just happen to love Zeppelin infinitely more.

 

[Jusatele]

Well, I like guys like Little Feat more, but I have to agree the Beatles were a great band and laid down a catalog of work that few bands will ever match for both it's appeal and for it's quality of musicianship. I was noodling around on "I want you/she so heavy" a few nights back and the riff for she so heavy, wow, so simple but pulls the ears so far. of course then I heard Hoey doing "Blue Christmas" on Sirius and it was all over, ever try to play Gary Hoey?