Lennon, John – Acoustic
***1/2
It shows how low Lennon’s (solo) stock has fallen in recent years when this compilation of mostly previously unreleased versions emerged in 2004 with a disapproving whisper rather than an bang.  Acoustic is an interesting and worthwhile but flawed compilation – a major problem being that John never realised that these often half-hearted sketches would be released 25-30 years later.
Yes, many of the songs featured are practice solo run-throughs rather than definitive acoustic versions of fully written songs a la MTV  Unplugged.  Despite this, there are some excellent versions here and it’s always interesting, especially to other songwriters, to hear an early version of a piece which hasn’t been fully realised yet. 
A highlight from Acoustic for me is Watching The Wheels, written by John in the late 70s in response to those questioning his creative inactivity during his five-year paternity leave.  Watching The Wheels is from Lennon’s final living album Double Fantasy – other tracks are featured from DF as well as several cuts from his brilliant and disturbing John Lennon  & The Plastic Ono Band solo debut and admirably, three tracks from the overtly political and long deleted Sometime In New York City album.
The track selection certainly isn’t the ideal choice for a record executive looking for new easy-listening Lennon product.  Whether or not this is down to a lack of solo acoustic performances or a deliberate policy against the mainstream I don’t know but, if it’s the latter case, the album’s curator Yoko Ono should be congratulated.  More dubious for some will be her liner comments and the lyrics and chord boxes (“for guitarists everywhere”) though, as a player myself, I welcome this musical guidance.
Although flawed Acoustic is a fascinating, worthwhile insight into the songs and creative process of one of pop’s most celebrated icons.  It is a must buy for any serious Lennon fan.
Released: 2004
Acquired by me:  18.6.05 (Bought)

Lennon, John – Working Class Hero:  The Definitive Lennon
*****
For some artists the music buying consumer may want just a single disc compilation with all the hits.  For other more treasured acts, he or she may want a bit more.  This is the right John Lennon compilation for me and I would recommend it to you as well…
Working Class Hero is a two CD Best Of featuring all of the obvious hits and the best album tracks.  As well as the songs everyone knows and John’s more left-field singles, we are also treated to half the tracks from the brilliant, cathartic Plastic Ono Band LP, some nice ballads from the under-rated Mind Games album and several other album choices.  These gems are wisely intermingled with the big hits rather than there being one Hits CD and an Other Songs companion disc – such an arrangement would of course result in the second album only being played very rarely by the casual Lennon fan.
The music itself holds up surprisingly well after all these years with the skip button only being required for a handful of the 38 songs.  One reason for its timelessness is that the solo Lennon never consciously tried to sound modern, meaning that the production and arrangements do not hark back to a particular period and consequently now sound dated.  Another more obvious reason is the superb emotional and musical quality of the songs present…
Any track selection quibbles are minor and personal rather than major oversights with the Definitive Lennon pretty much being what it says on the case.  The Plastic Ono Band LP aside, all of John ‘s solo albums are patchy whereas a single volume compilation containing just the mainstream hits only tells half the story.  Working Class Hero:  The Definitive Lennon is the ideal solution.  Highly recommended.
Released:  2005
Acquired by me:  23.10.05  - Present (from Naomi)

Love – Forever Changes
*****
Barely denting the charts when released in late 1967, Forever Changes has become heralded as an absolute classic and is in the Top 100 (at least!) of any Top Albums poll one cares to mention.
The secret of its continued success is down to several factors, the main ones probably being its excellent songs and beautiful arrangements.  Arthur Lee’s songs are idiosyncratic, unconventional but memorable pieces - often not formulaic verse-chrous-verse affairs.  They are backed by the band – usually by superb intricate acoustic picking with occasional bursts of electric lead – then augmented further by brilliant string and brass arrangements.  The result is a sound as big and pioneering as that of other innovative albums of the time such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pet Sounds.
A major difference between those LPs and Forever Changes though is the occasional social comment and overall sense of dread in Lee’s lyrics.  No other album quite captures the mixture of beauty and despair of the United States in 1967 quite like this masterpiece.
All of the songs featured are good though particular highlights for me are the lush Good Humour Man, foreboding Red Telephone (the best song never written by my friend John Arthur!) and grand finale which is You Set The Scene.  The LP’s most famous song, the excellent, oft-covered Alone Again Or is one of two songs written by rhythm guitarist Bryan MacLean – all of the others are by the talented Mr Lee.
This remastered and expanded version of Forever Changes includes seven extra tracks and alternative versions.  One of the most interesting of these pieces is Wonder People which has a riff similar to Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual.  The only fully recorded song from the Forever Changes sessions which didn’t feature on the original album, one can only assume that Arthur considered it too jolly for the mood of the LP.
Forever Changes is a superbly arranged masterpiece which demands repeated listening to this day.  An absolute classic which is a must for any serious music fan’s collection.
Released:  1967
Acquired by me:  18.6.05 (Bought)