IMAGINE... In commemoration of what would have been his 70th birthday, the life and legacy of John Lennon will be celebrated in grand style with a slate of exciting reissues and box sets planned by EMI Music for release on October 5th. Digitally remastered from their original mixes, Lennon's eight solo albums will be issued: Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Some Time In New York City, Mind Games, Rock 'n' Roll, Walls & Bridges, Double Fantasy/Double Fantasy Stripped Down and Milk and Honey. Each CD will feature restored artwork plus informative liner notes.
Fans will delight with the reissue of 1972's Some Time In New York City, which includes the six live tracks originally featured on the original double album. Recorded on December 15, 1969 at London's Lyceum Theater, John and Yoko Ono are joined by a Plastic Ono Superband including guitarists George Harrison and Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Jim Gordon and Alan White on drums, keyboardists Billy Preston and Nicky Hopkins, and Klaus Voormann on bass on electrifying versions of "Cold Turkey" and Yoko's primal freakout, "Don't Worry Kyoko." Meanwhile, the remaining four live cuts ("Well (Baby Please Don't Go)", "Jamrag", "Scumbag" and "Au"), originate from John and Yoko's impromptu performance during a Frank Zappa show held on June 5, 1971 at New York's Fillmore East.
Especially noteworthy is the Double Fantasy Stripped Down release, its cover sporting a new drawing by Sean Ono Lennon. Newly produced by Yoko Ono and original DF co-producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith/Cheap Trick), the record will feature all of John and Yoko's tracks "stripped" of its ornate production, instrumentation and extra vocals, hereby whittling it down to a bare bones presentation.
"Double Fantasy Stripped Down really allows us to focus our attention on John's amazing vocals," explains Yoko. "Technology has advanced so much that, conversely, I wanted to use new techniques to really frame these amazing songs and John's voice as simply as possible. By stripping down some of the instrumentation the power of the songs shines through with an enhanced clarity. Double Fantasy Stripped Down will be complemented by the original album in the two-CD format. It was while working on the new version of this album that I was hit hardest emotionally, as this was the last album John released before his passing."
In essence, these modified versions will help render a more intimate look at such classics as "(Just Like) Starting Over," "Watching The Wheels," "Woman," "Beautiful Boy," "I'm Losing You," "Cleanup Time" and "Dear Yoko," along with Yoko's passel of songs including "Kiss Kiss Kiss" and "I'm Movin' On."
The essential stocking stuffer for the ultimate Lennon enthusiast is the 11-CD John Lennon Signature Box. Containing all of Lennon's solo albums, the lavish box also features a book packed with rare photographs bolstered by exclusive personal essays penned by Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Julian Lennon. Making it indispensable for Lennon aficionados is the inclusion of a bonus disc containing 13 previously unreleased Lennon home recordings. Highlights include versions of five Plastic Ono Band gems circa 1970, "God," "Isolation," "I Found Out," "Remember" and "Love," a cover of the Carl Perkins' '50s rockabilly charmer "Honey Don't" (covered by The Beatles and originally sung by Ringo Starr), and Imagine's anti-war anthem, "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier." Songs composed during Lennon's self imposed five-year retirement from the music business are also represented. These include the acerbic "Serve Yourself" (the song was written by Lennon directly refuting the message of Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody"), "India, India" (written for a planned musical titled The Ballad of John & Yoko), "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)," "Nobody Told Me" (a song John wrote that was intended for Ringo Starr), and "One of the Boys" (circa 1977).
Also due out on October 5th are two versions of a new greatest hits two-CD collection, Power To The People: The Hits. One comes replete with a DVD culling videos of 15 Lennon hits plus a four-CD set titled Gimme Some Truth. Culling 72 tracks, the box set charts Lennon's dynamic solo career thematically with the discs Working Class Hero, Woman, Borrowed Time and Roots.
Track listings:
POWER TO THE PEOPLE: THE HITS [CD; Digital]1. Power To The People
2. Gimme Some Truth
3. Woman
4. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
5. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
6. Cold Turkey
7. Jealous Guy
8. #9 Dream
9. (Just Like) Starting Over
10. Mind Games
11. Watching The Wheels
12. Stand By Me
13. Imagine
14. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
15. Give Peace A Chance
POWER TO THE PEOPLE: THE HITS (EXPERIENCE EDITION) [CD/DVD]
CD
(tracklist same as above)
DVD
1. Power To The People
2. Gimme Some Truth
3. Woman
4. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
5. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
6. Cold Turkey
7. Jealous Guy
8. #9 Dream
9. (Just Like) Starting Over
10. Mind Games
11. Watching The Wheels
12. Stand By Me
13. Imagine
14. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
15. Give Peace A Chance
GIMME SOME TRUTH [4CD; Digital]
Working Class Hero
1. Working Class Hero
2. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
3. Power To The People
4. God
5. I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Sunday Bloody Sunday
8. Steel And Glass
9. Meat City
10. I Don't Wanna Face It
11. Remember
12. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
13. I Found out
14. Isolation
15. Imagine
16. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
17. Give Peace A Chance
18. Only People
Woman
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. You Are Here
4. Well Well Well
5. Oh My Love
6. Oh Yoko!
7. Grow Old With Me
8. Love
9. Jealous Guy
10. Woman
11. Out The Blue
12. Bless You
13. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)
14. My Mummy's Dead
15. I'm Losing You
16. (Just Like) Starting Over
17. #9 Dream
18. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
Borrowed Time
1. Mind Games
2. Nobody Told Me
3. Cleanup Time
4. Crippled Inside
5. How Do You Sleep?
6. How?
7. Intuition
8. I'm Stepping Out
9. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
10. Old Dirt Road
11. Scared
12. What You Got
13. Cold Turkey
14. New York City
15. Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
16. Borrowed Time
17. Look At Me
18. Watching The Wheels
Roots
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula
2. You Can’t Catch Me
3. Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy
4. Tight A$
5. Ain’t That a Shame
6. Sweet Little Sixteen
7. Do You Wanna Dance
8. Slippin’ and Slidin’
9. Peggy Sue
10. Medley: Bring It On Home/Send Me Some Lovin’
11. Yer Blues (Live)
12. Just Because
13. Boney Moronie
14. Beef Jerky
15. Ya Ya
16. Hound Dog (Live)
17. Stand By Me
18. Here We Go Again
JOHN LENNON SIGNATURE BOX [11CD; Digital]
Original Albums [digitally remastered]
- John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
- Imagine
- Some Time In New York City
- Mind Games
- Walls and Bridges
- Rock ‘n’ Roll
- Double Fantasy
- Milk and Honey
Home Tapes
1. Mother
2. Love
3. God
4. I Found Out
5. Nobody Told Me
6. Honey Don't
7. One Of The Boys
8. India, India
9. Serve Yourself
10. Isolation
11. Remember
12. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
13. I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die
Singles
1. Power To The People
2. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
3. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
4. Cold Turkey
5. Move Over Ms. L
6. Give Peace a Chance
ORIGINAL ALBUMS (REMASTERED) [CD; Digital]
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
Imagine (1971)
1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!
Some Time In New York City (1972)
DISC ONE
1. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
2. Sisters, O Sisters
3. Attica State
4. Born In a Prison
5. New York City
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. The Luck Of The Irish
8. John Sinclair
9. Angela
10. We're All Water
DISC TWO
1. Cold Turkey (live)
2. Don't Worry Kyoko (live)
3. Well (Baby Please Don't Go) (live)
4. Jamrag (live)
5. Scumbag (live)
6. Au (live)
Mind Games (1973)
1. Mind Games
2. Tight A$
3. Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)
4. One Day (At A Time)
5. Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)
6. Nutopian International Anthem
7. Intuition
8. Out The Blue
9. Only People
10. I Know (I Know)
11. You Are Here
12. Meat City
Walls and Bridges (1974)
1. Going Down On Love
2. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
3. Old Dirt Road
4. What You Got
5. Bless You
6. Scared
7. #9 Dream
8. Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
9. Steel And Glass
10. Beef Jerky
11. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)
12. Ya Ya
Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975)
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula
2. Stand By Me
3. Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy
4. You Can't Catch Me
5. Ain't That A Shame
6. Do You Wanna Dance
7. Sweet Little Sixteen
8. Slippin' And Slidin'
9. Peggy Sue
10. Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Lovin’
11. Bony Moronie
12. Ya Ya
13. Just Because
Double Fantasy Stripped Down (2010) / Double Fantasy (1980)
Stripped Down
Original Album, Remastered
1. (Just Like) Starting Over
2. Kiss Kiss Kiss
3. Cleanup Time
4. Give Me Something
5. I'm Losing You
6. I'm Moving On
7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
8. Watching The Wheels
9. Yes, I'm Your Angel
10. Woman
11. Beautiful Boys
12. Dear Yoko
13. Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him
14. Hard Times Are Over
Milk and Honey (1984)
1. I'm Stepping Out
2. Sleepless Night
3. I Don't Wanna Face It
4. Don't Be Scared
5. Nobody Told Me
6. O'Sanity
7. Borrowed Time
8. Your Hands
9. (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess
10. Let Me Count The Ways
11. Grow Old With Me
12. You're The One
***************
FULL SPEED AHEAD... A little known band from Gainesville, Florida, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers exploded on Rock radio in 1976 with "Breakdown" and The Byrds soundalike "American Girl," culled from their eponymous debut. Combining the jangle of '65 era Byrds with the grit and muscle of vintage Rolling Stones and Animals, the band made their mark with a string of superbly crafted, insidiously catchy Rock & Roll classics. 1978's You're Gonna Get It! upped the ante with the power pop classic "I Need To Know," 12-string fueled "Listen To Her Heart" and the moody title track. A top 40 hit, the album was the band's first gold record. And while they'd achieved major success in England and conquered portions of the States, it wasn't until the arrival of 1979's Damn The Torpedoes that the band truly made their breakthrough. Over three decades since its inaugural release, Damn The Torpedoes is still regarded by fans and critics as an unsurpassed creative and commercial milestone of Petty's career with the Heartbreakers.
Now fans can catch a glimpse behind the scenes of the making of that landmark record with the release of the new Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers-Damn The Torpedoes Classic Albums DVD (Eagle Vision). Leading you through the creation of that defining release are the entire band plus co-producer Jimmy Iovine (Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen) and engineer Shelly Yakus (John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Raspberries). Via exclusive interviews and archival clips (of live performances, news reports, promo videos and TV commercials), viewers will learn the back story to this extraordinary release. Sitting at the control board, Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell and Iovine dissect the multi-track recordings of all the songs that comprise the album, offering nugget after nugget of fascinating information. Revelatory stories abound taking you into the heart of the creation of such timeless hits as "Refugee," "Don't Do Me Like That," "Even The Losers" and "Here Comes My Girl," alongside lesser known but equally worthy cuts like "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)," "You Tell Me" and the country flavored "Louisiana Rain."
What makes this documentary essential viewing is the astonishing depth and sound analysis provided about these monumental recordings. For instance, you'll hear excerpts of the demo of "Don't Do Me Like That" performed by Mudcrutch, Petty's pre-Heartbreakers outfit, and witness first-hand its evolution into a top ten smash. You'll also learn about the painful birth of "Refugee," a record that required over 100 laborious takes to get it right. And after all this time, co-producer Jimmy Iovine reveals he's still not sure they achieved the right mix to meet his exacting specifications. Petty, trusty acoustic guitar in hand, leads us through a short solo rendition of "Louisiana Rain," bringing you closer in his evocation of the spirit of this underrated cut. Especially interesting are the moments where Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, bassist Ron Blair and Mike Campbell demonstrate the construction of their classic parts. Campbell explains and demonstrates how the primary guitar parts on "Refugee" were inspired by an old blues song, while Tench breaks down the stately piano serving as the elegant foundation of "Here Comes My Girl." Blair, meanwhile, lends an example of his slinky McCartney-style bass swoops that enliven the foundation of "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)."
Bonus features include an additional 42 minutes of vignettes detailing a variety of subjects including the guitar orchestra found on "Even The Losers" to the classic vox organ stabs rendered on "Don't Do Me Like That." There's also a look at the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar (the one Petty's holding on the cover of Damn The Torpedoes that's been such a prominent part of the group's sonic tapestry). A faithful proponent of the Classic Albums series, this installment spotlighting Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Damn The Torpedoes is easily their finest yet. Highly recommended.
