Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Do people only like it because it’s John Lennon? I mean, the lyrics here are not bad at all—I’m gonna give it that—but outside of them, this album is just not that fun. It’s a pretty basic singer-songwriter record that feels underwhelming. A couple of songs stand out (Working Class Hero, God), but even then, the music itself feels barely better than if there were only an acoustic guitar in accompaniment. 5/10
Listened to and from work. Man, John really isn't as good as a songwriter as when he had Paul and George with him. Boring, self indulgent, at times grating while he just screams into your ear. If this album had anyone else's name on it, it would not even be considered to be included on this list. Disappointing.
Feels very much like a softer Beatles album but something is lacking. I can't put my finger on what exactly but no song really pulled me in and made me want to listen again or more.
I really feel like if this album didn't have Lennon's name attached to it, it really wouldn't have gotten any attention. It wasn't terrible, but just really wasn't memorable. The only track that stuck out to me was Well Well Well. 2/5
esses hippies são uma coisa né
Yawn. Some people need other people to tell them when their art is too self-indulgent. John needed Paul, George and Ringo.
I already have this. It's not the JL I normally go too. I usually go to "Mind Games"
Lennon first album after The Beatles is hit and miss, mostly miss for me. Working class Hero is a great Bob Dylan song, and I always enjoyed Ringo. TMI about your headspace, and most of these songs would be more entertaining performed by The Beatles. It’s okay. Challenging.
Like all John's solo work, it's uneven. His status gave him opportunity to record and release whatever he wanted. Can't fault him for taking that opportunity with both hands.
I hate writing this, but this is awful. It doesn't sound genuine to me, maybe Lennon's intent was to bare his soul to the fans but this sounds hollow and insincere. My thoughts may be scewed by what is known about him as a person today, but I still think it's fair given what this album is appearently meant to be. Musicly there is nothing here, lyricly if feels superficial and in parts intentionally provocative for no other reason than to get a gasp. Mission accomplished, I gasped at how bad this album is.
Unbesonders.
bezveze. nekad okej, al na trenutke nepodnošljivo. nikad baš dobro. al budući da nisam čuo da se ovo uzdiže u nebesa, dobit će dvojku umjesto kečine, kojoj je doduše dosta blisko
I definitely could've died without hearing this one. It's just John Lennon being a whiny baby for 40 minutes. With few exceptions. Hence the 2 rating.
Whole lot of meh.
I think this is proof that John was carried by Paul and George (and Ringo?) especially considering the general caliber of their solo output. The Apple Music description of this album says these are “some of the most nakedly emotional songs ever recorded.” Someone tell me what I need to do to reach that level of delusion because I feel like it would make 2026 a lot more bearable. With those obligatory hot takes out of the way, Working Class Hero is an incredible song. Far and away the highlight of this album for me. Look at Me has some great music and an intriguing melody if you can divorce that from the silly pseudo-existential lyrics.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono can suck my dick. And you know what? Harris Dickinson and Anna Sawai can too. (I’m in a bad mood.)
doesnt have the same pop feel that the music is "for everyone", feels like this is trying to make a deeper connection with a smaller subset of people that im not sure im one of. its all good music and i wouldnt complain going back to it but the most of the lyrics just dont really resonate with me. a little bit too much screaming on some songs maybe 2.5
I’m really not a John fan that much. I’m certainly not a Yoko fan. And I just don’t find his and her work that appealing overall.
Goes somewhere and then gets weird
The Beatles it is not
Meh
Täitsa igav album, mis lihtsalt möödus minu jaoks erilise tähelepanuta. Tundub, nagu John Lennonil polnud lähedal ühtegi kriitikut ning sai oma esimese sooloplaadi peale igast jama panna. 2/5
At times the lyrics have something interesting to say, but most of the times they just sound deranged.
M'ha costat d'escoltar-lo sencer pq se'm fa molt feixuga música així. Tampoc és que sigui un album dolent, algunes cançons m'han agradat una mica... però aquest rollo no em va gens.
Mostly boring except for the artists name...
I've never been able to get into Lennon's solo stuff much. This is my first time sitting down to listen to an entire album of his. And it confirms what I already knew. His solo stuff just isn't as good as his work with the Beatles. This whole album felt pretty boring.
It’s fine. At times it felt like a bit of a tour of different 70’s sounds, but nothing really stood out to me as particularly good, with the exception of the Bob Dylan sounding Working Class Hero. Outside of that, very forgettable in my opinion. 5/10, 2 stars.
After getting both this and George Harrison’s solo debut within the last two weeks, I’m realizing maybe George WAS the real magician behind the Beatles. I did not enjoy this at all.
Too screechy
A bit melancholy this guy should be in a group.
sounds like him going through some sort of therapeutic process. i do pity the hundreds of thousands of people who bought it expecting something else though
Becoming mature is understanding that the majority of John's solo is pedantic and juvenile. As a person he may (?) have grown, but as a musician I find his solo stuff simply dull and unfocused.
John Lennon gets a bit preachy (about himself) on this one. Mother is a really sweet song sung with great heart! God is a bunch of self proclaimed crap. The whole 'I don't believe in Beatles' stuff (after not believing in any religious figure) was just overkill. Not a fan. The rest of the album was a selection of very cliche John Lennon songs. Even one where he rips off the riff to Dear Prudence (while matching the words to Tell Me What You See). 2 stars.
Starts with an angst ridden teen song sung by a successful, rich older man. And that really sums up the album. A rich man's project that'd doesnt really add anything. Working class hero is alright though.
I can see why people were angry at Yoko
Im not sure this guy can really write songs without help. This definitely fell short of my expectations for such an iconic artist. The lyrics in particular stood out as particularly below par, and just a bit amateur
The Good: We are regaled by non other than Mr John Lennon The Bad: This isn’t JL from the Beatles… The Ugly: The fucking screamin’ One can enjoy any kind of therapy one likes, does this mean that I have to exposed to said therapy? Listening to the wailing on Mother, all I kept thinking was “suck it up butter cup”… Don’t want to get into mental health discussions, but this is just sad… Anyway, I listened to the album, and will not ever want to listen to the album ever again. Thanks for bummin’ out my day JL 2*
I'm disappointed in this album - guess for me, Lennon's magic is at its best when among the rest of his former Beatles bandmates. "Working Class Hero" is a good & thoughtful ballad, but there wasn't a lot on this album that excited me.
I love John Lennon but not this one...
65
sounds like poetry written by children, nah
Die rockigen Songs mag ich hier nicht so gern (wobei ich es schon sympathisch finde, wie Lennon dabei die Sau rauslässt), eher die ruhigeren Nummern gefallen mir hier. Insgesamt solide, aber nichts, was ich mir voraussichtlich nochmal geben werde.
2.5
Although there are some fine songs it is a very dour collection lacking in memorable hooks. Unlikely to get a full airing with just cherry picking a few for a list.
Typical self righteous bullshit from the third most talented beatle
Narcissistic and pretentious. Far too impressed with itself. Nothing special. The screaming during track 1 gets really annoying. It seems that MaCartney and Harrison were the real talent in The Beatles.
I really like this album but maybe not so much.
I’m not sure if my Beatles bias extends this far. 2.5 stars.
This is my first John Lennon album. What a disappointment. John really just likes to repeat things in songs.
This album seemed to do quite well when it came out, and also has done well on this project. However, this album didn't really do much for me. It was listenable, but it was pretty boring. It lacks the energy and presence of Beatles albums that came before it. Where I already found Lennon's "Imagine" album to be mid, this is even worse for me. Oh well. We can't all be winners, and not all Beatles can be George Harrison. 2.5, I don't wanna round up.
Perhaps my least favorite of the John Lennon solo albums. Favorite tracks: "Love", "God" Everything else just seemed like pointless whining.
Not his best work. Two stars because John Lennon. Best I can do.
Didn’t really care for it
Shitty music from an asshole of a person.
The Beatles are my favorite band, and I always kind of instinctively avoided all their solo stuff. I feel like that was a good call. Lennon clearly needed someone to rein him in a bit
John Lennon, like most megastars, seems to be too caught up in his own drama until the end of this record. "I Found Out" was grating on the ears, and the first instance of a reoccurring problem throughout this record - it feels a bit phoned in on the composition/instrumental side of things. On top of that, Lennon's lyrics are about as impactful as a 13-year-old would allows them to be. "Working Class Hero" and the first half of "God" are a bit shallow, never offering anything beyond surface-level observations or statements. That being said, "God" moves along quite nicely to deliver a very personal message from John on his stance of being in a post-Beatles world. My pick is "Well Well Well" for it's memorable vocal delivery. While I must credit this project for finally getting out of it's own entanglements and speaking from the heart with "God" & "My Mummy's Dead" at the end, it takes far too long to get there. Many of these songs sound like glorified demo's that are only carried by Lennon's noteable persona/presence. Very torn on this one, but it gets a 2/5. I could probably revisit this a few times and find it in me to be more kind to it, but this simply didn't land well with me for three quarters of it's run time. I'd like some more elaborate backing tracks if the lyricism is gonna be so stark. Strong 2/5
Having recently gotten Harrison's first post-Beatles solo album on here, I am a bit struck by how differently they handled the production styles. ATMP was very polished and structured. In contrast, POB is very raw and stripped down. Harrison delved more into spiritual themes while Lennon went with personal experiences. Unsurprisingly, the results were two very different albums. I have to say that I liked Harrison's more. Maybe it's because Harrison was able to compile all the material he'd worked on that was rejected from Beatles albums over the years while Lennon was more writing from scratch. But the songs on ATMP just felt stronger and better written. My personal opinion is that Harrison grew as a musician and songwriter as he went, likely in part from working with the other Beatles so closely. By the time the Beatles broke up, he was able to rival the leaders he'd been following for the decade before. Lennon had a lot of talent from the start, which certainly matured as the band went on but didn't necessarily grow too much. He then expanded into other genres and artistry, as he became pretty famous for with Yoko. That's not intended to be a knock on either of them, just a thought on their progression. Specific to this album, it didn't sound all that inspired to me. It instead sounded painful, as though it were intended as a release valve to for an artist who was going through a lot. Parts of it reminded me of that scene in the Wedding Singer when he is way too upset to be performing but plays a song anyway. Emotion that strong can create really meaningful art, but I didn't get that from this. Maybe he was trying a little too hard to express those emotions and it fell flat. And, while I didn't dislike the simplified musical arrangements, I think the lack of other musician/artist input was detrimental to the work, which is noticeable when comparing this to his songs with the group. There were a few songs here I liked. I think my favorite track would've been Well Well Well if not for the screaming break in the middle. That really took me out of it. I did like his use of gradual buildup to screaming on the opening track, Mother, which felt like a real expression of his feelings compared to the other instance. Outside of a few tracks, the majority of songs here were not very memorable to me. The whole thing was kinda unappealing and lackluster. Beyond the music itself, there are plenty of issues surrounding Lennon without needing a lot of context to know this one is controversial. Even so, I found it pretty unremarkable other than the rawness of the emotion on it. Honestly, I don't know that this album would've made the list if not for it being the first John Lennon post-Beatles effort. I didn't find it all that good. Overall: 2.1/5
It sure is John Lennon, couple decent tracks in here but overall just kinda samey
Clearly very meaningful, especially to JL and YO, but a joy to listen to? No, not for me.
йоко оно конченная мразь
Favorite tracks: I Found Out, Working Class Hero Overall this was pretty boring, and the songwriting felt lazy. "Love is real, real is love"? I found myself rolling my eyes at a few of these songs. Definitely a disappointment.
Lennon opens with the heartfelt Mother and closes with the seemingly candid and improvised My Mummy’s Dead. Both are nice bookends to the mediocre library shelf that is this album. Working Class Hero is a great Dylan-esque folk tune. Otherwise this is a lyrically dead album. Either it’s trying to be quotable SO HARD it’s absurd (see God) or just beatnik slam poetry set to repetitive strumming or piano chords (see Love). I know. I know. It’s Lennon. And it’s him just learning how to be a solo artist and it’s followed by one of the greatest solo albums of all time, Imagine. But I just don’t like it that much.
Nothing more overrated than John Lennon
not great. You can tall he wasn't in a good headspace and was angry. Didn't produce the greatest music from there....
Very strange album. Some genuinely moving moments intermixed with raspy screaming that left me feeling jarred and kind of put off by the album. Felt very pretentious with only a surface level of depth, but there are a few songs to enjoy here that aren't as unhinged. Top tracks: Love, Well Well Well
Ich weiß nicht, was ich sagen soll. Nicht schlimm, aber auch nicht super. Irgendwie nervt mich John Lennons Stimme.
John Lennon's solo work is just so underwhelming, especially considering that he's the writer of some of my favorite Beatles songs. The only part of this that I really remember is the start of "Working Class Hero" is the intro, and that only because REM stole it for "Swan Swan H".
started a bit dull then i thought it turned good but the tailend feels like trolling, with lowlight well well well
Great artist. Great songs. A legend with the Beatles. Died way to young.
pretty boring tbh
Always felt the highlights on this one were “Mother” and “God,” with everything else being much needed catharsis for John, but does not make for much great listening music. The ending of “Remember” is always pretty funny though.
I think maybe Paul was the talented one... This just sounds like a bitter man shouting about stuff he doesn't believe in any more.
As someone noted, this is "barely ok". Dull and unconvincing.
The screaming is so… John Lennon always finding a way to irritate me
Thought this was fine. Some of the songs were enjoyable enough but I found some a bit boring. Probably just not really my thing. Fav song: Isolation Least fav: Love
Men are so scared of going to therapy that they'd rather write an album about their mummy issues and friendship troubles than talk about them. Favourite song: Hold On (preferably without the cookie monster feature) Least: Love
This was OK. Much more self-serious than anything involving McCartney, in the same way McCartney was probably too frivolous. Sounded a bit like Lennon just working his way through some things, I am not sure he really needed an audience for these thoughts - a journal would have been fine. God was distilled, almost parody, Lennon. All a bit on the nose for me.
Lowkey bleak.
1970 Pretentious drivel. If this had been released by anyone other than Lennon, we wouldn't be talking about it, but here we are... Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Overrated ★★☆☆☆ (3/10)
I'm not a fan of the Beatles or John Lennon, they were only just a little before my time. If I were born 10 or even 5 years earlier it may have been different. From the lyrics this is a JL departure from the Beatles with one finger. In the track "God", he states he is the dream weaver and the walrus, i.e. the core of the Beatles and without him they are nothing. It is the lyrics that tell different stories of John. In "Mother", a child who sought out love but never found it, or very little. What do you do if parents don't show love, it can destroy a life with anger that has no place to land, like an aeroplane with unlimited fuel looking for a place to land after the Earth has been destroyed, constantly trying, maybe even going back to the same place, just to check. That eternal pain shouts loudest at the ending of the track, with JL screaming Mama don't go, Daddy come back. Very very sad. The closing track, "My Mummy's dead", expresses 'so much pain', bottled up, 'I could never show it'. Maybe JL saw Yoko in part as a replacement mother figure, being 7 years older, one can only speculate. Was he special? My opinion, his talent was an outlet through which he could pour his emotions. His conditions of worth. 2 stars as I'm not a fan, but at least the lyrics stopped me in a pause for thought. Otherwise it would have been 1.
repetitives, langweiliges gesäusel. zum glück vor meiner zeit.
Rating: 1.6 This is pretty bad. A lot of discordant screaming and songs that wander all over the place and never really go anywhere. Almost like this guy needs some kind of band or something to make REALLY good music. What a shame that never happened huh?
The Beatles were definitely more than the sum of their parts. I rated Paul McCartney's first solo album as highly unappealing just over a week ago. This one's better in at least it doesn't sound like unfinished demo takes. But it's really not much better either. 2.5 rounded down.
Fine
John Lennon is no Bob Dylan. This just sounds like a bunch of outtakes and half baked ideas. If this is the kind of shit John was bringing to jam sessions, I can only imagine this is what made Paul, George, and Ringo throw in the towel. 2/5 #153
Very very whingy
entiendo por que te gusta. me embolo.
I don't enjoy the Beatles so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that I don't like this boring stuff either.
Wooo never really grabbed me, just want it to get going and for me it never does.
Not quite my Capri of Sun
*John was in full hippie mode here - lots of lyrics about love and God not existing. Found out after listening that he was undergoing Primal Therapy in 1969, so this is a therapeutic/trama-dump type album. Huh. *God was an interesting song - seemed like a dig at the Beatles and everything else. Very consistent with his "more popular than Jesus" comment and general ego. *Well Well Well had the worst lyrics but was the catchiest tune. *Not sure John would have made it without the rest of the Beatles if this is the stuff he would've churned out. It's not bad, just forgettable. I listened to it twice today, and there were just a few bits that stood out to me. RATING - 6/10
A couple of decent tracks, but the album starts off very weak. His solo work just can't stack up against the little band he was in prior to it.
This album is like when you spot a hot chick in a dimly lit bar and think "oh man i've gotta talk to her" but then when you see her up close you realize she's not attractive.
Really pretentious. His lyrics speak on topics that he honestly had no right to speak on given his world standing. Comes across fake and leaves a bad taste. All I can think about is that picture of him and Yoko watching a maid clean their hotel room while on strike. 3/10
The unbearable screaming really didn't help the otherwise okay album.
It's not as bad as Imagine, it's just boring. there's occasional moments. I think Working class Hero is mostly good, but then it gets up its own ass, which is true for most of this album.
Found it to be a bit pretentious and self indulgent. Obviously taking more risks post-Beatles, but it kind of fell flat for me.
I'm finding I enjoy the individual parts of the Beatles more than the band itself. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band packs some delightful surprises, but also, alot of the popand rock and roll songwriting tendencies that lead me to dismiss the Beatles in the first place. I don't hate it, which is a nice surprise, but I won't be putting this on again any time soon.
I grew up with a Beatles loving dad, always surrounded by their music and to a lesser degree, their solo stuff. I always had the opinion that John wrote the best songs, Paul's were granny shit TBH and George didn't get a crack at too many. I think the sound of this record is great, gritty overdriven tones, some tremolo on lovely cleans and tape delay on John's voice. Sounds great. But its vocal content that lets it down, (Working Class Hero is an exception),
I can see why everyone hated Yoko Ono… although this is ofc in John for having a bad solo career.
These two are so far up their own ass's it's painful. I'mma gonna abandon my child and then whine about my own daddy not loving me enough.
I enjoyed working class hero, but most of the songs were too repetitive and never really went anywhere. Felt a lot longer than 39 minutes
I have no words, only a sound. Meh.
Didn't like!
Well, it's easier to listen to than anything else with "Ono" in its name.
So 70s rock critics trashed Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd albums but thought this was the shit? Da fuq. Would say its a snoozer but hard to snooze when he's yelling atonally like that.
Meh
Despite all his rage, he's still just a rat in a cage. There are obviously some good songs here, but any Boomer who ripped on grunge while listening to this whiny snowflake lament how his mummy neglected him needs to check their biases. And the screaming...ugh...there is an ART to screaming!. While he is talented in many other ways, John is coloring with crayons in this regard.
Didn’t resonate enough with me. Probably won’t seek out a re-listen.
All a bit meh, listened to it in the car a few times but now thinking about it, it didn't really stick
Controversial, sure, but tbh I just didn’t like this. John’s screams sounded terrible.
This was okay. Didn't feel overly special. I get why people would have been annoyed that Lennon was making this kinda of music.
Mixed bag - some not bad, some bloody awful. Not the worst album I’ve had on this list. Won’t listen to again though.
Thankfully little Yoko Ono to be heard. I’m not a fan of the Beatles but found this to be ok.
Didn't like it when it came out. Still don't. Technically ok but... boring as hell. Some of it is just...bad (Well Well Well, Mummy's Dead). Bleah.
paul better
This was not for me. It was way too slow as a whole but honestly it felt like wildly short in a bad way. It also only had one song that interested me and it felt wildly repetitive so even the song I liked I had problems with. Honestly I’m a fan of The Beatles and I like a lot of their individual solo projects, but this is a definite skip from me. The only thing stoping this album from being a 1 is that I enjoyed the guitar playing throughout the whole album even on songs I didn’t like, it really shows how wildly talented Lennon is instrumentally, but this album is a huge miss for me.
This is incredible. Not the album or the music but the fact that this came out the same year as Let It Be. Yowza.
Getting out there, but maybe not the weirdest he ever was. I'd like more melodies and less screaming.
This album felt like a therapy session set to a metronome. It’s chaotic, emotionally raw, and at times un-fucking-hinged. Working Class Hero was fine and familiar thanks to Green Day’s cover—but most of the album is a tough hang. Well Well Well wasn’t just a scream into the void—it was a scream at me, for nearly six minutes, and bro, I didn’t deserve that. I get that John was working through some heavy shit, but it felt selfish and indulgent, like he hit record mid-breakdown and decided that made it art. I’m glad he found healing. I’ll find mine by never listening to this again.
Not as good as I hoped
admirably earnest but so boring and irritating
A seriously bad album. One great song (Working Class Hero), with thanks to Bob Dylan for inspiration, and the rest is very dull to mediocre.
This guy’s real sore about his relationship with his mother.
I kind of enjoyed Working Class Hero, but overall he seems like a pretentions wanker.
Of all the Beatles' solo careers, Lennon's is definitely in the top 4.
Most of these songs feel like leftover ideas that the rest of his former band passed on, adding to a prevailing feeling of inauthenticity and ineffectiveness throughout the record.
Insists upon itself
Yoko was so misunderstood. People still blame her for the demise of the Beatles. It wasn’t anything to do with Yoko. No one would admit it but I have it on good authority that it was all due to the lads not wanting to fight to compete with Houmous & Chutney anymore. They couldn’t keep up! We won! 2.3
Whatever man
You will always miss your mother. John Lennon was a brilliant musician and artist.
I thought this was a sh*t album when it came out. That puzzled me and still does. I guess some people's genius is found in their interactions with others, but disappears on their own. Six minutes of WELL WELL WELL is a crime against the recording arts. PS: I still think it's a sh*t album. PPS: I did like the album cover though. ⭐⭐ ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 82 🎧 LPs left to review: 919 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 18 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 20 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 24
Did he only have five minutes to write each song? Boring and half baked
This is a high 2, low 3. Gonna round down cuz he was a big old meanie.
I could just put the same review everytime for Beatles related albums on this list, feel like i'm repeating myself. Handful of Beatles stuff = pretty darn good. Majority of Beatles stuff = not for me. Beatles solo stuff = usually pretty dull. This fits right into that formula.
Already the first song becomes more and more unbearable with the erratic screaming "Mama come home"... Nah, not really my type.
Ok 2/5
A couple of good songs but the rest just reaffirms the magic that John and Paul had together along with the rest of the Beatles. Listen to the popular songs not the album.
Meh, I dunno. If it doesn’t have a Beatle’s name on the cover, does it get any attention?
I found it a bit dull, was expecting some yoko Ono madness but she was well behaved.
This is a real mixed bag. Some pretty good songs (largely the famous ones), and some bilge. Some I'll definitely play again, some I never want to hear again. Hard to score this, but as a full album I'll give it a two.
Pretty good. I definitely prefer the Beatles over this. Not sure I'd listen to this album again.
Boring yet pretentious
Sadly I found it just a little experimental to appreciate it. So many tracks with just a line repeated over and over and too much screaming. I understand that there is a lot of avant-garde influence in the album but personally I did not enjoy this as music
It's fine.
Nope
Okay, but this mostly showcases that Lennon thrived much more as a member of the Beatles.
It's not that good - though it has a Working Class Hero on it. If he wasn't John Lennon it wouldn't be on this list or much noticed.
I’m just not feeling it
I think I understand the Yoko breaking up the Beatles sentiment now.
Musically it plays like a collection of half baked ideas. Which leaves us 40 minutes of listening to John Lennon's reflections on the results of his psycho and scream therapy. No thanks.
only one bearable song 2/5
Nah, you can't get away with this John. This is boring. Without George you're nothing.
Half baked whiny Avant-Pop.
This was not a smooth album for me, had to take multiple breaks. I suppose it's avant garde because of some of the discordant lofi guitar riffs and primal scream therapy? More like a high concept art project and not much substance aside from some of the mummy issues. I can see why it's pivotal and gives insight into who John was, but not my fave. My favorites from John are when he goes into slightly more uplighting ballad mode, like "Love" or "God"
As an irritating partisan of George Harrison in all thing Beatles internecine fighting, I was prepared to hate this. And... it's okay? He's kinda doing a Bob Dylan impression in the first half, but without the cleverness and nuance. But the vocals are okay (note that Yoko does not sing on this album). And then it's like a store-brand Beatles for the second half. Now, the Beatles are one of the great bands of all time, so store brand is still passable, but it's just like if you took the best Beatles stuff and replace it with somewhat bland platitudes. "god is concept by which we measure our pain" o.k. pal. "I just believe in me, Yoko, and me, and that's reality" wow this is ground breaking. Still, musically defensible.
The sparseness of this album does not provide anything in service to the work, and reminds me a lot of Kanye's last album. There are bits of this that feel more performance art in the "performance art" sense instead of "performance" art, if that makes any sense. I can see shreds of an interesting album, but failed by the producer, imo. also, who is swolffy??? unmask thyself!
its ok. Not sure it would be hear if it wasn't Lennon.
A lot of the album did feel kind of plastic to me idk. Kind of one note. There was a lot of feeling in the last two tracks though. Can really hear the grief in the last one.
Just didn't grab me at all. One and done.
I don't like the sound of this one. I get that this was somehow transformative for Lennon but I can't shake the feeling that if this was made by any other person, it would not have garnered any attention. What is there is saved by the honesty and vulnerability but marred by a thin sound and bizarre stylistic choices.
A quick reminder that synergy is a real thing. Many songs co-written by Lennon and McCartney were amazing. Few of Lennons solo efforts hit those highs and none of McCartneys did. If he hasn’t already been famous, this album would have sunk without trace
personally, I find it too monotonous
John did some cool stuff post Beatles but there is better material.
Not his best work, but some of the themes and lyrics are just gut-wrenching!
oh good, another bad album in this list by everyone's favorite domestic abuser. john has escaped from the beatles and spends most of this album screaming like a wild man and banging out some discordant and abrasive tunes. there's really nothing here i enjoyed other than working class hero, which unfortunately is a banger and you really do have to hand it to him. even a broken man is right twice a day. favorites: working class hero
Oh no, no Ono on it OnO She makes Beatles fans seethe, so I wanted to hear what she's like. Unlucky Good old repeating the same line technique, bad new shouty singing, and a whole lot of mother issues. I don't see anything special in it
bad but ok I dont like John Lennon but he isnt _too_ horrible
Fuck Lennon!
Meh. They are the perfect example of “greater than the sum of their parts” Although each Beatle have written some incredible material post Beatles (Working Class Hero on this album happens a to be one) they just never hit like a Beatles album. So, it’s fine. Great at points.
Parts of this record really capture some of John Lennons earlier magic that was on full display during his time with the Beatles. Other parts of this album, to put it bluntly, do not. Lots of repetitive lyrics, decent melodies, and some really groovy tracks. How many times can you say the word “well” in one song?! The track that really rubs me the wrong way here is “God”. Boring, contrite, and just entirely self absorbed lyrics that almost come to some semblance of a point, but it’s really just total nonsense. I know this isn’t exactly a hot take, but I think the lack of Paul McCartney really hurt John Lennons songwriting. Not an album I’ll be listening to again. 2*
This album is decidedly okay. “Mother” and “Working Class Hero” stand out as better tracks than the rest, but most of this album is just… meh. There are some nice grooves at moments. 4/10
I am not feeling it
# Playlist track - Hold On # Notes - Is this "widely regarded as Lennon's best solo album"? Oh no. - I'll level with you all. The only reason this album even got someone to listen to it is because Lennon's name. - Don't get me wrong, it's cool to have this in context of his life, the "primal scream" therapy thing and all. IF you are a Lennon fan, that is. - Musically, this is passable, at best. Lyrics are OK, instrumentals are weak. Songs tend to be repetitive. The screaming thing is just annoying. - Hear it once, as a piece of Lennon's biography, but don't expect to be coming back for more.
Not his best work so a lowly 2*
Couldn't do it. Too much sheep-like shouting for my taste.
i’ve really come to hate the sixties and the trajectory of lennon perfectly describes why
This is not my favorite John Lennon…he seems pretty pissed off and the musicality/poetry of other works is not as heightened for me.
What was this? The awful screaming and a lot of the songs mostly unfinished. Then there are the inconsistencies in the lyrics. Apparently John doesn't (didn't) believe in god. Fine, can't fault him for that as neither do I. But he also doesn't believe in Hitler and Elvis. No while I have not actually met either I do think there is ample evidence for the existence of both. So not believing in them seems a bit strange. All in all a pretty annoying album.
John Lennon was a pretty horrible human being and his music post Beatles wasn't as good either. HE really needed George, Ringo, and especially Paul. Not the worst music, but not great.
Some aspects of this album sounded experimental and unfinished. Some parts were just plain. I wouldn't want to give it another full listen. 'Isolation' was a good song and my fave. 'Hold On' has a great instrumentals as well.
This album kinda sucks. Nothing really interesting. A lot of songs about John Lennon being sad. But I don’t really care. You should listen to the new cumgirl8 album that just came out, that album was better than this. That album get 5 stars. John Lennon? Only 2
ass does not deserve to be here 3/10
I see why it's called Plastic Ono Band, the uh- screaming gives it away.
Clearly the Beatles made him better. He comes across as very self promoting and absorbed on this album.
His voice is decent and I think that in some of the songs the instruments mainly the piano gave me a more positive view
Yeah whatever. I could not care less what John Lennon had to say. He doesn't believe in anything, doesn't care about anything other than himself and Yoko, cool we get it. It's because of that that I never understood why he was so popular and so idolized. Most of his songs on this verge on experimental (which I hate) and the others are just like "Imagine" (which is one of the most overrated songs of all time). I don't get why this is on the list, it wasn't very good at all.
on a positive-i did not notice Yoko's vocals. Lennon's voice is nice enough & musically, it was decent background music. I do believe the sum is greater than the parts (he's better with the Beatles) & lyrics are bit like a therapy session. will I listen again-no
Someone's got's a lot of issues here. COOKIE.
Yoko is a criminal.
Notable tracks: Isolation, Love
The description sounds like John's therapy sessions. This was ok, more of an album that's on here because of who it's from than its contents. It ends very abruptly? Art, I guess. 2* Highlights: working class hero
Not interesting enough to be considered avant-garde, but too edgy to qualify as pop. Poor John He probably suffered from the break up of the Beatles more than any of the others...
This was fine. John Lennon is great, but I never felt too attached to this album in general.
I feel like I haven't had an album that actually makes me FEEL anything in a while... This one is the same- it's okay but doesn't really stand out to me in any way. I'm leaning towards the negative, though.
Familiar with the album from back in the day - everyone was following the individual Beatles closely after they ended it. Yoko (unjustifiably) was blamed for the breakup of the Beatles and this looked liked her riding on Lennon’s coattails. The album is just “OK” - I think everyone expected more when it came out and was a little disappointed with his debut. All the songs seem like leftovers cut as not worthy of being Beatles songs. I like the message but can only go as high as (2.4*s). Plastic Ono is 1001 list worthy, but he has better.
Damn it Yoko...you broke up one of the greatest bands of all time and this is what happens. You get a lack luster solo Lennon album. It's not terrible but I was bored. I picture Lennon laying these tracks down while swigging a bottle of whiskey and kicking his dog. He's disgruntled. I accidentally listened to the ultimate mix on Spotify that had "Give Peace a Chance", "Cold Turkey", and " Instant Karma" as the last 3 tracks and I thought...here we go finally some good stuff. Come to find out those songs aren't even on the original album. I expected more I guess. Lennon can do better than this flopper. I DO believe in the Beatles...2.1.
Full respect for going there. But I'm kind of not actually interested?
I could easily have lived the entirety of my life never having heard this. A couple of nice catchy numbers, some utterly appalling ones, so mixed bag. I'll pass on playing it again.
I mean, these songs feel half baked. If only John had a few people to help flesh these songs out…
1 really good song on this album. Is it the Beatles is it not the Beatles ...who can tell
I wish I could like it, but apart from the standout "Working Class Hero" and "God" it's just very weak. Ringo turns in a good performance, though.
Het eerste nummer zet al de toon. John laat merken dat hij kan zingen, maar wisselt af met schreeuwen. Ik krijg dan bezoek, vergeet het album af te zetten en ga in de tuin zitten. Tot we enige tijd later ruw verstoort worden door geschreeuw. Het blijkt Well Well Well te zijn. Man Man Man. Ik zet het album de volgende dag opnieuw aan en klik op de wiki-link. Want wat bezielt deze vent? Hij had deze tijd blijkbaar primal scream therapie. Fijn als het jou heeft geholpen, John. Maar moet je echt ervoor zorgen dat jouw luisteraars ook therapie nodig hebben?
This was worse than expected. I knew the duo Lennon/Ono produced some awful songs, and even while Ono is not singing on this, besides Working Class Hero this album is bad regarding music and production. The lyrics seem genuinely personal, so one can't judge here.
Pretty meh. The Beatles solo stuff that I've heard just never really does much for me. John is also my least favorite of the "main Beatles" (sorry Ringo but I don't count you on their level) so that didn't help my enjoyment.
Not awful but only 1/2 songs I liked and too many I really didn't. Well well well went on for well too long for instance. High 2.
A few understated, pleasant songs, but the screeching… Why, John? Why?!?!
Evidence that John was the least talented Beatle. Not even half-baked, quarter-baked. A collection of badly executed ideas. 2/5
Helt okej. Visste redan två av låtarna och det är ju inte en okänd artist direkt. Förväntade mig något lite bättre dock, har inte så mycket mer att säga.
Booooring
Sounds unfinished and it’s a bit boring.
Despite being a huge Beatles fan, this album just does not do it for me. Working Class Hero is the Standout but I may be biased for its lean into Dylan.
This sounds like John thought the Beatles were holding him back, but in reality they were just shooting his stupid ideas down
Best Song: God. I at least like the ambition of this song, even if his selection of things to not believe in seems a bit specious. But, this song really appealed to me when I went through my contrarian atheist phase in high school, so I have a bit of nostalgia for it. Worst Song: Remember. A forgettable track that ends in a dumb, arbitrary explosion. Whoopee. Overall: I maintain that John Lennon is one of the worst popular lyricists of all time. He's just so incredibly obnoxious. From the appearance of his primal therapy with the child-like shouting at the end of the opening track, to the thoughtless and tuneless screaming throughout tracks like "Well Well Well", to fluff like "Love is Real, Real is Love", it feels like Lennon has drank his own Kool-Aid with this one. It gives the impression that he thinks he's doing something "primal" here, but really it's just basic and ordinary, intermixed with brief moments of spastic childishness. Nothing here seems to have any thought, purpose, or effort put behind it. Lennon sings as though no matter what he does, it must be art. The central tenet is voiced explicitly by Lennon in God - "I just believe in me."
This album would be globally rated much lower if John Lennons name wasn’t associated. If he would have released this under a pseudonym it would have flopped. I adore the Beatles and a lot of Johns work but Plastic Ono is lousy.
Not bad, moderate. But he was a butt hole so, 2
Pínu ofmetið. Þokkalegir taktar inn á milli samt.
Underwhelming.
I don't know what to do with this. It wasn't overly good. It wasn't horrific. No desire to listen to it again though. I will round down.
It has one great song on it, in Working Class Hero. The rest is either stodgy rock or self indulgent therapy wank.
Just cant
Ganz ok
Fine
A bit disappointing actually, as I honestly expected this to be better being his inaugural solo effort... So I watched "The Beatles Get Back" documentary a while back, it became very clear - very quickly that it was Paul that drove the band, and that John was somewhat lazy... He wouldn't produce much, but when he did - his work was awesome - so I was curious as to how being on his own would impact that work ethic... Maybe it was the Yoko influence, or perhaps where he was at that time in his life, but there wasn't much on this album that grabbed me at all, and actually think "Double Fantasy" was a much better solo effort from him... Only 2 songs that I liked were "Working Class Hero" which was exceptional, and "Isolation"... "God" was a bit interesting, but ultimately at the end just came off as being pretentious in my view...
meh
Eh.
sooloilu alkaa tässä...ladies and gentlemen...the british invasion has ended...muutama hassu biisi, raakaa--raaka tunteilu... when he say aaaaaaaa.... raw feeling...tik tok on the clock.. milloin tulee luoti selkään..vielä vuosikymmenys siihen heh....music is a clear 5 star overall obviously... mutta kaikki muu tässä on niin heh että annetaan 2 tähteä. woeking class hero
The thing that surprised me was how weak a singer he was
Good album, but it's strange that the sound wasn't as inventive or distinct as the last Beatles phase.
Bros before hoes! John’s missing some buds here
I love The Beatles (especially JL) but this is dull. If its primary objective was raw naked primal scream honesty, it's not angry enough. It lacks emotional depth to be melancholic. And the lyrics lack any sense of wit or poetical flair. He just sounds like a sardonic, bored, reclusive and uninspired pop star.
Disnt have any of the big hits, wasnt the most exciting album ive ever listened too.
2 Actually bad But ok
not a favourite
The Beatles really were a balancing act. Any of their subsequent albums really are off-kilter.
Lots of odd things with this one, had some decent songs but just seemed low effort. John Lennon yelling is not my groove either. 2/5
why did he growl “cookie” in a cookie monster voice randomly in “hold on”
Nicht mein Fall aber respektabel.
Just not my jam. 2/5
I’m not saying he deserved it, but if he was always this pompous and annoying…
This album was pretty boring and simple, never really finding a groove. Now I'm on Well Well Well and Goose is making weird faces at the speaker. John still has a great voice and I feel like that is carrying this album. Everything else about this album seemed not good. Definitely gets an extra knock because it's John Lennon and id expect him to write a better album than this.
#119. I really thought this was going to be better than that. I mean, this is the guy from the Beatles. And it's not like he was just some guy that just happened to be there, he wrote like half the fucking songs. So, what happened, the Beatles broke up and he just forgot how to write good songs or whatever? Mother and Well Well Well are terrible songs, and the rest aren't much better, to be honest. 2/5: listening to this almost makes one yearn for a snubnose .38
Too mellow for my liking.
Working Class Hero is great, and some others were okay. But overall didn't enjoy.
Looks like I really am Team Paul. These tracks mostly feel underdeveloped and too sparse to me, like there might be a decent seed in there but it needs elevating and padding out with more ideas. I was never a fan of that bluesy fuzz that John brought to the later Beatles albums, he really digs into that style on here. Thankfully, Yoko was working on her own album in tandem to this one, so we don’t t have to contend with any overspill of that.
I didn't really like it. Some ok songs In here but it was definitely below average
What a total knobhead. Ignoring all the BS about Lennon being a massive abusive asshole, this is incredibly mediocre. It's clear that the heroin ruined whatever talent he had. Or maybe it was really the other three pulling all the weight. Or maybe he only had so many good songs in him.
This is a must hear because we get a glimpse of what life would be like if the Beatles SUCKED.
Yeah sounds like john lennon
I hate to say it but this is a case of people love his previous gig so they’re going to be all in on this. I haven’t heard all of it, but Johns output is about the weakest post Beatles. I don’t know why people stand up for him. Working Class Hero is an actively bad song.
C'était pas si mal, mais rien de particulièrement impressionnant ou si révolutionnaire. La fin de la première chanson est tout simplement insuportable avec ses cris vraiment insuportables. Heureusement le reste de l'album est mieux, mais comme à chaque album de Beatles ou de projets solos du band, je reste sur ma faim. 5/10
This does nothing to change my opinion that John Lennon was an egotistical ass of a human who desperately needed his bandmates around him to ride herd on his narcissism so that he could craft actual, meaningful art. In case it was unclear, I did not enjoy this self-indulgent turd of an album.
It pains me to say that none of this works for me. Maybe Working Class Hero comes the closest? And I do love the saturated production. But otherwise, not a huge fan.
Not bad actually. Sucks that he beat all those women tho
Plastic Ono Band's one of those great-for-the-list-without-being-great records. Could be that the rawness of the lyrics and of the music never combine, but that criterion is real dubious. Simply and likely: Confessionality from John does not an album make.
I guess once you're famous they let you do anything. Like a boring vanity project.
I felt bored most of the time. I also thought he used the same lyrical technique in almost every song: line repetition. It’s not cool when you keep doing it song to song.
This is infinitely more insufferable than George Harrison's Eastern obsession. Working Class Hero should be the anthem for /r/iamverysmart.
This wasn't terrible, but largely forgettable.
1001 essential albums of all time from around the globe. I'm 160 in. This is my 8TH! Beatles/Beatles adjacent album!? Why? WHY? I was already thinking they were overrated. This album is making me think they were straight trash. 1001 essential albums and 8, so far, are from the same 4 fucking people!? No. Just no. As for a review of this specific Beatles adjacent album: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.
I was not familiar with this one going in at all. Maybe it will grow on further listening, but I was not a fan of this record. The Phil Spector stuff is never really a selling point for me, so I can't speak to the production as some sort of saving grace. There are some bits and bobs that were stronger than others, but I did not find the overall listening experience as pleasant
Working class hero is best on album. Cool direction with the screeches, probably very out there at the time. A lot in here about anti capitalism and stepping up against the regime. Some intense feeling on this album
Not my jam, so much.
Liked I found out. Rest is meh
This was ok. I was familiar with working class hero but only in soundtracks and such. The rest of the album was entertaining but nothing I would seek out to listen to again.
John Lennon is so overrated. He’s the worst Beatle and this album is so mediocre.
Eh. Not my thing
I think Lennon took his primal screaming therapy too literally because I find his singing far to shouty here. When he was with the Beatles it was lightining in a bottle, a magical sound probably never to be replicated ever again. But as a solo artist, he doesn't appeal to me at all.
Kind of boring - but not bad at all
Terrible.
AJ: for some reason I am annoyed by John Lennon lately. Just having heard he was a piece of crap. I dunno. I listened to 2 songs and they’re John Lennon songs.
This album is so boring. About the only good thing I could say about it is that it's easy to tune out. 1 or 2 stars. I'm no beatles fan though.
Meh
Il faut en finir avec l'escroquerie John Lennon, j'ai dépêché le très célèbre Norbert Episode pour mener à bien cette opération.
Compared to the perfect arrangements of the beatles, this is somewhat of a primal scream. There's a genuine anger and angst in places. Unfortunately, as songs, most of them aren't that good. Working Class Hero is particularly biting, and Well Well Well is almost punk in places, but beyond that, nothing much appeals. You can hear his emotion in songs like Mother, but it drifts towards self pity - and to be honest, 'Love is Real and Real is Love' is one of the worst opening lyrics I've heard. Ironically, I found myself wishing Ringo had been involved, as some of the rhythms were so turgid, his ingenuity would have been a great help. Even letting Yoko go crazy would at least have made it more interesting...
Yikes.
awkward, overly sentimental. basic beats 1.7
Working Class Hero on loistava kappale, mutta muuten aika turruttavaa settiä. Lisäksi Lennonin rääkyminen käy jopa ärsyttäväksi
2.5 Stars
People should definitely get over themselves and listen to the Yoko one of the same name. Once. I'm strangely unmoved by this, it's definitely raw and that's great, but are the tunes actually that good? My problem may be setting expectations too high, regarded as John Lennon's best solo effort, and my previous enjoyment of All Things Must Pass, you do expect greatness. This is so understated (apart from the screaming) by comparison also. However for me it's so raw the tunes didn't get developed really. As with George's record, you can play 'spot the potshot' at his former band mates and various people, which is a fun bit of historical pop culture horseplay. Mother I don't really like. Working Class Hero stands up to scrutiny. God is good but is also half a song and mainly a list of shit. To be fair, this whole record comes across as therapy for John and that's absolutely fair enough, it's just something I would choose to listen to much. I went back and listened to the Yoko version afterwards and it's an entertaining oddity but honestly I'll probably never listen to either of these records again.
Important and poignant but goddamn painful.
Yea I mean ok
So apparently this guy used to be in a really successful band...
I only wish his post Beatles work was half as good. Sadly, other than Imagine, which isn't on this record is the only standout. This is a lot of soul searching with a little whining. It's boring. And if below him.
Found this to be a drag.
eh
nah
man, this sounds like the beatles, if they were streamlined into a singular direction, but I've never thought that the beatles would benefit from being streamlined. Maybe if I engaged with the lyrics more, I might appreciate it more, but it doesn't have the same structural and harmonic interest of things like ELP's From the Beginning only 2 years later. Like Marshmallow Fluff, it does exactly one thing, and doesn't leave me sated.
Everything Yoko Ono touches gets worse. There are no exceptions.
album #81 john lennon is perpetually blinded by his own faecal pretentiousness from having his head shoved so far up his own arse. buddy, if you don't CAN IT!!!! lennon is really the final boss of male singer/songwriters who think they are interesting (negative). ꩜ average track rating: 1.2/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): mother, isolation ꩜ least favourite track(s): god, my mummy's dead ꩜ album rating: ★☆☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,008 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 38 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 16 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 65
Seemingly wary of the complex and detailed songs the late-period Beatles creanked out, here Lennon keeps his lyrics fairly direct (to the point of being embarassingly simplistic at times) and the music uncomplicated. In addition, this record is lo-fi to point of being amateurish-sounding at times ("Hold On" and "Well Well Well" in particular sound like trash). I get that Lennon probably wanted to let up on the gas pedal after the incredible pace of the Beatles output but this record is a radical downshift into first gear that's less the eye-opening experience that Lennon probably intended it to be and instead is a clunky, disappointing experience whose ragged sonics are hard on the ear at times.
why do I give a shit about this guy
Well I listened to it. I can see it is music. Boring as hell. He needed the Beatles to write a good song. Going solo let him shove his head SO far up his own ass he makes a terrible album. So I suggest instead of listening to this drivel do look up the Claypool Lennon Delirium. Must more fun and I don't think either one of them have ever beat their partners.
What a boring whiny cunt
This had the makings of a somewhat good album in here somewhere. Hold On and God I thought were quite good. Everything else was felt either boring and unfinished, or just very difficult to listen to (see Well Well Well for the epitome of this). Maybe a harsh 1, but it could have been so much better than it was.
Given the horror of Lennon’s childhood, I hope creating this was cathartic—even if the result feels like a mess.
As expected, self indulgent and arrogant just like the man.
Really really whiney. And very dull.
Not my style. Feels like the Beatles, but more boring. 1/5
Boring, self-indulgent and stupid. Some tracks, like Mother, are so bad it’s hard to believe they’re serious.