Imagine

It’s better than I thought it would be.

An album I own, respect… and rarely feel the urge to play. Imagine is one of those records whose legend eclipses the listening experience. There’s craft and sincerity here, but too much of it drifts by in a soft-focus haze. “Jealous Guy” is genuinely beautiful—fragile, human, and timeless. “Gimme Some Truth” brings much-needed bite, reminding you how sharp Lennon could be when he really dug in. The rest? Polite, well-produced, and largely forgettable. And the title track—important, overplayed, and now so over-familiar it feels more like a slogan than a song. Few people actually want to put it on at home anymore. Not a bad album. Just nowhere near as great as its reputation insists. Plastic Ono Band still tells you far more about Lennon—with far less padding.

I think it's a sweet record, that might be insincere a bit. Overall I heard the Beatles sound but watered-down, not harmonizing within a full album, and I missed that a bit. In my opinion, had Lennon been able to really develop is soloist catalogue is music would have been great, but here it feels a bit dry

Jeg tror, jeg skal høre den her igen. Frataget åbningsnummeret, der er blevet ødelagt af gentagelser. Der kunne godt gemme sig et par fine numre, men emhætten spolerede lytningen.

Honestly, solid album, but it didn’t really move me the way I thought it would. I’m having a hard time finding words for this album, it was completely fine but not as great as I expected.

buen disco, con imagen como gran hit, algunos temas medios aburridos igual

Meh.

para alguien tan fan de los beatles como yo, he escuchado demasiado poco john lennon como solista. creo que hasta ahora escucho un disco de él completo. jealous guy imo es la mejor canción del disco. me recuerda un toque al white album la verdad. 3.5 estrellas que creo que bajo a 3, me gustaron como tres canciones, con las otras no vibee tanto.

The title track of the album might well be my least favourite song ever. In the end I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I expected. Did anyone else hear "A day in the life* during Jealous Guy?

Slightly better than Plastic Ono Band, some truly fantastic songwriting, and some absolutely fucking pathetic crap on here too. "Imagine" is obviously solid, but it's hard to overlook the blatant hypocrisy; "Jealous Guy" is gross to listen to knowing this dude was jealous enough to crack 'em in the mouth; "Gimme Some Truth" is banal; and "How Do You Sleep" (although a cool sounding song) is a wimpy, childish jab at my dear sweet Paul. John Lennon could write great lyrics and write great music, but how the fuck did he get so far up his own ass? You sir, are not saving the world -- in fact, you never even came close. Fave tracks: - Imagine (duh) - Crippled Inside - I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama - Oh My Love - How? - Oh Yoko!

Who knew an album with a lame song like "Imagine" could mostly be fun to listen to. There's some blues, soul, punk and rock and roll. Then there's "Imagine." Gag.

Oh My Love and Oh Yoko! are quite sweet. The title track and Jealous Guy are classics.

Once we were past the title track, this was a fairly enjoyable album! Not on the level of Plastic Ono Band, which was a truly complete work that really captured that raw grief and rage after the Beatles broke up, but still solid. I hope I never have to hear the title track again though. Pure schlock.

The global rating on this might be inflated due to the album being made by John Lennon. It was fine. Solid overall. Nothing I’d listen to again other than the title track, which wasn’t really like the rest of it.

I've listened four times to this album trying to find something to say about it, and I keep coming up blank. I enjoy his ballads. I like the rare happy John song to close the album. His songwriting overall is really good, as expected. I guess as a complete project there's just not a lot calling to me. Standouts: Imagine • Jealous Guy • Oh My Love • How Do You Sleep? • Oh Yoko!

Beyond the title track, I don't really have anything of note for this album. It's fine Favorite Song: Imagine

Generous 3 because it’s a rung above what I’ve been getting recently. RYM Saved a song: N

Sorry but Imagine is a corny song and I don’t like it. As for the rest, it was fine. Gimme Some Truth and Oh Yoko were the standouts. A little too lush for my taste but if you’re a Lennon fan I’m sure it’s a good listen. High 3.

Good

Ya conocía algunas canciones. Me gustó.

I want to like this more than I actually do. Its no surprise that the piano ballads are the biggest hits. That's where John is at his best, showing heartbreaking emotion. But when he does his "American" thing (country and blues) it just doesn't work.

Would not buy

Imagine - 3.5/5 Crippled Inside - 3/5 Jealous Guy - 3.5/5 It's So Hard - 3/5 I Don't Want to Be a Soldier Mama - 3/5 Give Me Some Truth - 3/5 Oh My Love - 2.5/5 How Do You Sleep? - 4/5 How? - 3/5 Oh Yoko! - 3.5/5 What do you get when you separate the Beatles and just put in the guy with the unchecked ego in charge of an album? Well a whole load of meh that's what. A whole lot of filler and not much killer is what John is left with after the Beatles. Imagine has been tainted by whatever happened during COVID, and scores lower as a result. Pretty "eh" all-around. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: How Do You Sleep?

Good but not his best solo Imagine the track is now overfamiliar.

Pretty mellow, nothing really stands out except of course the title track, which is beautiful and powerful.

Not a lot from this stood out, but it's still an album from a Beatle, so I still like the way it sounds.

As much as I’d like to give it 5 stars, ‘Jealous Guy’ is kinda messed up knowing what I know about John Lennon, and ‘Oh Yoko!’ is a big miss for me.

Better than I expected, not a Lennon fan, but not bad at all. Nothing massively groundbreaking, but clearly influential as an album.

Composition is nice, the lyrics read fine but they really feel hollow now.

6/10 The lyrics really are the only thing going for this album.

Only slightly interesting.

Good album, with the classic “Imagine”, some other good tunes, with a couple of duds, John taken so young, wtf…🙏🏼

there really was something about the Beatles together that they could never quite replicate in their solo careers.

just dropped my whole fuckin dinner on the fuckin floor stupid fuckin imagine john lennon fuckin ass

I kind of expected more. It's fine. I don't know, something just isn't hitting. I love the Beatles, but their solo albums just don't do it for me. They suffer from not having the input and criticism from the other Beatles, and this album is no different. Title track is a classic. The next few songs are fine, a bit bland but fine. I like Gimme some truth. How do you sleep is kind of offputting. It's a very mean spirited and bitter song and way longer than it needs to be without developing further to warrant it's length. A lot of these songs sound like first drafts, notes put to music that the record company accepted because of who wrote them. Very underwhelmed.

Enjoyed a good bit of this. Only knew two songs on it

Good… but the hype department has been working overtime since 1971 (3.5)

You know, this just not a great record. A few hits but very flat in general

Não sou fã de Beatles muito menos do John Lennon E ele era uma pessoa péssima

Overall this is stronger than his previous solo effort. Stand outs are Imagine (though very overplayed), Crippled inside, Jealous Guy, Gimme some truth and How do you sleep?

Imagine is iconic

Ultimately just kind of boring? Expected a lot more from such a well-known album.

I have been listening to the Beatles since before I could speak, know less about their solo careers, really really wanted to enjoy this. I did enjoy some of it— mostly the blues rock tracks, even I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama. How Do You Sleep? is honestly a banger, amazing diss track, can't believe I've never heard it before — it's SO petty. But overall this felt kind of disjointed as an album. Doesn't help that the title track is truly bad. Also minus points for not crediting Yoko for her writing.

Whatever people might think about Lennon as a person, he was a creative force. Imagine is overplayed of course, but overall this album is pretty good. My favourite is the McCartney dis track How do you Sleep - just for the riff, not that I have anything against Paul either

Imagine a world where this album was as good as its reputation.

There are a couple good songs here, but the rest of the album is a letdown.

I have always been very much against the Beatles, found the whole thing a little overrated. This i suppose always extended to the indvidual projects. Thus i had always avoided this album. I really enjoyed the album though. Feels a lot closer instyle and feel to Pink Floyd than a Beatles record and that was something i can get behind.

Germs of good songs ruined by being drenched in reverb, terrible drum sounds, and the like.

Faves were Imagine (of course), Oh My Love, and How Do You Sleep? Everything else was meh.

I’m not sure the rest of the album measures up after the title cut.

So this was pretty ok. I think John was a decent solo artist and I liked the overall sound of this album. I’ve only ever listened to compilations of his so this is the first time hearing most of these songs for me and some of them were really good. While I don’t think that John Lennon has a spectacular voice, I do like it, because it’s tied to so many awesome Beatles songs. A couple on here though…so grating. I’m looking at you I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama and How Do You Sleep. And the way he sings in a kind of screaming voice at times drives me crazy, but not in a good way. I’m stuck between a 3 and 4, but I think I’m going to give it a 3. Jealous Guy was my favorite on here and it’s one of my favorite solo Lennon songs overall.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Not bad, not my thing, as it's a little too 'light' but some well written stuff

Of course it’s great, just isn’t THAT great.

this album was pretty chill to me there was js some songs that sounded repettitve idk if that was js me or john lennon himself being lazy but the songs that werent repettitive were good. jealous guy was my favourite from this albumn

Overall Rating - 3.35/5 (6.70/10). Not as good as I would have expected of Lennon's solo work.

Imagine is a fantastic song, but I remain kinda lukewarm on Lennon as a whole. This is the first time I've listened to one on his albums and it was shockingly repetitive? The songs are catchy, but the lyrics kinda throw me off.

If you had asked me prior to this project, I would have said I love John Lennon’s music…he’s a bit of a douchebag…but I really like a lot of his songs. After listening to now the second album of his on here, I’m still not hearing any of those songs I love. What album are they on?!? Lennon is sounding more self absorbed and hypocritical on these songs than ever. I’m also one of the rare few that think Imagine is overrated and overplayed. I’m still giving it a 3, though, because there’s good music on here overall.

Imagine, the song. Great and inspirational. Imagine, the album. Meh

It’s fine. Imagine is a nice song, but apparently he didn’t really live by those values. I like the Beatles stuff better!

How can you not love Imagine? Other than 2-3 songs this is a little meh for me. It is of its time and uniqueness of the artist. I would listen again.

It was OK. Aside from the songs I knew, it felt mostly like Beatles-lite, which is probably to be expected. Fine, but not something I'd be returning to in a hurry.

It took me a long time to start liking the Beatles. They were groundbreaking and incredibly creative in their day. I didn't like John Lennon's liaison with the vastly overrated Yoko Ono and the resulting solo career. It felt too much like self-promotion. I quite like listening to the song Imagine on the album from time to time. I find the rest meaningless. I won't be listening to the album again anytime soon. 3/5

Easy listening. Lyrics still too relevant (in a bad way) especially Gimme Some Truth, How do you Sleep & Mamma I don't want to go to war. Besides Imagine, no song was gripping. Can 1 song propel an album to top 1001?

john. lennon.

Wiederhole mich: Wenn es die Beatles nicht gäbe, wäre das sehr eindrucksvoll.

3.5

3.0

Decent album, some nice songs on there. Of course it has the iconic title track, but there were some nice other songs as well. Just not enough sticking out for me to warrant a higher rating. 3/5

The eponymous track is one of the songs I've known for the longest given I remember elementary school taught it; these days one of those polarizing songs I personally don't feel strongly about either way. The album itself was nice

Decent. John continuing to record his psychotherapy sessions, and coming up with some stand-up good songs in the process.

Ok

Never been that voted bothered about solo Lennon.

Fine. Nothing really struck with me (besides Imagine, but I've heard that song so many times I just skipped it).

Album No. 0168 on my list. Personally, John Lennon was always my least favorite Beatle, but you can't deny that the guy did have a lot of talent and may really have been the most influential musician of the 20st century. I was not at all familiar with his solo work (except for the obvious "Imagine" in the sense of the title track of this album) so I was curious how the album would hold up. And well, "Imagine" (in the sense of the whole album) was... okay! It was the first time I've listened to any full Beatles member's solo album, and it certainly is not remotely as good as any of the Beatles' work, but maybe that is an unfair comparison. The greatest band of all time really was better than the sum of their individual contributions. But still, "Imagine" is a solid folk-pop-rock album. The title track is obviously one of the greatest songs ever. The rest of the album doesn't quite reach the level of that one, but there are many solid tracks on this nevertheless, so I'll add "Jealous Guy", and "How Do You Sleep" to my playlist as well. 3/5 stars.

And what if I said I thought this is overrated

Clásica imagine Del resto nada nuevo destacable

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ It's a decent album. Liked the more laid-back songs like "How Can You Sleep?", but that's just me. Didn't think it was extraordinary, though.

better than plastic ono band

Well, this is it. Another milestone on my journey to the end of the list. I’ve finally listened to at least 1 solo album for all 3 of the Beatles on here (Sorry Ringo, I’m sure your solo career is great), as well as an actual Beatles album with Revolver. I have enjoyed every one of them so far, and ranking them would maybe be a bit unfair to John, as he didn’t get to evolve his music past 1980 like everyone else did. However, I think that out of what I have heard so far, Paul is my favorite without a shadow of a doubt, George surprised the hell out of me with how much I enjoyed his music, and John of course is legendary in his own right. However, I don’t think this album starts getting truly great until the middle, and there are a few songs I’d skip here on my way to the gold on another listen. This is going to be one of many acts of musical blasphemy I’ve committed so far, but I’ll say it anyway. I don’t love “Imagine”. I respect the HELL out of it, I love the message, I admire it for how great it is. It’s a beautiful song, and a great song at that, an absolute classic. That’s the important thing. But, and this is a big but, I’m so tired of listening to it. I’ve heard that song constantly throughout the highs and lows of my life, and I’d never call it bad or overrated, but man am I tired of it. Additionally, hearing that song with its jovial messaging and positive attitude on the same album as “How Do You Sleep?”, a very old fashioned diss track against Paul, is actually hilarious. One big thing I’ll give this album is that it’s not all just soft rock classics. A slight one up on Harrison’s album, this has an incredible mix of softer and harder songs, adding some much appreciated variety to John’s usual sound. “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama”, and “How Do You Sleep?” add some great, edgier bangers to the mix, the ladder being my favorite song on the album. And again, the fact that it’s a diss track against Paul is just crazy to me. A fascinating song all around. These are songs that were, in my opinion, clear signs at an attempt to branch out from his usual Beatley music into a darker, more raw sound that really, REALLY worked out great. I wasn’t even aware he could make songs that cool admittedly. All of the Beatles have songs and albums like this that surprise me every single time I hear them and just absolutely rock. I have a rather warped sense of what I expected the Beatles to sound like. At least, I did before this project. Now I seriously love them. There’s a valid reason they’re generally considered to be the best. Overall, this was a pretty solid album. Some skips, some total bangers, and one all time classic, it’s pretty good!!

It's mostly fine.

overall a very beately kinda geeza first half didn’t really hit for me tbh, after listening to jealous guy it made me really appreciate the genius of Donny Hathaway a whole lot more couple of bangers tho, gimmie some truth and how do you sleep give me that funk vibe that i’ve got from Sly etc, but just a bit less funky still i think this guy should keep going, he’s got potential

1/3 peak music 1/3 trash 1/3 songs that are interesting only because they are written by JL

17# Prelude: Hmm interesting pull. I I've never seen this as an album but mostly as a single. Let's see if it holds up to the mainstream hit which i love. Listening:

Kinda mediocre tbh. imagine is good but i dont love the other stuff

"How do you sleep?" is the best song. Nice to hear George Harrison play the guitar on so much of the album. Otherwise, a bit bland. My least favorite of the early post-Beatles solo albums (compared to McCartney, Harrison, and Ringo). Lennon was not a bad lyricist or musician by any means, but he needed the others to really shine.

Good album. Kind of eclectic. Different types of songs, even a bit country...

Alguém ainda aguenta ouvir "Imagine"? Apenas um disco mediano com duas ou três faixas muito boas: "Jealous Guy" e "How Do You Sleep?", esta muito bem arranjada, contrapondo cordas e guitarras com maestria.

Gotta be honest, not a good as I remember. Sure there's a couple of great songs, but they can't carry an average album to greatness.

Imagine there’s no pee pee.. it’s easy if you poo

Imagine cool, zadnja pisma Oh Yoko! ili kako vec isto dobra, ostalo sve ok. 6/10 Najbolja pisma: Imagine

Two big hits. The rest was ok but it didn't reach the level of spectacularity of his old band.

I like the Blues-y "It's So Hard". Ah yes, the Paul McCartney diss track.

It’s good but truly missing his bandmates to be great

coo

Some damn fine tunes here. He was a great songwriter.

Obviously the title song is a classic, but the rest of this is a bit plodding

pretty okay

good Album

3.5 enjoyable sans the title track

Would have given this a 4, but then I remembered that video that came out by celebrities during the pandemic in which they all sang "Imagine" in order to say "Hey, we're in this together." Now whenever I hear that song, it reminds me of that. Doesn't sound like the best reason, but dont care.

Overall solid bluesy album

I really thought, and maybe wanted, to like this record. Or at least to like it more. But it feels like an excuse to release Imagine in a format that would sell actual records... the melodies are simple and cute, but I found the lyrics just plain stupid in some cases.

Enough has been written about the irony of a millionaire singing about having no possessions, but a bigger issue is a violent bully (by his own admission) writing a song about being “just a jealous guy”. In the entry for this album Robert Dimery describes that track as being one of the greatest love songs written from a man to a woman, which I think is completely missing the point. Even the way it is sung sounds like the feeble self justification of an abusive man. After some fun, bouncy rock and blues tracks we then get to “How Do You Sleep” which is another bitter and spiteful attack on Paul McCartney, showing that he had still not forgiven him for the breakup of the Beatles. The primal scream therapy obviously hadn’t worked. To be positive for a second, with the problematic tracks aside, George Harrison’s guitar adds a lot to the Beatles vibe on this album, compared to his previous solo release. It’s still not on the same level as it used to be though, which makes listening a bitter sweet experience, with the bitter definitely outweighing the sweet. 50%-of-the-Beatles-tastic!

basically a big ol’ commentary about the world, still applies today. liked some of the songs. didn’t like some of the songs. about a 50/50 split. i’m not sure if i will ever be in the mood to play this album cover to cover again, but def a good listen!

It was alright, but the rating is Carrier by imagine. Aside from it and jealous boy, this album doesnt really have much to offer. Kinda disappointing honestly, but instrumentals are on point.

Better than I remember - Interesting vibes

Aside from the Imagine song, I really thought this album was forgettable. The inclusion of Imagine bumped this rating to a 3.

The second LP from Lennon after the Beatles, this sounds like an extension of what they were doing at the end. Blues and Rock songs, but for some reason Lennon's vocals are often muffled and way down in the mix even in the 2010 remaster. The music is decent, there are some hooks and some excellent guitar work from George Harrison. The main attraction is of course the single Imagine, a plea for peace. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama is a blues jam that maybe meanders a bit too long - heavy on the reverb as if it were recorded in a huge empty hall. How Do You Sleep is a diss track in the ongoing animosity between Lennon and McCartney in the wake of the Beatles breakup - it's a good arrangement with great riffs and a sweet slide guitar solo from George. The hypocrisy he loves to rant about arrives when Lennon disparages McCartney's solo stuff as simple and fluffy when this record is pretty straightforward without anything particularly groundbreaking.

3/5. A solid solo effort from John. That being said I am personally more partial to his rawer and more emotional solo album “Plastic Ono Band”. Favorite song is definitely “how do you sleep”, which is basically a diss track about Paul McCartney and he gets some solid jabs in.

***

La vuelta de Lennon al pop, con un tema en respuesta a Too Many People de Paul. No es mi estilo la verdad.

Couple of great songs. Never my favourite beatle

Full disclosure - I expected to thoroughly hate this when it came up. I’m very surprised that I didn’t. “Imagine” has always been a beautiful song - the transition into “you may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one” has always been one of my favourites. I liked “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama”, and the politically on the nose track “Gimme Some Truth” and, especially, “How Do You Sleep?” - having learned from this project that it’s really only Beatles songs which are George Harrison compositions that I like, I should’ve known the same would apply here. Some of the album was a bit boring, and give me Roxy Music’s version of “Jealous Guy” any day of the week over the original dirge. But, in general, this exceeded the little expectations I had for it.

I thought I'd like this, given how much I like The Beatles but I definitely like them more together than as solo artists. Imagine is an iconic song and definitely a stand out. Following it with the honky-tonk piano of Crippled Inside is an interesting choice - it's a bit of a whiplash change of direction. And then we get to Jealous Guy. Knowing how much of an utter bastard Lennon was to the people he was supposed to love means Jealous Guy leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. I don't have the patience for all his "woe is me, it'll be different next time" bollocks. Good whistling though. And then I sort of stopped really listening. The album was happening, but I was struggling to pay attention to it. On a second quick pass through the album, How Do You Sleep? might be one of the most mean spirited, bitter tracks a Beatle ever wrote, though it is a pretty good song - I particularly liked the strings. This was a very mixed bag for me. On balance, I think it's getting: 3/5 (because I can't give it 2.5)

Vibe / Gefühl Chillig Highlights "Imagine" eine der besten Songs überhaupt "Jealous Guy" & "How?" auch sehr stark Rest Okay. Läuft gut durch. Kurzfazit Einige Songs kann man immer wieder hören, ganzes Album leider nicht spannend genug.

Ok

Good, just not The Beatles.

This was fine. I haven't really found any solo Beatles stuff I've loved yet. I kinda liked how much more focused this felt compared to Plastic Ono Band. Maybe the most interesting part of this was the songwriting, but instrumentally I found this kinda plain. Special recognition goes to that extremely pointed diss track. Rip Paul.

sweet i liked "how do you sleep"

"Imagine" and "How Do You Sleep?" are really good songs, and I wish I liked this album, but I'm not a fan of John

Fun, there was a lot more in this than I expected

Enjoyed it, iconic album. But probably won’t listen to it on my own.

Oh Yoko!

I quite enjoyed this, Lennon has so much more variety here than I knew he had

Meh.

Happy Songs, kann man nochmal hören. Sehr gut auch nebenher

imagine - jeff buckley esq, crippled is groovy and country twangy could definately 2 step to it lol, don't wanna be a soldier has some sick jazzy/blues influence and a really raspy rock vocal performance that i liked, how do you sleep feels like "loosing you", liked the begining of oh yoko but got real sick of it

Jealous Guy is a great song, and a good look at the underbelly of this guy

cute

I don’t think John has the right vocal sound for the blues songs. Other songs are fine.

Imagine als nummer is wel ok, er zitten wat blues nummers hier en daar die wel leuk zijn. Maar al met al vind ik het een beetje saai en qua inhoud nogal zuur. 5/10

strong first half and the second was just meh, starts too early into every song, range!!! second half kinda meh

I love the Beatles but this album just feels like it is nothing. There’s a few amazing tracks but most of it is just uninteresting.

This one is fine. 3 stars.

Hmm. More than anything, this album feels like Lennon is trying his best to go "see! I'm a good guy! I love peace!" without much of an actual, impactful message. I'm happy the guy's found the love of his life, but... This is a self-aggrandizing album all right.

I find it hard to rate this album. The opinions of many people around me dictate that the work of any beatle should be of an exceptional quality. But having now listened to Harrison and Lennon's solo work I don't find myself agreeing. Imagine can be described as "baby's first protest song", its sentimentalities undermined by the scathing takedown of Paul McCartney in how do you sleep, detracting from the music with personal gossip. If you are invested in the Beatles and their story this might be considered a plus. Like the album, Lennon is a mixed bag, preaching peace and having conquered his past, but picking petty fights. Political but also shallow in its analysis. The blues songs are servicable and perhaps the most consistent contributions. I will keep preferring the Mad Season version of I don't wanna be a soldier mama.

What a lovely song about peace and understanding, I bet the fella who wrote it wasn't violent towards women, hold up

Okay, getting quite a different image of Lennon than I had reading some of these reviews. Getting wife beater, hypocrite vibes? News to me. Felt a kind of “meh”. Fairly good songs, with a steady gait, but nothing that blew me away, or felt particularly impactful. Even ‘How do you sleep?’ which could be hard hitting and raw, lacks any real punch, like most the album. So done by the end

If I could only listen to this record as if it were the first time... Perhaps it caught me in a bad mood, but the tracks beyond 'Imagine', 'Jealous Guy', 'How do you sleep?', and 'Oh my love' didn't quite blow my mind. Maybe it’s because the Beatles’ songwriting set the benchmark to such a high standard. Regardless, it remains a distinct, intimate album by one of the most influential pop songwriters of the 20th century.

La mitad de las canciones son buenas aunque ya estén muy quemadas para mí, el resto no me gustan.

No need to listen to this one. Heard it many times. Eh. 3 stars.

Man cant hear this album without thinking of forrest gump

Imagine is a pretty decent tune at the start, but the rest didn’t really excite me. It was thoroughly listenable though.

Besides Imagine it's pretty whatever. Nothing captured me.

It’s alright, imagine carried this album

Deprimente pensar que esse foi um dos últimos, justamente com sua mensagem tão positivamente utópica, admito que talvez seja um pouco mais fraquinho, mas não é ruim. Apenas imagine todas as pessoas.

millie bobby brown

3.5+

I haven't listened to this one in years. Not as great as I remember. 3/5

Hard to be negative about John Lennon, but this album doesn't grab me like one would if he were part of the Beatles. Sure, Imagine is a meaningful, classic song, but the rest of the album just doesn't give me anything but partial vibes, fuzzy musical landscapes, and OK lyrics. I may be off the mark--haven't read what everyone else posted here, just my take.

Imagine - 8/10: I like the instruments/beat (whatever you call it) a lot and the lyrics. Crippled Inside - 5/10: I don't really like the country undertones to this song. Jealous Guy - 6/10: I like the piano. It's So Hard - 6/10: I like the intro and drums. I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier (Mama) - 5/10: It's really repetitive and kind of weird vibes. Gimme Some Truth - 6/10: I like the instruments/beat, but I'm not a huge fan of the vocals. Oh My Love - 6/10: I like the vocals, I'm just not a huge fan of slower songs. How Do You Sleep? - 6/10: I like the instruments/beat, especially the drums and guitar. I also liked the outro. How? - 7/10: I like the instruments/music a lot. Oh Yoko! - 6/10: I like the upbeat-ness of the song. Overall Score: 61/100 Overall Rating: 7/10 - It's not a terrible album, it just didn't wow me. The only song that I really, really liked was "Imagine". This is more my genre, but it just isn't my favorite. It's not bad though.

Makes me want to listen to 'Silly Love Songs' immediately ...

I hadn't listened to this album ever before, and I wish it stayed that way. The Beatles were legendary, but part of why that was is because the four of them together created something special - magic, as you can call it - but on their own, it didn't always go that way, especially for John Lennon. People rave about him like he's the best songwriter ever.. but honestly? I think he's quite overrated after listening to Imagine. The titular track is beautiful - albeit quite hypocritical coming from Lennon - and I did very much like Crippled Inside (even though it's a bit odd) and Jealous Guy. After those tracks, though, the album takes a nosedive and it becomes quite bland and generic, especially for one who is regarded as one of the best songwriters of all time. I even had to skip "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier, Mama", as it was just six minutes of the same lyric being repeated over and over again. Quite disappointed, and I don't understand why this album is on the "1001 albums you must hear before you die" list. 6 / 10, and that's me being generous.

1. Imagine - 10/10 2. Crippled Inside - 5/10 3. Jealous Guy - 7/10 4. It's So Hard - 7/10 5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama - 5/10 6. Gimme Some Truth - 6/10 7. Oh My Love - 8/10 8. How Do You Sleep? - 8/10 9. How? - 7/10 10. Oh Yoko! - 7/10

ya

Imagine (the track) is the draw - the rest of it is so-so. Just not my cup of tea

A few great tracks. But like the McCartney solo stuff it’s just missing some of the magic. Is this the start of the diss track?

The digs at McCartney on this are ridiculous… “the only thing you done was Yesterday” Wo John, lad…don’t disrespect the frog song like that.

Meh

Honestly, kind of disappointing. You start off on the namesake megahit, then the tracks that follow are largely protest songs with some blues vibes here and there. I know that the Beatles and most of the British invasion artists were influenced by blues, but try to pep and spice this a little bit too you know?

Reminds me a little of the “party’s over” vibe of There’s a Riot Going On, released just two months after this: The door has been shut on the mad rush of The Beatles and the 60s are over, and there are recriminations and regrets; Lennon is older, wiser and more cynical, heroin has entered (and exited?) the picture, geopolitics are on his mind, and he’s got a marriage and a mortgage to pay, and it’s all so damn tiring. Lennon clearly has no interest in cashing in on his fame or aiming for the charts, so then what, exactly? I'm not sure this album really answers that. For all its surface idealism, the song “Imagine” conveys a kind of world-weary exasperation that feels especially pertinent today. “How Do You Sleep?” is a fascinating diss track, followed by a song in which he asks “How can I go forward when I don’t know which way I’m facing?” The album is interesting and has its moments, but it has a decidedly downcast feel that telegraphs Lennon’s mid-70s malaise pretty perfectly.

I understand the importance of the Beatles, but was never a "fan". My feeling about the beatles is like Dickens; I understand why Charles Dickens is important for the birth of the modern novel, but I dont wanna read Dickens now. So this Lennon record, I knew the title track and jealous guy. The rest did not stick. As a contrast, I listened to McCartneys RAM right after, since it was released the same year and was the second solo lp for each. Hate to say it but I thought Paul's was the better rexord.

حلو يمكن اعطيه فرصه ثانيه مستقبلا

(3) better than I thought before i listened to it!

oh lennon sweet lemon

ok

Has Imagine and Jealous guy on it Best tracks

Abgesehen vom Titeltrack hat mich das Album überraschend wenig überzeugt. Aber "Imagine" zieht das Album noch auf 3 Sterne hoch.

Ich war überrascht, wie kalt mich das Album gelassen hat. Einige by the numbers Rock 'n' Roll-Songs, eine ganz komisch-hallige Produktion auf "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama" und der Paul-Diss-Track "How Do You Sleep?"... musikalisch in Ordnung, textlich aber ziemlich peinlich. In der zweiten Hälfte gefällt mir die Platte aber deutlich besser, die zurückhaltenden Songs stehen ihm besser. Und der Titeltrack ist natürlich ein Klassiker.

Hat ir nicht ganz so gut gefallen wie das Album von George Harrison, aber war grundsolide und hat halt mit dem Titeltrack den Song überhaupt und allein dafür gibts einen Stern

I’ve never been a fan of John Lennon’s solo output save for a handful of songs and this is more of that feeling. Couple of good tracks but a lot of weak bluesy tracks that just don’t do it for me.

I don't quite know what to make of this album. Part of the challenge is separating the artist from the art. Certainly, earlier in his life John Lennon was a pretty poor human being. Does that invalidate the beauty of his poetry? Does the fact that he seems to have largely repented and tried to make amends makes his music more acceptable. In the end I think this is a middling work of art. I like the honesty of Jealous Guy but don't have much time for Imagine or Dear Yoko.

Liked Songs added to my 2025 playlist Imagine - imagine all of the people.... living for today

I love the 70s sound, and it’s another welcome glimpse into a great artist that was taken too soon. There are some great tracks here but also a few forgettable ones, that have a bit too much of a cynical edge to them. You can really feel him missing the levity of Paul’s additions to these songs. The perfect ying to his downbeat yang. An enjoyable listen but not an all-timer.

Eh. Lennon as a solo act has never done all that much for me, more of the same from this

Jealous Guy is a great song .. but I like the Roxy Music version more. Imagine is also a great song … but I feel like I’ve heard it too often. The album was fine, but I thought I’d like it more.

Another album from a titan of music. Another album that I found myself underwhelmed by

Pretty good! Imagine is amazing, but none of the other blew me away.

I hadn't heard the rest of this album but I always like Imagine. Some of the songs are too bluesy for me though. Some are good though.

aj Lenon lenon

Some sad and pretty songs - especially Oh Yoko - that remind me of Elliott Smith.

On balance …

2.5 rounded up i guess. not sure how often i would relisten to this but i see how it's here in terms of influence (though obviously can't hold a candle to the beatles' work as a whole). the paul diss track is surprisingly a favorite. i listen to this version of imagine less than the glee cast or the infamous pandemic video

Most everyone would recognize this artist and opening track, but can’t say I was familiar with a single other song on the album. Imagine is the obvious stand out, but I found How Do You Sleep and the drama behind it interesting to learn about.

3/5 Imagine is an all time track but the rest of the album was good too. I could definitely relisten to this one and bump it up but I enjoyed it for what it is.

I still like "Imagine" and its message despite it being played to death, and even realizing that John didn't live the ideals he espoused. I still think it takes balls to sing "no religion" and "no countries". The rest of the album is coffeeshop worthy - nice for background but not really gripping or mould-breaking.

Only a couple of days after getting Paul's solo album, we now get to explore John's. The titular opening track has been commercialized and memed to death so it's honestly lost a lot of luster. I'm sure when this album released, it's messaging felt very profound. However, we now know a lot about Lennon's abuse towards women, which makes a lot of the peace and love messaging lose its meaning. A song like Jealous Guy was probably intended to be a reflection of personal flaws, but it now comes across as a lazy excuse for poor behavior. From a musical perspective, it is nice to hear Lennon explore the blues and country that inspired a younger John. Some of the later songs feel very contemporary in their sound and production. You could place them in the modern age and some would maybe mistaken it for a Tame Impala track. So far, I think I'm giving the edge to McCartney. 3.5 Stars

It's fine. I am okay with this as background music.

I liked it more than I expected. It was competently made. I still really don't like John Lennon. The title track was pretty good.

Imagine är en så uttjatad låt att det inte går att tycka nåt om den längre, varken bra eller dåligt. Jag vet inte om det är så längre men i en herrans massa år var det världens mest spelade låt (det här var innan streamingens era så hur man mäter det idag känns oklart). Att recensera Imagine skulle vara som att recensera ljudsignalerna vid ett övergångsställe. Så vi tar det andra istället. Hela b-sidan tycker jag är bra utan att vara fantastisk, spretig kanske men överlag bra. A-sidan har större problem, men där finns å andra sidan Jealous guy, tveklöst skivans bästa spår. Det är bara det att när du hört Roxy Musics version vill du aldrig höra någon annan än den (köpte faktiskt den singeln idag). Lennon blandar och ger men alldeles för stabilt bra för att ge i från sig ett hafsverk, trean är klar

Så sönderspelad som Imagine är, är det lätt glömma att det faktiskt är en bra låt. Så även Jealous guy. På plussidan tycker jag även I dont want to be soldier mama, How can you sleep? och Oh Yoko! hamnar. Medan en del annat här är mer att betrakta som dussinlåtar i Lennon-katalogen.

I had to take a long hard look at myself and ask, if this hadn’t been made by a Beatle, would I think all that highly of it? And the answer is, no, not really. This is John approaching his most self-righteous and pretentious state (to be fully realized in Some Time in New York City), and the sound is too sappy and overproduced for my taste. The title track has always been wildly overrated. The melody’s nice, but there’s nothing too special about it and the lyrics scream of John’s self-importance more than they relate any deep message. (But maybe I’ve been poisoned by the Gal Gadot video back in 2020.) The album’s best moment happens when John abandons his delusions of being some kind of people’s poet and attacks his former best friend in a mean, nasty diss track. Probably more revealing than any of the peace-on-Earth stuff, which John was never the best at, no matter how much he wanted to be. His specialty was always mining negative emotions, providing the darkness to Paul’s light, so it’s only fitting that he fails by straying from the grim intimacy of Plastic Ono Band but strikes gold by mocking his old foil. So yeah, not John’s finest. It’s not bad, there’s good songs here, but it’s red meat for the haters in some ways. Best song: How Do You Sleep

3/5 - would give 3.5 if I could. I enjoyed the album overall, just not something I'd probably go back to listen to again. First couple of songs I really enjoyed, the rest were solid but not stuff I'd listen to.

Some guy and a guitar who did pretty well. Strongest first song ever? It's gotta be up there. The rest is solid and polite. How Do You Sleep was great for something I hadn't heard before.

Pretty good, though inconsistent in my opinion considering who it's coming from. Contains one of the best diss tracks in history. Favorite track: Imagine

Quite enjoyed it, obviously Imagine is a fantastic song, but the others in the album I rather liked except Jealous guy.

Think he's in love with himself a little too much.

Curiously uneven but still a classic.

Some classic tunes

There's too much history about Lennon to review this unpassionately so focusing on the lesser known tracks I was a bit underwhelmed. That said its high points are high.

Lots of blues influence which was unexpected just knowing the hit single 'Imagine'. Second half seemed more like a vendetta tour when he was with The Beatles.

its aight

Great Songs: Jealous Guy Good Songs: Imagine, Crippled Inside, It’s So Hard, Oh My Love, How?, Oh Yoko! Mid Songs: I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama, How Do You Sleep? Bad Songs:

I know imagine more as a meme than a song. It's fine. A bit dull and a bit offensive for what it encourages in others compared to how it's author was living. As an album it's got some kind of message, but the tracks vary in quality. Gimmie some truth is pretty good even if the politics are very on the nose. Ultimately a 3 or 4.

A couple of hits and the rest missed

I’ve heard many of the songs through the years. And actually a song I hadn’t heard which was the Yoko song at the end. I thought that was sweet and kind of weird all at the same time. The mix on the album was very treble heavy, and I almost found it painful at times to listen. All right album. Didn’t change my life.

Doceniam wpływ jego twórczości na światową popkulturę i jednocześnie nie zgadzam się z treścią przekazu - moja uśredniona ocena 3

This is a good album, but I probably will only seek to listen to the song Imagine from it again.

Very out there. Packed the catchy melodies that McCartney brought to the Beatles.

I've never sat down and listened to this album in one go before. It's quite hard to come to a judgement about it for me. Imagine and Jealous Guy have been ubiquitous over the past 45 years but the rest of it, pretty much ignored. On balance, some good, some bad.

The song Imagine is an all time banger. The rest of it is fairly standard stuff. Decent, but not great.

Better than I expected.

6/10

Ok. Imagine is one of the best and most beloved songs of all time. But the rest of this? Not so much. John needed an editor and a therapist. There were lots of ideas here, but not much was fully developed. Feels a little slapped together. Phil Spector really pushed for catchy bits. But it doesn’t totally fit. I get why people hooked into this at the time. But, in the context of his entire body of work, this is kinda mid.

Slow, dreamy Lennon

Imagine is a great song, but the rest of the album is not great.

Day 20: Best tracks: Imagine, How Do You Sleep?, Gimme Some Truth … 7/10. Does it belong on the list? Yes.

You’re either a John person for the lyrics or a Paul person for the melody, and I’m a Paul guy. I think I expected better of the album going into it tbh. Imagine and Crippled Inside are the highlights.

Post John Lennon just doesn’t interest me much, most of it could have ended up on Let It Be. That said enough to keep you interested

Peaks at start but not the strongest album. Drifts throughout and never really caught me. Expected more

Didn't finish but was okay. I think I can extrapolate that this might have been one of Ben Folds' influences. I guess, being on the aro ace spectrum, it all sounds kinda whiny and self excusatory especially the "I'm just a jealous guy." ugh. But sound-wise I didn't hate it and I actually liked the 'Imagine', because I'd like to imagine that world too.

Super overrated, Imagine is the best song here but the rest are just ok. For all the crap John gave Paul over sappy love songs this album is sure full of em.

So, I know this one is controversial. I'm not actually sure how I feel about the guy. I was born the same year he died. I've done some reading and I'm still not sure about him. He doesn't seem like someone I'd like to know. However the album, to someone like me who doesn't know much about Lennon, is good. The music is good. It sounds nice. I can't give it a bad rating simply because half the world hates the guy. I'm rating the album only, not the person behind it. It's not perfect. It does get a bit boring after a while. But overall it's nice to listen to.

3.5

Heard songs from it before. My mom is #teamlennon so liking John is kind of a default for me. The album is actually cool, early Beatles solo albums are funny because you can hear what each member contributed to the band's sound. How Do You Sleep feels a bit uncomfortable, like listening to your divorced parents fighting or something 3/5

I know enough to understand this as an important piece of musical history. I think it is musically a good album but it is largely not to my own subjective sensibilities. Wikipedia labels this as a rock album. I think I need to do some digging into the roots of rock music. This is an album where I can kind of see how rock became the genre it is today.

A pantheon album and a few classic songs (title track, jealous guy, oh yoko!) but it can be patchy elsewhere (I don't want to be a soldier, crippled inside, it's so hard). On Rym it's a 3.5 for me, but the average songs bring the classics down here. It's not a vinyl I reach for often

Definitely felt like an eclectic collection of random unrelated songs than an album, but each Individual song was decent. Better than I was expecting.

Not my style. Crippled Inside had a nice melody.

Exactly what I expected. All in all a good album with some well known songs. I hate to admit it, but I really liked “Oh Yoko”. Album came out in 1971 a year after the Beatles broke up, and it seems like it was quickly slapped together and put out so fans could hear his solo stuff. Unlike Double Fantasy, which was four years after his previous album which shows most masterpieces take time. I don’t know if this album is a must listen. I’d download a song or two and that’s it.

I went into this album expecting not to be impressed. I was pretty much correct. I think Lennon is incredibly overrated, but Imagine as a whole wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Its got some catchy moments and some good grooves. Standouts were "Imagine" - I mean, its the only song on this album anyone knows - "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama " - although its about twice the length it needs to be - and "How Do You Sleep?" I probably wont re-listen to too much of this, but it was solid and I'm glad I finally gave it a listen through. 3/5

The reviews of this are so lopsided hes either the most brilliant musician ever, or a rapist wife beater. I think this album and the one before it is him literally grappling with those two dynamics in his life. How do you declare a flawed human a geneous and how do you demonize someone who is trying to be a better person, albeit someone who will inevitably slip back into his old habits once the drugs get to be too much? I don't know the answer. His first few albums with the beatles, his songs are unlistenable because of how shitty he is to his love interests, and I think Yoko is very much his inspiration to get better. I don't know if he would have lived as long as he did if it wasn't for her. especially after listening to this album. This album is very up and down. He is trying to be a lot more raw, but is a lot more subtle than the last album. It doesn't quite work. A good but ultimately flawed album. much like the creator.

There were some unexpected groovy/funky songs on here. It was a decent listen, not something I would reach for again.

You May Say I'm A Dreamer 1001 Albums Generator 152 (10/31/2025) "Man if we didn't have religion, there would be nothing to kill or die for" - guy who lived in the secular century that included the biggest atrocities ever committed by humanity. John Lennon was a retarded communist, but he can write a tune, and the songs outside the title track have lyrics that range from fine to good. How Do You Sleep? is one that I had not heard before that I really enjoyed. The cringe factor of the title track is off the charts and some of the experiments here don't work great, but it's a serviceable album. Paul and George both had better solo albums than this. 3/5. Favs: Crippled Inside Jealous Guy How Do You Sleep? Least Fav: Imagine

Sure

3 Stars (8/15)

I don’t like John Lennon but songs are good

One hit wonder, with several ok.

I liked a couple of the songs (Oh my love, and How?) but other than that the album is quite weak

Surprisingly enjoyable. Was not looking forward to listening but was not actually what I was expecting. Thought it would just be a Beatles esque sound but got some classic 70s rock type vibes. I could revisit this

The songwriting and arrangements on this album are top notch (great strings). Terrific team of musicians, includining some fine slide guitar from George Harrison. A musically pleasing album However, while John's first solo album was powerful and authentic, this just sounds like complaining. The songs are strong. John's performance is heartfelt. But the self-centered bitterness of this album removes any enjoyment I might receive from listening to it. John's "How Do You Sleep" scorched earth attack on Paul just comes off as unnecessarily cruel. Not all therapy sessions need to be broadcasted. Favorite Song: "Oh My Love" it's the beautiful, shining moment of this album.

Didn't know most of the songs in the album, and it was just ok. Of course, the two bests know songs do bring the album higher. 7/10

mediocre British blues music

Too many blues jams

3.5

I don't remember the first half, but I think that I enjoyed it

That is too many people to imagine

This was SO much better than "Plastic Ono Band", good lord that one was awful. This album is very boring by comparison, and in this case that's a good thing. Hard to listen to imagine these days without thinking of Gal Gadot.

Imagine must be one of the most overplayed tracks of all time. Album ok but nothing to write home about. Best tracks Jealous Guy I don't want to be a Soldier Mama and How do you Sleep

Not a big fan of this album. Double Fantasy is so much better.

Perfectly fine! Not a fan of the title track but there are several other decent tracks here.

On Imagine's Wikipedia page, I saw that Ben Gerson of Rolling Stone said that it had a substantial portion of good music but he liked Lennon's first LP more and that, i agree with. This is a pretty solid album and definitely up there as one of Lennon's better works. I thought that all the songs no matter what vibe they had, be they soft and melodic or catchy and upbeat, worked well on this album. Lennon's vocals also were pretty good on this record as they portrayed each vibe on this album well. Granted, there are a few awkward moments on some of the songs but i don't think any of them were bad. This is a solid listen but i still prefer his earlier LP. Best Song: Imagine Worst Song: I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama

I loved these songs as a teenager and still it’s John Lennon and everything but as an adult I had surprisingly little sympathy for his relentless self pity and the navel gazing at his trauma. I know he was damaged goods and his childhood was fucked up, but Christ you were a beatle for ten years John, how bad can it fucking BE?

Nice to check out the non-singles.

I enjoyed this album more than I was anticipating, definitely better than his first release, Plastic Ono Band. I've always been pretty indifferent to the endlessly overplayed title track, "Imagine," and even Lennon considered it a sugar-coated anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song. However, I'm not entirely sure, outside of a couple of tracks, if anything on here launches this into the stratosphere of greatness.

Honestly, all I hear is a lost Beatles album when I listen to this. It's not as vibrant and layered as a regular Beatles album. It's more subdued. It's stylistically similar, but you definitely notice the repetitive sounds and lyrical themes and the glaring absence of the others.

Well this is a difficult, musically he is a legend, but an asshole of a person, there is some good in here but a lot of what feels like rejected Beatles songs

Reviewing anything Beatles or adjacent is like being on the jury for celebrity trial. How can one be impartial? The instinct will either be to slam it for sake of preserving some intellectual hipster credibility that doesn’t exist. Or even worse, crawling up John Lennon’s ass because no one’s rectum will ever feel as good as his. I’ve always cherry picked his catalog and never listened to his solo albums straight through. That being said the two most boring songs bookend the beginning and end of this album. In my youth, I used to think “Imagine” was a truly profound artistic statement. Now, especially after that awful Covid celeb montage, it’s become this trite juvenile pseudo-intellectual anthem. Yeah I can imagine just about anything, what the fuck else about it? The piano sound still remains one of the best ever captured on record though. This whole thing sounds like an artist very unsure of his future and sometimes, that uncertainty/leads to some great moments. Jealous Guy and Oh My Love are probably among the best songs on the record. The piano compliments the vocal and melody so well on each. Really delicate and beautiful pieces of music. They seem honest and genuine expressions of real emotions, which was a new thing for pop stars shedding pre-fabrications of Brill Building showbiz. Crippled Inside as well is solid nice tune. How do you Sleep has a great gritty vocal and swampy groove behind it It’s not a bad album with pockets of greatness. Then that fucking harmonica at the end “Oh Yoko” comes and shits in the punchbowl. Then they had the audacity to pan that bullshit from left to right in the headphones. Unacceptable behavior

I did not grow up with a love for The Beatles because my Gen X parents thought they sucked, to be honest, so there was no Beatles songs or solo Beatles music in the house at all. It wasn't until Rockback 4 came out with the keyboard controller and the song "Imagine" as a playable option that I began my journey with them. Because that was my first introduction, naturally my first favorite Beatle was John. As I grew up, I learned about the man he really was and he is no longer my favorite Beatle - so it is hard to review this without thinking of the man behind the music, but I will do my best. "Imagine" is a really lovely sentiment about a utopian paradise but as I grew up and started to understand the message he was trying to tell, as well as begin to understand the world around me, I found myself becoming increasingly turned off by the lyrics. I know his intended targets were the politicians of the world, but I think the way the lyrics have been weaponized in the 50 plus years since (which he doesn't have control over because he isn't alive, I know that) have soured the song. - Sonically, I have always thought it was a gorgeous track and I still do. The chord choices are great, and the sound of the piano almost fades in and out like a dream or like a warped vinyl record. The addition of strings and the tucked drums really drive the track forward. I also really like "Jealous Guy", musically. Another great piano opening with some classic Lennon melodies to paint the picture of the story. The lyrics also scare me a little though lmaoooo. As the album progresses, it is clear that Lennon has a vision for some real cool soundscapes. "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier Mama" has such a unique sound scape and that is due, in part, to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound on full blast here. George Harrison features on guitar on this track and knows EXACTLY what to do and where. And the saxophone part?!?! COOL. I probably enjoy this track the most because of the sonic journey it takes you on. "Oh My Love" is another sonically beautiful track. Lyrically, I also think it is a sweet ode to Yoko. I think you really get a throwback to the half of the Voltron he was in The Beatles on this track. It makes me want to listen to "Because".

It’s weird how much of the myth of the man gets shattered by reality. Songs of love and compassion, while being a shitty father, partner, and friend. That’s the cognitive dissonance that hangs over Imagine. It’s gorgeous, idealistic, peaceful, but it’s hard not to hear the hypocrisy bleeding through. “Imagine no possessions” from a man living in a mansion. “Give Peace a Chance” from someone who couldn’t make peace at home. Still, it’s one of those records that transcends its creator’s flaws. The melodies are hauntingly simple, the production has this ethereal warmth, and for a brief moment, you can believe in the dream he’s selling - even if he couldn’t live it himself.

Imagine is an amazing single. The rest of the album left by bored. Did I like it? Kinda. Did I hate it? No. Would I listen again? No.

Second Beatles solo album, second disappointment. Jealous Guy is very good, Crippled Inside is good, Imagine is very preachy from a man who beat his first wife, and the rest is bollocks saved only by his voice and the strong session players. Come Together is the last great Beatles song John wrote, maybe it's the last great song he wrote all together...

ну норм, но многовато жанров и зачем злобу свою записывать…

It’s No Beatles album but it was decent

This album feels a lot like an extension of The Beatles, at least compared to the post-Beatles McCartney albums I’ve heard. George Harrison played guitar on some of it, so that probably helped. If you’re a Beatles fan, this one might be for you! I’m glad the whole album doesn’t demand the same gravitas as the title track, but putting “Imagine” first kinda starts things on a somber note. I’m sure John made that choice because he wanted people to hear his important thesis first; that’s SO John. I know it’s supposed to be hopeful, but I’ve always found that song to be kind of a bummer and would rather hear it at the end of the record. He also included a Paul McCartney diss track (“How Do You Sleep?”), which is definitely not weird at all! I don’t think I’ll be seeking out a vinyl copy, but this was fine.

It was somewhat enjoyable

Has one massive hit, but the rest is forgettable.

never really took to the whole Yoko years with John. while there are some great songs here the overall outcome is poor

Just okay IMO.

There are some great songs on this album. But then the rest is quite wishy washy. And most of them just go on too long, they could all be a minute shorter at least. Just shut up, John. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Jealous Guy

Imagine us the most saccharine wanky song of all time, but the rest of the album is fine. It’s not got a lot of highlights or lowlights it’s just fine

FINE

hm ach

Bon, comme pour McCartney, l’oeuvre post-Beatles de Lennon ne me fait pas tripper des bulles. Il y a quelques bonnes tounes (comme How Do You Sleep, une distrack (!) particulièrement entrainante musicalement) et quelques tounes pas trop trop intéressantes. Des fois, je les sens (Paul et John, chacun de leur côté) un peu en perte de vitesse à devoir travailler seuls. Je vais devoir revenir aux textes de la première toune (How?) qui me semble décrire mon état depuis que j’ai ouvert les yeux face à mon enfance.

Lenon is a genius, but his songs are too 70's for my taste.

A perfectly pleasant album but it seems like a regression given the Beatles’ exploration of experimental approaches.

As a Beatles fan I thought I would like this album more. Aside from Imagine I couldn’t really get into any of the songs in any real way. Not great considering the artist.

3.5

It’s fine. Legendary track or 3. But the slow songs plod along. I also don’t care for the Phil Spectre production.

The songwriting is brilliant. I just can't get past Lennon's hippy egomania and the annoying personality cult around it.

It's not terrible, not great. Expected a little better tbh.

Better than I expected it to be

I haven't really got anything witty to say about this one. It's brilliant in patches (the opener in particular is a generational statement, maybe even an all-timer), but much of the album from therein ranges from being decent to decidedly average - it hits a real lull towards the middle, and I never need to hear "Oh Yoko" again. It's John Lennon so of course it was going to find its way into this list, I'm not averse to it being on here but the multitude of other Beatles related selections does call into question how many albums truly are vital listening.

On enchaine un peu entre les hauts et les bas, et je crois que les sons que je préfère sont ceux les plus « Beatles-esque »

mooie muziek

Overall I liked it. Imagine is iconic, but my favorite song is "jealous guy". There's some hits and some misses, but too me not as good as a full beatles album (the whole being greater than the sum of the parts). Good instrumentation.

This has always been a strange album for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Beatles. This album has some absolute highs and some skippers for sure. Overall its OK. I own it on both vinyl and cd though it rarely gets played.

A bit overrated. Hinges on the song Imagine... which is overrated.

Wel een mooie plaat waar de kracht van Lennon echt wel naar voren komt. Vind echter dat hij wel wat te vrij is gelaten. Is het misschien het ontbreken van McCartney of iemand anders die hem durft te beperken? Weinig mensen zullen dat gedurfd hebben. De nummers zijn namelijk wel erg divers. De overgang van Imagine naar de tweede song is erg groot, en het geheel voelt dan ook niet zo. De klasse van Lennon had iets meer sturing mogen/moeten hebben in mijn opinie. 7,5/10 Highlights Jealous Guy

Eu adoro Beatles e o John sempre foi meu favorito, mas este é um disco bem desbalanceado. Não chega nem perto de ser meu favorito da carreira solo de Lennon, acho que ele possui muitas falhas. Pra começar, acredito que seu primeiro lado seja bem entediante. Claro, temos a icônica e infame canção titular do disco, Imagine. Eu nunca gostei dessa música, sempre a achei hipócrita, tosca, esdrúxula, e representa um lado do John que eu prefiro esquecer, passar pano. Seu pêndulo político pessoal sempre foi confuso e desnorteado, mas nessa canção ele estava indo em uma direção completamente desconexa e brega. E infelizmente, não há muito conteúdo melhor no primeiro lado deste álbum, é tudo bem maçante de se ouvir. Mas vou te dizer, não desista do disco na sua primeira metade. Seu segundo lado consegue animar e desprender esse álbum do tar grudento de sua outra face. Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep, How, Oh Yoko, várias canções boas e memoráveis, e sempre com o tom sardônico que esperamos de Lennon. Se o disco inteiro fosse assim, seria um dos meus favoritos de sua discografia. Uma pena que não é o caso, mas ainda sim, é um álbum OK. 3.5/5

One thought provoking, timeless track, the others not so.

Goddamn hippies make me wanna hate John Lennon and especially the title track but it's damn good. Buncha dull tracks on side B but then he closes with a stunner. Have to count three obvious perfect tracks: "Imagine", "Jealous Guy" and "Oh Yoko!" But so much of what is left I never need to hear again that I think I have to average this out to a 3.

Ok

Not too bad, fine to listen to. Few duds towards the end of the album.

Saved from 2 stars on the title track alone

Ofcourse John Lennon is a musical genius, and you hear his brilliance shining through some of the songs. But this album has one big issue for me: a lot songs feel like straight out of a time capsule - which ofcourse isn't far from the truth. That makes songs like I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama sound a bit outdated.

Some really dark lyrics even with happier sounding music. I hear some Rolling Stones similarities. Not something I’d listen to, but it’s a decent album.

Imagine is and always will be a great song. Jealous guy is another that I like but I didn’t really care for the remainder of the songs. They don’t stand up with the time or era.

Some nice moments. 2/3 stars