Reviews (page 8 of 14)
Первый раз послушал Ленона, на вечер с девушкой под бокал вина, и вкусную утку
honestly a pretty sweet and often humorous record. Good stuff, not too deep and of course imagine is just breathtaking. Favorite song: imagine. Overall score: 7.2
Fantastic lyrics Beautiful soul
I know that the former Beatles never reached the same musical heights individually as they did as a band. But I did not expect it to be this bad. I like the song Imagine from time to time but the rest was truly a bore at best. I absolutely hate It’s So Hard. I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama goes on way too long. And why do all the vocals have these weird effects? Disappointed, to say the least.
John Lennon’s Imagine is a timeless masterpiece, blending raw emotion, political commentary, and melodic beauty. Released in 1971, during a turbulent time in Lennon’s life and a strained relationship with former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney, the album reflects both personal and public battles. Tracks like “How Do You Sleep?” take pointed shots at McCartney, revealing the bitterness of their post-breakup rift, yet the music remains compelling. The title track, “Imagine,” stands out as one of the most daring and visionary songs of its era. With the provocative line “imagine there’s no heaven,” Lennon challenges listeners to envision a world united beyond religion, borders, and materialism—a bold stance that continues to spark dialogue to this day. Lennon doesn’t hold back, pouring his soul into every note, whether he’s preaching peace, love, or pointed criticism. Imagine is a brave, beautiful, and deeply human album that captures Lennon’s idealism and complexity, earning its place as one of the greatest records of all time.
I found this album to be quite underwhelming. Aside from “Imagine”, the rest of the tracks were new to me. Guess I was expecting something better. I did like the Paul “dis” track though. I respect his contributions to the Beatles over 7 years, but not a Lennon fan overall - seems like a petulant, narcissistic and hypocritical person. This album didn’t change that.
I was really enjoying it until "How do you sleep?" His disdain for someone who taught him how to play guitar, wrote incredible songs with him and helped launch him into the musical stratosphere is petty and frankly sad. That song is definitely a blemish on his entire body of work.
Lennon has his own sound as a solo artist. Free-flowing, imaginative, and soulful. This is a really nice record that captures him at a pivotal time in his life. I dig it.
track one: imagine - i have a complicated relationship with this song, as part of me resents it from the whole only a fool would say that/"working class hero" that rightfully acknowledges lennon's privilege; but it's also a beautifully composed, lovely sentiment. i'd give it a 7/10 track two: crippled inside - meh; weird accent from john here. i feel like he was really going for paul's nachos here, both in the whimsy of the composition and the attempt at angst in the lyrics - also too long. not very good, but i liked the breakdown at the end. 5/10 track three: jealous guy - infamous as hell but quite a nice listen. 6.5/10 track four: it's so hard - i like this one actually. classic lennon and it, doesn't overstay its welcome. 6.5/10 track five: i don't wanna be a soldier mama - getting too close to cultural appropriation for comfort here; #awkward. but unfortunately the song is quite good, and sort of experimental! 7/10 track six: gimme some truth - i love this song, reminds me of my best friend so i will not be objective about it! pretty good. 7.25/10 track seven: oh my love - so sweet and pretty, now he's gunning for harrison's nachos and they suit him far better. favourite so far! 7.8/10 track eight: how do you sleep - just okay sonically, paul ate him up, tooo long. also should've been earlier in the album, as it breaks up the flow between oh my love, how?, and oh yoko! which would be so nice and seamless otherwise. 5/10 track nine: how? - i like this! very nice, exemplifies john's strengths as a musician! 8/10 track ten: oh yoko! - loveeee this one so dearly! dare i say 8.5/10? final rating: 7.25/10
I bought his first three solo studio albums as they were released. I would place Imagine slightly ahead of Plastic Ono Band because of two songs, How Do You Sleep and Gimme Me Some Truth which I consider his best solo efforts.
I’m not sure what I would rate this without imagine, but it’s really nice to hear some John Lennon for the first time.
Knaller und schöne und lahme Songs wechseln sich ab.
Innehåller några av världens bästa låtar. Sen håller inte albumet hela vägen till toppbetyg.
I still prefer John Lennon with Paul McCartney, but still some fantastic work.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would
it's nice, very mellow, very banal, very bland and 'ringarde', if you will I fear all of these songs sound the same I can't even say that this isn't my thing because I feel like ordinarily it would be...
better than a lot of the beatles stuff but still kinda whiny. title track is obvi a classic
50/50
A classic of John's post-Beatles catalog. He was at one of his peaks here. Amazing song crafting and production
It's pretty good! I don't get the edgy hate for John Lennon. I would probably have rated this 3 stars, but now I'll rate it 4 just to spite the haters.
I've heard this album once before, I think. Of course we all know the title track which people love or hate. Personally, the lyrics never appealed to me, but it was a nice, pretty melody. All that was ruined when the out of touch celebrities sang it at us during COVID...bleh...now I'm fine never hearing it again. Not Lennon's fault, of course. My favorite track here is Crippled Inside, just because it's upbeat and fun (maybe not the lyrics so much). The other stuff I could take or leave. Implying that the only thing Paul McCartney ever did was Yesterday is laughable.
I'm sick and tired of hearing things From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth Ive had enough of reading things By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth
Love the Beatles. I’ve always liked Paul McCartney’s post Beatles better. Eclectic album. Enjoyable.
Say what you will about John Lennon but the guy was a hell of a musician. Solid album
It's Imagine by John Lennon, so of course it's on here. That said, this album is honestly just ok at best. Lennon really benefits from having the other Beatles with him to keep him in check.
People need to stop dickriding him so hard
We can’t ignore the fact this opens with one of the most iconic songs of all time. Leading into Crippled Inside is great - addressing mental health with the humour many of us do. Love the prison blues vibe of It’s So Hard. The combination of politics and mental health is so relevant to how we are constantly having challenges around news consumption today. Oh My Love could seem like a harsh contrast but it feels like we need a breather after the last couple of tracks so it works. Favourite song: Imagine
pretty good, a little artsy fartsy but not bad
Unlike McCartney, at least Lennon had something to say and didn't just sing about his chickens or whatever. "Imagine" is great (I'm hearing it again in the Starbucks I'm sitting in right now), it drags a bit in the bluesy stuff, but really comes back together for a triumphant finale, with "How Do You Sleep" blowing the roof off the whole thing.
Whatever dude
Haven’t added any songs yet but I definitely like this album
Overrated. Favourite songs: Crippled Inside, It's So Hard, Oh Yoko!, Imagine Least favourite songs: I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama 3/5
This one was a hard album to rate. It’s certainly a good album, but I don’t think it’s as good as any of even the lesser Beatles work. I liked the arrangement and production, but I found the songs to not be the most interesting. The political aspects weren’t my favorite, not because I disagree, but because it felt kind of virtue-signally to me, like Lennon was against the Vietnam war just because being against the Vietnam was what artists did at the time. Favorite Track: How Do You Sleep?
Favorite Track: Imagine
Mislim da nikad nisam (!) zapravo ovaj album u komadu preslušala, iako znam skoro sve pjesme. Ima mi dobrih stvari tu svakako, i nekih kultnih, nekako mi je naj How. Na trenutke mi je malo pre mellow, ali to je Lennon i možda isto do mog dana. Solidnih 3/5, 6/10.
Songs fluctuate between okay and kind of annoying. It would probably be decent overall if the album didn't have the curse of being by John Lennon and thus having to compete with the Beatles' work. Compared to that, my impression of the album is best summarized by the word “pretentious”. 2.5/5
You can't play poker with a deck of spades, you can't recapture that Beatles magic without Paul, Ringo, and George.
Boy was I glad to finish this album. Look, I get why people raved about this when it was released, the peace and love themes are very very apparent and given when this album came out I can totally understand the massive following behind this music. But honestly, I didn't love it. I think the only song I really really enjoyed was Crippled Inside. I was very close to adding Oh No to the list because I thought it was the end of the album and I was really happy about it but turns out it wasn't the end and I had to listen to more John Lennon. Maybe Mark David Chapman was trying to spare us all
Didn’t know so many people hated John Lennon. Kind of refreshing to see. Album is a 2 at best. Can’t believe his iconic solo song is on such an average / below average album.
Famtastic. An all time fav "imagine"
One of my non-favorites. I'm giving it three stars though because my wife threatened me if I didn't.
Objectively this is probably the best post-Beatles album any of them came out with, but man does the sanctimony and derision rub me the wrong way on so many of these songs.
I go back and forth on this album, but I can't deny it is very good. Verges on being a bit narcissistic at times, but on the whole manages to tread that line better than Plastic Ono Band. Highlights are gimme some truth, oh my love and how. 7/10
4.5
This is great but your always going to compare it to the beatles and it doesnt understandably live up so cant give it five stars but its great
Imagine being a millionaire white br*tish dude singing songs about "what if we didn't have jobs" and getting massive praise for it. I get that Imagine was transgressive for the time, but damn if the isn't on the floor. Probably my least favorite Beatle.
I have successfully imagined John Lennon. It was pretty good, I liked Oh My Love.
Me gusto, nunca habia escuchado un album completo de el solista, y pense que iba a sonar un poco distinto, pero me gustó ese pop medio folk, siento que es un album que podria volver a escuhar completo, que no me suele pasar con los albumes de esta lista
чет скучная хня для хиппарей, хотя, может быть, при определенном настроении, при определенном положении планет, мне это и понравится, мне все равно не нравки((( 2/5
A couple of obvious bangers, but a lot of absolute dross. Imagine is in the converstaion for best song of all time, but there is no editing and quality conttol. Waffly, wanky lyrics and thin, scratchy blues.
Look, I love Lennon. But I don't usually love solo Beatles. They just made each other better in ways that are lacking on their solo stuff. Paul needed John's edge, John needed Paul's joi de vivre and they needed each other as a creative counterweight Imagine is obviously an all-timer, but the rest of the album is just mediocre 12-bar blues and soft dad rock outside of the OG diss track How Do You Sleep? and Oh Yoko! The album is fine. Give me Paul's Ram over this any day.
omg jlen is a twangy boy who knew
Peanut butter and jelly are better together than apart. So were Lennon and McCartney.
Bookended by two longtime favorites, the classic Imagine and plaintive Oh Yoko! My upbringing in a resolutely pro-Lennon (if Beatles-indifferent) household secures the 4.
I wasn't blown away by this and maybe I'm biased because Paul > John (even though it's not really a competition). To me, this album proves strength in numbers and how much better their individual music could have been if created together.
A few great songs, the rest a little bleh. Funny how he and Paul traded these diss tracks that unintentionally illustrated how much they needed each other musically.
Pleasantly melodic. Better morning than night music.
✌🏻
3/5
Imagine, oh my love. Thanks, John.
Imagine is so incredible it's impossible to follow, and it's hard to review the album as a whole. Oh My Love is in some ways just as beautiful. There are other high points but lots of the tracks are just ok. None of that matters though. Imagine is a song like no other, it's impact is never diminished, it's the opposite of every hymn and national anthem. Maybe he was a dreamer but he certainly wasn't and isn't the only one x
Probably the closest to a 5 that I haven’t given a 5. This album is filled with incredible tracks (Imagine, Crippled Inside, Jealous Guy, Oh My Love, How?, etc.). It really is one of the best post-Beatles albums and does feel distinctly different from their work. Somehow I feel like the recording quality, especially on the vocals, suffers at times. This breaks the experience for me. Love John though. :)
Good album but if I was to rank post-Beatle albums it would be below All Things Must Pass and Band On The Run. Still very good - Jealous Guy is heavenly, one of my favourite songs ever.
Surprisingly personal and of course very sophisticated song writing, as expected from a master like Lennon. Obviously the title track is legendary but I also loved Oh My Love. Favorites: Imagine, Jealous Guy, Oh My Love, How Do You Sleep Least Favorites: Crippled Inside
Imagine Jealous Guy Gimme Some Truth How Do You Sleep? Oh Yoko!
This is probably one of the stronger solo records from a member of the Beatles. That said, I don't think it's consistently brilliant.
fuck john lennon
oof -1 for I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama but +1 for Gimme Some Truth!! and anotha +1 for How Do You Sleep? me likey
Good album. Has some great songs and great producing!
It’s by no means a bad album but John definitely peaked in The Beatles (like they all did)
Great piece of work
My parents are the Beatles generation. They passed it on. I've been a Beatles fan as long as I've been alive, not that long, but still. It's always been Lennon, Harrison, McCartney, and sorry Ringo. But in recent years things have shifted. John lost his spot. But enough about anything but the album. It's very nice with a handful of amazing songs. No yoko being too much. Just simple little songs. Not the best but pretty good.
Heard before, solid but boring
The Zenith of Lennon's post-Beatle career. 'How Do You Sleep?' features some of John's poetically bitter lyrics and superb guitar work from George. 'Imagine' and 'Jealous Guy' are undeniably classic songs. The lesser known album tracks are also fun in their own right. Best Tracks: - How Do You Sleep? - Gimme Some Truth - Jealous Guy - Imagine Worst Tracks: N/A Rating: 9/10
1. imagine - 4 2. inzide - 1.5 3. jealouz - 3.5 4. hard - 1.5 5. zoldier - 1 6. truth - 1.5 7. love - 2.5 8. zleep - 1.5 9. houu- 1.5 10. yoko - 1
Most of this album is pretty terrible. The title track is of course wonderful (I've heard it far too often, but I still remember how it sounded when it was fresh). "Jealous Guy" was better recorded by Bryan Ferry. "Oh My Love" is gorgeous. The rest of the album... No thanks.
It's a Beatle
I liked the range across styles. The title track is a classic
Harrison had the best post-Beatles output, but Lennon cut himself loose and produced some fine, angry and heartfelt music freed from Paul’s ribbons. There’s classic music on here and some working-it-out jams. John always sang with his heart out in the open. I still think about what he could be producing today.
Some great songs (jealous guy, crippled inside, oh yoko) and plenty of good songs, imagine is a solid record which struggles to hit the heights of Lennon’s previous work. Which is an unfair expectation given what he produced before, but a comparison that’s kind of hard not to make.
The great thing about the solo careers of The Beatles is each of them expressed different aspects of their artistry and personalities than what they provided in the group. In John’s case we get his vitriol towards the world (and his BFF Paul), as well as his raw vulnerability and sensitivity in equal measures. This album is a gem; every song (except “It’s So Hard”) an amazing track, and several attaining classic status. No matter how many times I hear it, “Imagine” never gets old.
Some parts are good, some parts are just meh, some are shite.
Liked: Imagine, Crippled Inside, Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth
Just average rock music. I’m sorry but Paul’s solo stuff is way better.
pretty good
A very inconsistent album but still Lennon's second best. Oh Yoko! is strangely touching.
I like one song only
'And no religion too.' That's a breakthru in pop and rock's political and cultural messaging. It fits right in, you don't gotta say anything more, and I'm relieved someone had the nerve to say it. The song is therefore rightly iconic, but the rest of the album consists of songs that are good but never great, with the exception of 'How Do You Sleep,' which as a putdown track ranks with Dylan's 'Idiot Wind' and 'Positively 4th Street': 'The sound you make is muzak to my ears / You must've learned something in all those years.' 'I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama' is thundering and grand, but also confirms that Lennon is often a better chanter than lyricist. When the chanting gets into my soul, I'll be there for the picketing. Otherwise, it's a bit truthy for no reason.
Imagine all the Beatles… It’s easy if you try.
shii idk
Imagine itself is a great song, but the rest of the album was all right. A pleasant listen overall. I didn't pay attention to much of the lyrics.
I tend to prefer John Lennon written songs when it comes to the Beatles, and post drug albums. But listening to this album made me realize there's such a thing as too much Lennon and too much drugs. Maybe the other three guys tempered John's excesses. In any case, there are a few good songs here, Imagine obviously and I really liked How do you sleep? but I'd never go back and listen to this album as a complete package. How? Is also OK. Kind of just shows you the start of the decline more than anything. Keep in mind when I write this, I'm only a passive Beatles listener, not a massive fan. I enjoy some of the best later stuff, but not crazy about them.
A complicated album. Just from the comments on here 50 years on it and he still manages to be a hot topic still, with very little subjectivity it seems. I have limited objectivity, I know all the Beatles related stuff very well. Yes that he was a complicated asshole, and has been overanalysed fact and fiction, which comes through in the autobiographical music, and he probably out of them all the Beatles, I personally feel needed the others to round the music out. So being My least favourite out of the Beatles solo, ringo being well ringo 4 Stars, musically the highs are up there, but the self indulgence (?) can make it feel like it lags on occasion.
There are no words to describe the sheer magnificence of this superb album. John Lennon was and always will be the God of contemporary music. There are some brilliant artists and bands that have produced some stunning stuff over the years but Lennon is the gaint of them.all. Just phenomenal
I’ve never been a Lennon girlie, I’m pretty much ride-or-die for Paul, so I don’t particularly enjoy John’s solo work. Some songs do slap, like unfortunately the infamous Paul diss-track How Do You Sleep is the coolest song on this album, while most of the rest kind of rubs me the wrong way. Still, even if I don’t really like it, you certainly can’t deny the enduring reach of Imagine. (2.5 stars)
Unfortunately, I didn't half mind this album. Some of the lyrics grated on me a little, but the music was much more memorable than I thought it would be. 3.3 stars.
Good album. “Imagine” is obviously the hit on here. Enjoy the messaging of the album. 3.5/5 Might listen again
I liked this more than I thought I would. I’d say about half of this album is solid. The other half isn’t great.
honestly the title track kind of undeniably goes but thankfully for my own personal convictions and dislike of lennon the rest of the album ranges from fine to unremarkable to annoying. musically i do actually like How Do You Sleep, but even being also kind of a Paul hater, i find it just a little too crass as a response to the much more mild jabs on Ram
Beatles albums should be here. This? I don't think so. 2.5
I'm not invested enough in The Beatles to be team John or Team Paul and I haven't done a dive into John apparently being a cunt, so from purely as musical review - this album is fantastic. Easy to put on replay and each song stands out in its own way.
I like it. Not as much as I like the Beatles, but I like it. 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up.
The title track is so overplayed that it's lost any power it once had, and now just feels trite. I don't wanna be a soldier is a dirge. I like the George solo on Gimme Some Truth. I really like the music of How Do You Sleep, but those lyrics are just embarrassing. "How" and "Oh Yoko" are nice songs to close out the album. All in all a mixed bag. McCartney's Ram is a better album that's not on this list, IMO.
Meh. Barring the title song which is of course a classic, this was a tedious affair. The songs sound like what you hear on your buddy's EP that he recorded in his bedroom. Many of them are overwrought. I was out of the room for a minute during "Gimme Some Truth" and when I came back it was still going, repeating the same lines that had been playing when I walked out, and there was still two and a half minutes to go. Almost all of the good moments on this can be attributed to the piano playing of Nicky Hopkins.
Oh John, John Lennon is a difficult figure for me. I think that without him the Beatles wouldn't be nearly as good as they are, yet he's not that great without the rest of the Beatles. I much prefer Paul and George's post-Beatles work. A lot of John's solo music is uninteresting to me or even obnoxious. My feelings on this album are overall positive. The title track is by far the biggest song from this album as well as Lennon's solo career as a whole. Most people either think its one of the greatest songs ever made or they think its overrated whiny crap. Personally I'm somewhere in the middle though I would agree that its probably the best song on the album. I think if you separate "Imagine" from John as a person its a really nice song. The other notable song is the bizarre Paul McCartney slander on "How Do You Sleep?". Why does this song exist? Like it sounds fine but the concept of a Beatles diss track makes me roll my eyes. The rest of the album is made up of hits and misses. It never becomes unlistenable or anything but it also never blows me away. Until I relisten to "Plastic Ono Band", this is still my favorite post-Beatles Lennon album. "Merry Christmas Yoko" Favorite track: Imagine 💩 3.5/5
Music is nice, but the voice isn't
Great album! Easy to enjoy
Some good stuff, some OK stuff.
One great song. One pretty good song. I found the rest pretty boring
I saw a video the other day of John recording 'Gimme Some Truth', and I think he hears someone in the studio missing a note or something, and then he turns to the camera and says "Oh C'mom you Cunts!". And the facial expression he makes is exactly the same as the one on the cover of this album, and I can't look at it without laughing! That aside, Imagine is definitely an iconic album. It's not the best solo Beatle album. Or even Lennon's best. But it's a good album. The production is very well done and some of John's best compositions are present here, like Crippled Inside, Gimme Some Truth, Jealous Guy, the infamous How do You Sleep, and of course, the classic Imagine, which I spent years believing was a Beatles song. It certainly could be. It is in fact the greatest song released after the Beatles in terms of relevance (it is not one of my favorites, but there is no denying that) Over the years, I have learned to appreciate songs like Don't Wanna Be a Soldier and even Oh Yoko more, which makes me leave this review today giving it 5 stars.
Imogen needs less bossa nova.
Can we all just agree that John was the worst Beatle? Imagine makes me genuinely angry, the po faced, total lack of self awareness being demonstrated in this song is ire inducing. That said, on the rest of the album, the music is pretty decent, even though the lyrics are shitty. The only genuinely good song is Jealous Guy. The only song where John Lennon addresses what a prick he was.
Fantastic classic album. Jealous Guy is a standout for me, next to of course the title track. I think it's actually probably the best solo album of the Beatles.
Goed album. Imagine is één van de beste solowerken van the Beatles. Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth and How Do You Sleep zijn ook degelijke nummers, maar qua solocarrière kan John Lennon imo niet tippen aan McCartney en Harrisson. 3.5
Past imagine (the first song) it really didn't grip me.
Classic!
My favorite John Lennon solo album
The titular song is fine but I couldn't vibe with anything else on the album.
I’ve long thought I was over finding the song, “Imagine” listenable, let alone the all-timer it’s been hailed as for seemingly its entire existence. Overplayed in general, over-representative of Lennon’s solo legacy, and over-utilized for self-serious celebrity sing-alongs. That being said, my annoyance with that song skewed my feelings of this album in full, it is the Imagine LP after all. Well, after this listen-thru I softened on the song in question a tad (it’s good, just not something I want or need to hear), but more importantly realized the greatness of the other tracks even more. “Gimme Some Truth”, “It’s So Hard” and “How Do You Sleep?” are undeniable 70s mid-rock bangers. “Jealous Guy”, “Oh My Love” and “How?” are genuinely gentle gems. “Oh Yoko” is maybe my favorite Lennon song ever. Imagine I gave it 5 stars on the strength of the other material lol?
Realmente nenhuma música além de Imagine me chamou a atenção. Faz falta os outros Beatles hem. Mas é razoável, vou dar 3 para não ser muito chato dando um 2. "Mamãe não quero ser prefeito, pode ser que eu seja eleito e alguém pode querer me assassinar." Seixas, Raul
"How do you sleep?" primeira diss track da história (a guitarra nessa oh *chef's kisses*) 3,5
There’s a reason “Imagine” is the only well-known track from this album. It’s important and has its place in the annals of music history, but when it comes to members of both The Beatles and Nirvana, many people look at anything they do/did with rose tinted glasses.
This was good... And it has a lot of significance... But nearly every Beatles album is better than this Lennon solo album... Yes, Imagine is good.
Sadly I did not finish
This is a really good album. I always had Lennon down as a single’s solo artist. I take it back. this is a great album. Taking away the big hits of Imagine and Jealous guy there are some great hidden gems like How? and crippled inside. Favourite song: Jealous guy. I have always loved that song. Least favourite: There isn’t a bad song on the album Album artwork: Iconic cover
It’s John Lennon but it wasn’t that great.
I mean... it's fine. Some cool song variety. But "Imagine" just feels condescending in 2025, knowing what we do about how John and Yoko lived. I find the personnel on this album to be more interesting than Lennon himself lol. Legendary session drummer Jim Gordon (hope he doesn't go and do anything crazy like kill his mother with a hammer) and George Harrison ('All Things Must Pass' is still THE best post-Beatles release, fight me)
someone needed to put a leash on this man my fucking god. not only that but another phil spector dumpster fire to suffer through
fantastic
Jealous Guy & How do you sleep? are nice surprises in a average good album
Wife beater and hack
Not really alike the beatles. lyrics and theming are on point, and quite varied in a good way. Songs can feel a bit slow. Not too sure whether I like the title track. favorite songs: Jealous guy, gimmie some truth, oh my love, oh yoko! Overall around 7/10
I cannot describe how much I loathe the Beatles and John Lennon.
Good variety of sounds and pleasant listening experience
Love this album!! Not fantastic all the way thru, but still pretty good
4.5/5. Can’t believe Forrest Gump got to meet this dude.
Feck off
boring
Es extraño que, siendo probablemente los Beatles mi grupo favorito, le haya prestado tan poca atención a las carreras individuales de sus miembros. La verdad es que John Lennon no es santo de mi devoción, y este álbum lo ha confirmado en parte. Tiene partes muy buenas, empezando por "Imagine", a la que no le voy a quitar mérito por muy manida que esté. Pero, en general, lo veo un álbum bastante aburrido. Las letras son muy simples, y las composiciones no me dicen nada nuevo que no haya escuchado ya antes en los Beatles. No sé, me cuesta comprender el éxito de este álbum más allá de la pasión que tienen algunos por el personaje de Lennon. De momento, me quedo con la obra de Harrison.
Oh fuck you, you're going to give me The White Album and then Imagine back to back? I'm already having a shitty week. I don't deserve to be subjected to the most self-indulgent works of the Beatles. John Lennon needed to be with Paul McCartney to write a great song, but the converse was not true. This whole album just feels uninspired. It's hard to give it too bad a score, but, like, come on John Lennon 3/5
Recht gut
Imagine not listening to this album because John Lennon is a bad guy and then listening to Sabrina Carpenter
An impressive album, very soothing
Impeccable album. John Lennon and a slide guitar will never be a wrong feeling
Oh Yoko? Oh dear.
Aight
I was expecting to roll my eyes a lot during this, and I did. The Phil Spector production is great and there are still a lot of good tunes, but also John Lennon just comes off as a massive wanker pretty frequently.
Bit boring
Well, Jealous Guy is good. Though I think Donny Hathaway did it better.
So, where to begin, with the opening of Imagine, a timeless classic, then opening into an album filled with blues notes, inspiration of classic soft rock, and innovative sounds. John Lennon’s LSD infused musical writing makes this album Unique and timeless, with some of the most mystical lyrics I have heard. Overall a solid 8.5/10, some songs were too repetitive in my opinion, whilst also being too 60/70s of the hippie, Age of Enlightenment which haven’t travelled well through music now. However, one can appreciate that this album is one of the greatest of all time, whilst also being one of the greatest solo break out album
Overall a good album but it has its highs and lows. The best tracks are very high and make up for the lacklustre tracks. Imagine, jealous guy, and one more I forgor are by far the best written songs on the album. Unfortunately it is too inconsistent to consider giving a 5/5 and I even considered giving a 3/5.
Not a huge listener of Lennon's individual music, this album was a mixed bag for me, starting off strong with Imagine and Crippled inside which are both great songs, I found most of the tracks in the middle to be sort of unremarkable, not bad by any means but slightly forgettable to me personally. I was woken up again by How do you sleep and Oh Yoko, both of which I actually enjoyed very much. Overall pretty mediocre album with a few gems. Fav song: Imagine
Tenía el presentimiento de quee iba a aburrir con este álbum, tenía razón.
Dug it, imagine is still a great song even though it's completely overplayed.
2 songs
4 for the songs. -2 John Lennon -2 Phil Spector +2 Jealous Guy
Some good songs but mostly not for me. I understand I'm of the few here. Just wasn't for me.
Good album didn’t really connect with me but I find this is a lot for lennons solo albums. Favourite oh yoko
I've got a theory that "imagine" is ironic. He asks "why can't we all be nice? no war, no fighting, not that hard guys!" and then every other song answers his own question, seemingly without him realizing. 'just a jealous guy', 'how do you sleep', ' i frickin hate hypocrites'... its a budding theory, i haven't ironed out the kinks. Maybe I just think it would be funny if the universal "give peace a chance" anthem were written as a joke, and he never got the chance to lift the veil. Maybe that's nihilistic Great album, 4/5
It is what it is. Love the album, maybe not the artist. Something about that delay soaked sound makes me feel real warm inside. If you throw this one more than like, 1-2x a year you’re a dork
John Lennon and Phil Spector - two bad guys who make good music. John really shines in the more personal/grounded tracks. Having already been familiar with Imagine (which is… overhyped) and Jealous Guy (great song) I found myself going back to Oh My love quite a bit. He really shows a soft and tender side (how ironic) and overall I think this album is a very strong case that John can stand alone the strongest compared to his old bandmates. Having Spector I’m sure helped as well. Overall it’s good, I don’t think it really has any weak points, just points that aren’t as good.
The title track is honestly not as good as I remembered it being, and the rest of this album is simply just adequate. Nothing jumps out as good or bad, its all pretty forgettable Best Song: Imagine Rating: 6.0/10 3 Stars
He will always be a favorite. He will always have songs that don’t quite his a cord, but those like Imagine will live with me always.
6/10. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel any connection with this album. The Beatles are one of the most important bands to ever exist, and the title track of this album has been heavily covered. Yet, the overall album feels...stale.
Raga che lagna mi sento male non me l’aspettavo affatto
Da grande fan dei Beatles ho apprezzato anche questo, anche se è meno spensierato come suono
Instead of devoting this section to the review of Imagine the album (arguably Lennon's solo high point, about as close he came to post-Beatles perfection), I'd like to focus on the tradition of the song "Imagine" being peformed in Times Square every New Year's Eve. By performing it at 11:48PM every 12/31, it feels that we have lost the message of the song (a utopian ideal that we seem to be further from as time goes on). For the love of a higher power or the world we live in, can we PLEASE preserve the beauty of this subtle anthem and retire this tradition? OK I'll get off my soapbox now. The Imagine album contains Lennon's greatest solo moment. Not the title track but "Jealous Guy", a song of excuisite beauty and vulnerability.
Not a bad album. I liked a couple songs. The rest I could leave on as background music while I'm preoccupied with a task.
Meh
-ah the (in?)famous Imagine album about which I have heard so much. I wasn’t completely blown away like I was with a lot of the Beatles’ main stuff, but it was decent -turns out John needed Paul after all I guess -I do really like some of the experimentation with sound and atmosphere on songs like I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama, it was interesting -Favorites are Imagine, Crippled Inside, and How Do You Sleep?
I liked a good bit of this. Interesting lyrics.
Hmm… there are two good songs: Jealous Guy and Gimme the Truth… but that’s about it. Imagine was overplayed in my childhood, so I never need to listen to it again Lennon without the Beatles is just not for me.
Never got this guy.... i do love Bryan Ferry's cover of Jealous guy though
Beetle
I’ve taken to checking out the authors of the reviews and it’s fairly clear that if you hate Lennon or Dire Straits, you just love Screaming-Cats-Electrified-By-A-Cattleprod-type music. Lennon seems pretty polarising anyway. If you grew up with the Beatles you usually love him. If you cut your milk teeth on hip hop or punk, you think he was just a bullshit artist. I didn't bother listening to the album as I already knew the key songs enough to remember most of their lyrics. Not my cup of tea now or then. Was the album influential? Probably. Do I need to listen to it all before I die? No. Two stars.
two really amazing songs and a bunch of garbage does not a good album make
Саундтрек для любого фильма 70ых. Imagine была отличной песней до 2020 года, жаль что кавер знаменитостей испортил его…У Oh my love замечательная мелодия. Cripple inside - заставляет задуматься кто ты. I don’t want to be a soldier - тинейджерский гимн
It does has Imagine on it, but that isn't enough to make it four stars. Solid three.
Some great songs on here
Good god, what a nothing album. The lyrics were basic as hell and extremely repetitious. Really nothing to like about this one, even if the song "Imagine" has stood the test of time. 1/5
imagine not getting shot!
Fine I guess? Nothing really grabbed my attention, but the title track is genuinely great even after the pandemic butchering and general levels of cliche
Great
Imagine is a classic, despite Gal's awful quarantimes version. Rest was OK, had to skip partway through Don't Wanna Be a Soldier and Gimme Some Truth, so repetitive.
I've never actually listened to a full John Lennon solo album, curious what the songs are like outside of the obvious hits. Pretty solid, sounds just like that guy from the Beatles. HA. Man a lot of these songs are surprisingly repetitive, like I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama and Give Me Some Truth, kinda just the same thing over and over. Oh yeah I forgot that there's a weird Paul diss track on this album. Overall pretty good album, not a ton of standout tracks outside of Imagine though in my opinion on one listen.
The solo debut with the man's signature track, but like the rest of the Beatle's solo work, it's clear that the Beatles were far greater than the sum of their parts. Without the creative friction to reign in the excesses of the other members, this solo work is good. I don't think it's great. And even the standout tracks on this album (Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep) are elevated by the inclusion of (former?) bandmate Harrison's guitar work. How *solo* is this solo work, anyway? I wonder if this is more John meeting expectations of who he was supposed to be? It seems that John wanted to be less of a musician and more of an "artist" by this time in his life. I don't blame him: burnout is difficult to cope with. 3 plus one star for a timeless classic.
Imagine a world without the Beatles
The title song is forever tainted by that cringe celebrity video during COVID lockdowns
This album has two great songs (Imagine and Jealous Guy), a few OK ones (e.g. How do you sleep) and some mediocre ones (e.g. Crippled inside). Much like most Beatles albums you could say. As an 'album', to be played in its entirety, I don't particularly like it.
Mixed. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Some great tracks. Jealous Guy is lovely. Think I’ve heard Imagine far too much. Some tracks feel a little bit like a demo/jam that’s not fully finished.
Interesting! It’s hard to take imagine seriously these days, but obviously a classic. The next song is very hunky dory and not expected but I’m glad I had the experience, not sure it will be on repeat. The latter half of the album was the most memorable and ‘underrated’. Nothing to out there but just good listenable music.
This verges on annoying on some tracks, but some of them are just really nice. Oh Yoko! is a real delight, and I'm a fan of the titular track, even if I always think of Cee Lo Green once doing a version where he idiotically changed it to "and all religions true."
Not a bad start to the year. Had listened and liked before but not owned. Might purchase if the right price! Jealous guy resonates.
3.5/5
Not my favorite sound. Some songs are fairly boring.
4.5
honky tonky whatever
★★★★½
Genius record. The atmosphere is just incredible, the songwriting is amazing. I can't think of anything else to say, this album left me speechless
I really enjoyed listening to this album, although it isn't my usual go to music. I heard some happy and sad tunes and I really liked that. I think my favorite song is Imagine or Jealous man!!
I know an album is probably going to suck when I don’t even care for the big track on the album. Given how much the Beatles have been a part of my life, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day I get a Beatles album. Go and figure that the first crumb I get is one of John Lennon’s solo albums, where all of John’s ego and artistic bullshit can go unchecked. As mentioned before, I don’t really give a fuck about Imagine. It’s a surface level peace song that’s overplayed as much as it’s pretentious. It doesn’t even mean much on the album. Hard to preach about peace when you put a Paul McCartney diss track on it too. But the big problem I have with Imagine is that almost none of the songs are worth anything. I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier is a 6-minute repetitive nuisance, Oh Yoko made me feel uncomfortable and Gimme Some Truth is just surface level political commentary. The only song I kinda liked was Jealous Guy. Honestly, most of the songs just felt like they used the same lyrics over and over again. I wasn’t a fan of this one, which sucks as a Beatles fan. Hopefully, it’s one of those albums I see John Lennon again. Favorite track: Jealous Guy Other hits: Oh My Love, How?
Surprised by the subset of reviewers that hate this album. I guess I've never really cared to dive too much into how much of a jerk John Lennon appeared to be so I'm not as biased against the album off the bat. Focusing on the music alone, I love this album. It's best solo Beatles album out there.
While not perfect this is an eclectic album with a truly memorable opening song.
There are a few songs here that are musically stellar, but it's hard not to listen to Lennon's lyrics and hear a small, deeply insecure man whose big picture idealism is perpetually at odds with his dented ego.
Still enamored by the blues, still experimenting with different ideas, still capable of writing songs every person on earth will know through cultural osmosis. Sometimes I'm not super thrilled about all those things though.
YAY JOHN LENNON ..I got bored and didn't listen to the whole thing.
Actually much more beautiful than I expected! Great work by John Lennon!
As a kid, I would have given this a 5. As the album hits it the middle group of songs, it becomes more average. By the end you realize Spector’s production is the only thing making some of the average songs great, along with mysticism around Lennon’s celebrity. As an adult with a new perspective, the album is good, but not as big as I once thought it was. I would give this: 3.5⭐️
Starting off strong with the iconic single of the album of the same name by Lennon, “Imagine,” the rest of the album follows suit. Beautifully produced (I had no idea Phil Spector played a role here which makes me love this album all the more) and showcases Lennon’s standalone talent from the Beatles. Some standout tracks: “Crippled Inside,” the bluesy “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama,” “Oh My Love.”
Obviously awesome
Favorite track: Imagine other picks: how do you sleep?, Jealous guy
как можно было чпокать йоко оно? диссить пола маккартни? старина ты по моему перепутал
The recording quality is kinda bad and makes the album less pleasant to listen too. Also the lyrics if some songs are questionable
A great album for a chill Sunday afternoon.
Yeah, its not the beatles but its still good.
Can’t separate my nostalgia from my views. A genius testing all the levers on his own for the first time.
I like a few of the songs, but in general this wasn’t that inspiring
Imagine (song) is deservedly an all-timer. The rest of the album was fine but not that interesting to me.
love this album. the back half in particular is great.
Not a Beatles fan but at least when they started they were doing something new and exciting. By the time we get to 1971, the Beatles are over and this album proves that there's no I in team. The title track is insipid, just some rich bloke being out of touch. Peace and love unless you step out line, eh John? Although I do like the main piano line. As for the rest of it, he really should have just left the white man blues to the Rolling Stones. At least they were good at it. The whole album feels insincere and self-absorbed. The production's good and ultimately, it's not unlistenable.
he may have been an awful person but by jove, jhon lennon was one of the greatest musicians ever
Somehow never heard most of this album. Highlights aren't as good as Plastic Ono Band, strings tend to weaken it where they appear. If this wasn't a John Lennon album, and I hadn't heard Imagine used in tacky ways a thousand times, and it came up on the list I'd be like "WOW, what is this??? five stars!!!" four stars.
It’s really something to be John Lennon and open an album with the dumbest empty-headed hippie anthem ever written… and then follow it up with basically an entire album about the darkness within. This thing rocks. Great Lennon sound, pretty wacky at times. Much better than I remember it.
As I’ve said multiple times on here, sont songs are so iconic they become so overplayed that we stop paying attention to them. Imagine is one of the most iconic, most important and most overplayed songs of all time. It and the rest of the album are such a v clear, albeit naive vision of what could be. It’s filled with beautifully hypnotic songs. But something is missing and we all know who they are. 8.3/10
The title track is a classic and there’s some nice other singles here but it falls short of the quality of his group works and the experimental tracks sound too rough in most places for my liking
Good album. I don’t think any of the Beatles are as good as solo artists as they were as a group.
First hate review. Fuck John Lennon. An honest review would be a 3. Good production with lyrics I hate. Standouts: Oh My Love and How?
Not bad. But 'Oh Yoko!' is cringe. Favourite tracks: Imagine, Crippled Inside, Oh My Love, How Do You Sleep?
I know John hates John Lennon but it seems to be a little easier for me to separate the art from the artist. Helps when Yoko isn't involved.
I'm not a John guy. I find him pretentious and arrogant. But I just can't deny that this is good music.
The best Beatle.
Phil Spector's production abilities curdled in the 70s in an interesting way to me. Like Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies Man everything sounds woozy rather than the dreaminess of his 60s heyday. But I like it. Lyrically the song Imagine is the ultimate in hippiness which it isn't difficult to be cynical about. But it is good to be the ultimate in something and it is pretty if overplayed. I prefer the blasted sad and apparent self pity of the original of Jealous Guy over the more than a little preening of Bryan Ferry's version. How Do You Sleep? is mean but it is also pretty funny and fun in a school playground gossipy way to consider alongside Macca's Too Many People. Also don't think for a moment Lennon wasn't aware of how it contrasts with the title track.
The cover artwork of John Lennon's "Imagine" album is a stark disappointment, failing to convey the depth and ambition of its music. The image feels uninspired and overly simplistic. The choice of an untreated photograph lacks the artistic flair expected from such an iconic figure, making it seem more like a casual snapshot than a carefully crafted piece of art. Additionally, the superimposed elements do not harmonize well, resulting in a cluttered visual that detracts from the album's message. Overall, this artwork does not do justice to the profound themes explored within the album itself. Album artworks rated: 5/1001 The music's overrated af btw
Starts out about as strong as you can then tapers immediately.
EL OH EL how do you fucking SLEEP? oh my love <3
Czasami odnoszę wrażenie, że niektóre albumy trafiły na tę listę za jedną wiodącą piosenkę, bo reszta utworów nie powinna się znaleźć nawet na obrzeżach tej listy. "Imagine" to absolutny klasyk i hymn pokolenia, a także pewnej idei. Idei, która niestety zdewaluowała się i wygląda obecnie co nieco naiwnie, być może w dużej mierze przez jej współczesną wypaczoną formę. Albo przez świat, który jest co nieco bardziej skomplikowany, niż 50 lat temu. John Lennon nie powinien był brać się za bluesa. Ani za granie na harmonijce. Jego utwory światopoglądowe trącą white privilege (śpiewanie o złych pieniądzach, kiedy jesteś międzynarodową gwiazdą rocka, come on...), jego blues jest słaby, a oda do Yoko to straszny cringe. Nie cierpiałem tak, jak przy The Libertines, bo mimo wszystko to jest wciąż świadomy muzycznie album. Ale to tyle.
It's hard to put a realistic number on this album when you heard the Beatles. It's such a greate piece compared to some of the entries (unhonourable mention for the Libertines) but it's still far weaker than albums of the band. All I can do is give 4 and blame Yoko Ono like we all do.
Dla mnie zdecydowany downgrade w porównaniu do Revolvera. Album dla mnie nierówny, nie do końca mnie zaangażował. Sporo "plumkania" niczym w country (wrażenie potęguje harmonijka), za którym nie przepadam. Mocny start Imagine (chociaż kuuuuurde, mam tak przeoraną tę piosenkę, że tylko została pamięć o tym, że ją lubię, na uczucie nie umiem się już zdobyć niestety XD). Crippled inside spoko, witty, ale, chociaż nie jakoś szczególnie zachwycające (swoją drogą, nie mogę oprzeć się wrażeniu że Crippled i It's so hard so meeeega rollingstonowe, ale hm, słabiej...?). Nie będę raczej szedł po każdym utworze, ale średnio ogólnie kupuję teksty - wydają mi się pisane na siłę, momentami jakby aspirują do wnikliwości, której im brakuje. Mam też wrażenie, że są tak szczere jak skrucha Lennona po napierdalaniu swojej kobiety :> Favs: nie jakoś top, ale imo na uwagę zasługują "How do you sleep at night?" i "I don't wanna be a soldier mama" - ten ostatni jest też imo ciekawszy muzycznie, chyba najciekawszy. Specjalne wyróżnienie dla "Oh Yoko!" - dawno nie czułem takiego cringu słuchając piosenki, the cheesiest of all cheeses, taka o, pioseneczka-laureczka, ale śmierdzi mi komercyjną próbą stworzenia sweet love song na kilometr - BLEH. :( 2,5/5
Solo Lennon do mnie nie przemawia, strasznie się wynudziłem. Mocne 2
blijft een goed album.. helaas zijn de teksten terug brandend actueel...
Pas mon artiste préféré, 7/10 quand même
This guy is kinda full of himself? Good songs though.
Thought plastic ono band was better
4.1 How? was a standout. Imagine doesnt need any critique from a guy like me
God I hate the title track. Trite nonsense. And watching the wheels used the same harmonic ideas much better 9 years later. Yes Lennon’s a genius, living in every pore, as Freddie Mercury sang, and the rest of this album bares this out. ‘How do you sleep?’ Shouldn’t work - it’s nasty, it’s mean and it’s a bit unwarranted. George apparently broke down in tears recording it. But it’s extremely clever ‘those freaks were right when they said you were dead’; ‘all you did was yesterday/ now you’re just another day’. Ouch but good lyrics man. Paul responded in ‘Silly Love Songs’. The refrain ‘I love you’ probably smacks John harder than Paul smacked John. Jealous Guy is a vast improvement on Child of Nature. Lennon had the gift of being to write songs that in nearly everyone else’s hands would be self indulgent tripe. Somehow he manages not to do this. When he follows his muse for general experience it can be guff. When he’s personal it can be transcendent. He lived on a different plane. Crack band. The ever reliable Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins. George plays a scorcher solo on How do you Sleep. George invents pop slide guitar. He wasn’t the first to play slide on record - not even in England. Brian Jones, Eric Clapton and Peter Green all had. But they’d all done it in a strictly blues context. George took it to pop and changed it forever. This is a great and early example of George’s approach. This is not quite as strong as the Plastic Ono Band. Or walls and bridges. But it’s pretty strong. One of my maxims is that the worst things the Beatles did would have made the career of lesser acts. Here, in the title track it also made Lennon’s solo career.
Two views. Yes, sure, spend a moment to explain to people who dont know the Beetles and John Lennon their message to the world, and the zeitgeist, and Imagine as something that people connected with. as an album, not for me. It bores me, and Yoko is a difficult topic
Five important Lennon solo songs; Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep, How, and his signature song Imagine. A mixture of protest songs, primal scream truth-telling, and pop fancies. Straightforward production with a crack band, tastefully under-playing, and really lovely string arrangements. This is probably Lennon's strongest solo record, but it sure ain't a satisfying substitute for a Beatles album. Thank god Lennon vetoed the record company's desire to release Oh Yoko! as a single. Nothing against Yoko, but this song is noticeably more pop than the rest of the record, and a little out of place. The thing I really noticed about this record is how honest Lennon often is. Listening to Jealous Guy, he is saying things in a blunt, unvarnished way that I find hard to believe that the biggest pop star in the world would put on a record for all to hear. He is really laying himself open on this record. Although that could be the flipside of a view that everything he says is a Very Important Work of Unimpeachable Genius, and he uses honesty as a moral shield for his culpable behaviour. He seems to regard his shortcomings (temper tantrums, domestic abuse, vitriolic egotism, needless provocation, unfaithfulness, hypocrisy, etc etc) as artistic opportunities rather than personal failings. Mind you, a myriad of followers had been telling him he was some kind of messiah for nearly a decade at this point. I'm sure it's hard to maintain perspective in those circumstances. As a result, he still can't reconcile his ambitions and ideals. I mean, Imagine is just the tone-deaf plea of a multi-millionaire to eschew material possessions. Easy to say, if you're rolling in it, mate. But I think this song is now officially recognized for the hypocritical bullshit it really is, following Gal Gadot's incredibly ill-conceived cover video released during covid.
My least favorite BEATLE. No on Yoko Ono. Primal scream therapy for sure in 1971.
It's ok, but I'm pretty convinced if this album had any other person's name on it, it would be considered very mediocre.
I was gonna joke that I'd rather listen to Yoko's solo (and so far listening to Fly this is more my speed) but this wasn't bad at all. Inconsistent as for me half the songs were great and sound nice and the other half are just country/blues tunes without much to add or for me to enjoy but other than that, it's a pretty nice album
A bit underwhelming for what I expected based on the reception, but decent nonetheless. Highlights: Imagine It's So Hard
With meditation there’s no limit to what we can…imagine
Strong highlights in this one. There's a high chance I'm gonna rate it higher later but this was a very nice listen. Alan White is a great drummer and John's vocals are pretty superb. There are some moments (aka songs) I'm meh on but look at those highlights! Highlights: "Imagine", "Jealous Guy", "I Don't Want to Be a Soldier", "How Do You Sleep?", "How" & "Oh Yoko".
I think it is a bit uneven, but the best songs are immense! "Jealous Guy" and "Oh My Love" includes some of the most beautiful piano parts ever set to tape. 4 stars
4.5/5
Validates my opinion that John was the most essential Beatle and I won't heard otherwise. Lots of greatness here including the title track, "Jealous Guy", "Crippled Inside", "Gimme Some Truth" and the charmingly goofy "Oh Yoko". I don't think it's quite as fantastic as Plastic Ono Band, but it's still awesome. 5 stars.
4.5
A solo album from the main Beatles dude that is filled with mostly good songs. Imagine that! Highlights are Imagine, Jealous Guy and Paul McCartney love letter How Do You Sleep?
4+
Lovely
Very good stuff, dated but still good, especially the singles (Jealous guy and imagine) Slightly spoilt IMO by the poor recording quality
Fuck John Lennon, hypocriete lul dat ie is. Met dat uit de weg, Imagine is wel gewoon een mooi nummer. Altijd benieuwd of de rest dan dat niveau haalt of in de buurt komt of dat het een Layla en andere nummers situatie is. Ik probeer me niet te irriteren aan de hypocrisie van de heer Lennon, ik ben tenslotte een groot Kanye fan alleen dan wel voordat ie echt gestoord was. En ik moet zeggen, het valt me mee. Je moet de teksten vooral negeren, want dit album is voor een groot deel "Heb toch medelijden met me! Ik heb het echt heel moeilijk!!!" het album, en dat klinkt toch wat minder geloofwaardig van iemand die als protest zichzelf opsluit in bed in het Hilton. Er zijn slechtere plekken laat ik maar zeggen. Had ik dit album moeten luisteren voor ik doodga? Mwah, het is prima. Er zitten een paar echte stinkers in(I dont wanna be a soldier mama, Oh Yoko!) Maar de titelsong, op de hypocrisie na, is gewoon een goed nummer. Zelfde geld voor mij voor Jealous Guy en How? Maar de rest is te matig voor een 'Goed'. FAVO: Imagine, Jealous Guy, How?
I was hoping Imagine would be the outlier and the rest of the album would convince me of the genius of Lennon everyone spoke about, but it actually gets worse as it goes along. 'An Englishman pretending to make traditional American music' describes it way too well, both in terms of its lack of authenticity and how badly it fails.
Great songwriting with memorable melodies even if some songs (anything Yoko-related) initiate a gag-reflex.
4.5
Sometimes sublime, sometimes derivative. One transcendent song does not a transcendent album make.
I've been kind of fearing getting into rock music, since I don't really like screamo rock or rock-and-roll very much, but I'm enjoying the art rock and soft rock albums I've heard so far. This album was a somewhat acceptable soft rock album. Starting with the negatives, my least favorite song was probably Crippled Inside, a little too country-leaning for me. I prefer my country songs artsy and not honkey-tonk. The blues-ier songs like It's So Hard were also not my favorite. Plus, I wasn't a huge fan of Lennon's voice throughout the whole album. However, there are some really pretty arrangements in the album. Imagine is a nice listen, and Oh My Love is both a beautiful instrumental and uses Lennon's voice for good. I think he'd be really good as a folk singer. Unfortunately, his voice brings down several other songs I would have otherwise liked, such as How? The album kicks off on its highest point with Imagine, and then it's only down from there. I kept on waiting for it to get better, but it never did. If someone asked me how I liked it, I'd probably say that its "alright."
Meh, should’ve stayed with the Beatles. Fuck yoko ono
Launching off the Beatles springboard. Where any of them greater than the sum of their parts. A solid 4.
Contains his most iconic track and mainstream songs. By his standards quite predictable.
Post-Beatles John Lennon sure did talk a good game, but it was all smoke and mirrors. Other than Imagine and Jealous Guy none of the other songs were worth shit. I blame Yoko
Overrated. 7/10
Really enjoyed when it ended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l_0JjPGJUQ&ab_channel=PoliticalComedy
This feels like peak heartfelt and uneven John, with the penchant for oversharing, though that tendency served him better than McCartney's sentimentality. He just holds it together to deliver an enjoyable record of pretty high (and mostly sustained) quality. Title cut is an all-timer, of course, 20th-century top-10 for sure (even it's been misused by sentimentalists around the world). Other highlights include "Jealous Guy" and "Oh Yoko!" and "Crippled Inside."
Jealous and how are great others are mid
Some decent songs but didn't think much of the album overall. Didn't find it particularly cohesive. 'Imagine' of course is a classic but one that never sat that well with me. 'Jealous Guy' is probably my favourite on the album. At points it harked back to the Beatles sounds but with less impact, this is obvious due to Lennon's a driving creative force in the band. Ultimately it feels a mix-match of styles with a few songs sounding like less interesting Beatles hits, one the same but Dylan and another The Doorsesque. It could very well be a slow burner album and I should come back to it in the future but aside from 'Jealous Guy' and maybe 'How do you sleep?' I'd probably rather just listen to Beatles albums.
Album is okay. Imagine is legendary. But it is nowhere close to Beatles. Distribution politics seems wrong.
surprisingly better than beatles
I think I prefer him with the plastic ono band. Imagine is a classic but is also a meme at this point. Jealous Guy is decent. Otherwise some pretty meh bar blues/dad rock on a lot of tracks. How Do You Sleep?, How? and Oh Yoko! are a solid way to close out though.
insufferable
++: Crippled Inside, Jealous Guy, It's So Hard, I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier, Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep?, How? +: Imagine, Oh My Love +- Oh Yoko! 8,8/10
I only knew imagine, so I expected more boring hippie piano so I was surprised
Pretty boring
As someone who isn’t a Beatles fan, I wasn’t particularly enthused when this came up. It’s all just a bit bland? Maybe musically and/or lyrically it’s brilliant, just like everyone claims the Beatles are, but I just don’t get it! Sorry John, this isn’t my favourite.
I think imagine was my least favorite song on the album. I really liked how it hit rock and roll, ballads, and bar room blues. A diverse album that ends a little early. I’m not sure I agree that it’s hard to hide when you’re crippled inside.
I wanted to like this more than I did. Didn't really care for the songwriting across this and I can't stand the title track.
I think it’s great. The song “How do you Sleep” hits so hard especially
truly an excellent record. heartbreaking to listen to, given what happened to john (obviously). but even disregarding that, it’s such an emotionally fraught album on its own because you can hear that he was trying so, so hard. people forget that the beatles really did come from dirt in a way that feels impossible today—john had the most economically-privileged background and the most formal education, but growing up in postwar liverpool with a broken family certainly didn’t do wonders for his mental health and emotional intelligence. the songs were the only way that he could poke any air holes in that suffocating layer of repression. to me this album is about someone who is desperately lost and unsure of himself and his place in the world and is trying to grapple with who he wants to be now that he isn’t a beatle. i think he was deeply and sincerely troubled by war, inequality, etc. and was frustrated by his inability to do anything meaningful about it, and he was trying very hard to articulate all of that. i like the sound of that effort. i think that’s what places him in opposition to paul tonally, because paul’s music has always been so effortless. not that paul didn’t try very hard—i think he did, and often tried too hard—but he rarely allowed that vulnerability to be reflected in the music itself. his ‘vulnerabilities’ were calculated and careful and affected, whereas john’s were laid bare and plain especially on this record. it’s sometimes a little uncomfortable or even embarrassing to hear, but i think it’s worth hearing! if i were paul mccartney i would have simply killed myself after “how do you sleep?” got released. fav tracks: jealous guy; i don’t wanna be a soldier mama; gimme some truth; oh my love; how do you sleep?; how?; oh yoko!
ummm john lennon is actually kinda good….. I’m realizing that I’ve never actually listened to a full solo album of any of the Beatles besides All Things Must Pass until now. It’s so interesting because this does not sound like another Beatles album at all of course, but it has such a distinct Beatles influence. Every song on here was beautiful or groovy or cutting (How Do You Sleep is straight up diabolical…) and it ended with such a beautiful ode to Yoko. I love that he talks about her so much despite being released during peak “yoko broke up the beatles” era. And Imagine IS A GOOD SONG. It’s so overplayed so in most contexts it’s hard to actually hear it for what it is, but it IS really beautiful. And in this context, I think it’s quite an effective opener for an album full of tender ballads and political messaging because it’s sort of a balance of both and sets the tone well. Fav tracks: I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama, How Do You Sleep?, Oh My Love
There’s too much John Lennon on this list.
Imagine not getting shot by a snub nosed revolver
I was ready to give this 1-star because I think John Lennon is a bit of a wanker. But no, I did as I should and I listened to the album and am judging it on its' content. This album is wanky. Imagine is such an awful single. If Jeff Bezos wrote a song telling you to give more money to charity he'd be crucified. Oh Yoko! pissed me off - 4 minutes of wailing. No thank you. He picks up the extra star for the Macca diss-track. That is based asf
The Beatles streak lives, this is my third Beatle-related album in the past 9 on here. I have a small personal connection to this album. I didn't plan for it at the time, but I ended up getting engaged right next to the Imagine Peace Tower. This is a Lennon memorial that Yoko dedicated to him that's located on a small island off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. It's a really incredible song, the monument is in a beautiful location overlooking the city, and now it's part of my life too. Getting this album made me think about that time, it was a good day. Anyway, onto the album. This is his second solo album after the Beatles split, and he was really not happy with Paul McCartney when he wrote this. It starts off with "Imagine", which is almost so famous that it feels mildly tacky (the celebrity video during the pandemic did not help matters), but I still love it. "Jealous Guy" is the other standout on the front side of the album, it's a very close second for me on here, the lyrics show incredible vulnerability. There's a bit of a lull on the rest of the A side, but it picks up again on the B side. It's a strong 5-song run, including "Oh My Love" (a standout) and "How Do You Sleep?" (a pretty direct attack at McCartney, Lennon says there's no hard feelings though). There's a lot of really strong songs on here, and "Imagine" and "Jealous Guy" are exceptional, but on the whole it falls a bit short of the Beatles at their best. It's still an incredibly strong album, and the bar that I'm using here is probably unfairly high, but it is what it is. I'm thinking about Iceland again, that was a fun trip. Favorite song: Imagine Other: Crippled Inside, Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth, Oh My Love, How Do You Sleep?, How?, Oh Yoko! 11/15/24
Ignoring the infinite flaws and atrocities of Lennon, for an album called Imagine, it is quite an unimaginative album
imagine peter griffin. john lemmon so good. 9/10
Ok, a bit boring, 6/10.
It’s Lennon and therefore never going to be that bad. Lots of people like to take swipes at John for being a hypocrite but people need to look in a mirror every once in a while. He was a flawed human being, a work in progress, like all of us. He happened to know it though. At this point in his life he was writing for himself and not for profit- so you’ll have to forgive some of the more navel gazing pieces.
5 stars
I dunno. I can appreciate it for what it was but I think we’re all too cynical and know too much about John to really fall for it anymore