John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band

Why he called it "plastic", I have no idea, unless it was to signal the nihilism that pervades this mind-blower. In my opinion, this album is one of the greatest albums ever made by an individual male vocal artist, right up there with Dylan's classic holy trinity of "Bringing It All Back Home", "Highway 61" and "Blonde on Blonde". But Lennon's work holds the trump card of blunt honesty. As his Beatles career progressed, Lennon began to move away from decorative, sanitized pop expression, and toward exposing a more "real" self. However, he tended to veil it in imagery which turned out to be so clever and powerful that it resulted in some of the most brilliant pop poetry ever written, personal but perceptive too of what was happening in ever-changing 60's society. I cite as examples "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Strawberry Fields", "Lucy in the Sky", "A Day in the Life", "I Am the Walrus", "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", "Come Together", "Across The Universe" and "I Dig a Pony". Releasing "Plastic Ono Band", with Yoko as his muse and his enabler, he was liberated from the shackles and trappings of Beatledom, and he showed his feelings as nakedly as the couple had shown their physiques on the cover of "Two Virgins". The torrent of hurt, fear, anger, bitterness, contempt, and rejection of his past was harrowing yet thrilling when I first heard it, like a rush. In "Mother", he not only laments very loudly that his parents had abandoned him, but also that he was now abandoning US: "Children...I just gotta tell you goodbye, goodbye." After this trauma, John's first rule of survival in this godawful world is in the second track, "Hold On". He sings, "When you're by yourself/And there's no one else/You just have yourself/And you tell yourself to hold on." Illusions are shattered in "I Found Out", to the accompaniment of some very primitive, grating rock: "There ain't no Jesus gonna come from the sky/Now that I found out, I know I can cry." The somber, sarcastic folk song "Working Class Hero" is a classic, right on the mark. My favorite track, "Remember", hits us with pounding drums, pounding bass and pounding piano, to make us recall the hypocrisy and fairy-tale foolishness of things we endure growing up in bourgeois society: "Remember how the hero was never hung/Always got away...how the man always, always let you down...Remember ma and pa, just wishing for movie stardom/Always playing a part?" In the midst of all this fear and loathing, Lennon takes the time to describe "Love", and more importantly, places the words in a delicate melody which floats, rises and falls with all the beauty of any Beatles ballad. In "Well Well Well", we hear of a typical day in the life of John Ono-Lennon, ex-Beatle, activist, comrade of Yoko, accompanied by raw, rough rock and including the famous "primal screams". "God" is the finality of all finalities. With bluesy piano backing, Lennon declares that he doesn't believe in God, Dylan (Zimmerman), Tarot, I-Ching, Buddha, Kennedy, nothing and nobody except himself and Yoko. In a climactic moment in pop history, he sings, "I don't believe in BEATLES...And so, dear friends, you'll just have to carry on. The dream is over." As bonus tracks, we get "Power to the People", which I have always liked since my own pseudo-radical days, and "Do the OZ". I would describe the latter, a duet with Yoko by the way, as an avant-garde rock parody of dance songs like "The Hokey Pokey". But as silly as it seems, it also mirrors the new, wild impulsiveness in John's heart and the absurdity he finds in the world. Taken as a whole, this outpouring transcends pop music. In its own way, this is art, just as the writings of Shakespeare, Coleridge, and T.S. Eliot are art. Lennon found a way to be lyrically real, musically authentic (raw, no frills, to match the emotions), and entertaining all at the same time, and that is an accomplishment most pop or rock stars would sell their souls for. In addition, the entire CD package is a class act. The sound is magnificent, the cover is gorgeous, the wonderful photos inside are new to me, and the lyrics provided are from John's own notes. For any fan of John Lennon, this is a treasure and a must-have.

Plastic Ono Band is one of the best and most influential albums ever. One of the few non-commercial work to not only endure and gain acclaim but even earn notable popularity, it is essential for serious listeners. Few albums have more brazenly defied expectations. The Beatles had just broken up, and the album not only seemed infinitely far from anything they had ever done or stood for but even seemed anti-Beatles. Lennon in fact famously dismisses them in the climactic "God," declaring, "The dream is over." All this was shocking, but Plastic would be of little more than historical interest if it were not excellent in itself. Thankfully it is; Lennon clearly had great confidence in the work, letting it speak for itself rather than relying on the biggest of brand names. Remarkably, it stands up better than even some Beatles music, a good amount of which now indelibly seems part of an era. In strong contrast, this is timeless, relying on universal themes and simple but forceful words, music, and vocals that are just as relevant as ever and surely always will be. It is certainly quite far from Beatles-esque; the guitar/bass/piano/drums arrangements are bare and simple, and the production is almost as basic as possible. The latter - ostensibly by Phil Spector but mostly by Lennon - is very important, letting the songs breathe whereas a typical Spector sound would have buried the strong emotional core that makes them work. All this is not to say Plastic is boring. Lennon's melodies are still very strong, and the playing is excellent; the album is in its way the logical extension of the paring down begun on The White Album. The music is not flashy or complex but suits the songs perfectly, letting us focus on the all-important words and voice. The former are not Lennon's most poetically impressive or quotable but are admirable conciseness and highly evocative; a wealth of suggestion lies behind lines that initially seem simple or even throwaway. Lennon's voice also gives them a significance they could never have on paper. He builds significantly on his Beatles reputation, proving beyond doubt that he is one of the finest singers for anyone alive to emotion and phrasing while also showing noteworthy range and versatility. He screams at points and whispers at others, hitting seemingly every point between and always managing to move us greatly. This indeed is Plastic's key; Lennon's ability to bring tears is near-unequaled, especially considering the sparse words. The skill has rarely been more appropriate or better used; Plastic is thoroughly emotional and intensely personal. Borne out of primal therapy and Lennon's highly charged, often conflicted feelings about The Beatles, fame, an uneasy childhood, love, marriage, his wife, and other heavy issues, Plastic virtually invented and still epitomizes the confessional singer/songwriter genre and is a definite punk precursor. It is certainly not easy listening; the funeral bells that begin it are a perfect introduction. Few albums are more somber or depressing, and many songs are so personal that listening often seems voyeuristic. Plastic overflows with rage, despair, regret, remorse, and other loaded emotions. Yet, in the end, it is hopeful and life-affirming, a paean to individualism, perseverance, and determination - in short, a masterpiece that, like all truly personal work, is at bottom universal and immortal. This may seem paradoxical but makes perfect sense when we see that it deals with fundamental human feelings and thoughts; by bravely looking deep into himself, Lennon speaks to all. All told, Plastic is one of the very few Beatles solo albums on par with the band's best work, which is probably all that need be said.

Plastic Ono Band is awesome-know that. Talk about an artist's self expression! This is the most honest of any of the great stars' 'confessional' or 'introspective' styles of records. It is always changing places with Walls and Bridges as my favorite JL solo record. Complete opposites from production values and all that, but Im reviewing the sound quality for the 2000 reissue (CDP 7243 5 28740 2 6-Capitol) and that particular mix. The 2000 mix is very impressive. It has depth and breadth that the other issues (ie, 2010 Signature Box, et al.) lack. Prime example: the bells at the beginning of 'Mother'--woah, you feel like you are SITTTING in a freaking bell tower. 'Hold On' sounds as equally rich. It has been remixed so that the first few notes of the vibrato guitar riff are present, as opposed to the original album's track back in 1970, where they are missing. There is an added bottom end to the songs. That is the source of some of the depth I mentioned earlier. It sounds like some of the compression and limiting have been reduced. That change benefits us in a couple of ways. One easy example is the relationship between John's voice and his guitar in "I Found Out" as there is a nice separation between the vocals and guitar rhythm. In the original track, the two are tied together so closely that they are both "capped." The overall sound of the vocal is more centered, and nothing is lost nor any diminishment of the original intent. It's even more powerful, vocally and instrumentally. They lyrics are more easily audible. Klaus's bass thumps and Ringo's drumming is enhanced. There is sizzle in his open high-hat style and fury in his bass drum AND symbol crashes (joke-I know it's 'cymbal.') So, the album is great, whatever you listen to it on or through, and God is equally atomic on any medium. This mix is tops, though. Of course, the screaming in 'Well Well Well' is as pungent as ever....ZP

Sorry this got so long. Decided to weigh in on this because there's a recent 50th anniversary 2 LP edition now available for triple the price of this version. The 2015 vinyl release that I own (pictured here) is very good. The artwork appears to be faded and muted. The look of the original was washed out to begin with, but this takes it to a new low. The quality of the vinyl is better than average for a non-special edition reissue. Mine was pressed by Optimal in Germany and there are very few clicks, pops, ticks, rumbles etc. The sound quality very good--warm--with lots of detail in Lennon's double tracked, slap-delayed vocals. The production is sparse, raw and gorgeous with Lennon's Epiphone Casino though a vibrato effect (possibly from a Small Fender combo amp) on Hold On a particular highlight. The piano on God is another highlight--as angry as John's vocal--and Voorman's bass is fat throughout. Ringo's drumming has always been amazing in it's tasteful restraint, and he has a very cool but non-standard sense of timing that sets him apart and makes him immediately recognizable. All of the individual and collective performances are simply timeless and spine tingling. This particular vinyl release does communicate all of that, even though it falls short of the best. But for a budget friendly offering (Optimal is well-regarded), it's very good. My clear vinyl half-speed mastered version of Imagine has more pops and ticks than this album, but the music on Imagine sounds more detailed and better balanced with a wider soundstage, bigger bottom, and more distinct sounding instruments and vocals. With this in mind, you could go for the recent Paul Hicks remixed, half-speed mastered version on vinyl with an extra LP of outtakes. Remember, just because it's expensive doesn't guarantee the absence of vinyl artifacts. I think that vinyl is often damaged when it is thrown around in shipping where the surface of the record interacts with the (often paper) inner sleeves. In decades past, vinyl records were shipped tightly packed together in cases, opened by the record store, and put on display. Consumers didn't throw them in the back of their cars with 1000 other packages to be tossed about and internally damaged. I've recently seen how the sharp edges of records end up tearing inner sleeves and even wearing holes in album spines during shipping. I rarely saw this when I was buying records in shops during the 70's-80's. So it doesn't surprise me when we read so many comments about noisy vinyl. In some cases, it's probably not down to poor quality control, but rather the record sliding around during shipping or heavy objects being set on top of poorly protected albums. But the reality is this: If you are hearing lots of vinyl artifacts or experiencing skipping or distortion, welcome to the unpredictable world of vinyl. A premium well sorted playback system with clean records and a cartridge that has an advanced stylus shape (fine line, micro ridge, micro-line, Shibata, etc.) is, unfortunately, what is required to control unruly vinyl records. Otherwise, ignore the ticks and enjoy the music, because this record is a classic. Also, if you are at all serious about vinyl, you should wash every record you purchase before you play them. The bare bones manual "spin" systems actually work great to remove stray vinyl particles and sleeve dust. A good cleaning fluid will also mitigate static buildup which is another source of clicks.

Land mark Lennon record, i buy lots of vinyl and love to review when the LP arrives in excellent condition

As raw as this album is, it gives a clear site of Lennon controlling his own desires. It shows how much Lennon wanted to forget all of the polished productions and make every song sound live. It does make me think that this could be an album that can be performed outside in sunny weather for some reason due to the fact that all of the songs sound relaxed, simple, and very captivating. It's very much an album that you would want to listen when you're taking a walk, sitting by a lake, and any other outdoor activity. In other ways, I feel as if this album has elements of punk rock, but in a quiet fashion. What I mean is, there are no guitar solos, no additional guitar tracks, raw vocals, and very few musicians on every track. It doesn't go overboard with additional musicians contributing to selected tracks, it adds a light flavor in order to shine a new moment. The lyrics for this album has a poetic edge to Lennon's life/personality of the early 1970s, and his childhood. Following 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' and 'Imagine', Lennon could've kept this kind of formula by expressing his thoughts and emotions and putting some kind of poetry in it since it personally keeps me trapped in the middle. It keeps me thinking about the following; what he means, and trying to interpret what he means. I do enjoy listening to how he makes it that way in every song (except 'God'). Get this album if you want to explore Lennon's solo career because it gives the listener a first insight of him branching out into his own creativity after years of being in a group.

This review does not reflect the quality and impact that this record has. The quality of John Lennon's song writing ability is on full display here. His vocals, his piano playing, his choice of chord progression, his lyrics, all are perfectly blended together to give us one of the best rock records of the 70's. It's just too bad it was pressed on such a piece of garbage filth sorry excuse for a vinyl. Side two skips every other song. It completely ruins the immersion that the music creates. I even returned the vinyl and was shipped a new one (bravo Amazon for your amazing return policy, five stars for customer service). Alas, the newly sent copy also skipped at the exact same songs which tells me that this is a factory issue. A bad batch. You can't trust this vinyl. Avoid if possible. Try to find an original pressing or one that was released before this lot. POOR QUALITY.

Vinyl plays perfect 0 skips, this is John lennons personal masterpiece, whilst imagine is hailed as his best work, this albums shows more and feels more raw. Its truly lennon at his best in my opinion.