Customer Reviews

Double Fantasy Millennium Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This new album marks what would have been John Lennon's 60th birthday and with its extra previously unreleased tracks, is even more fantastic than the original "Double Fantasy" from 1980.

The newly released "Help Me To Help Myself" discloses a chilling pointer to Lennon's tragic fate. He sings: "Well, I tried so hard to stay alive, but the angel of destruction keeps on hounding me, all around, but I know in my heart that we never really parted."

The song is one of three new tracks.

Another new track on the album is "Walking On Thin Ice", a track John and Yoko were working on the night he was gunned down. Yoko had a minor hit with the track when she released her own version in 1981, and Elvis Costello has also recorded a version.

I thoroughly enjoyed buying and listening to this CD. I had had a copy of Double Fantasy on LP but had not heard it for years. Now, playing it from CD is a joy and the extra tracks, including the private chat track at the end with Yoko and John strolling together through Central Park, is just a bonus.

I thoroughly recommend the new millenium edition to old Lennon fans everywhere.

I listen to the albums I'm discussing as I write my reviews, so I'm in the middle of "I'm Losing You-I'm Moving On". Usually Yoko Ono gives me a migrane but with this album I merely grit my teeth. Strangely enough, after hearing Yoko's songs, they grow on you a bit. "Kiss Kiss Kiss", for example, isn't much different from some of the music you hear in modern Japaneese animation. "I'm Moving On" would be a great piece if it were recorded by someone who can pronounce words clearly while singing emotionally or at least someone who doesn't wrap up the track with a bird or monkey call. John's music is mellow as compared to his 1970's songs, and quite similar to Paul McCartney's solo work at that time. "Double Fantasy" should be considered only 1/2 of a John lennon album. and credit given to Yoko for filling up the other half with occasionally pleasing songs. I remember back in the late 1980's, I was mixing cassette tapes to be played on my car stereo. I took some of John's tracks from this album, Some tracks from Paul McCartney's "All My Best", George Harrison's post Beatles song "All Things Must Pass" and Ringo Starr's "It Don't come easy", blended them all together on a single tape and labelled it "The Beatles: Together Again?". I'm considering doing the same thing with my CD's of these albums and adding the bonus track "Help Me To Help Myself" as a Wild Track ala "Her Majesty" on The Beatles "Abbey Road".

This is a beautiful album. Yoko's stuff needs to be given a little time, but it really grows on you. I can assure most everyone that John's stuff is amazing, beautiful, breathtaking, etc. what you would expect from a man who seemed to have found a more content state of mind. His songs are amongst his best, and possibly everyone has heard most of them. But "I'm Losing You" is a stand-out, and "Cleanup Time" is very underrated. The production is slick and there is a vibe of happiness within this record. This is the first John Lennon album I ever got, and I automatically fell in love with his music from this point on.

There will always be people who have problems with Yoko, but she's a pretty darn good songwriter, and her music is nearly always excellent on here. Her singing...uhh...it grows on you. (Hey people like Dylan so much...he sounds even worse!) Anyway, buy this record because it is very worth it.

Double Fantasy

Double Fantasy is like the name says, the fantasy of two different worlds but equal in ideas of love. mini lp this takes you back to 1980 and feel how beautiful it was to hear.

The Lennons last album could easly be one of the greatest albums of the 1980's. From well known hit songs ((Just Like) Starting Over, I'm Losing You, Watching The Wheels), Yokos "New Wave" stuff (Kiss Kiss Kiss, I'm Moving On) to some of the most beautiful balards John has ever written. (Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), Woman) it's an absolute excellent ablum.

Now, I bought this album recently and listened to it several times through. This album would be really great, if ol' Yoko's stuff wasn't there. She's not exactly the greatest songwriter or singer. John's stuff on the album is great, like Cleanup Time and Woman. Some of Yoko's stuff takes some time to get used to, but they should have just put their songs on their own albums.

Sadly, this was John's final work that was finished. The collection of songs he wrote are the best since Imagine. Just Like Starting Over, Woman & Watching the Wheels are classics. Beautiful Boy is simply beautiful & moving. I'm Losing You has a bit of an edge to it that I like a lot. Cleanup Time is a good number, while Dear Yoko probably is the weakest of the bunch, but still not bad.

Then there comes Yoko. As a writer she is not in the same league as John and her songs really bring down the record and cost it a star. Her best song is Hard Times Are Over. The rest are ok, but average at best and occassionally she throws in a bizarre vocal sound that adds nothing to the song. Her singing is passable.

Yet she was the one who got John back into the studio again and I thank her for that.

This was a great farewell album for us all