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Lennon Remembers

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In the "Forward" by Yoko Ono, she says, "There was no one like him and there never will be. And I miss him." If you are like me, I'm sure you will agree that these are the truest words in the book for each of us. All profits from this book go to gun control projects.

Let me describe what this book is. It contains a fully retranscribed and corrected complete text of the interview that Jann Wenner did with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in early December 1970, parts of which later appeared in Rolling Stone. Much of this material you have never read before. There are also reproductions of Lennon's handwritten notes of song lyrics from the album "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" that are discussed in the interview.

In the introduction to this new edition, Jann Wenner characterizes the material here as "a candid, often painful, running commentary on fresh and urgent matters . . . and a self-portrait . . . ." "[I]n 1970 the Beatles were the biggest phenomenon on earth . . . ." [This was] "the first time . . . any of the Beatles stepped outside of that protected beloved fairy tale and told the truth." John Lennon later said that he didn't really believe everything he divulged in this interview. But it sounds pretty real to me as I reread it now. This is a man in intense psychological pain, and who has been for some time.

What, then, is revealed in the book? Aside from the usual stories about drugs and sex from touring, what struck me as most interesting was that Lennon considered what the Beatles had been a fraud artistically. "We were just a band who made it very, very big -- that's all." "But as soon as we made it, the edges were knocked off." "I'm not technically very good [on guitar]." ". . . I don't like many of the Beatles records either." "The only true songs I ever wrote were 'Help!' and 'Strawberry Fields.'"

His other source of pain was the reaction that Paul McCartney and George Harrison had to Yoko Ono. "They despised her." "They insulted her and they still do." "Ringo was alright and so was Maureen [Ringo's wife then]."

The commitment to peace is described often, and without the anger, pain, and regret that show up with all the other subjects. You feel like that was the only area where he could continually be himself. The interview is laced with constant references to his need "to be real."

He expressed a lot of regrets about having been a Beatle. "If I could be a f . . . ing [offensive word shortened] fisherman, I would!" "One has to completely humiliate oneself to be what the Beatles were, and that's what I resent." The interview contains many stories about how the families of local politicians and police departments would invade their privacy in offensive ways to Lennon.

The interview also goes into the details of the Beatles' breakup, contradicting the public story originally put out by Paul McCartney.

Music fans will enjoy his candid comments about the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and other well-known recording artists.

On the other hand, he is encouraged about the future. He describes his new album with Yoko Ono as "the best thing I've ever done." He also finds his relationship with her to be rewarding emotionally and artistically. She is open to new influences, and helps him to be also. We owe her a debt of gratitude for granting permission to release this new book. It must be painful for her now.

His hopes for the future were the most poignant part of the book:

"Do you have pictures of 'When I'm 64?'"

"No, no. I hope we're a nice old couple . . . looking at a scrapbook of madness."

After you have finished savoring this searing dialogue, I suggest that you ask yourself the kind of questions that John Lennon was asking. How real is your life? Are you doing what you think is important? How can you start doing better? If you do this, you will be honoring the best part of John Lennon's wonderful legacy to us all.

Be real and be at peace!

Colored by the recent break up of The Beatles, Lennon Remembers can't completely be taken at face value. Lennon himself later dismissed many of the comments he makes in the book. Still, there are many sections where Lennon comes clean about The Beatles and his own problems. While it lacks objectivity, Lennon Remembers does provide a snapshot glimpse into The Beatles and their contemporaries that other books fail to do.

There's a boatload of bitterness that colors Lennon's comments about his working relationship with Paul McCartney. Lennon would later retract many of the things he said and elaborate on why he fibbed or didn't tell the whole story. For a fuller, more complete view of The Beatles and Lennon, I'd recommend Lennon's Playboy interview published shortly before his death as well as The Beatles Anthology. Both provide a bit of fair balance missing from Jann Werner's interview. Lennon himself was initially upset when Werner published these interviews in book form as he agreed to do them provided that didn't occur.

The original interview conducted by Rolling Stone editor and founder Jann Wenner was a revelation when originally printed in late 1970 early 1971. Lennon is an interesting interview subject and Wenner asked all the pressing Lennon/Beatle questions of the day. Lennon unfortunately revealed in his 1980 Playboy interview that most of what he said about his relationships to the other Beatles and particularly McCartney and their songwriting in the Rolling Stone interview was a lie designed to destroy the Beatles myth once and for all. His views on world peace never changed. Lennon was very good at manipulating the media when he had something to say or new product to release. This book is an interesting facet into the head of John Lennon in the early seventies. If you want to relive those early days when it seemed like the world could change if we all just tried hard enough then this book is for you. He was destined to become a Saint and shall always remain one.

In the "Forward", Yoko describes the interview as unsettling:
"You will probably feel like getting up and walking around the room after every paragraph...It's a jolt on your nerves like bad, bad espresso. People with weak stomachs should close the window before reading. You might just feel like jumping out."
With words like that, you might expect to be deeply disturbed by the impending interview. Or fearing worse, you might even soil your trousers. Was John a necrophiliac? Did he like to wear ladies' stockings? Did he sleep with Phil Spector?

All that really managed to surprise me was how easily he used the word 'fags' to describe gays despite the fact that he had many gay friends and co-workers. However, I can't imagine anyone having to don a helmet or feeling as though they couldn't stomach this interview. I read it in two sittings.

If anything, Lennon Remembers gives me a negative impression of John. At the time of this interview, he seems highly judgmental, bitter and more egotistical than I had been familiar with. On the other hand, 1968-1970 were tough times for John and Yoko: the Beatles and the press treated them harshly - especially Yoko; their experiments - both artistic and political - were often criticized by a trite, conventional media; Yoko had suffered a miscarriage, etc...all of which might have contributed to the tone of the interview. Often accustomed to the edited and fun-loving John, I have no doubt that this interview will reveal his human fallibility...even to his most die-hard fanny-licking fanatics.

Jann Wenner, as interviewer, frequently comes across as a broken record: 'What do you think of Paul's album? What do you think of George's album? of Dylan's? What do you think of Sgt. Pepper's? Rubber Soul? Abbey Road? Are you pleased with your new album?'
Even Jann seems bent on dragging John through his turbulent years with the Beatles. It's understandable that a representative from a rock magazine would be more interested in talking about the Beatles' phenomenon, but it's pretty obvious that John, no longer a member, would have wanted to talk about the here and now of 1970: what he's involved in, how he's changed, what he'd like to do, etc.

Lennon Remembers is a pretty decent offering, but it fails to capture the essence of John's new found independence. John was much more than a Beatle, he was a person of great wit, talent, and charm. With the demise of the Beatles, his life was only just beginning.

Yes, a moment in time. Lennon was mecurial, that is, his mood shifted over time and had several different public careers. There was the moptop Lennon in 1964, the psychedelic Lennon in 1967, the hairy Lennon in 1969, the drunk Lennon in 1974, and the domestic comeback Lennon in 1980. But in 1970, it was the angry Lennon who underwent primal scream therapy and tried to cut off all ties with the Beatles, badmouthing nearly everyone from his past in an effort to forge a new public persona: the Yokoman who wanted peace and to exorcise his demons. He exorcises them here.

John Lennon gave only two lengthy, in-depth interviews in his life. The first was in 1970 to Rolling Stone magazine and his final interview was given in 1980 to Playboy. Both are instructive to read, especially when you contrast their tone and content. The Lennon in this book had just left the Beatles and was trying desperately to convince the interviewer and the public that it just didn't bloody matter. Though history has shown Lennon emerged from the Beatles break-up much more undamaged emotionally than McCartney, the dissolution of his band was bound to leave some scars. John puts up a bit of a front here and I fear he doth protest too much, especially when he says he can't remember much about the Beatles and didn't think they were that great of a band to begin with.

In 1970, John was in the midst of his Arthur Janov primal scream therapy and he talks about this at great length. If you're primarily interested in the Beatles, then you might wish to skip over this section. The most interesting chapters of the interview are undoubtedly his thoughts about the Beatles and his individual bandmates. Read this with caution, however. This was the same year Lennon penned the visceral anti-Paul ode, How Do You Sleep? His caustic comments about Paul would soften a trifle by 1980, as he himself admitted in the 1980 Playboy piece. There is also some intentional untruths here, such as when John says Lennon and McCartney rarely collaborated on a song post-1964. He corrects this in his '80 recollections. He tells some wonderful stories about Ringo and how he helped George with the lyrics to Taxman in 1966.

I first read this book at the age of 8, when it was published. It's remained an integral part of my Lennon collection and still makes for some excellent reading. Whether you've grown up on Lennon or are new to him, this is an indispensable tool in trying to understand his mindset at the critical juncture of his life.

I guess I really shouldn't be amazed with all the current new releases about John's life. With the 20th anniversary of Lennon's untimely death, I just want some truth. I have read a couple of these books as told by others. I can't help taking them with a grain. Books written around "stolen journals" and hibernated diaries. How much is true, if any? Who really knows, but this book however does not need such assistance.This is John himself, in his own words. From page one I had the feeling of being right there, engrossed in the conversation, so interested in what one of the greatest icons of our era had to say at 30 years old. I write this review so soon because I have read this book in 3 hours straight. Lots of new info showing the humor and brillance, and sometimes ironic arrogance. I am not going to say or reference anything about the book other than I have spent over 100.00 in the past month reading each book as they came out. This was the best money spent. My most enjoyable and entralling of the bunch. Unsatisfying only because I wanted this book to keep going and going!

John Lennon was many things. Artist including poet, writer, musician, composer, philosopher, author, revolutionary, father, husband, voice of the world...he was all of these things and more.

"Lennon Remembers" is an especially poignant after Lennon's untimely death in 1980. In reading this book, one gets the feeling that Lennon is baring his soul. He calls 1965 his "fat Elvis period," 1965 being the year "Help!" was released. Lennon calls "Help!" one of his few "real songs," and admits that the entire "Help!" collection was done while he was under the infuence of marijuana.

His confrontations with his fellow bandmates over Yoko Ono is painful; his hurt at their refusal to accept her comes through loud and clear. Lennon makes no pretense that to him the Beatles were a band, a concept, a period of time...in one memorable passage in the book, he declared he'd be a fisherman if the opportunity had so presented.

Intelligence and creativity are a part of John Lennon's discourse; throughout the interview those characteristics are glaringly apparent. A brilliant, creative man, Lennon makes no apology for his perceptions. An outspoken, often blunt man, Lennon tells people exactly what he thinks and always has reasons to support his arguments.

This book is really a treasure chest. It is sure to spark one's interest in this gifted, talented man and for veteran fans, it will be a bittersweet experience. Had John Lennon not died at such an early age, one wonders today how this interview would be conducted.

There'll never be another John Lennon. He raised the bar and set new standards in music and his loss was a very painful one.

John Lennon wasn't a saint. He was a man who possessed just the right combination of luck and talent to catapult him to the top. Once there, he abruptly changed the direction of his life without asking permission from anyone. Millions of his fans didn't understand that they...okay WE, don't get a vote. What this book gives us is insight into why he made those life-altering decisions. It's our chance to hold a non-interactive conversation with the man who touched so many lives. We still don't get a vote, but at least this book helps us to imagine.

People who think this is so great don't really know that much about Lennon. Don't get me wrong, I love'im. But he later publicly admitted a lot of this (which I originally read when it came out in 1970) was lies aimed against bad-boy McCartney. Pretty silly, in retrospect. Of course, the really unfortunate part is his stuff about them only writing separately after the very early Beatle days. Later, in Playboy (1980) he said, "Yeah, I lied; we really wrote most of them (the songs) looking up each other's noses."

At least he later set the record straight. Anyone willing to be reasonable could tell they wrote most of the Beatle songs together because the songwriting of both men fell off pretty dramatically after they went their separate ways.

This is ok as a trip down nostalgia lane but it really misrepresents the history of Lennon/McCartney.

If you don't believe me go to the library and read Lennon's Playboy interview from the Fall of 1980.

Lennon was a great talent and fascinating personality, but could be fairly petty. And interviews seemed to stoke his self-indulgent, whiny instincts.

I can't imagine why Jan Wenner and Yoko Ono brought this all out again. Surely they have enough money by now.

Oh, well, anything Lennon is fun in my book.