Customer Reviews

Menlove Ave

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

 

 

Whoa, there! This album isn't nearly that bad. In fact, here's a rundown of why any self-repecting John Lennon fan cannot be without this album:

"Side 1" consists of five outtakes from the Rock'n'Roll/Walls and Bridges era, so this is the only place you'll find 'Here We Go Again', Rock and Roll People (which he gave to Johnny Winter), To Know Her Is To Love Her, and Since My Baby Left Me. Angel Baby was later released on the Lennon box, and is the only other place to find that cut. While I'm not saying that these are lost John Lennon classics, they've all got a rock and roll heart and are featured in pristine sound. They stand with the material on Rock'n'Roll, and are remastered much better.

But it is "Side 2" that really shines. These are stripped-down, magnificent sounding outtakes of songs that were released on Walls and Bridges. Like many of the similar outtakes that would surface on Anthology, I much prefer these versions to the 'produced' versions that grace the actual Walls and Bridges album. Every nuance of every sound is captured here. John's voice is frightfully real and close.

If you dig John Lennon, for God's sake, don't miss this album. It's one of the greatest unexpected pleasures in his catalog. Thanks, Yoko and Capital/EMI for releasing this. One gripe: how about a better package design and some liner notes?

"Menlove Avenue" is a collection of outtakes and demos from the "Lost Weekend" phase of John's life. Some good moments (especially on the "Walls and Bridges" demo section), but hardly essential, and this set is inferior to the material from the same era found in the "Anthology" box.

A wonderful collection of songs, some very dark, that let us into John's musical and psychological space. No Lennon collection is complete without "Steel and Glass." "Rock and Roll People" and "Since My Baby Left Me" are just good ol' rock and roll, with John at his joyous best.

Why is Menlove Ave. getting such a bad rating? For one thing,there is no Yoko on this. You have to put this into perspective when you judge this album. And I do agree that you have to be a true Lennon fan to enjoy this. The casual fan will not like this. But I dont judge anything based on what a casual fan would like...who cares what they think? Why would a casual fan buy posthumous CD's anyway? The man is dead and can not make any more music,why not release these tracks? These tracks are good enough to be released for a true Lennon fan and not the casual. And in my opinion the Walls and Bridges outtakes on Menlove Ave. are almost as good as the cuts on the Walls and Bridges album ,wich were way overproduced in my opinion. Scared and Old Dirt Road reminds me of an unplugged type of venue. There are parts of the 'live' songs where the band is a bit ragged,but they were working out the kinks and getting the tracks down. If these tracks were not so ragged,they would be better than the official Walls and Bridges album. And for the true Lennon fan,its nice to hear these tracks at their conception being worked out. Again,put this into perspective. Im giving this 5 stars to help boost the score on this web site...but I really think it should be a 4.

In 1973 and 1974, Lennon released some of his shakiest albums, "Mind Games," "Walls and Bridges" and "Rock and Roll." This was during his "Lost Weekend" phase, and he resembles Paul McCartney more than himself on these somewhat overproduced but affecting records. "Menlove" presents early, stripped down versions of songs from "Rock and Roll" and "Walls and Bridges." The "Walls and Bridges" section is amazing, harrowing. The original versions which seemed a distant memory come to life, like "Scared" and "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out." "Menlove Ave." is a short precursor to the superior 1998 box "John Lennon Anthology."

MENLOVE AVENUE, a leftovers collection released after John Lennon's death, offers two good songs: "Here We Go Again," a Lennon-Phil Spector original, and "Rock and Roll People," a demo that must have been heard by Johnny Winter, who tore it up on his outstanding JOHN DAWSON WINTER III album. Two good songs would make a 45-RPM single, but the rest of MENLOVE AVENUE - rejects and demos from Lennon's ROCK N ROLL and WALLS AND BRIDGES albums - make for a forgettable LP. Hard core Lennon fans will want to hear MENLOVE AVENUE once, but on the second listen they won't play it past track two.

This appears to be a collection of outakes from the Rock and Roll album and demos for Walls and Bridges. The Phil Spector-produced Angel Baby is supposed to have been cut and pasted to make it artificially longer. It seems to just plod along, lumbering here and there, never really hitting that GROOVE. No wonder it was an outake from the Rock and Roll album. The demo versions are intresting glimpses of songs in the making. All the demos seem slower than the final versions that mostly appeared on Walls and Bridges. I guess that's to be expected till the songs were learned by everyone and finalized.

You really should hear at least a major position af any release before you buy something. If you buy on spec, expect the possiblity to be disappointed, if not outright burned.

Y'all had to know up front that if Lennon hadn't released these recordings in his life, not even as single B sides, that he had dissatisfaction with them. Read that as they were rejected by JL quality control.

Taking potshots at Lennon or Yoko isn't yours, there are some people who literally want everything they can get their hands, illegally (bootlegs) if need be, might as well make these available on those grounds.
This is better quality and cheaper than most boots.

It is not a John Lennon album as much as collection of rough drafts that are a hit and miss proposition. Buy with the expectation of small treasures and bright moments amongst the the misfires and not yet focused rehearsals, and there is enjoyment to be derived.

I do like much of this but don't regard it as a major release. Major releases are those albums Lennon assembled and okay'd for release in his lifetime, all else is a bonus.

John Lennon could scream and moan and it would be better than any crap out now. I think you can get some of that on unfinished music, but on to this. The slower quiet "live" versions starting with steel and glass are perfect. I always picture John like some struggling musician playing old smokey west side bar, no one listening, he's just feelin' down in it some night. Mostly just John's voice dominating over the backing music, sometimes just piano. Oh how I wish there were more/any artists like this still around who could sing and song write, play the instruments. More than just a face dancing around to some stolen music they call there own, please. Rock and roll people and since my baby left me are just fun, and you want to love her when you hear John singing to know her is to love her you really have to think of your own special love and you know its from the heart.

This out of print Lennon CD was advertised as being brand new and I was doubtful but very surprized to see a BRAND NEW item show up in my mail and on time. Thank you!