Customer Reviews

Milk and Honey

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thankfully back in print after being unavailable for several years, John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey" album is a wonderful swan song for Lennon (although it certainly wasn't intended as such). Released in 1984, it comprises Lennon's leftover songs from the "Double Fantasy" sessions, some of them in unfinished form, as well as additional material from Yoko, with the album following the same call-and-response format of the couple's "Double Fantasy" disc. In some ways, "Milk & Honey" is actually better than the Grammy-winning "Double Fantasy" (as great an album as that one is), if for no other reason than Yoko's contributions are a LOT easier on the ears this time around. John's material on "Double Fantasy" is classic Lennon all the way, but apart from the very sweet "Yes I'm Your Angel," Yoko's tunes on "Double Fantasy" were very difficult to take, what with her screeching vocals and choppy delivery. Not so on "Milk & Honey." Her songs this time around are melodic & tuneful through and through, and even her singing here is quite tolerable (my favorite: "Let Me Count The Ways," which is very lovely). Her songs compliment John's material on this album very nicely. Although some of John's songs here sound unfinished (considering his amusing, joking vocals on a few tracks, probably not intended as the final versions), all of his songs are a great pleasure to listen to, including "I'm Stepping Out," "Nobody Told Me," "I Don't Wanna Face It," and "Borrowed Time." "Grow Old With Me," John's wedding song which is heard here in cassette demo form (the only existing recording of it), is a gorgeous song, one of Lennon's best. "Forgive Me (My Little Flower Princess)" may indeed be a "throwaway" number, but oh, what a catchy, irresistible throwaway! It's bouncy and it lingers in the head, and for me, that's good enough. The bonus material on this re-issue are all excellent, too. "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him," one of Yoko's best compositions, was originally a duet between John & Yoko. Now, the vocals have been re-mixed so it's John singing lead throughout, which is a very nice surprise. The CD concludes with an insightful 20-minute snippet from the last recorded interview John ever gave, a mere several hours before his tragic shooting. Listening to it, one is saddened by hearing a very happy, very talented man who had so much left to give to the world, and yet, the listener sadly knows that his time was almost up. Nonetheless, it's a very precious recording to have.The CD has also been remastered & remixed for better sound, and I couldn't be happier with it. "Milk & Honey" is a very fond farewell to one of the 20th Century's greatest musical geniuses, with a little bit of help from the woman who loved him. We miss you, John.

Milk and Honey is an unfinished work. Sure, Yoko's contributions are polished to perfection but John never had the chance to put the finishing touches on his stuff. I'm not sure if he would even have issued all the tracks on this album. A couple are up to John's best standards including Nobody Told Me, I'm Stepping Out and I Don't Want to Face It. The largest problem with John's tracks on Double Fantasy are the overslick production and session playing (compare for example the amazing version of I'm Losing You recorded with Cheap Trick from the box set to the DF version. The latter is lacks grit and soul by comparison). The same problem doesn't exist with M&H; the unfinished nature of the album and rough edges actually compliment Lennon's better songs.

I've never been a huge Yoko fan but she did emerge as a solid songwriter on their last two albums together. If you can get past Yoko's little girl singing, you'll find a number of songs that compliment Lennon's tracks. This is most evident with Lennon's remake of Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him. It's one of Yoko's most accomplished and striking tunes. Lennon produced some of his most striking work with the Beatles when Yoko became his muse. While that's not the case with all of his solo recordings, there are a couple of strong tracks here that make this essential for Beatles and Lennon fans.

The bonus tracks and sound quality add value to this package for those who purchased the first version of this CD (or LP). While there's nothing enlightening about the interview, it's nice to hear some of Lennon's comments. Lennon's utopian vision of what the world could be (particularly after the tragedy of Sept. 11)may have been out of touch with reality but it highlights the potential of the human spirit. If we can ever get past our differences and Lennon suggests that perhaps we have enough compassion to achieve some of these goals.

Milk & Honey isn't essential listening for casual fans. I'd suggest the Lennon Legend CD for those folks. This album demonstrates that even into his fourth decade Lennon still had relevence as an artist.

This seems to be one of those records that you either love or hate. It's sad, because the songs on here could have been so much better and so much more polished had John still been around to rerecord them, scrap certain songs altogether, or add new songs on to the album. Many of these songs sound more like unfinished music or demos (and admittedly "Grow Old with Me" was the last surviving demo John made of that song); John sounds like he was having a lot of fun recording some of these numbers, since he didn't realise they would be the final album cuts. Like the predecessor DF, this is also billed as a heartplay, with John and Yoko alternating songs (and John has the first song on both side one and side two), though since John was gone when this album was made and released, it's not a true heartplay like DF was. There you get a real sense of husband and wife singing and responding to one another's songs, and here most of the songs don't really sound like responses to anything. I also like Yoko's songs on DF better than on M&H, though on both albums her songs are very mainstream; no tape loops, screaming, breathing, constantly repeating one word over and over again, or long moments of silence.

My favourite songs on here are "Nobody Told Me" (which was a posthumous hit), "Borrowed Time" (very poignantly ironic), "Your Hands" (I love the fact that half of this song is in Japanese), "Let Me Count the Ways," "Grow Old with Me," and "You're the One." "Flower Princess" is the throwaway, but it's a fun throwaway at least. The other John songs, "I Don't Wanna Face It" and "I'm Stepping Out," could have been more polished and developed if he'd still been around to work them to perfection in the studio; "I'm Stepping Out," the opening track, comes close to the spirit of DF's opening track "Starting Over," but doesn't do the job as well. Yoko's other songs aren't my personal cup of tea; I prefer Concept Art as visual and not musical art. Still, considering this is a posthumous album, it's rather good.

Foolish me -- I thought everyone took it for granted that Lennon was one of the great artists of the 20th century, and at the very least smart young people were willing to give the underrated Ono the benefit of the doubt. Whatever. Let it be said "Milk And Honey" has been out of print too long, and hooray to Capitol to reissuing this criminally neglected record, understandably overshadowed by its fraternal twin, "Double Fantasy." No, these songs aren't about Lennon and Ono singing to each other, as on "DF" -- not really. John's quirky numbers (complete with hysterical spoken asides) are about being a househusband (along the lines of DF's "Watching The Wheels) and the epiphanies that time between 1975 and 1980 brought, while Ono's are about the pain of being a widow.

Track by track:

1. I'm Stepping Out: The househusband escapes, after forced, repeated viewings of "Sesame Street." Charming beyond belief. Where's Sean's version...?

2. Sleepless Night: More proof Cyndi Lauper owes her career to Ono. Features the simultaneously risque and touching (I swear) line: "This brush must sell like crazy...There's a lot of lonely people out there you know."

3. I Don't Want To Face It: Killer riff, uproarious lead-in, and makes the acute observation: "You [I? -- ed] want to save humanity / But it's people you just can't stand." I hear you, John.

4. Don't Be Scared: Ono does dub reggae, taking a risk that pays off. In any other context, "It's better to love than never love at all," would be trite, here it takes on a sad, powerful life of its own.

5. Nobody Told Me -- As classic as the Shirelles "Mama Said," its obvious antecedent. The knowledge that John never felt he had the guidance of his birthparents, if you read beyond the surface goofiness of the lyric, gives the sentiment a melancholy its buoyantly catchy melody can't quite disguise.

6. O' sanity -- An Ono fragment. Neither here nor there.

7. Borrowed Time -- homespun wisdom from Lennon, where he claims getting older brings the peace of mind so elusive in angry youth. Once again, a song that in the context of his murder takes on sad implications.

8. Your Hands -- This one really showcases Ono's debt both to Japanese pop and European artsong. Tough for the uninitiated, but will grow on you.

9. (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess -- a throwaway of John's, but brisk and fairly funky, and it's nice to hear an apology from a man who often regretted the way he treated women in his youth.

10,11: Let me count the ways / Grow Old With Me -- okay, sure, soupy wedding songs. I don't care. It can't all be Pavement-esque irony. Hope you love as well as they did!

12. You're the one -- devastating. Collectively, Ono's songs aren't as strong as John's on this record, but it's this song that puts "M & H" over the top for me. Beginning with an explosion, proceeded by chirping crickets providing backing percussion (really Ono indulging in that loved/hated vocalese of hers), this is one of the most powerful love songs ever written. "How can I tell you, you're the one?" she asks a man who could never answer her back how many times she tries. If this song doesn't break your heart, check with your cardiologist -- you may not have one.

Oh yeah, the bonus tracks. Not bad. Cute demo of "Stepping Out," great alternate version of "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him," Ono demo fragment of "I'm Movin' On," worthwile interview.

These songs, the remainder from 1980's "Double Fantasy" sessions deliver a sharp and delightful musical punch. While they aren't as "slick" as "Double Fanatasy" (John had planned to double track his vocals after Christmas, 1980), tracks such as "Nobody Told Me" , "I Don't Want to Face It" and "Steppin Out" are John at his rock and roll best. Songs such as the reggae-influenced "Borrowed Time" and the tropical island-drenched "Forgive Me" are wonderful and offer a glmpse of the great music that was to come..... In addition, Yoko's "You're The One" is a classic "Walking On Thin Ice" esqe recording---and this remastered edition features John's "lead" vocal on Yoko's "Every Man Has a Woman" (as a bonus track). I highly recommend this CD.

Intended as the sequel to "Double Fantasy", this joint successor surpasses that record. It has the same studio clarity but is devoid of the slickness that slightly marred its predecessor. John's songs are well-crafted and its less-labored approach makes them more striking than if he had further produced them to completion. Even his child-like ditty "Forgive Me (My Little Flower Princess)" has a captivating melody and strong singing. "I Don't Wanna Face It" is a sobering and witty account of his five years in retreat. He rips himself apart at his own hypocrisy and makes it into a garage rocker that rocks hard at every turn. The reggaefied "Borrowed Time" brings his past state of mind to an optimistic present that would prove prophetically too short. The most substantial piece of irony lies in his paean to lifetime commitment, "Grow Old With Me". His agile high-pitch is delectably unadorned with just his piano and rhythm box. Yoko keeps her end of the bargain with her most tuneful and contemporary efforts. "Don't Be Scared", another reggae, imparts encouragement. And her greatest, "You're The One", flashes plenty of perspicacity. At their best they could fracture the barriers between art and entertainment. Just one caution, this reissue doesn't include the reverb on "Grow Old With Me" that was apparent on the 1984 vinyl release. However, that's okay because this redigitalization has improved sound over prior remasters and easily warrants a repurchase. This is a damn great and underappreciated record.

Contrary to what is written in another customer review, this is not the first CD issue of this album--the first CD was issued simultaneously with the LP on Polydor Records in 1984 (I own that edition). This one, however, is much better.

First, the sound quality is, like on the other Lennon remasters, greatly improved. The addition of bonus tracks (especially the interview) is a nice touch, also.

About the music. The Lennon material on this album is certainly good, but, aside from the hit "Nobody Told Me", not classic or essential. On this album, Yoko shines. Of her songs, "Your Hands", sung in Japanese, is my favorite. "You're the One" and "O Sanity" are also great tracks. I am glad that "Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him" was included here. The song was originally released on DOUBLE FANTASY with Yoko singing lead and John singing harmony in the background. For this version, which was originally issued on EVERY MAN HAS A WOMAN (an album of other artists covering Yoko compositions), John's harmony vocal is moved up front and actually works as a lead. It's nice to have all of this available on CD again in this improved edition.

Others have said that taking John's songs from DOUBLE FANTASY and MILK AND HONEY to compile one album would be an improvement. Don't dismiss Yoko's work out of hand, though. There are some treasures in her material that should not be missed. Give her a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised.

All in all, a good (although not great) album. It does make one sad, though, to imagine what would have come later. It really did seem like the Lennons were just getting started with renewed enthusiasm and spirit.

Milk And Honey, in many ways, is superior to its predecessor, Double Fantasy. While the former is an excellent album, its production (and sometimes overproduction) lacks the intimacy of the latter.

In a way, John not getting to finish these tracks works to the album's advantage, as you get to hear him ad-libbing and giving directions to the band and engineers in the studio.

Let me start by saying I'm not someone who could be considered a fan of Yoko's music. As such, I was pleasantly surprised by her contributions here, especially "Sleepless Night," "Let Me Count The Ways" and "You're The One," which are actually listenable.

Now let's talk about the reason most of us bought Milk And Honey: John Lennon's music. The 1984 album -- which was out-of-print for over ten years -- opens with "I'm Stepping Out," chronicling John's trials and tribulations of being a househusband. "I Don't Wanna Face It" is a delightful rocker, while the album's best-known song, "Nobody Told Me," is a track in which John's knack for wordplay is on full display. John describes entering his forties in "Borrowed Time," the most criminally overlooked single of his career. "(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess" is a throwaway track and is the weakest Lennon song on the disc, while "Grow Old With Me," recorded on a tape recorder atop John's piano, is one of the best songs he ever wrote. It would be interesting to hear what he intended to do with the song in the studio.

Kudos to Yoko on the 2001 reissue; (.... The four extra tracks are a very welcome addition, especially the December 8th interview, which was recorded approximately five hours before John was taken from us. You also get demos of John's "I'm Stepping Out" and Yoko's "I'm Moving On," as well as a remixed version of Yoko's "Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him." This version, which previously was only available on CD on the long out-of-print "Lennon" box set, bumps John's backing vocals up to lead and downgrades Yoko's lead vocals to backing.

The sound on the remaster is excellent, following the precedent set by last year's reissue of Double Fantasy.

If you haven't heard Milk And Honey before, you have an ample opportunity to go and pick it up. I suggest you take advantage.

Milk and Honey was a revelation to me when it was originally released in 1984- John's songs sounded a lot more rough, ready and fun than his tunes on Double Fantasy. "Nobody Told Me" is probably my favourite song ever - it's a rollicking, stream of consciousness song.

John's songwriting on this album is very witty for the most part: "you want to save humanity, but it's people that you just can't stand" (I Don't Wanna Facce It). I actually liked some of the Yoko tunes on this album too- O Sanity is great.

This remaster is just brilliant- the sound quality is just fantastic, bright and clear and LOUD.

Grow Old With Me has been remastered so you don't hear the rhythm box echoing as it does in the original 1984 release. This is a wonderful song, made better on this release. I amlost had this song played at my wedding, but I ran with the White Album song 'I Will' instead.

The booklet has the original sleeve notes plus a Robert "Lennon" and Elizabeth "Ono" photo which is funny- it ties in with the Robert Browning / Elizabeth Barrett Browning thing. The photo's are excellent and are a nice touch.

For a release that hasn't been available on CD for a L-O-N-G time, it is very welcome reissue: the sound quality just makes it essential- and you can even sequence Yoko's songs out if you like- John's song alone are worth the price of admission.

The interview recorded a few hours before he was assassinated it poignant listening- JL was truely a great bloke and someone you would have loved to have a beer with.

Wow, the sound on this 2010 remaster is incredible. Milk and Honey was never remixed so this new remaster actually sounds better. It's hard to believe these were demos. The package is also very nice. Nice job