The U.S. vs. John Lennon [SOUNDTRACK]

John Lennon

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2006)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000HKDEDI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,538 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The U.S. vs. John Lennon is neither a collection of outtakes like Acoustic nor a career-spanning retrospective like the Imagine: John Lennon soundtrack or one of his many greatest-hits collections. Instead, it's an album with a theme: Lennon the idealist, Lennon the peace activist, Lennon the leftist; but also Lennon the disillusioned and Lennon the harrassed--and, of course, Lennon the newly in love with Yoko Ono. (Her spirit is palpable on every track, even those without her voice.) No surprise, then, that most of the songs date from 1969 to 1972, drawing heavily from Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. Don't look here for primal tracks like "Cold Turkey" and "Mother," smash hits like "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," or comeback songs like "Watching the Wheels"--not fitting the themes of the documentary, they are rightly left off. And the only Beatles track present is, of course, "The Ballad of John and Yoko." There isn't much new here, either--only two of the tracks are unreleased, and one is just Imagine's "How Do You Sleep?" with the vocals removed. (It's nevertheless a highlight, as it focuses attention on George Harrison's delicious guest spot on slide guitar.) But if you're OK with that, this is a fine encapsulation--featuring classics like "Imagine" and "Instant Karma!" and less well known songs like "I Found Out" and "Scared"--of the period in Lennon's life when he was struggling to stay in the U.S. while also struggling to change it. --Benjamin Lukoff

More John

Plastic Ono Band	Imagine	Walls and Bridges
Double Fantasy	Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon	Anthology

Product Description

John Lennon Photos

More from John Lennon

Imagine	Lennon Legend	Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon
Mind Games	Some Time in New York City/Live Jam	Walls and Bridges

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting soundtrack for a film that highlights John's politics in the 1970's, October 14, 2006

By	Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This CD offers a great deal of incredible music by John Lennon during 1969 and the early 1970's when he fought our government in order for him and Yoko to live in the United States. The quality of the music is excellent and after you listen to this CD you want to run to watch the film!

The CD starts off strong with "Power To The People." The song makes its political statement and offers a great beat that sticks in your mind. It is also very upbeat and aggressive in its tone which attracts the listener immediately to make them want more.

The listener won't be disappointed. The tracks that follow provide great insight into John's politics at the same time that he provides us with his singularly beautiful music. Great songs on this CD include the autobiographical "Nobody Told Me" in which John admits that his struggle with our government both to end the Vietnam War and to remain in the USA is harder than he thought it would be. "Working Class Hero" has a folksy, bluesy feel to it but then the CD goes right back to that unique John Lennon rock and roll flavor with the song "I Found Out." "Bed Peace" follows as a type of introduction to the only Beatles song on this CD, "The Ballad Of John & Yoko." Despite the catchy rock and roll beat to "The Ballad Of John & Yoko," the lyrics tell the sad story of how people harass John and Yoko. Another great song is "Give Peace A Chance;" the message here is obvious. "Love," "Imagine," and "Oh My Love" are beautiful ballads with excellent musical arrangements; and we get a new instrumental version of "How Do You Sleep" that is very well done.

In addition, I like the two live tracks from the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in 1971. "Attica State" is a brand new release and "John Sinclair" packs a strong punch! These tracks demonstrate so well John's ability to connect with his audience in a live setting.

One special song on this CD directly challenges each and every listener to personal reflection and insight: "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." John and Yoko tell people to know the difference between the blessings of peace and the evils of war, to cherish what is morally right and to fight against anything that is morally wrong. The song also expresses hope for a peaceful future beyond the current Christmas season. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" continues to play on radio stations every Christmas season to this day.

Yes, another Amazon reviewer correctly notes that Yoko talks a little bit over the very beginning of the song "Oh My Love." Thank goodness that she doesn't talk over the lyrics! A few brief dialogue excerpts from the film are peppered throughout the CD but they never overlap with the songs.

The CD ends with the same strength that it started with: "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" is an excellent song that most Lennon fans will always love.

The liner notes include some great black and white pictures of John and Yoko, including two from the infamous "bed-in." You get the song credits along with the year that each song was released and there is a brief essay by Yoko Ono herself.

Overall, this CD is more than just a retrospective of John's music during a turbulent period in his life. Oh sure, almost all of this music has been previously released. However, that's not relevant here. The CD celebrates Lennon's ability to communicate his political beliefs through his songs. These songs remind us to avoid genocide, to be true to oneself and to strive for peace--now. I highly recommend this CD for Lennon fans, fans of great 1970s rock music and anyone who wants to experience how John Lennon taught us what was right through his music.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gimme some truth, and give peace a chance!, January 9, 2007

By	R. Hutchinson "autonomeus" (a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Could truth and peace be more relevant today? This is a fantastic single-disc Lennon collection -- why? It includes not only INSTANT KARMA and IMAGINE, his two greatest post-Beatles songs, but also GIMME SOME TRUTH, which is also one of his best songs, and is almost never included on compilations. While neither JOHN SINCLAIR or ATTICA STATE are great songs, hearing John singing protest folk music is an excellent touch to this "political Lennon" compilation.

With the Cheney/Bush administration fighting an open-ended war for oil and world domination, John & Yoko waging peace against Nixon and the Vietnam War no longer sounds like a nostalgia trip. The White House today would make Goebbels blush, so GIMME SOME TRUTH is what the Democrats should be asking in the impeachment hearings before the war is expanded to Iran...

One reason I am so glad to see this collection is that I have no interest whatsoever in the Lennon "comeback" material of 1980, and this disc only includes one of those songs. SHAVED FISH, which came out in 1975, is an excellent single disc set which Lennon himself compiled, but it doesn't include GIMME SOME TRUTH. THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON is focused on a brief period in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Lennon was radicalized and produced some of his best music.

"Instant karma's gonna get you -- why on earth are you there when you're everywhere?"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tribute To The Seminal Poet of the 20th Century, November 3, 2006

By	cvairag (Allan Hancock College) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

A Great Collection of John's immortal songs - which like all true classics get better with time and more relevant as we come to understand their eminant relevance. But see the movie! An intensely beautiful masterpiece, 15 years in the making.