John Lennon and the American left: Some Time in New York City (1972)
After the one-two punch of the “Instant Karma” single and the galvanizing Plastic Ono Band album, it appeared that John Lennon was beginning to believe his own press. The man who had also given his generation a pair of embraceable slogans, “All You Need is Love” and “Give Peace a Chance,” began 1971 with a slice of illogically hollow rhetoric, “Power to the People.”
Then came “Imagine,” a pretty, optimistic ballad praying for world peace. Fair enough. In years to come, it would be brought to the world’s attention that the sensitive ex-Beatle who so sweetly sang “imagine no possessions” was, in this period, extremely wealthy and something of a pack rat – and more than happy to be coddled and treated, in private and in public, like a demi-god. In fact, this very incongruousness was one of the reason that idiot would shoot him in the back in 1980.
Back to ’71. John Lennon clearly loved being perceived as “the voice of the people.” Every utterance was treated in the rock press as if it were of biblical proportions. Certainly he was a smart man, and blessed with genuine and one-of-a-kind artistic ability. But he was also canny and shrewd. And had an ego that loved to be fed.
At the time, fans didn’t seem to notice that the Imagine album was, musically and lyrically, a pale shadow of Plastic Ono Band. John Lennon referred to the album as “Plastic Ono with sugar on top,” and it sold spectacularly well, but the songs – when you really looked at them – weren’t much
By: Bill Deyoung
Source: Something New Reviews
