The Sleeve:
The Liner/Sleeve Notes:
None.
Personal Review:
So, finally out of the Beatles solo works we come to an end with yet another John Lennon release – this time with more Yoko!
So, the album opens with “(Just Like) Starting Over” which actually is pretty decent John Lennon song, and it’s sung really well, even the musicianship is pretty great. Then it begins to pick up, and it starts to get that Beatles vibe, and although it’s not bad, but the musicianship is the best part of this. Then we go onto the song “Kiss Kiss Kiss” sung by Yoko Ono, and it’s awful, like they try to do that classy J-Pop sound, but Yoko is just so bad. Like, she sounds like an illiterate Toyah Wilcox (no hate for Toyah, I love her.) Why on Earth does this song even exist? Oh yea, because of John Lennon. Yea, what is with these sex noises? Then comes John again with the song “Cleanup Time” and at least John can actually sing, and his songs aren’t overly awful. The song is actually well done compared to the Yoko song, even the musicianship is better on this track, it’s like John put more effort into his work as opposed to Yoko’s, and just threw her onto the album to shut her up. Back to awful Yoko tracks with the song “Give Me Something” and she is basically just stating what is cold… HOW IS THIS MUSIC? Now everything is hard. Yoko is awful. I hate her. After that we go onto another John song “I’m Losing You” and well, once more his song seems to be more polished and like more effort was put into writing it and composing the music, even the song is sung better. Then the song slowly turns into Yoko singing her track “I’m Moving On” which she basically tries to keep up with what John was singing, and I’ll give her that is isn’t all that bad, but that is basically because the backing music makes it still relatively listenable. Her voice is still awful. Why is Yoko making monkey noises? Like, I seriously question the amount of acid Yoko had to have dropped for her to actually think she had talent. The A-Side closes with the song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” sung by John, and thankfully the A-Side is at least closing with a John song, and not a Yoko song – I don’t think I’d be able to withstand that much Yoko, this is already too much for me. The song however is pretty decent.
The B-Side opens with John singing the song “Watching the Wheels” and hey, it’s a slower song, but once more John keeps actually doing a better job that Yoko does, and when the chorus comes around the song is relatively better. “I’m Your Angel” comes next, and it’s sung by Yoko, so we’re in for a real treat right now… Oh hey, Yoko sounds slightly sane in this track, and not like she just ate a whole blotter sheet. But what is with this “tra, la la la” at the end of each verse? Also, people think other singers are tone-deaf? Well try listening to this, especially when she hits high notes. Like, I’m not a John fan, and I definitely dislike Yoko, but John is ten times better than this crazy woman. “Woman” by John comes next, and well, it’s better than Yoko, still slower, but the song is written well and the vocals are good, I’m slowly becoming more fond of John, but that’s only because of how bad Yoko is. “Beautiful Boys” comes next, and why does Yoko have to be on this album? Like, everything would be so much better without her on this album. I’d love to hear this album without her. Her songs are slow, make no sense, and sung really, really poorly. “Dear Yoko” sung by John comes next, and well John you may wish that Yoko was here, but I don’t – and I’m sure there is a lot of other people (George, Paul & Ringo) who’d also agree with me. I’m not that opinionated, but she’s awful. In conclusion, this song would be better if it wasn’t about Yoko, but it is still a pretty decent song. Then we go onto Yoko’s “Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him” and well, it’s Yoko singing, and I’m sure it’s now pretty clear how much I dislike Yoko and her tone deaf singing. What is she even saying? Uh, Yoko is so bad. After that we go onto the song “Hard Times Are Over” and once again, it’s sung by Yoko, keep in mind this is the last album John recorded and it ends with Yoko Ono singing the closing track. What an awful decision, not like John knew he was going to be shot, but still, you could’ve at least ended the album with your own song.
Interesting Facts:
None.
Track Listing:
A1 – (Just Like) Starting Over
A2 – Kiss Kiss Kiss
A3 – Cleanup Time
A4 – Give Me Something
A5 – I’m Losing You
A6 – I’m Moving On
A7 – Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
B1 – Watching the Wheels
B2 – I’m Your Angel
B3 – Woman
B4 – Beautiful Boys
B5 – Dear Yoko
B6 – Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
B7 – Hard Times Are Over
Label:
Geffen Records
Catalog Number:
XGHS 2001
Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Jack Douglas
Engineer – Leo DeCarlo
Assistant Engineers – Jon Smith, James Ball & Julie Last
Guitarists – John Lennon, Earl Slick & Hugh McCracken
Bass – Tony Levin
Keyboards – George Small
Drums – Andy Newmark
Percussion – Arthur Jenkins, Jr.
Oberheim – Ed Walsh
Voices & Art Direction – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Background Singers – Cas Mijac (Michelle Simpson), Cassandra Wooten, Cheryl Mason Jacks, Eric Troyer, Benny Cummings Singers & Kings Temple Choir
Steel Drum – Robert Greeidge
Hammer Dulcimer – Matthew Cunningham
English Concertina – Randy Stein
Horn Players – Howard Johnson, Grant Hungerford, John Parran, Seldon Powell, George ‘Young’ Opalisky, Roger Rosenberg, David Tofani & Ronald Tooley
Musical Associate – Tony Davilio
Production Assistants – Frederic Seaman & Toshihiro Hamaya
Recorded & Remixed at Hit Factory, New York
Single Remix at Record Plant, New York
Mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
Mastered by George Marino
Artwork – Christopher Whorf / Art Hotel
Photography – Kishin Shinoyama
Other Albums I Own by John Lennon & Yoko Ono:
“(Just Like) Starting Over / Kiss Kiss Kiss”
“Some Time in New York City”
“Woman / Beautiful Boys”
Other Albums I Own by John Lennon:
“Imagine”
“Plastic Ono Band”
“Shaved Fish”
“Walls and Bridges”
Other Albums I Own by Yoko Ono:
“Walking On Thin Ice / It Happened”
Released:
1980
In 1980 I was just 11 & staring to enjoy music.
As a resident of St. Aemilians orphanage in Milwaukee, we didn’t have access to rock music but those in charge allowed a boy to buy the 45rpm of “Starting Over”, I guess the staff thought Lennon was an acceptable influence, comparisons to Jesus not withstanding.
When we got tires of the song it was time to play the B-side.
What we heard was so funny-awful, that I have never been able to forget it.
Thankfully the words were too tough for staff to make out & we were allowed to keep it.
By 1982 I had been taken in by a family & their son introduced me to the music of Frank Zappa & King Crimson & I was saved.
Aloha & thanks for the memory. 🙂