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Elly Roberts reviews
Parlophone
- Cat.no: 3409762
- Released: November 2005
- Rating: 2/10
Originally issued in 1972, with The Plastic Ono Band and Elephant’s Memory, ‘Some Time’ is not for the faint hearted.
By comparison with previous hitImagine it’s very dated. Produced by John, Yoko and Phil Spector, it wasLennon’s third supposed solo away from the Beatles mothership. Ono’spresence and influences are palpable throughout: five co-credits, threesolo credits, leaving John with two.
For my liking, there’s far too much ‘interference’ from Yoko. It makes you wonder how it’s regarded as a soloalbum. Bonus tracks are, Ono – Listen The Snow Is Falling, Lennon/Ono onHappy Xmas War Is Over. Completed on their third wedding anniversary, March20 1972, it still counts as a mixed bag of results. Amongst some half decentsongs it’s countered by the dreadful.
It’s a strange juxtaposition of musicwith Lennon reverting to his Rock’n’Roll roots while Ono continued herelastic, screechy vocal style, regarded as ’emotionally trailblazing’. Heravante garde artistic explorations were well executed in the ’50s and ’60sbefore she teamed up with Lennon.
This union effectively brought her greater musical attention that would haveotherwise gone unnoticed. As Lennon gradually left McCartney behind asco-writer, Yoko became his principle partner. It was a time of great changefor Lennon.
As an album, it’s almost schizophrenic. Containing some powerful music andcontroversial lyrics, it’s seriously brought down by the bizarre shoutingand wailing on the 15 minute live jam of Don’t Worry Kyoko – it’s a case of- send in the men in white coats. Well Baby isn’t much better either. Theyare amongst the worst possible music committed to a recording, ever. Nowonder it sold poorly, reaching #48 in the USA, # 11 in UK.
After themonster of Imagine, overall, it was a major low musically. It reflectedtheir resumed interest in leftist political figures like Abbie Hoffman andJerry Rubin. Controversial lyrics, “Woman is the nigger of the world.”elsewhere, “The Pope smokes dope every day…” may also have been acontributory factor. In many eyes it was seen as his attempt at a Dylan likeprotest contribution referring to, for example, the incarceration of BlackPanther – Angela.
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
2. Sisters, O Sisters
3. Attica State
4. Born In A Prison
5. New York City
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. The Luck Of The Irish
8. John Sinclair
9. Angela
10. We’re All Water
11. Cold Turkey (live jam)
12. Don’t Worry Kyoko (live jam)
13. Well Baby Please Don’t Go (live jam)
14. Listen The Snow Is Falling
15. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.