John Lennon
Imagine

THE REVIEW

After the pacifist fervors and before the pseudo-political and radical turn in New York, Lennon managed to record what would become his most representative and famous solo album of his career. In the peace of his English villa at Tittenhurst Park, properly equipped with a private recording studio, John recorded Imagine. The album, co-produced by the usual Phil Spector, also benefited from George Harrison's guitar and Klaus Vormann's bass (the same as POB).

The most important song on the album is certainly "Imagine," which, as we all know, became an epochal anthem. A great idealistic, pacifist meaning but not at all predictable, coupled with an easy and catchy melody. This is not only the gist of the song but practically of the entire album which is perhaps just an appendix to the great success.
"Crippled Inside," the song that follows the title track, is nice, a somewhat gloomy ragtime, a mocking rhythm, and some pretty good reflections. Then comes "Jealous Guy," a love ballad, (the man apologizing to the woman, the first of a long series with this theme for John) among the best on the album, with a dainty arrangement, violins, touching and sincere. Finally, with "It’s So Hard," the album ventures into rock, a gritty, fatalistic blues (interesting the string section added by Spector). We return to pacifism with a confusing but original song to the point of making it enjoyable: "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama". And then we reach a more political, anti-alienation concept with "Gimme Some Truth," with Lennon lashing out against various institutions, but the main component is the enveloping rhythm. "Oh My Love" is a love anthem of John and Yoko, delicate, silent, and hopeful, easy to listen to, with a beautiful piano arrangement. After love comes hate with "How Do You Sleep?," an angry blues, a stone hurled smack in the face of old friend Paul, with very harsh phrases, full of resentment and hostility, a low blow that Macca certainly did not deserve, nonetheless, it's a fine Arabian-style blues.
The existential doubt is not missing even in this album. "How" is one of the best tracks on Imagine, a simple rhythmic pop, catchy, not arrogant, natural, and in tune with the album. Finally, the last song: "Oh Yoko." Already from the title, we understand who we are talking about, and the track, despite the title (as some would say), appears very lively, less baroque than the others. The arrangement features a brilliant piano, a bouncy rhythm, and a catchy melody.

Much less original and raw than Plastic Ono Band, Imagine still manages to offer a bunch of enjoyable songs at a good musical and poetic level. Soft, sugary, melodic, and with an arrangement that is anything but veiled. It was the last successful album for Lennon, who after 1971 would experience lean and troubled years. An album to listen to perhaps more than once, for soft ears, it has many things to say, even if it doesn't always say them extraordinarily. A must-buy, not only for John fans. A nice album, but we can already hear the first symptoms of the hazy boredom of Lennon's future works.