John Lennon
Mind Games

THE REVIEW

"It's just an album. It's rock'n'roll played at different speeds, and it doesn't contain a particularly deep message; the only reason I make records is because I'm supposed to."

This is what Lennon himself said about Mind Games, so you can imagine its artistic value. To avoid being harsh, I'll say that Mind Games is not a bad album, but if you've listened to it, you'll find it hard to believe me. I'd say it is a tired, weak, somewhat lifeless album, that's all. It doesn't have much to say, with few recycled and confused ideas, slow, foggy rhythms. Fortunately, it's neither pretentious nor ambitious.

After Some Time in New York City, Lennon returned to producing a rock-pop record, finished his career as an angry radical, and resumed being a musician. He was in crisis with Yoko and with the immigration office, moreover, the global scene was changing, the Woodstock Generation was dead, Vietnam was ending, Nixon was reeling from the Watergate scandal; John was taken aback, but it didn't worry him too much.
The album opens with the title track Mind Games, the most beautiful song on the album; some references to psychology, some to pacifism, a catchy pop melody, a valid track, the only one that goes beyond mediocrity, the only one later included in various The Best compilations. I could stop here, but I'll continue even though there's very little to say. Tight As $ I can't even remember well how it goes, yet I've heard it many times, which explains its value. Aisumasen is the usual syrupy apology to Yoko, titled in Japanese. One day (at a time) could even be nice, but it's the tone of the album that buries it, embarrassing choruses that completely wash out the melody, which deep down is quite enjoyable. Bring On The Lucie (Freeda Peeple) has something good, a small dose of angry commitment and some rock'n'roll sound save it, listenable and rhythmic.
A couple of seconds of silence are the anthem of the nation Nutopia (New Utopia); a nation created by John&Yoko, a sort of reinterpretation of Thomas Moore's philosophy; an idea that interested no one, unsuccessful and quite ridiculous. The trio of songs that follow (Intuition, Out Of The Blue, Only People) isn't too bad, songs with an acceptable melody, easy to listen to, also easy to forget.
I Know is perhaps the only ballad on the album, I'd put it in second place after Mind Games (imagine that). A pleasant folk guitar riff, linear chords, not much but above average. Following is You Are Here, fake exotic, an anthem to interracial love, an avoidable song. The album ends with Meat City, roaring rock reminiscent of certain previous productions by John.

This is John's most insignificant album that came before his famous lost-weekend with Keith Moon, Ringo, and other "drinking buddies." It's the sleepy atmosphere of the arrangements (by John himself) that makes it mediocre, the absence of Phil Spector (savior of Lennon's previous works) is greatly felt. The voice-guitar demos made for the songs of Mind Games are much better than the album versions.

An album that brings nothing new nor nothing old, just nothing.