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Rating: It's never easy to deal with an entire album of covers (objectively: was it really necessary?), especially when it's produced by an artist so beloved for what he himself has written and composed.
Subjectively, there's the pleasure of listening—raw and direct—and in this respect, things go quite well: these songs, revisited with the affection of someone who grew up with them—John Lennon was born in 1940—and in time made them his own, chewing them over without any apprehension, still move me.
From my experience, when this album came out in 1975, it was the era of “Happy Days” and “American Graffiti,” and I really enjoyed discovering a series of rock and roll classics, some of which I had already overheard because they were quite well known even here, like «Be-Bop a Lula» (from Gene Vincent, 1956) or «Stand By Me» (from Ben E. King, 1961) and «Ain’t That A Shame» (from Fats Domino, 1956), and others—the majority—that were unknown to me but would all end up in the oblivion of music I had already begun to think of as “old” compared to the “beat wave” that the Beatles themselves had started.
And yet, spurred by this album, I realized that if you brushed off the dust, there was still some “good” in those grooves. In particular, besides the ones I've already mentioned, I placed— and still would—at the top of my favorites list the energetic «Slippin' and Slidin'» (borrowed from Little Richard, 1956), then «Peggy Sue» (from Buddy Holly, 1957), and also «Sweet Little Sixteen» (from Chuck Berry, 1958), the latter rendered in a “wall of sound” version thanks to the turbulent production—in every sense—of Phil Spector. Least of all «Do You Want To Dance» (from Bobby Freeman, 1958), which Lennon did in a version with a Caribbean flavor that, for me, was rather bland.
Leaving aside my personal (listening) perspective and instead placing this ROCK ‘N’ ROLL within the context of Lennon's overall discography, I have to say this album makes me feel a bit sad today: after a dozen years of hyper-creativity, after the musical and cultural revolution of the Beatles, after the beguiling idealism of “Imagine” and the ambitious pacifism of the Plastic Ono Band, our John found himself rather drained of new ideas and full of nostalgia for those somewhat brash years when, still in his twenties, he posed as a teddy boy (just like in the cover photo, from Hamburg in 1961), and here he would (almost) close the circle of his musical adventure.
Finally, it must be said that compared to those days, we now live in a completely different world: nobody (also because of age) is nostalgic anymore for either the fifties or the seventies; all those songs are available online just a click away and this album—which still hasn't lost its sparkle—is really just a small cameo in the history of that extraordinary artist who was John Lennon. Long live John!
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 You Can't Catch Me (04:52)
I bought a brand new airmobile,
'twas a custom made, 'twas a flightning deal
With a powerful motor and a hide away wing,
Push in on the button, you will hear her sing
Now you can't catch me,
Baby, you can't catch me
'cause if you get too close,
You know I'm goin' like cool breeze
Hey! Hey!
Well, you walk!
You walk!
New Jersey turnpike in the wee wee hours,
I was rollin' slowly 'cause of drizzlin showers
Here come a flat-top, he was movin' up with me,
Then come waving goodbye in a little old souped up jitney
I put my foot in the tank, I began to roll,
Moanin' siren, 'twas the state patrol
I let out my wings, then I blew my horn,
Bye-bye, New Jersey, I become airborn
Now you can't catch me,
Baby, you can't catch me
'cause if you get too close,
You know I'm goin' like cool breeze
Hey!
Well, you walk!
Yeah, walk!
I bought a brand new airmobile,
'twas a custom made, 'twas a flightning deal
With a powerful motor and a hide away wing,
Push in on the button, you will hear her sing
Now you can't catch me,
Baby, you can't catch me
'cause if you get too close,
You know I'm goin' like cool breeze
Hey! Hey!
Well, you walk!
You walk!
Flying with my baby last Saturday night,
Wasn't a grey cloud floatin' in sight
Big, full moon, shinin' up above,
Cuddle up, honey, be my love
Sweetest little thing that I ever seen,
I'm gonna name you Maybellene
Flying on the beam, set on flight control,
Radio tuned to rock and roll
Two, three hours passed us by,
Altitude dropped into five-o-five
Fuel consumption, way too fast,
Let's get on home before we run out of gas
Now you can't catch me,
Baby, you can't catch me
'cause if you get too close,
You know I'm goin' like cool breeze
Git it on!
Yeah, walk!
Git it on, git it on, git it on, do it!
Git it on, git it on!
You know you can't catch me!
05 Ain't That a Shame (02:31)
You made me cry
When you said goodbye
Ain't that a shame?
My tears fell like rain
Ain't that a shame?
You're the one to blame
You broke my heart
when you said we're part
Ain't that a shame?
My tears fell like rain
Ain't that a shame?
You're the one to blame
Boogie, babe!
Ain't that a shame?
Ain't that a shame?
Look out!
Farewell, goodbye, although I 'll cry
Ain't that a shame?
My tears fell like rain
Ain't that a shame?
You're the one to blame
Boggie, babe!
Ain't that a shame?
Ain't that a shame?
You made me cry
When you said goodbye
Ain't that a shame?
My tears fell like rain
Ain't that a shame?
You're the one to blame
08 Slippin' and Slidin' (02:17)
(Penniman, Bocage, Collins, Smith)
Slippin' and a slidin', peepin' and a hidin', been told long time ago,
Slippin' and a slidin', peepin' and a hidin', been told long time ago,
I been told, baby, you been bold, I won't be your fool no more.
Oh, big conniver, nothing but a jiver, done got hip to your jive,
Oh, big conniver, nothing but a jiver, done got hip to your jive,
Slippin' and a slidin', peepin' and a hidin', won't be your fool no more.
Oh Malinda, she's a solid sender, you know you better surrender,
Oh Malinda, she's a solid sender, you know you better surrender,
Slippin' and a slidin', peepin' and a hidin', won't be your fool no more.
09 Peggy Sue (02:04)
John speaking...
"Ok,Ok.Ready? Ok,dynamics with tension, fun and laughter for all. Honkey rock."
1, 2, 1 2 3 4,
If you knew, Peggy Sue
Then you'd know why I feel blue,
about Peggy, my Peggy Sue
Oh well I love you girl, yes I love you Peggy Sue
Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue, pretty pretty pretty pretty Peggy Sue
Oh Peggy, my Peggy Sue
Oh well I love you girl and I need you Peggy Sue
I love you, Peggy Sue, with a love so rare and true
Oh Peggy, my Peggy Sue
Oh well I love you girl, and I want you Peggy Sue
"Look out"
11 Bony Moronie (03:46)
I got a girl named Bony Moronie,
She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni,
Ought to see her rock 'n' roll with her blue jeans on,
She's not very fat just skin and bone.
But I love her, she loves me,
All are happy now we can be,
Making love underneath the apple tree.
I told her mama and her papa too,
Just exactly what I want to do,
I want to get married on a night in June,
And rock and roll by the light of a silvery moon,
And I love her, she loves me,
All are happy now we can be,
Making love underneath the apple tree.
She's my one and only, she's my heart's desire,
She's a real upsetter, she's a real live wire,
Everybody turns when my baby walks by,
She's something to see, she really catches the eye.
That's why I love her, she loves me,
All are happy now we can be,
Making love underneath the apple tree.
That's why I love her, she loves me,
All are happy now we can be,
Making love underneath the apple tree.
12 Ya Ya (02:18)
Sitting in the La La
Waiting for the Ya Ya, uh huh
Sitting in the La La
Waiting for the Ya Ya, uh huh
It may sound funny
But it's alright honey, uh huh
Hey baby worry, don't make worry, uh huh
Hey baby hurry, don't make worry, uh huh
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By polkatulk88
John concluded the journey he began back in 1957... before entering history and being overwhelmed by fame.
This 'Rock 'n' roll,' thirty-five years after its release, remains a sizzling album, perfect for listening at parties.
