John Lennon
Walls and Bridges

A strange period for John, that began at the end of 1973. The "lost weekend" - a phase of reflection and emotional detachment declared by Yoko Ono - had the effect of throwing him, who claimed to be The Walrus, into a multicolored limbo designed by alcohol and effectively erected by drugs. The original project was to create a cover album of 50s rock classics together with Phil Spector, under the sweet eyes of lover May Pang, but continuous drunkenness and Spector's betrayal - who left with the recordings - forced a postponement of everything to 1975 (when "Rock ‘n’ Roll" was released). John's life seemed in tatters. Despite this, he managed to find the will to put the pieces of the puzzle back together, once again showcasing his genius.

The emotional charges of those days, the despair over the temporary loss of his love obsession, the intriguing presence of his lover, the fear of aging, the desire to start over. These are all wonderfully understood elements in that psychological blender that was John Lennon's mind, capable of producing brilliant and emotional songs.

It all begins with "Going Down on Love," a biting and painful moment of despondency, which makes it clear how much Our Friend's back is broken from all the times he had to bend over to reach something - love - that ultimately eluded him mockingly. With "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night," we are projected onto a Los Angeles street full of lights and venues, in the company of a John who - having vented in the previous track - indulges in a healthy desire for fun and entertainment. The generous use of the sax, the exquisite piano of Elton John, and Lennon's carefree nature are overwhelming. "Old Dirt Road" is a meditative composition in which a dirty and desolate road is described, one that no one wants to travel ("There is no one on the old dirt road," "There is no air on the old dirt road"); this path reflects John Lennon's soul, left to drown in a sea of muddy and acrid memories during that period.

The bitter realization that "You don't know what you have until you lose it" is evident in the verses of "What You Got," a heartrending appeal to Yoko Ono, the tenacious effort to reunite with his great love, tempered by the will not to be a burden, to allow the right spaces. "Bless You" only confirms the obsession for the Japanese artist: in this piece - which is distinguished by a sound that would be perfect in an elegant piano bar, with a Martini in hand and waiting for a beautiful blonde - Lennon even prays for Yoko Ono's lover, guitarist David Spinozza (session man known to Lennon from the Mind Games days), to treat his wife with due respect, lovingly.

In "Scared," we are told that old age marks more wrinkles in the spirit than on the face. John is terrified at the thought of aging (something he, unfortunately, never did): the Bible, the word of the Lord, a prayer cannot prevent a man from disappearing and fading away like a candle; the peace and love preached just a year earlier in "Mind Games" crash into a cold wall of jealousy and hatred; no place is now considered "home"; John is shaken and out of this world.

The album is a rollercoaster of feelings, a runaway train touching various stations; positivity has its boundaries in negativity: everything is connected. However, the dream takes over. We find ourselves immersed in a delightful dreamlike vision: "#9 Dream," a relaxing, soothing, and emotional encounter of violin and guitar. The dream may originate from some "Carrollian" reminiscences ("Alice Through the Looking Glass" continues to influence Johnny, just as in the times of "I Am the Walrus" and "Cry Baby Cry") that lead to seeing the world turned upside down. This time, the confusion has celestial and soothing returns; the protagonist of the dream moves in a kaleidoscopic Eden, accompanied by sprites who manage to speak clearly to the soul, despite their extravagant idiom.

Next is "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)," a serene love anthem (artificially constructed to survive, reading between the lines) towards May Pang, a lifeline to avoid sinking completely in the loneliness in which John had sunk. Hatred finds ample space in "Steel and Glass," a very critical composition, dedicated to Lennon's former manager, Allen Klein, guilty of expressing to George Harrison his discontent at seeing Yoko Ono at Lennon's concerts and for being unclear in many economic matters.

"Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" concentrates within it a pessimism that could be defined as Leopardi-like; the origin of this is particularly found in the artistic stagnation accompanying Lennon and the concurrent success of friend-rival Paul McCartney, who continued to achieve successes thanks to the album "Band On the Run." The song is antithetical to "She Loves You": love cannot take root on a surface encrusted with hatred and depression; it is available only to those with a soul free from worries or problems: love is almost painted as a utopia. Gone are the days of "All You Need is Love." "Ya Ya," a sweet duet with his eleven-year-old son Julian (on drums), is a cover of an old 50s song;

The troubled events of John Lennon are extraordinarily revealed in the tracks of this album. The musical blend proves to be an extraordinarily efficient vehicle. I believe that few artists in the world have been able to describe their emotional situation, their feelings, their discomforts like Lennon: no pretense, no falsehood is found in this work, a faithful mirror of the soul of a man, before a world-renowned "rocker."

I am a big John Lennon fan, I admit it. But not for this reason do I believe I have been lacking in objectivity, depicting "Walls and Bridges" as a work of uncommon splendor.