John Lennon
Walls And Bridges

THE REVIEW

In the early months of 1974, John is in a moment of profound personal crisis; indeed, his life is nothing but a succession of drunken episodes and total chaos with friends, including the legendary Beatle Ringo Starr. “Walls And Bridges” is an album where utopias and dreams of universal peace find no space, but more earthly and personal feelings, stemming from this period of crisis, prevail.

The album opens with “Going Down On Love,” a manifesto of the turmoil caused by the distance from Yoko, immediately felt by Lennon, who pleads for help to be saved from the «sea of hate» in which he is drowning. Despite its success, the least interesting song on the album is “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night”; the only well-written lines turn out to be those at the end of the verse ("Don’t need a sword to cut thru flowers/Don’t need a watch to waste your time/Don’t need a gun to blow your mind"), which state that we are not the architects of our lives and that, therefore, some events can happen even without planning them. It moves to “Old Dirt Road,” which paints a picture of a sad and desolate landscape that fully describes John's feelings, followed by “What You Got,” a kind of prayer from John imploring Yoko to return. “Bless You” is a love song in which Lennon believes (and hopes) that he might get back together with his wife, noting the blessing John sends to Yoko's lover, a sign of total trust in the couple's reunion. The album continues with “Scared,” a beautiful song in which Lennon states he is terrified (emphasized by the fact that the song opens with the howl of a coyote) determined by the fact that all the experiences he went through (e.g., The Beatles) have distanced him from the small daily pleasures. It follows with “No. 9 Dream,” where a unique serenity atmosphere dominates the entire album, while “Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)” is a love song towards Lennon’s new wife, although references to Yoko are not missing ("she makes me sweat and forget who I am"). “Steel And Glass” is a venomous jab at John's former manager, Allen Klein, similar to “How Do You Sleep?” the most unpleasant part of the song, which highlights more than ever the human side of Lennon, is when he asserts against Klein («Your mother left you when you were small») a line that astonishes considering the tragedy experienced by Lennon himself. The album closes with “Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out),” summing up his life; John acknowledges his failure (the separation from Yoko, the success of his friend/rival Paul with Band On The Run) «Nobody loves you when you are down and out/nobody loves you when you are old and grey».