Yoko Ono
Plastic Ono Band

This is my first review, so it requires a

Foreword:

The way I see it, there are four types of records (I still call them that):

a) those that are beautiful and important

b) those that are more important than beautiful, and it would be fun to talk about them........., for example, I would put Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" or Nirvana's "Nevermind" here, but also Eno's "Music for Airports", just to name a few - and I already realize I'm risking at least an insult

c) those that are ugly and useless, "and here is a long line of records, that I would not have believed the music industry had produced so many" to paraphrase the Great One and show how cultured I am

d) those that are more beautiful than important; forgotten, past their prime, the object of more or less underground cult (as a belated rediscovery is denied to no one) or simply gone unnoticed, or trashed by shortsighted and pedantic critics.

I spent my early years as a listener mainly searching for records from the first group (I don't think I've listened to all of them, but to be honest, they are only a few hundred in the end), stumbling upon many from the second group and, inevitably tripping over a certain number from the third. Then at a certain point, also due to my advanced age, I concentrated primarily on titles from the fourth group with the picky and pretentious attitude of someone who has listened and lived a lot. It's at this point that I stumbled upon this site of kindred spirits where I found reviews of Annexus Quam or Nature and Organisation, two of my favorite bands and plenty of other stuff that the Great Reviewers have often forgotten; of course, here are those who go crazy for Queen or Dire Straits or who propose the very rare album of Beautiful Kazzons (quote) in 50 handmade copies or the concert for belches and farts by that great Ukrainian composer (and I am fully and proudly part of this group) but that's exactly what I like about this place and what makes it the coolest site on the internet.

So, unable to review the aforementioned concert for belches and farts to avoid duplication, I will propose a title that I believe (I checked, I hope I'm not wrong) has not yet been reviewed and that, I believe, has all the requirements to be part of group (d).

Yoko Ono - Plastic Ono Band

I don't know if the cover identical to that of the album by Mr. Ono, aka John Lennon, - except for the swapped positions of the two - was a clever trick or a refined artistic operation, but the two albums (although very different) should actually be listened to together, not only because they are the result of the same sessions but, especially, because they stem from the same human journey that the Lennon/Ono couple was undertaking under the guidance of Arthur Janov, theorist of the "primal scream" which, although I consider it a little thing for rich depressed people causing some trouble for its author, is certainly the theoretical premise of the value of both albums. It's pointless to talk about the universally known "Lennon side" and let's focus on this one by Yoko Ono, which, believe it or not, is just as beautiful. I know everyone can’t stand Yoko Ono and I know she's always been great at reinforcing those feelings and that until then, they had already recorded a couple of useless pseudo-intellectual nonsense by bored bourgeois (while as public figures they were doing things of a completely different caliber), but Lester Bangs immediately liked this album and that would already end the review. On my part, I tell you (......may Lester forgive me) that the 6 tracks (9 in the CD reissue) remind me closely of CAN's "Monster Movie", and that's a great compliment, were it not that Ringo Starr was on drums who even on this occasion shows all his limits - unlike Jaki Liebezeit - whereas Lennon is extraordinary on guitar (inventive, experimental, repetitive but never trivial), he never played like this with the Beatles, that on bass there was Voorman (creator of the "Revolver" cover among other things) who should have replaced McCartney in the clubbers' minds in an imaginary post-Beatles, that in one track Ornette Coleman, Ed Blackwell, Charlie Haden, and Dave Izenzon play who were passing by........, that the album has no low points except for the last CD bonus (16 minutes of useless improvised whimper with Yoko on vocals and Lennon on acoustic guitar), that Yoko Ono's singing/screaming/howling/moaning, truly annoying in other moments, here is fully suitable to the work's structure, anticipating in some moments things by people (okay, let's not exaggerate, or maybe let's!) like Diamanda Galas or Meredith Monk. And if this doesn't make you want to give this album a chance, may the ghost of Lester come visit you tonight..............