John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

I'm always amazed at the differing opinions of John Lennon. It's funny that some people still don't understand him, his music, his life, Yoko, etc. I don't want to start a Lennon vs. whatever opinion debate. But I would like to share a little something that happened to me tonight.

I went to an art exhibit in Palm Springs. It was a benefit for the Desert Aids Project sponsored by Yoko Ono. The highlight was the works on John Lennon. There were many of his sketches, paintings, and hand-written song lyrics. It was VERY impressive and an interesting insight to Lennon and his personal relationships.

A funny thing happened though... An elderly couple came up beside me as I was looking at a photo of John & Yoko (originally intended to be used as an album cover) that depicts the two of them standing in an all-white room with the arms around each other's waist, in the full nude. Now picture it. There's nothing erotic or insensitive or anything about the photo. Just two people in love, in the buff. Big deal, right? Well the two elderly people standing besides me are mad that it's there. The woman declared, "Disgusting...this is repulsive!" while the old man chimed in, "It's stupid!" I just had to laugh. Amazing, the same photo can evoke the same reactions from people after 25 years. I'm laughing and I'm sure John Lennon is laughing somewhere too. Very funny. Yet, very disappointing that people can just not "get it".

The world needs them some John Lennon right now. I hope all of you out there "get it".

-Jay

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Ya mean Two Virgins? That IS the album cover...

I agree (or understand I guess) with what you're saying though. When I was a kid I used to sit in my dad's "listening room" with all the lights off and go through hours of music. A lot of it was Beatles and Lennon solo stuff. I GUARENTEE that has a lot to do with where I am today.
Plastic Ono Band is one of the most gut wrenching albums ever made. There are albums I enjoy more, but nothing can hit me on an emotional level like that. It’s not pop like Beatles or some Lennon stuff. It’s pure creative energy. Only a person that lived Lennon’s life could have made that music. Maybe that’s why it’s so good: an incredibly personal look into the mind of the greatest songwriters ever. That’s sharing. That’s creating. That’s powerful. That’s music.
Now all of you go listen to “Love”

Yeah…

Ya hear that?

Now think real hard about you want your music to say.

-drew

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Ya mean Two Virgins? That IS the album cover...

-drew<hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You beat me to it... yeah, that sounds like the "Two Virgins" LP cover to me.

And it's STILL controversial... John probably IS laughing somewhere right now... or rolling his eyes at how far we HAVEN'T come since 1969...

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

not to be a jerk, but for the same reasons you think they "don't get it", they think you "don't get it"- a little closed minded on both sides but that is STRICTLY my opinion. it has nothing to do with how "far we've come", has to do with personel tastes. i'm 38 years old and for the life of me i can't understand why anyone would think john lennon had anything but a "normal" amount of talent at best. same with the rest of the beattles. we could argue the pros and cons forever, but it's not whether someone understands his "great gift" but whether his "art" touches someone. to me, he is nothing but a stoned-out dude who had the attention of the media.
not to start a flame war, this is just my personel opinion. like everything else, there's always two sides to every story and neither side is right or wrong.

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

no

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

pure ignorance

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

Yep, that's John for you : just mention his name and controversy arises...
This is true for many people standing in the light of fame. Where it goes a tad askew is that many people today are famous only BECAUSE they are controversial. John at least could afford to be. When you've given so much and touched people over generations on so many levels, you've earned your controversy license.

Over the years, I've read, listened and seen lots about him. High school bully/gifted for arts/giant chip on his shoulder/witty/highly inventive songwriter/caring and loving husband and father/cheating lover/abusive and manipulative right bastard/visionary/depressive junkie/fantastic singer embarrassed about his voice/second hand experimentalist/philanthropist...we could go on forever.
Pick any of these and they apply to John at one time of his short life. There are many sides to a genius, and I just love the man. I don't care if anybody else does.

There's a funny anecdote about the "two virgins" cover that tells a lot about this double edge :
The other Beatles were really sort of embarrassed about John releasing the album with that cover. Ringo told him "John, it's great you doing all that stuff, but we ALL have to answer for it."
To which John replied "Ring, all you have to answer is the phone..."

All you need is love

Cheers

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

I've never 'got it', mind you i didn't 'get' Bowie, or The Grateful Dead, or Nirvana for that matter. Ignorant....i don't think so, just different.

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">i agree. anyway, you gotta give old people some slack. RESPECT YOUR ELDERS! then hopefully we'll get the same respect when we're old. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Re: John Lennon...Do You "Get It"?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yeah. Now lecture us about closed-mindedness.

You don't have to like Lennon or the Beatles, but if you can't recognize what they had as talent, then all I can say is....clearly, you don't "get it".