20 John questions!

[kylestyle]

1. Which John album is your favourite?
2. Favourite opener on a John album?
3. Which John song do you most identify with your own life, or how you feel?
4. Do you skip the Yoko tracks on John's albums?
5. Do you cringe when you hear people cover Imagine?
6. Do you think Yoko had a massive creative impact on John's music?
7. Favourite solo John rocker?
8. Favourite John ballad?
9. Which John songs do you think would be immensely improved if they were recorded in a different way?
10. Describe John in one word:
11. Have you heard 'The Wedding Album' or 'Life With The Lions'?
12. Which years do you think John was at his songwriting peak?
13. Which Wings or solo Macca song(s) do you think would suit John's lead vocal?
14. Favourite line in a John song?
15. Have you ever worn a pair of Lennon-style 'granny glasses'?
16. As a loyal Paul fan, do you like the song "How Do You Sleep"?
17. Best vocal performance on a John song?
18. What would John sound like if he was still recording today?
19. Your least favourite John song?
20. Apart from Paul, who do you think was the most talented musician to work with John?

[kylestyle]

1. Which John album is your favourite? Plastic Ono Band
2. Favourite opener on a John album? Going Down On Love
3. Which John song do you most identify with your own life, or how you feel? Working Class Hero
4. Do you skip the Yoko tracks on John's albums? Sometimes I will skip one or two, but usually I do listen to them. Kiss Kiss Kiss (DF) and Angela (STINYC) are always compulsory listens, for example.
5. Do you cringe when you hear people cover Imagine? All the time. I am still yet to hear a good cover version of this song.
6. Do you think Yoko had a massive creative impact on John's music? Actually, I think John's music became less daring post-Yoko, and the songs he wrote especially for her are stylistically mild.
7. Favourite solo John rocker? The version of "I'm Losing You" that he did with Cheap Trick.
8. Favourite John ballad? Love
9. Which John songs do you think would be immensely improved if they were recorded in a different way? Some of Walls and Bridges would be really interesting if John took a Bowie-Eno approach on the likes of Old Dirt Road, Bless You and Scared.
10. Describe John in one word: emotive
11. Have you heard 'The Wedding Album' or 'Life With The Lions'? No. I've read about them, and I didn't like Two Virgins very much.
12. Which years do you think John was at his songwriting peak? 1965 - with songs such as In My Life, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Help, and Nowhere Man.
13. Which Wings or solo Macca song(s) do you think would suit John's lead vocal? The chorus of Goodnight Tonight....and how about However Absurd!
14. Favourite line in a John song?They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool, til you’re so f****** crazy you can’t follow their rules
15. Have you ever worn a pair of Lennon-style 'granny glasses'? Yes, they were a pair of cheap sunglasses.
16. As a loyal Paul fan, do you like the song "How Do You Sleep"? Yes! I think it's a cool song. The tension of the guitars and string arrangement makes it stand out, not just the lyrics.
17. Best vocal performance on a John song? Mother - he truly lays everything on the line in the last section of the song.
18. What would John sound like if he was still recording today? I think he would do a Run Devil Run style album with guests like the U2 guys or old mates from the past.
19. Your least favourite John song? Crippled Inside - sounds a bit hokey to me.
20. Apart from Paul, who do you think was the most talented musician to work with John? Well, seeing him on the Rock n Roll Circus with Eric Clapton doing an electrifying version of Yer Blues, I'd have to say Slowhand himself.

[mi]

I can only answer two of your questions:
Number 10 (Describe John in one word): I have three words: disgussting, violent and dangerous.

Number 16 (about the "song" How do you Sleep): This "song" makes me sick. and sorry for John for being so bored and frustrated. At least he found someone to take it all out on. Good for him!

[kylestyle]

I can only answer two of your questions:
Number 10 (Describe John in one word): I have three words: disgussting, violent and dangerous.

Number 16 (about the "song" How do you Sleep): This "song" makes me sick. and sorry for John for being so bored and frustrated. At least he found someone to take it all out on. Good for him!

Given your answers to #10 and #16, you're not a John fan then? There have been a few theories / stories going around, that he kicked Stu Sutcliffe in the head and caused his death, that he was a hapless drug addict with terrible foul moodswings...I guess you had to be there to know for sure how much truth there is to John's 'dark side'. But your strong convictions must be based on something solid - do you have any interesting web links to this regard (I haven't read the Goldman book)?

[mi]

I can only answer two of your questions:
Number 10 (Describe John in one word): I have three words: disgussting, violent and dangerous.

Number 16 (about the "song" How do you Sleep): This "song" makes me sick. and sorry for John for being so bored and frustrated. At least he found someone to take it all out on. Good for him!

Given your answers to #10 and #16, you're not a John fan then? There have been a few theories / stories going around, that he kicked Stu Sutcliffe in the head and caused his death, that he was a hapless drug addict with terrible foul moodswings...I guess you had to be there to know for sure how much truth there is to John's 'dark side'. But your strong convictions must be based on something solid - do you have any interesting web links to this regard (I haven't read the Goldman book)?

I have been allergic to John ever since I first heard "How Do you Sleep" when I was twelve. Those insults are literal violence. In Hebrew we have a popular proverb that means: "To critisize someone else, means to critisize yourself". (It sounds a lot shorter in hebrew. Maybe there is a parallel proverb in English which I am not familiar with).
According to more than one reliable source. John beat someone almost to death at paul's 21 birthday party, just because this guy asked him if he had an homosexual relationship with Brian Epstein. I first read about it in Geoffrey Gulliano's book "Blackbird - The Life and Times of Paul McCartney", but I also saw it in movies and heard about it from others.
If you saw the movie "Linda McCartney's story", there is a scene there in which John bursts into Paul's house and starts screaming like a maniac, scaring little Heather to death and making baby Mary cry. I read about that, too, in Gulliano's book. According to Gulliano (and in the movie as well), he also threw a stone into Paul's house sometime in 1969 or 1970. I mean, hello! There were little children in this house!!! I would have sent him straight to prison. As an Israeli, let me put it this way: If I had a chance to blow down Hasan Nassarala's house (Hisballa's leader), I wouldn't do it if I knew there were small children there.

[Steve-o]

The books and sources don't seem too reliable to me. Gulliani's book is especially rumour based..lot's of tabloid material. Fun reading for some, but I prefer to listen to people who were there (like Paul for example). As far as his ravings in that TV movie, it may or may not be true (dont know the source material), but if it is, it's hardly grounds to call anyone a maniac. I'm a bigger Paul fan by far than a John fan. WAD. Both personally (his strange attraction to Yoko..his treatment of Julian--both well documented) and musically (both were brilliant and fed off of each other, but Paul's solo career in the 70's was much more to my liking--but that doesn't mean John's was bad--just a tad uneven). In short, I think you are reading too much crap about John and then believing it. While no saint, he was, without question a great man and an awesome talent. He didn't learn how to be a father until his second time around, and the world is full of those types, so I have to cut him some slack. Also, it's tough for anyone to be compared to paul in the father dept. He is top shelf.

[Bluebird]

1. Which John album is your favourite? Imagine
2. Favourite opener on a John album? Mind games
3. Which John song do you most identify with your own life, or how you feel? In my life
4. Do you skip the Yoko tracks on John's albums? Often, but not always
5. Do you cringe when you hear people cover Imagine? No not really..
6. Do you think Yoko had a massive creative impact on John's music? Only in his lyrics. I can´t believe that she has an impact in his melodies..
7. Favourite solo John rocker? Cold turkey
8. Favourite John ballad? Jealouse guy
9. Which John songs do you think would be immensely improved if they were recorded in a different way? Woman is the nigger of the world
10. Describe John in one word: Revolutionary
11. Have you heard 'The Wedding Album' or 'Life With The Lions'? Yes
12. Which years do you think John was at his songwriting peak? 1965
13. Which Wings or solo Macca song(s) do you think would suit John's lead vocal? Let me roll it and Letting go
14. Favourite line in a John song? How can I give love when love is something I never had15. Have you ever worn a pair of Lennon-style 'granny glasses'? No
16. As a loyal Paul fan, do you like the song "How Do You Sleep"? It´s a boring song. But it´s remarkable for the music history. 17. Best vocal performance on a John song? Jealouse guy
18. What would John sound like if he was still recording today? More acoustic style I think...19. Your least favourite John song? Flower princess20. Apart from Paul, who do you think was the most talented musician to work with John? David Bowie

[mi]

The books and sources don't seem too reliable to me. Gulliani's book is especially rumour based..lot's of tabloid material. Fun reading for some, but I prefer to listen to people who were there (like Paul for example). As far as his ravings in that TV movie, it may or may not be true (dont know the source material), but if it is, it's hardly grounds to call anyone a maniac. I'm a bigger Paul fan by far than a John fan. WAD. Both personally (his strange attraction to Yoko..his treatment of Julian--both well documented) and musically (both were brilliant and fed off of each other, but Paul's solo career in the 70's was much more to my liking--but that doesn't mean John's was bad--just a tad uneven). In short, I think you are reading too much crap about John and then believing it. While no saint, he was, without question a great man and an awesome talent. He didn't learn how to be a father until his second time around, and the world is full of those types, so I have to cut him some slack. Also, it's tough for anyone to be compared to paul in the father dept. He is top shelf.

I never liked Gulliano's book either. For Paul and his family's sake, I would like to believe that the stories about his ravings and the stone-throwing are not true, or at least twisted and blown out of proportion. Unfortunately, I don't find it too hard to believe in them after hearing "How Do You Sleep". Besides, It isn't probable that so many sources are unreliable or laying, so I'm afraid there must be an element of truth in them. But on one point I disagree with you: If, and I repeat - if these stories are true, this kind of behavior is totally barbaric, especially around little children. Just think how traumatic it must be for a six-year-old to see some stranger bursting into her house, screaming at her father and tearing pictures off the wall. And I'm not even mentioning the stone that could have injured her or Mary who was just a baby. I fail to see him as either a great man or a remarkable talent, and I also fail to see how someone like that has any right to teach the whole world to "Give Peace a Chance" and that "All You Need is Love". After hearing "How Do You Sleep" I was never much impressed with any of that rubbish.

[Cologne girl]

Both personally (his strange attraction to Yoko..his treatment of Julian--both well documented) and musically (both were brilliant and fed off of each other, but Paul's solo career in the 70's was much more to my liking--but that doesn't mean John's was bad--just a tad uneven).

While no saint, he was, without question a great man and an awesome talent. He didn't learn how to be a father until his second time around, and the world is full of those types, so I have to cut him some slack. Also, it's tough for anyone to be compared to paul in the father dept. He is top shelf.

Thank you, Steve - I think your views are quite balanced and I agree with most of what you said. I couldn't have said it any better (not even in my own lingo)

[Steve-o]

Thank you, Steve - I think your views are quite balanced and I agree with most of what you said. I couldn't have said it any better (not even in my own lingo)

Thanks, CG. I think most of what mi thinks about John is based on one song and one lousy book. None of us knew him....but Paul knew him, and if he was good enough and loved by Paul, why should any of us think any different? Most of us also suffer from a bad dose of "Yoko speaks for John-ism" which can lead to some possibly unfair conclusions.