Some Time In New York City
by John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band With Elephant's Memory & Invisible Strings

Opener is actually really good musically, just a bit off with the title in these times. Unfortunately the rest is a big step down for John after Imagine and Plastic Ono Band.

I can't be bothered listening to the live half, but the first studio half? Pretty good! I was quite surprised after all that I'd heard from critics, and I'm not a big solo Lennon fan either or anything. Yoko has a good voice when she's not wailing like she does all over We're All Water, even if she isn't perfectly in key. Catchy songs shine through the horrendously muddy, low-fi production. It is strongly political, though, but I have no opinion on most of what they're singing about as it directly relates to what was happening at the time.

From Nowhereman1965 09/14/2018 18:17 | #221046

There are many good aspects to John Winston Lennon. However, one bad aspect was the way he was easily led. He jumped onto bandwagons. Always with good intentions, but sometimes it led down a blind alley. This album is exhibit No.1. Musically it’s very poor for a Beatle. Lyrically at times it’s embarrassing. There is the odd good song. John Sinclair for instance. But his naive take on other issues does not stand the test of time. The live part is inessential. One of the poorest albums by an ex Beatle.

It is a political album, based on what was happening in the world at that time. I believe they where hanging around with certain radical people,who would have help shape their views at that time. The studio version of the album is ok, but it is not at the level of his two previous albums. The songs i like best are woman is the nigger of the world,born in prison, new york city, sunday bloody sunday and angela. Live section is poor, apart from cold turkey and baby please don,t go.

There are a couple of good songs (attica and john sinclair the best ones IMO), a lot of average ones, Yoko and Spector's production. At this point in his life John's was as much an activist as a musician and this album is all about news of the time -the artwork couldn't be more accurate-.
I'm only rating the studio album. The live one is awful to waste time on it.

From Kingturtle 04/18/2016 16:27 | #164072

1972 was the first year in a decade that none of the Beatles released an LP that was any good. Sadly, this LP is a mess.

An Art Rock album if there ever was one. Experimental, brave and unflinching.

Good work, but more than a half of live jam disc (and maybe some of the Ono's studio pieces) could be not put in.

Woman is the nigger of the world and Sunday Bloody Sunday are my fav track!

For once, I can't defend a John Lennon album on musical grounds. Still, brilliant moments flicker here and there; and you can't deny the honesty and intensity. Brave but very flawed.