John Lennon and Yoko Ono “Double Fantasy”

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John Lennon and Yoko Ono “Double Fantasy”

Posted 09 Oct 2012 in 80s, Albums of 1980, Albums of the 80s, Rock + Roll, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#791 in the Series) is John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy

I remember the day when Double Fantasy was released. It was full of hope and promise for the future. That hope would soon turn into the deepest of sadness as John would be killed just three short three weeks later.

This was the first piece of music that John had given us in well over a half a decade. We did have a compilation (Shaved Fish) and an album of old covers (Rock and Roll) so we were starved to hear what John had to say.

Double Fantasy didn’t knock out the critics’ right out of the box, but the fans and radio didn’t care about their thoughts. “(Just Like) Starting Over” was as an appropriate and heartfelt lead off song to an album as I’d ever heard. John indeed did look at this as the beginning of what was to be the next phase in his life and his musical career. We wonder what could have been?

John’s songs were interspersed with those of Yoko’s. In retrospect, her additions had much to do with the critic’s malaise but that was John’s call. So be it. I know all the stories about her and how many feel she was directly involved with The Beatles demise, but I never bought it and I also never really understood the harsh criticism against her as a person. The cause of the breakup was much deeper than that. She was good enough for John but not good enough for us? Seriously?

“Woman” and “Beautiful Boy (Darling Sean)” clearly give us a view into what John loved the most, his family. He also seemed to be at peace with that next phase of his life and expressed that in “Watching The Wheels.”

I write this on what would have been John Lennon’s 72^nd birthday. He’ll never be forgotten. People will be listening to his music centuries from now the same way that we listen to the classical compositions of the 18^th century and before.

“Breathe”

— Larry Carta