John Lennon

Imagine

Remastered-- but still not The Beatles

Review Score:

(4/10)
First of all, although I love all group Beatles albums (all 5-stars), this solo-Lennon album, while containing the stand-out track "Gimme Some Truth," has traditionally been over-rated. "Plastic Ono Band" and "Walls and Bridges" are superior Lennon albums. The problem with "Imagine" is an overall lack of enthusiasm in the performances and arrangements. The musicianship, with the exception of George Harrison's excellent slide and electric guitar work, is competent but lacks spark. "How," "How Do You Sleep," "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier" have a dragging feel, and beautiful melodies are sometimes irritatingly drawn-out and awash in reflective piano echo. "Jealous Guy" for example started as a beautiful acoustic guitar track, similar to the Beatles "Across the Universe," but on this album, it evokes a depressing piano-lounge sound. The same comment holds true for the beautifully poetic title track. That being said, "Gimme Some Truth" is excellent -- and on par with some of Lennon's late Beatles tracks. Harrison's slide guitar and catchy twelve-string riff evoke "Abbey Road."

The 20-bit re-mix/mastering has improved the the definition of the individual parts compared to previous releases. If you are familiar with the original, you will notice the sound improvement. However, the re-mixing has not altered the original arrangements or the over-all feel.

If you are looking to explore the Beatles "solo" albums for the first time, I would strongly recommend George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" (5-stars). That album is long overdue for a 20-bit re-mix.

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