08 - John & Yoko - Some Time in New York City - 1972

Side One
Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
Sisters, O Sisters
Attica State
Born in a Prison
New York City

Side Two
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Luck of the Irish
John Sinclair
Angela
We're All Water

Side Three
Cold Turkey
Don't Worry Kyoko

Side Four
Well (Baby Please Don't Go)
Jamrag
Scumbag
Au

DISCOVERY; When I got this album I considered I had made my first foray into serious music. Sure it was hard to listen to at points. That was the point of "serious" music. Serious music requires close listening and if you pay attention you will be rewarded. That's generally true of life as well. We're All Water was my favourite of the Yoko Ono songs. Sunday Bloody Sunday had and still has one of my favourite guitar solos like ever. And the live stuff, when Lennon shouts "Zappa!" and Frank rips into his guitar still sends shivers down my spine. Luckily Target Stores had a couple strategically placed stickers covering the cartoon boobs and Tricky Dickie nude dancing. I didn't have to explain the cover art at the store and the folks never looked through my records.

WHERE & WHEN; It became an album I'd only listen to when perfectly alone and I could pay attention. Count how many "Gotta gotta gottas" there were. Yeah, some of the tracks didn't grab me. I didn't like Au and I didn't really like Woman is the Nigger of the World. Didn't like the saxophone in it. Eventually I was content to skip some of the tracks. John and Yoko could be my gurus even if I didn't like all of their songs. Angela and Born in a Prison were too soupy but I understood what they were on about. I read now that their political opinions were not as nuanced as they might have been. Well of course, as soon as you form an opinion about something you've lost, now you have to defend it. I didn't really care what they were singing about as long as they were singing. Singing/screaming/caterwauling/gurgling/crying, the mind boggles and I loved it. (mostly)

I also loved the record label, John morphing into Yoko, surrealist art.

HIGHLIGHTS; Sunday Bloody Sunday - Attica State - New York City - John Sinclair - We're All Water - Cold Turkey - Jamrag - Scumbag - Well (Baby Please Don't Go)

STATUS; Must have - don't have it at the moment