Reviewed by:
Sloopy, on october 09, 2007
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: After the lack-luster 'Mind Games' released in 1973, John Lennon desperately needed something to rebound with. During his eighteen month separation from Yoko Ono (The Lost Weekend) he had begun to submerse himself in the Los Angeles music scene, where he met up with former bandmate Ringo Starr and his drinking buddies, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson. After fooling around and producing a record for Nilsson, Lennon was readying to release an album of his own. The result was the strikingly upbeat 'Walls And Bridges'. Here Lennon not only acknowledged his feelings for Yoko but also his love for being a free man once again. The music came out very poppy and happy, and it really reflects the mood of it's creator. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: As with any Lennon work, the lyrics are phemonenal. However on this record the focus is more on the catchy feel than the words, making the album not as lyrically climatic as its predecessors. There's no doubt that Lennon can sing, however the melodies and clever lyrics are almost non-existant which is very sad. Tracks like 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night' are amazing pop songs, but their words are throwaway garbage. It's the sad truth of 'Walls And Bridges'. However, there are glimpses of that trademark Lennon wit, specifically on the Allen Klein directed 'Steel And Glass'. It's an obvious reworking of the McCartney directed 'How Do You Sleep', but it remains the strongest lyrical output on the record. // 7
Impression: 'Walls And Bridges' is no doubt a strong release, but it gets forgotten amongst the masterpieces that are 'Plastic Ono Band' and 'Imagine'. The highlights are easily the spacey '#9 Dream' and 'Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)'. I really like this record and I think it's a classic pop recording, but it does have it's filler tracks. Songs like 'Ya-Ya' and 'Scared' are lackluster crap that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Overall, this album doesn't nessacerily dissappoint, but it does leave something to be desired. // 8
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