u/Relative-Bar9159

Found this comment today and it put a smile on my face. Anyone else ever experienced something like this?

I’ve been reading Ian MacDonald’s Revolution in the Head lately, and it’s been a pretty interesting read. At the beginning, the criticism felt fairly friendly to me, and you could tell that, with a few exceptions, he genuinely liked their music. But by the end, it feels like he’s just exhausted and starts shitting on everything, lol.

Some of his points are valid, but overall, it’s just way too subjective. That said, his choice of words is quite creative, I really dig his writing style.

I put off listening to this album for a long time because I often ran into opinions that it was John's worst work, or even that the title track was the only thing worth hearing. To be honest, the title track isn't really my thing, so I assumed I definitely wouldn't like the rest. But a couple of weeks ago, I finally gave it a listen, and as it turns out, it’s one of my favorites.

Critics were put off by the fact that the songs aren't 'intellectual,' or that Lennon was 'helplessly trying to impose his own gargantuan ego upon an audience,' etc. Well, I don't really care about that because lyrics aren't the main thing for me. They really are lightweight and self-centered (or Yoko-centered) here, so what? Was he supposed to make another Imagine? What for? This album isn't for thinking, it's for relaxing. I think those who wanted 'Lennon the Intellectual' or 'Lennon the Rocker' were indeed disappointed, but I personally love how diverse John's albums are.

Tight A$ - probably the only track here I don't care about that much. Typical rock'n'roll, that Lennon couldn't do without.

Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) - I usually don't like slow songs, but for some reason, this one doesn't feel monotonous at all. It’s quite unpredictable and beautiful. John’s tender vocals make it even more stunning.

One Day (At a Time) is my favorite track on the album. Yes, the lyrics are childish and seem almost primitive. But it has an incredible effect on me when I sit in the silence of the night and listen to it. I don't find the falsetto annoying at all; it’s incredibly beautiful and gentle. Overall, the vocals create a "drunken" atmosphere that makes the track unique. In one book, a critic wondered why Elton John covered this specific song. Well, maybe because he actually gets it?

Bring On the Lucie. Catchy af. The chorus was stuck in my head for a week; that's why I have kinda love-hate relationship with this song. But it was the first song I heard and liked on the album.

Nutopian International Anthem. Literally how to sell an album with more tracks listed on the cover without actually writing more tracks. Clever.

Intuition is a light, cool song. I really like the chorus. It sounds quite modern for its time.

Out the Blue. A beautiful, if cliché, song. I’ll admit the lyrics make me cringe a bit (too cheesy), but it’s still one of my most-played tracks.

I Know (I Know). "I got a feeling..." The same, just slightly modified riff. The beginning of the song for some reason reminds me of Blur (maybe "This is a Low"). I'm not a big fan of the bridge - it’s practically "Hey Jude" done in Lennon's style. But the chorus is very beautiful.

You Are Here. I love it! I’ve listened to it on repeat. I love the lo-fi sound and the Zen atmosphere; plus, the song isn't boring at all - one part flows beautifully into the next, and they’re all quite interesting.

Meat City. In reviews, critics often highlight this song, saying Lennon could still be a rocker when he wanted to (which confirms my point: for critics, anything that isn't 'Lennon the Rocker' or 'Lennon the Thinker' is bad). I don't find it to be a rock song. There’s no real drive in the vocals. Overall, I’d say it sounds more like Britpop than rock, which is a plus for me because I love that style.

As I said, it’s a pleasant, laid-back, and well-balanced album - perfect for an evening stroll through an autumn city or for unwinding at the end of the work week. Many people say that Walls and Bridges is more cohesive, but I lean more towards Mind Games. To me, Walls and Bridges feels much more chaotic and has a completely different mood.

Anyway, that’s about it. Sorry for the long rant, I just really wanted to share my thoughts.

I’ve written about favoritism before, but today I was accused of attacking Paul just like 'every other John fan,' so I decided to respond.

How can we, as John's fanboys and fangirls, be expected to stay rational when we’ve had so many bad examples? 😭

This post is a joke, of course, but the idea is interesting. The truth is, many people (even famous ones) suffer from insane fanaticism, attacking one side while glorifying the other. I used Lennon’s fanboys as an example, but this exists on BOTH sides. And from George’s fans, too. Ringo fans are probably the least toxic.

It’s really funny how Liam’s obsession is often mocked and he gets accused of plagiarism, yet he turned out to be the most rational of the 90s fanboys. And honestly, Albarn copied Lennon just as much as Gallagher did, especially vocally — his falsetto and melancholy singing style in many songs are practically identical to Lennon’s Mind Games album, and 'Tender' is clearly an attempt to write something like 'Give Peace a Chance.'

For the record, I’m not a die-hard fan or a hater of these bands, I just wanted to switch up the content. It's always the same old stuff being published anyway, like 'How Lennon changed in 1967' etc.