Sean Lennon - Into the Sun (CD, 1998)

This is another one of those records that caught me at a particularly vulnerable time in my life, and as a result, might speak to me more so than it does to other people. For the record, I think this album is brilliant, and terribly overlooked. I think it may have achieved some success, but not nearly as much as it deserved. There's hardly a bad moment here, and that's tough to do in the realm of straightforward pop music.

I moved from Eugene to Portland in the summer of 1998, right after Into the Sun was released. My new roommate in Portland had purchased the record (possibly just because it was released on the Grand Royal label), and he had taken to playing it when we were hanging out. I certainly knew of Sean Lennon, but never thought much about him one way or the other. After hearing the album a few times, it started to sink in.

As if I needed help completely taking the leap, I started hearing it at my job. I was working for a high-end natural food store that had just opened in a suburb of Portland, and as a new-fangled plan to make it the market of the future, they had incorporated music into the shopping experience. There was a wall that featured LP-sized album covers of up-and-coming artists, and all the music piped through the store came from the albums on that wall. I think maybe a light appeared over the album cover that was playing at the moment. And the CDs were available near the checkout. Anyway, Into the Sun was one of them. (I can't remember any of the others except for Beth Orton. It was mostly harmless pop like that.)

So, through these two channels (on top of taping it and having it in my car), the record wormed its way into my mind and never let go. I had a miserable summer that year (moving cities proved to be rough going), but hearing bright pop like this was one of the only things that could temporarily distract me.

Maybe other people love this record as much as I do, but I've never gotten that vibe. I could see people thinking it was simple. Or cutesy. Or not giving it a chance because of his last name. I was just always so surprised by how infectious this record was (and still is).

I'm still not sick of it. Look for it in bargain bins and score yourself a deal.

"Home"

Julian Lennon - Valotte (LP, 1984)

I don't want to give Julian Lennon too much credit, but come on: this record had to have surprised some people. Clearly, if it wasn't for his last name, he wouldn't have been making his debut on a major label, and clearly he wouldn't have received such easy access to radio play, but these songs deserved it.

Or at least the two major singles did. The title track is a production masterpiece, with tons of elements coming together and hardly stepping on each other's toes. On top of that (which has to be credited to seasoned producer Phil Ramone), Julian holds his own. His lyrics aren't mind-blowing, but the melody in this song is strong. The next couple tracks lean towards a harder sound and don't work quite as well, but when he gets back into the synth-pop on the final two first-siders, it ain't bad.

But, let's be honest with ourselves here: the real reason I bought this record is because "Too Late for Goodbyes" is one of the most underappreciated songs of the mid-80's, and I can't get enough of it. If 1984 hadn't been such a monumental year for pop music, the song probably would have been a huger hit than it was. It's a good one.

The rest of the record holds up fairly well, too. Other than the two big singles, "Say You're Wrong" is the other standout here, and it's another one that owes some credit to production. Still, it's a catchy little track.

Julian Lennon's in a rough spot, and the dude needs to be cut some slack. He ain't his dad, but I don't think he ever said that he wanted to be. The guy can write a nice pop song (or at least he could back then), and that's more than most people can claim.

"Too Late for Goodbyes"

John Lennon - Imagine (LP, 1971)

I tried to get into John Lennon when I was a teenager. I bought this record, and even had a book about it. And I found that Lennon's idealistic love-cures-all attitude just didn't work for me. Though I can see it now for what it is (a fine idea from someone whose life had no basis in the reality in which most people live), I still don't get much out of it.

I agree with what Lennon says in the song "Imagine." In theory, it's something worth looking at. It's a place to start, and I appreciate that. And it's a nice song. I also think "Jealous Guy" is a nice song. But for some reason, "All You Need is Love," which is arguably just as short-sighted and possibly less articulate, makes more sense to me. I think Lennon needed The Beatles. I like McCartney's solo stuff better than Lennon's, but heck, I think he needed The Beatles, too. When your ego has been boosted into the stars (and rightfully so, on both counts), your only hope is having someone you know around you to tell you what not to do. Someone who doesn't give a shit about your fame or your self-proclaimed genius. Ideally, dudes you've been in a band with since you were in short pants.

Not only did Lennon lose those dudes, he gained a girlfriend (wife, by this point) who seemed to be in the business of encouraging this self-obsessed malarkey. I don't deny that John Lennon was an incredible songwriter. I just wonder if people are afraid to admit that some of his solo stuff isn't quite as brilliant as they want it to be. Maybe I wasn't around when it came out and I don't understand the perspectives of those who regard it with such fondness. I remember thinking that "Imagine" was trite when I was 15. And I was highly impressionable in those days. Maybe it just wasn't ever gutsy enough for me.

The gutsiest song here (both musically and lyrically) is "How Do You Sleep?," which, while being arguably the best song on the record, is a bit sad to listen to. But, if you're into rock & roll diss tracks, it doesn't get much more big-time than that one.

But, come on: "Oh Yoko"? That's no good. Is it?

"Crippled Inside"

John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (LP, 1970)

I'm going to tell you a secret: I don't like John Lennon's solo work as much as I feel like I should.

I own this record, and I have for quite some time. I don't remember when or where I got it, but I remember feeling an obligation to have a copy of it around. I still do. I did, however, recently part with my crap copy of Mind Games, as well as my copies of Milk and Honey and Double Fantasy. I hadn't listened to those last two in a decade, and the Mind Games LP was some Columbia House record club version, so that went straight to Goodwill. So, I'm down to this one and one other one, I think.

And it's not that I hate Lennon's solo work. It's just that I know if I listened to this record without ever having heard the Beatles, I wouldn't really give a shit about it. Songs like "Mother" sound self-obsessed and whiny to me, and the whole thing is reverb-happy and intentionally sparse. Why would I listen to "I Found Out" when I could listen to "Come Together"? Still, this album isn't far enough removed from the Beatles to really find Lennon losing his way, so there are, of course, some great songs here.

But, then he fucks them up with lyrics about Yoko. For some reason, hearing him complain about how he and Yoko can't get a fair shake in life ("Isolation") just rubs me the wrong way. In fact, hearing him sing about Yoko at all gets boring pretty quick. It's a shame, because "Well Well Well" is a sweet song. So is "Look at Me," but maybe that's because it sounds the most like a Beatles tune.

Believe me, I understand the brilliance of this record. And I do like it in moderation. I guess I'm just not a Lennon-solo kind of guy.

"Look at Me"

Da Lench Mob - Planet of da Apes (LP, 1994)

When I found Lench Mob's first record, this one was filed right next to it. When you get the chance to pick up a group's whole catalog in one fell swoop, you take it. So I bought their sophomore (and final) LP, having never even heard of it.

It's actually much better than I thought it would be, and it's more of a departure from their debut than I expected. Of course, part of this is due to the fact that original member J-Dee got convicted of murder between the two records, and here he's been replaced by Maulkie, a dude who can hold his own.

Like a lot of West Coast hip-hoppers in '94, Da Lench Mob adopted some of the G-Funk sound for this bad boy. But, some of their darkness remains, and those are the stronger tracks. "Cut Throats" features Dre-like squealing synths, and despite the presence of Mack 10, it's a starkly cool song. "King of the Jungle" sounds like a Predator outtake, working the same horn-wailing chaos as "Wicked." Speaking of Ice Cube, he's still down with Da Mob, and though his presence isn't felt as strongly on this LP, when he shows up he dials it.

Overall, this album probably isn't as strong as their debut, but it definitely proves they weren't content to fizzle out. The title track is a little too mellow for my liking, but "Goin' Bananas" brings the quickness, and "Environmental Terrorist" harnesses the anger nicely. Still, the G-Funk sounds a bit generic, and the tracks just don't hit as hard as they should. But, it ends up being a nice snapshot of a critical moment for West Coast rap.

"Goin' Bananas"

Da Lench Mob - Guerillas in tha Mist (LP, 1992)

If you're looking for more Death Certificate/Predator-era Ice Cube, this is about as close as you can get. Cube was responsible for the Da Lench Mob, and he's all over this thing. Thankfully, the actual Mob can hold their own as well, so this record ends up being really damn good.

This is early-90's West Coast gangsta rap, and it bumps. Cube oversaw/produced the whole thing, so the beats sound – for the most part – like outtakes from Death Certificate. This thing is wall-to-wall with thick grooves heavy on the samples, and all kinds of hooks. It might not be quite as fancy as Cube's solo joints, but the point here seems to be roughness. The dudes in Da Lench Mob are clearly more gangsta (in real life) than Cube ever was, and their street tales usually skip the humor and go straight for the bloodshed.

However, they're also capable of having some fun. "All On My Nut Sac" is a nice companion to Cube's "Get Off My Dick...," and features a huge hook that nicely ties in all the tales of folks who won't get off the jock. Cube drops some dope rhymes on the cut, and he shows up here and there throughout the record. B-Real from Cypress Hill guests on the equally critical-but-funny "Ain't Got No Class," and adds plenty of nasal to the chorus.

And the rest of the songs here are all solid. At less than 45 minutes, Da Mob does a fine job of getting in and getting out. The record goes by quick, and the pace never slows. There are a few short "insert" tracks, but no skits to bog anything down.

I found an import (French, I think) copy of this last year and jumped on it. And I'm glad I did.

"Guerillas in tha Mist"

Recent Acquisitions.

And when I say recent, I mean in the last few months. As I may have mentioned before, I'm trying to replace all my CDs with vinyl, and it's going to be a huge (and costly) process. I'm working on the A's and B's currently, and making some progress. Been putting in time on eBay, and getting some solid deals.

Finally found a copy of Icky Mettle by Archers of Loaf that didn't cost a fortune, and it's in incredible shape. Picked that one up on eBay, then found their LP White Trash Heroes at a record store here in town. It's not in the best shape, but the price was right.

Also picked up two Atmosphere 3-LP sets: Seven's Travels and Headshots: SE7EN. Still need to collect the three EPs that make up the Lucy Ford CD, along with You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. That one is elusive. I'll probably get God Loves Ugly and Overcast! at some point, too. Those have been reissued and are much easier to find.

The Beastie Boys: I'm tackling it. Got an original copy of Licensed to Ill, the first go-round reissue of Check Your Head (1998, I think?), an original copy of Ill Communication, the "Pass the Mic" promo 12", the "Gratitude" 12", and the "Sure Shot" 12". Got swizzity deals on all of these. I thought the "Pass the Mic" single was the actual single, not the promo. The tracks are slightly different, so I'm going to have to get the original one. They go for about five bones on eBay, so no biggie.

The dude selling the Beastie Boys 12"s was also selling a copy of Fugazi's In On the Kill Taker, and for .99 (with the added bonus of combined shipping), I couldn't pass it up.

I also got a slammin' deal on a eight-panel original (I think) copy of Paul's Boutique, but that hasn't shown up, and I don't think it's going to. Seller said he'd refund my money, but hasn't responded to my last email. Not a good sign.

Otherwise, it's all been smooth. And it feels oh so good.