I loathed him and his post-Beatles work for years. Mostly for his Bonoesque politics which seems glib and ill-informed at best, self-righteous at its most nauseating.
I mean, are there any soundbites of him discussing the Gulf of Tonkin incident, let alone tri-lateral diplomacy? Did he even mention Diem? These are basic, important topics, concepts that should come up in any serious discussion on the war.
Then again he hung out in a sack and bankrolled the black panthers.
But it was the non-political stuff, especially Walls and Bridges that brought on my newfound respect for him and his song writing. “Crippled Inside”, “Jealous Guy” and “Nobody Loves You…” show a vulnerable, yet cynical side to him that comes off as more sincere and poignant.
On the human level, he was a great mind, heart. And he expressed it in some of the most beautiful songs of his time. And like Frank, my heart breaks when I think about the great works robbed from us by his passing.
This October 9 would’ve been the 70th birthday of John Lennon, a statement that can’t help but make one wonder about what could/should have been. What kind of music would he have made? What would he be saying about the world today? What causes would he be championing? I imagine Lennon would’ve been much like a modern-day Mark Twain, a man who the media constantly sought out to see how any and all world events would be refracted through the prism of his considerable intellect, talent with words and impish wit. The fact that we never got to hear those thoughts from Lennon is a terrible loss.
I loathed him and his post-Beatles work for years. Mostly for his Bonoesque politics which seems glib and ill-informed at best, self-righteous at its most nauseating.
I mean, are there any soundbites of him discussing the Gulf of Tonkin incident, let alone tri-lateral diplomacy? Did he even mention Diem? These are basic, important topics, concepts that should come up in any serious discussion on the war.
Then again he hung out in a sack and bankrolled the black panthers.
But it was the non-political stuff, especially Walls and Bridges that brought on my newfound respect for him and his song writing. “Crippled Inside”, “Jealous Guy” and “Nobody Loves You…” show a vulnerable, yet cynical side to him that comes off as more sincere and poignant.
On the human level, he was a great mind, heart. And he expressed it in some of the most beautiful songs of his time. And like Frank, my heart breaks when I think about the great works robbed from us by his passing.
This October 9 would’ve been the 70th birthday of John Lennon, a statement that can’t help but make one wonder about what could/should have been. What kind of music would he have made? What would he be saying about the world today? What causes would he be championing? I imagine Lennon would’ve been much like a modern-day Mark Twain, a man who the media constantly sought out to see how any and all world events would be refracted through the prism of his considerable intellect, talent with words and impish wit. The fact that we never got to hear those thoughts from Lennon is a terrible loss.