0296. John Lennon
Imagine

Wo-hoo! The first sign of The Beatles on the list! Okay, so it's the second solo album by one of the ex-mop tops, but still! Or "still" for that matter: this is John Lennon's Imagine we're talking about. An album so legendary it's sound's probably been commented on by more people than have actually heard it.

And musically he's all over the place, from Imagine's piano-ballad to It's So Hard's rhythm 'n' blues (with a violin-section) and the cheery country of Crippled Inside is in stark contrast to the lyrics, a method used on more than one song on this album as he's delivering Jealous Guy's apology of a regretful abuser in an almost serene tone (with a carefree whistle as the bridge) and the title track is (if you've forgotten to listen to the lyrics for a while) a rather rebellious protest song, kicking the shins of religion, capitalism, nationalism and you name it (it's paired on the B-side by Give Me Some Truth which has the music to match the lyrics).

In spite of raging songs about the state of the world, the feistiest song is How Do You Sleep, a less than subtle attack on former band-mate Paul McCartney that both claims he's stolen songs as well as fueling the rumors that he was actually dead. Guest starring George Harrison on slide-guitar and (reportedly) co-written by Yoko Ono it's not a friendly jibe, but a real thrashing. It's really invigorating to listen to the man who's been made out like the world's greatest peacenik tear an old friend a new one (but don't worry, they made up later on).

The album ends on a high note though, the love song Oh Yoko! is both cheery in its lyrics and in the music, but like David Bowie's Kooks it's better on paper than in practice.
I Don't Want To Be A Soldier is the longest song on the album as well as a track that doesn't sound like Lennon at all. The voice is so different I always for a moment contemplate if there's been a miss in the album pressing (coincidentally it's the only of the tracks on Imagine that hasn't got it's own page on Wikipedia).
Come to think of it, the two least interesting songs both end their respective sides and the two most overt protest songs begin them. Nice synchronicity.