The Words and Music of John Lennon

(Hardback)

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Despite John Lennon's immense popularity, little attention has been paid to his work apart from the Beatles. Yet his solo artistry not only illuminates what he gave to the Beatles, but also constitutes a significant contribution to popular music in general. Lennon was able to fuse experiments in technology, instrumentation, lyrics, and musical form into recordings that were both artistically and commercially successful. Few singer-songwriters have been his equal. In this long overdue investigation, authors Ben Urish and Ken Bielen give Lennon's artistry the opportunity to speak for itself. After a brief biographical introduction, chronologically arranged chapters discuss his incredible body of work album-by-album and single-by-single. A discography and annotated bibliography conclude the book. Despite John Lennon's immense popularity, little attention has been paid to the overall efforts of his work apart from the Beatles. Yet his solo artistry not only illuminates what he gave to the Beatles (and what the Beatles experience gave to him), but also constitutes a significant contribution to popular music in general. Lennon was able to fuse experiments in technology, instrumentation, lyrics, and musical form into recordings that were both artistically and commercially successful. Whether expressing emotions, explaining philosophies, protesting social situations, or ruminating on the joys and pains of personal entanglements, few singer-songwriters have been his equal. In this long overdue investigation, authors Ben Urish and Ken Bielen give Lennon's artistry the opportunity to speak for itself. After a brief biographical introduction, chronologically arranged chapters discuss his incredible body of work album-by-album and single-by-single. A discography and annotated bibliography conclude the book. Although he is often lauded as a spokesperson for his generation, this praise, however intended, is far too limiting. Lennon was able to transform the intensely personal into the deeply universal (as well as the reverse), often with humor and pointed insight. At their core, his songs are simultaneously humanistic and transcendent. And as such, they-and he-continue to be relevant, and will certainly remain a valuable part of our cultural heritage for a long time to come.

Reviews

The Beatles have been the focus of numerous scholarly researchers--among them Ger Tillekens, K. G. Johansson, Wilfrid Mellers, Russell Reising, and Allan Moore--not to mention an academic conference held in Finland in 2000. But little has been written about the music of the group's individual members, particularly following the band's 1970 breakup. Urish and Bielen's treatment, which fills this void, looks not only at the music Lennon wrote after the group's demise but also at his solo work while the Beatles were still together and at posthumous releases of his material. The authors reveal details about the lyrical content, recordings, and performance practice of Lennon's songs, and they identify musicians involved in recording sessions of Lennon's music. They also offer insight onto Lennon's personal life, providing contextual information about how the songs reflected his ideas on life and relationships. This accessible book will be useful to those interested in music, mass media, and popular culture. Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. * Choice *
It's an informative, highly enjoyable wealth of information about the thought and background of the music, album-by-album and single-by-single. Though not an intentional biography, nevertheless through Lennon's music this book perhaps documents the biography Lennon wanted us to hear, and certainly details the legacy he left behind. * Record Collector Magazine *
The Words and Music of John Lennon shows how this remarkable man was able to transform the intensely personal into the deeply universal (and vice versa), often with humour and pointed insight. * Library Media Connection *
Urish and Beilen, who has taught courses in popular music at Bowling Green State U., examine the solo work of John Lennon from 1968 to 1980, as well as posthumous releases up to 1988. They focus on his music, lyrics, and recordings, with a brief introductory chapter on biography, biographical context integrated into the chapters on music. Subsequent chapters are arranged chronologically and consider each album and notable songs from them. Significant recordings and compositions that were uncompleted are included, as well as collaborations with Yoko Ono and others. A discography is provided, and the bibliography is annotated. The analysis is meant for both academic and mainstream audiences. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Ben Urish has taught courses in Popular Music at Temple University, and has made popular music a large component in classes on mass media and American cultural history at Michigan State University. Ken Bielen is Director of Grants Management at Indiana Wesleyan University for the College of Adult and Professional Studies and the College of Graduate Studies. He is the author of The Lyrics of Civility (1999) and The Words and Music of John Lennon (Praeger, 2007) with Ben Urish.