John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Review: Primal Scream Therapy

Sophia Harris
AlbumsRockPop
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)

9.5/10 — John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)

Pros

  • Raw emotional honesty
  • 'Mother' and 'God'
  • Stripped-back sound

Cons

  • Very intense
  • Occasionally self-pitying

Made after Lennon underwent primal therapy and as the Beatles split, this album strips everything back to bass, drums, piano and voice, with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voormann. It deals with grief, anger and rejection of myths.

What works

‘Mother’ opens with a harrowing scream, ‘Working Class Hero’ is bleak and blunt, and ‘God’ is a bracing list of things he no longer believes in. The sound is stark and the honesty startling.

Where it falters

It’s relentlessly intense, and some songs are blunt to the point of being self-pitying.

Verdict

A brave, bare and unforgettable album.

Sophia HarrisBy Sophia Harris