Would have it become album of the year?
 

I was just watching a John Lennon doc at TV, and also checked wikipedia about Double Fantasy. It says the album took on a poignancy following Lennon's murder three weeks after its release. It went on to become a worldwide commercial success, winning the 1981 Album of the Year at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.

I've no doubt it would have reached N.1 at some point anyway, but if Lennon had never been murdered, DF would have had the same success? Would have it become album of the year? I never got the album, just some singles, I don't know how good actually it was.

It's difficult to say. My instinctive response is no. I think it would have done really well, but it probably wouldn't have received "Album Of The Year." However, that means very little in the grand scheme of things. John was a musical artist who wrote some of the most brilliant and indelibly perfect masterpieces of the 20th century- with and without Paul McCartney. So the fact that his death incited such a reaction from the public, his peers, and those who cast the ballots at the award ceremonies is only a smidgen in his actual impact as the legend that he was.

I think Double Fantasy is an extraordinarily beautiful, touching, and bittersweet album. I personally consider it a masterpiece, but everyone has their own feelings. When I was growing up as a Lennon fan, I instantly was drawn into his confessional, honest, and driving solo stuff- the Plastic Ono Band and the melodic brilliance of Imagine. I adored Walls & Bridges for it's energy and it's brilliant songs, and I adored his anthemic songs such as "Instant Karma," "Mind Games," and "Freda People."

Double Fantasy was a very different John. He was not as angry or as blunt, but he had softened and was embracing his life as a father and husband. The songs on that record, for me, took time to really sink in as the beautiful works that they were. It was a concept album, with a man/woman (John and Yoko) singing back and forth to one another about their life's ups and downs. Mainly ups. But there was some edge to it as well, in particular with "I'm Losing You" and "Hard Times Are Over."

If you've listened to John's music, starting all the way back to the late 50's there is always a tinge of sadness. He had an extremely difficult and tumultuous childhood that scarred him for his whole life. So when you take that John and fast-forward to 1980 and he's singing about adoring his wife, his son, starting over, baking bread, missing quality family time, etc. it can be hard to accept this from the man who was always thought as the "Edgy Beatle," the loud-mouth cynic, etc.

But the songs show that he had done a 180, had come into his own as a man and a human being. Not only that, they were beautifully written, filled with gorgeous melodies and amazing chords. I love it. John was still being honest, but it was more a statement of: "here I am not, this is me, my life, and I'm actually pretty happy."

I adore the album. It should be taken as a WHOLE, but John's songs outshine Yoko's because he was really at a peak. A peak. :( And therein lies the sadness...

THat's true. We know the academies like to award late artists (Peter Finch, Heath Ledger), and maybe if there were alive they wouldn't have won. I know an award is very relative and doesn't mean necessarily it was the best work. But it's interesting to wonder.. if John haven't won.. who of these would?


•Al Jarreau - Breakin'' Away
•Kim Carnes - Mistaken Identity
•Quincy Jones - The Dude
•Steely Dan - Gaucho

Maybe Steely Dan.

But "meh" is my general reaction to these awards. John's Double Fantasy is one of my all-time favorite albums by anyone (that has happened over the years because I at first thought he was a little too mushy and obsessed with his wife and son when I first heard it). I don't really have the same feelings about those other albums.

Awards and chart placements don't matter as much as years have gone by. I didn't know that then but I see it now, oh so clearly.

Yoko mars what could have a fantastic JOHN ONLY album. I know thousands of people say this but I wish Yoko would have stopped poking her ass in things. John's solo work too me is drab. DF could have been a very special album.......so close and yet so far

Mick

More Yoko bashing :mad:...jeez, how come nobody complained when his partner was Paul McCartney and he had to share LP time with him?

Yoko was also at her peak at this time, as well. To me, her songs were actually more "in their time" than John's...John was being Elvis, while Yoko was showing the world where the B-52's roots were.

I don't get the reverance for Gaucho on this board ..It is not even in Steely Dan's top five best and having been a fan at the time a significant letdown after the near perfection of Aja.

Meh, I don't really hold it to any reverence. I was just stating a probable Album Of The Year. I'm not really a fan of that record any way.

ah ok in another thread somewhere a bunch of people were saying it was superior to Aja which IMO is like saying Mirage is better than Rumours...to each their own I guess.

Yoko does not mar Double Fantasy to me. I love her songs on the record, and I adore the sequencing of the record. John's stuff, in comparison, is rather tame. I'm NOT dissing John. My gawd, to me he is truly the greatest pop/rock songwriter, but for a man who gave us the Beatles, wrote stuff like "Rain," "Day Tripper," "Tomorrow Never Knows", "Strawberry Fields Forever," "A Day In the Life" and, like, a hundred other masterpieces as well as presented to the world the most raw and personal album ever with Plastic Ono Band, his beautiful ballads to his wife and son are, well, different from him.:shocked:

Oh and I am done with the "John's solo work is drab" crap. I used to believe that BS and didn't give it the time of day and afterward when my college friends and I bought his Anthology I don't think I ever heard such stunning, perfect music. Still my fave collection of work by any solo Beatle- that Anthology. I LOVE John's solo music. (George comes right next, I can take some here and there of the other two to be honest...)

Thank you chili.I agree! I take it you enjoy some Y.O.? I discovered her amazing-ness in my senior year of High School. I bought her Approximately Infinite Universe and Rising albums and I loved them. The stuff she did with John was ahead of it's time. Check this out people, I bet most will be turned off but I freaking love this:

well one man's trash is another man's treasure......so.........there we are:wavey: oh i have the anthology too and......nah. Just IMO, Of course. more power to you.

Mick

Well, can't argue with that.:nod: And I smile at the thought of you calling John Lennon's music "trash."

It's all good, lol!

Hey I only think that about John Solo.......Beatle John is Gold.:cool: Oh and Plastic Ono Band Is a FANTASTIC Album. my one exception:thumbsup:

Mick

I feel ya. POB is one of the most influential albums of my life, but my favorite John solo album is Walls & Bridges so I'm one of those people who happens to adore solo John. I don't genuinely feel as passionately about the others' solo stuff (aside from some from George), but I completely understand when fans favor Beatles over solo, or maybe only like a certain solo thing. I totally do understand. :nod: