John Lennon
Mind Games (Apple)
Ultimate Collection 2LP
Despite this writer loving all things Beatles, this Lennon album has always skirted away from the old knowledge banks. The title track has always been a minor favorite, but the rest of the album was startlingly unfamiliar.
Thankfully, this reissue offers the opportunity to dive into the original LP and more. The press release describes Mind Games as oft-overlooked and under appreciated, so it's not just us. But the album is way better than it's given credit for. It's been fully remixed, so we're hearing it at the peak of its powers.
"We’ve been working on the box sets of Mind Games for years now," said Sean Ono Lennon in a statement. "Initially I thought ‘MindGames… game… What if we ‘gamified’ Mind Games? So that’s all I’ll say for now, but there are many levels to this release, including the box sets and far beyond – that will slowly unravel – and I hope will potentially entertain and engage everyone for possibly years to come..."
"My favorite part is mixing. I love getting to be that intimate with my dad’s music. It feels like an honor. I’ve spent my whole life getting good at that type of thing and it’s a great feeling to be able to put those skills to work while spending time in my father’s world. I really enjoy it and feel very lucky and delighted to be able to share it with you."
Indeed, the album sounds superb. This is Lennon at his esoteric best, really working hard to find the emotion behind the song and then reverse engineering. The disc of outtakes is perhaps better still, including some fascinating interview footage. Overall, this is a gift.
The gatefold packaging is gorgeous, and comes complete with a poster, two postcards and a booklet. Treat yourself.
Max Blansjaar
False Comforts (Beanie Tapes)
LP
This album arrived in our mailbox out of the blue, and it's appropriate that it shares a column with John Lennon because it feels like the Dutch-born, England-based artist certainly looked to the Beatle for some influence. If not, then it happened organically.
Blansjaar's debut album is packed with songs that are blessed with sugary sweet melodies but they're disguised by some psychedelic fuzz.
From the opening "Saturnia" though the incredible "Like a Bad Dream: and climaxing with a startling "I Will Not Be Forgiven," this is an album that needs to be heard by more people then those currently aware of Blansjaar.
