John Lennon: Our Four Favorite Reissues

Here’s a little piece of fan fiction for ya: How do you think John Lennon’s career would have turned out if Mark David Chapman missed his mark that night of December 8, 1980, and the former Beatle wound up living to see his 83rd birthday? 

Would he have continued to make albums exclusively with Yoko Ono to the chagrin of his longtime fans? Would he have fallen into the trap of bad 80s production that mired the work of many of his peers during the Reagan years or would he have aligned himself with the American rock underground and collaborated with bands like Sonic Youth and R.E.M.? 

Would the 90s have seen him record an album with Rick Rubin; maybe Steve Albini? It’s certainly a no-brainer to believe that Lennon would have collaborated heavily with son Sean and his crew of downtown NYC noisemakers through the 00s, but could we also have seen John digging on IDM and Radiohead or jamming with The Roots or headlining Coachella and Glastonbury or perhaps even performing Plastic Ono Band in its entirety at All Tomorrow’s Parties? At 83, would he be out on the road like Macca and Ringo have been so diligently doing in their golden years?

And how about The Beatles—would there have been any attempt for a full band reunion, perhaps for Live Aid or Bonnaroo? Was a follow-up to Let It Be just beyond our reach?

One can only speculate how things would have panned out had John lived to become a pensioner, one thing we can confirm is that the man gave us a hell of a ride in his 30s, as the eight solo albums he created and multitude of posthumous titles produced after his death so perfectly testify. 

Here’s our four favorite releases from the vast universe of Lennon reissues and collections out there.

Plastic Ono Band: The Ultimate Collection (2021)

Fueled by the primal scream therapy John and Yoko had been participating in to cope with the stress of the Beatles’ breakup and a late-term miscarriage, Plastic Ono Band was Lennon in the raw. Largely backed by the minimalist rhythm section of Klaus Voormann on bass and fellow Beatle Ringo Starr on drums (with a guest turn from Billy Preston playing grand piano on “God”), this eight-disc Ultimate edition provides a forensic dive into how masterfully Lennon channels his psychological scars into searing ballads (“Mother,” “Isolation”), proto-punk blues dirges (“Well Well Well”, “I Found Out”) and pensive hosannas (“Hold On,” “Working Class Hero”). Plastic Ono Band served as a quintessential template for Kurt Cobain, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Joe Strummer, Stephen Brodsky, and countless others who’ve seared their vocal cords in the name of music. And this magnificent box set, highlighted by a “Jams” disc that really showcases the dynamic interplay between Lennon, Voormann, and Ringo, gives you the opportunity to experience the album as if it was your first time all over again.

Sometime In New York City (1972/2010)

1972’s Sometime in New York City, long considered by critics to be the worst album in the Lennon catalog, is prime for reassessment upon the release of this latest edition, which restores the full two-disc version to its proper prominence. Disc One is undeniably one of the most politically charged recordings in rock history, featuring ripped-from-the-headlines paeans to Black Panther Angela Davis, political activist John Sinclair and the plight of the Irish Republican Army, while the second encompasses one of the coolest jams ever caught on tape between the Plastic Ono Band and Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention: a frenzied battle royal that peaks at the psychedelic freeform meltown “Scumbag.”

Double Fantasy: Stripped Down Mix (1980/2010)

The best of the 2010 batch of Lennon reissues is easily the deluxe remodeling of Lennon’s 1980 joint masterpiece with Yoko, Double Fantasy. Flanked by a beautifully hand drawn paper-and-pencil recreation of the iconic cover art by their son Sean, this two-disc set contains not only a beautiful new mix of the original LP, but a second disc that features the entire album in its raw, pre-production form. And for my money, the latter actually sounds far better than the original, as the stripped down version punches up the primal urgency of such tracks as “I’m Losing You” and “Cleanup Time” to match the ferocity of even angriest, most aggressive cuts from Plastic Ono Band, while such previously panned Yoko cuts as “Kiss Kiss Kiss” and “I’m Moving On” deserve second chances from more open-minded fans, as the alternate takes really capture the new wave sensibility that were lost in the final mixes.

John Lennon Anthology (1998)

Released shortly after The Beatles’ own Anthology series drew to a close in 1997, Lennon’s Anthology is its own treasure trove of idiosyncratic riches. Filled with previously unreleased home recordings, demos and outtakes, the set was divided by its compiler and co-producer, Yoko Ono, into four discs representing four eras in Lennon’s solo career: “Ascot,” “New York City”, “The Lost Weekend” and “Dakota.” If you’re a fan of Guided By Voices and Lou Barlow’s Sentridoh, the hissy home recordings and tossed off song sketches will no doubt charm your indie rock ass, while more cohesive material like Lennon’s revelatory vocal guides for Ringo Starr solo hits like “I’m The Greatest” and “Goodnight Vienna” will just plain blow your mind. And while it’s not on Spotify, it’s well worth hunting down this precious cube of rare John gems on Discogs. 

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Ron Hart

Ron Hart is the Editor-in-Chief of Rock and Roll Globe. Reach him on X @MisterTribune.

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