Lennon's "Imagine" album + outtakes...6 CD boxset.

[Diamond Dog]

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/ ... c-box-set/

Erm........

[Bent Fabric]

Only buying 10 copies in 5 formats, then?

[Matt Wilson]

Damn. I'm sure I'll get it.

[Diamond Dog]

lol. Precisely. (at JSJ, not Matt)

[Quaco]

I think this is cool. I'm sure I won't buy it, but I think it's cool! Seeing/having the film in pristine quality will be great, and if it's available separately, I'll probably get that. Love the look of it, and seeing the house/grounds/decor in better quality will be fantastic.

[Matt Wilson]

lol. Precisely. (at JSJ, not Matt)

But you knew I'd get it though!

[Matt Wilson]

I've been listening to the CD Lennon box of his albums with their original mixes for the last week. One a day. It's easy to categorize John's solo stuff for me:

Excellent
Plastic Ono Band
Imagine

Average/weak
Sometime in New York City

Good
Mind Games
Walls & Bridges
Double Fantasy
Live Peace in Toronto

Pretty good
Milk & Honey

[Bent Fabric]

I mean, it's one of those things like the upcoming Kinks box where...I do balk at the price, but...I absolutely drool at the contents.

"When's the last time you played it?"

"Oh, I dunno - been a couple years now."

"You want all kinds of crazy alt. mixes/etc.?"

"SHOOT THAT SHIT IN MY SPINE!!!!"

There's a commercial doing the rounds online which is just about 30 seconds of his isolated double tracked vocal to "Oh My Love" and it really does sound like the fucking business.

[naughty boy]

I've been listening to the CD Lennon box of his albums with their original mixes for the last week. One a day. It's easy to categorize John's solo stuff for me:

Excellent
Plastic Ono Band
Imagine

Average/weak
Sometime in New York City

Good
Mind Games
Walls & Bridges
Double Fantasy
Live Peace in Toronto

Pretty good
Milk & Honey

With a BIG gap between the first and second choices, right?

[Matt Wilson]

With a BIG gap between the first and second choices, right?

You mean between 'excellent' and 'good?'

I dunno, John. I'm thinking that Mind Games and Walls & Bridges are actually very good albums. I mean he's not pushing the envelope anymore, that's for sure. But most of those songs are solid work. Well-crafted, melodic and personal to him. Sometime in New York City is the only weak effort, and that's down to Yoko's songs more than anything else, really. There's a live one with her screeching which goes on forever. It's actually a trial to get through.

[naughty boy]

I meant between Plastic Ono Band and Imagine...

[Matt Wilson]

You don't like Imagine?

[naughty boy]

Oh, it's OK....but POB is something close to a masterpiece.

Not that I listen to it that often, mind. It's hard work in places.

[Matt Wilson]

I actually see the songs on both of those albums as being more similar than different. The stripped down approach he and Spector used on Plastic Ono Band certainly sets that album apart, but the sweetening of the production on Imagine is what made that LP sell more copies, not that the songs are necessarily better or anything.

Of course, then he let Phil have his way on Sometime... and look what happened.

Actually, I'm not even sure if I believe that. The songs themselves aren't quite up to par on that LP. Plus, there's Yoko screeching.

[HotRats]

Imagine?

Well now we don't have to imagine because we got 6 cds of the stuff. Jesus.

[Matt Wilson]

TRACKLISTINGS

JOHN LENNON: IMAGINE - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION SIX-DISC BOX SET

CD1 – Imagine
The Album - The Ultimate Mixes Disc 1
Remix in Stereo 16-44.1
Remixed Stereo Album, Singles & Extras

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko! The Singles & Extras
11. Power To The People
12. Well… (Baby Please Don't Go)
13. God Save Us
14. Do The Oz
15. God Save Oz
16. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

CD2 - The Ultimate Mixes Disc 2
New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1
Elements Mixes and Album & Single Outtakes

Elements Mixes
1. Imagine (strings only)
2. Jealous Guy (piano, bass & drums)
3. Oh My Love (vocals only)
4. How? (strings only)

Album out-takes
5. Imagine (demo)
6. Imagine (take 1)
7. Crippled Inside (take 3)
8. Crippled Inside (take 6 – alt guitar solo)
9. Jealous Guy (take 9)
10. It's So Hard (take 6)
11. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 11)
12. Gimme Some Truth (take 4)
13. Oh My Love (take 6)
14. How Do You Sleep? (takes 1 & 2)
15. How? (take 31)
16. Oh Yoko! (Bahamas 1969)

Singles out-takes
17. Power To The People (take 7)
18. God Save Us (demo)
19. Do The Oz (take 3)
20. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (alt mix)

CD3 - Raw Studio Mixes
New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1
Extended Album Tracks & Outtakes – Live At Ascot Sound Studios

Extended Album Versions - Live
1. Imagine (take 10)
2. Crippled Inside (take 6)
3. Jealous Guy (take 29)
4. It's So Hard (take 11)
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 4 – extended)
6. Gimme Some Truth (take 4 – extended)
7. Oh My Love (take 20)
8. How Do You Sleep? (take 11 – extended)
9. How? (take 40)
10. Oh Yoko! (take 1 extended)

Out-takes - Live
11. Imagine (take 1)
12. Jealous Guy (take 11)
13. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 21)
14. How Do You Sleep? (take 1)
15. How Do You Sleep? (takes 5 & 6)

CD 4 - The Evolution Documentary
New Mix in Mono 16-44.1
The story of each song on a journey from demo to master via instructions, rehearsals,
recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chat

Album tracks only
1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!

BLU-RAY DISC ONE – Imagine - The Ultimate Mixes
Remixed Stereo Album, Singles, Extras & Outtakes

Imagine - The Album
Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!

Singles & Extras
Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96

1. Power To The People
2. Well… (Baby Please Don't Go)
3. God Save Us (Bill Elliot vocal)
4. Do The Oz
5. God Save Oz (John Lennon vocal)
6. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

The Out-takes
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96

1. Imagine (demo)
2. Imagine (take 1)
3. Crippled Inside (take 3)
4. Crippled Inside (take 6 alt guitar solo)
5. Jealous Guy (take 9)
6. It's So Hard (take 6)
7. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 11)
8. Gimme Some Truth (take 4)
9. Oh My Love (take 6)
10. How Do You Sleep? (takes 1 & 2)
11. How? (take 31)
12. Oh Yoko! (Bahamas 1969)
13. Power To The People (take 7)
14. God Save Us (demo)
15. Do The Oz (take 3)
16. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (alt mix)

The Quadrasonic Mixes
Remastered in Quad 4.0 24-96
Original 1971 Quadsonic Album Remastered

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!

BLU-RAY DISC TWO – In The Studio and Deeper Listening

The Raw Studio Mixes - Extended Album Versions - Live
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
Experience, in immersive Surround Sound, the moment John and The Plastic Ono Band record each song live, from a sonic soundstage at the center of Ascot Sound Studios at John & Yoko's home in Tittenhurst

1. Imagine (take 10)
2. Crippled Inside (take 6)
3. Jealous Guy (take 29)
4. It's So Hard (take 11)
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 4 – extended)
6. Gimme Some Truth (take 4 – extended)
7. Oh My Love (take 20)
8. How Do You Sleep? (take 11 – extended)
9. How? (take 40)
10. Oh Yoko! (take 1 – extended)

The Raw Studio Mixes - Out-takes - Live
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96

1. Imagine (take 1)
2. Crippled Inside (take 2)
3. Crippled Inside (take 6 alt guitar solo)
4. Jealous Guy (take 11)
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (take 21)
6. How Do You Sleep? (take 1)
7. How Do You Sleep? (takes 5 & 6)
8. How? (takes 7-10)
9. How? (take 40 alt vocal)
10. Oh Yoko! (take 1 tracking vocal)

The Elements Mixes
From the Master Multitracks
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
Mixes from elements of the original multitracks that demonstrate some of the instrumentations from 'behind the scenes'

1. Imagine (strings)
2. Crippled Inside (upright bass & drums)
3. Jealous Guy (piano, bass & drums)
4. It's So Hard (strings)
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (guitar, bass & drums)
6. Gimme Some Truth (electric piano & guitar)
7. Oh My Love (vocals)
8. How Do You Sleep? (strings)
9. How? (strings)
10. Oh Yoko! (acoustic)

The Evolution Documentary
New Mix in Mono 24-96
The story of the songs from demo to master in rehearsals, studio chat and mixed multitrack elements

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Jealous Guy
4. It's So Hard
5. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
6. Gimme Some Truth
7. Oh My Love
8. How Do You Sleep?
9. How?
10. Oh Yoko!
11. Power To The People
12. Well… (Baby Please Don't Go)
13. God Save Us/God Save Oz
14. Do The Oz
15. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
16. Tittenhurst Park

Imagine John & Yoko – The Elliot Mintz Interviews
New Mix in Mono 24-96
Tribute by DJ and family friend Elliot Mintz featuring revealing, philosophical, honest and humorous interviews with John & Yoko.

***

IMAGINE/GIMME SOME TRUTH BLU-RAY RELEASE

Imagine (Film)

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Good Morning
4. Jealous Guy
5. Don't Count The Waves
6. It's So Hard
7. Mrs. Lennon
8. In Bag
9. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
10. Mind Train
11. Whisper Piece
12. What's That In The Sky?
13. Power To The People
14. Gimme Some Truth
15. Midsummer New York
16. Oh My Love
17. How Do You Sleep?
18. How?
19. Oh Yoko!
20. Beach / End Credits

Gimme Some Truth (Film)

1. Imagine
2. Crippled Inside
3. Oh Yoko!
4. Jealous Guy
5. It's So Hard
6. I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die
7. Gimme Some Truth
8. Oh My Love
9. How Do You Sleep?
10. How?
11. Imagine

DVD / Blu-Ray Extras

1. Jealous Guy (raw studio out-take)
2. How? (raw studio out-take)
3. Gimme Some Truth (raw studio out-take)
4. David Bailey photoshoot

[Quaco]

I think Some Time in New York City could have been pretty good, and some of the songs are, but Yoko really doesn't have a Western rock voice. I like the screechy stuff ("Aü") and the girl-group-adjacent stuff ("Sisters O Sisters"), but I question her approach on her other songs. Lennon's are a bit better. "Woman..." is a masterpiece. ("We're All Water" is something of one too, I feel.)

[Matt Wilson]

I like the screechy stuff ("Aü")

Of course you do.

[naughty boy]

I actually see the songs on both of those albums as being more similar than different. The stripped down approach he and Spector used on Plastic Ono Band certainly sets that album apart, but the sweetening of the production on Imagine is what made that LP sell more copies, not that the songs are necessarily better or anything.

POB stands on its own merits - it's grand and it's rich and it's strong - but I imagine (ha!) that if you were a distraught Beatles' fan in 1970 you could have taken some solace in it, perhaps more than in the McCartney offering. You get that dark Lennon vocal, the stark piano chords and the thudding Ringo drums that you heard on The White Album - 'stripped-down', as you say. The songs are as good, too. And if it matters to you, it's absolutely a 'statement'.

Half of Imagine is pretty poor. I was hugely disappointed when I first heard it (almost 20 years after I first heard POB, which knocked me out).

[toomanyhatz]

Imagine has some great stuff and some meh stuff. I prefer Walls and Bridges, honestly.