First off, let’s be clear about what is in this box and what isn’t.
The box includes the Lennon solo albums “Plastic Ono Band”, “Imagine”, “Mind Games”, “Walls and Bridges”, and “Rock and Roll” — all of his officially-released solo albums.
It also includes the John and Yoko albums “Some Time in New York City”, “Double Fantasy”, and “Milk and Honey”.
For a bonus, it also includes a rather short (six songs) disc of John and John/Yoko singles, which includes the songs “Power to the People”, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”, “Instant Karma!”, “Cold Turkey”, “Move Over Ms. L”, and “Give Peace a Chance”; and a second bonus disc of John’s home demo tapes, mostly devoted to songs that appeared the “Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine” albums.
It does NOT include any of the following:
– The experimental John and Yoko albums “Two Virgins”, “Life with the Lions”, and “The Wedding Album”
– The album “Live Peace in Toronto” (John and Yoko with the Plastic Ono Band)
– The new remix of “Double Fantasy”
– Other non-album tracks that have been included on previous CD versions of the albums, such as “Do the Oz”
Each album is in a cardboard double sleeve in the style of old LP packaging. Original front and back cover artwork is used in all cases, and has been reproduced very well. Each album has a gatefold photo of John (sometimes with Yoko) from roughly the same time period as the album itself. Each album also comes with a small CD booklet that discusses the album and its songs. Complete lyrics are included in each of these booklets.
The CD sound is excellent, and I approve of the decision to return to John’s original mixes rather than the posthumous remixes that have been used on the most recent CD releases prior to this. These CDs give us the music as John intended it to be heard.
The packaging is very much in John and Yoko’s style: very simple and elemental, mostly in white and blue. The box is surprisingly large and includes a fair amount of dead space; this results in a nearly perfect cube shape, and provides enough room for a small hardcover book entitled “Yes” that discusses John’s life, a separate piece of folded cardstock with individual messages from Yoko, John’s son Julian, and John and Yoko’s son Sean, and the package’s last bonus, a small drawing by John enclosed in a hardback cover. I don’t know if every box has the same picture, or if there are different ones. Mine is a peaceful drawing called “Family Tree” showing a couple resting underneath a tree, much as John and Yoko do on the covers of the two “Plastic Ono Band” albums. Like much of John’s artwork, it is expressive and elegant, the product of a natural and largely unschooled talent. His ability to convey an image with a minimal number of lines reminds me of some Japanese art.
All in all, I am happy with the box and I recommend it. It’s a fine companion to the recent Beatles box sets, and in some ways it feels more artistically assembled, no doubt due to Yoko’s personal involvement.
Track List
Sometime In New York City – Live: Disc 1 (of 11)
1. Cold Turkey (Live)
2. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Live)
3. Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) (Live)
4. Jamrag (Live)
5. Scumbag (Live)
6. Au (Live)
Sometime in New York City: Disc 2 (of 11)
1. Woman Is The N****r Of The World
2. Sisters O Sisters
3. Attica State
4. Born In A Prison
5. New York City
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday
7. The Luck Of The Irish
8. John Sinclair
9. Angela
10. We’re All Water
Mind Games: Disc 3 (of 11)
1. Mind Games
2. Tight A$
3. Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)
4. One Day (At A Time)
5. Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)
6. Nutopian International Anthem
7. Intuition
8. Out The Blue
9. Only People
10. I Know (I Know)
11. You Are Here
12. Meat City
Home Tapes: Disc 4 (of 11)
1. Mother
2. Love
3. God
4. I Found Out
5. Nobody Told Me
6. Honey Don’t
7. One Of The Boys
8. India India
9. Serve Yourself
10. Isolation
11. Remember
12. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
13. I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die
Walls And Bridges: Disc 5 (of 11)
1. Going Down On Love
2. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
3. Old Dirt Road
4. What You Got
5. Bless You
6. Scared
7. #9 Dream
8. Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
9. Steel And Glass
10. Beef Jerky
11. Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out)
12. Ya Ya
Rock ‘N’ Roll: Disc 6 (of 11)
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula
2. Stand By Me
3. Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy
4. You Can’t Catch Me
5. Ain’t That A Shame
6. Do You Want To Dance
7. Sweet Little Sixteen
8. Slippin’ And Slidin’
9. Peggy Sue
10. Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Lovin’
11. Bony Moronie
12. Ya Ya
13. Just Because
Milk And Honey: Disc 7 (of 11)
1. I’m Stepping Out
2. Sleepless Night
3. I Don’t Wanna Face It
4. Don’t Be Scared
5. Nobody Told Me
6. O’Sanity
7. Borrowed Time
8. Your Hands
9. (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess
10. Let Me Count The Ways
11. Grow Old With Me
12. You’re The One
Imagine: Disc 8 (of 11)
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!
Double Fantasy: Disc 9 (of 11)
1. (Just Like) Starting Over
2. Kiss Kiss Kiss
3. Cleanup Time
4. Give Me Something
5. I’m Losing You
6. I’m Moving On
7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
8. Watching The Wheels
9. Yes I’m Your Angel
10. Woman
11. Beautiful Boys
12. Dear Yoko
13. Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him
14. Hard Times Are Over
Plastic Ono Band: Disc 10 (of 11)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
Singles: Disc 11 (of 11)
1. Power To The People
2. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
3. Instant Karma!
4. Cold Turkey
5. Move Over Ms. L
6. Give Peace A Chance