the critics weren't impressed with it and then lennon got killed and opinions changed about the album.
shareI wouldn't say it's bad, but it didn't really speak to me the way Plastic Ono Band or Imagine did. I haven't listened to it in almost 15 years.
shareThe John Lennon portion of the album is spectacular. All songs are great.
Haven't listened that much to the Yoko section, but Kiss Kiss Kiss is pretty good.
I'd say it's good. It's got some songs that aren't my thing but it's got some great ones.
shareIt won the Grammy for album of the year. But that could have been awarded for dying vs. quality. I bought it when it came out in November 1980. Of course the best track is Starting Over which was the obvious hit which they played on the radio at the time. And all John's songs were good. Yoko is an acquired taste, but I liked her tracks on it; I mean it had top arrangements and back up, her "singing" notwithstanding. I've still go my original copy here.
I think I heard the world's most valuable album is the one that John signed for blank.
I think I heard the world's most valuable album is the one that John signed for blank.
It went up for auction last year and was expect to sell for $2 million. I'm not sure if it was sold yet or who owns it.
shareThis offers some insight; no date that I can see; seems to still be up for auction
https://momentsintime.com/double-fantasy-album-signed-by-john-lennon-for-mark-chapman/#.YQ46jr9lB0o
Apparently blank left it outside the Dakota where it was found by someone. They turned it into the police who used it as evidence, then returned it to the person. The person held onto it until 1999 then sold it.
I wasn't happy with the direction Lennon had taken at that time. Seemed like he wanted to experiment with being an Elton John type, coming up with Pop songs that are catchy but not relevant. So the younger me didn't like DF.
But I have come around to the idea that a songwriter / performer wants to Mint that Coin, come up with something that is monetarily rewarding but also might be timeless, have that space in the music continuum where what you put out there is Memorable, just simply a great pop song.
"Starting O-vuh (o-vuh vuh vuh)"
That's a key to a good pop song. Find a well-known phrase and try to make it work as a piece of music.
Legend has it that the album was all Paul McCartney's fault. Apparently, Macca's hit Coming Up was all over the radio and Lennon couldn't get it out of his head and thought to himself, 'right, I'll show him.'
https://youtu.be/g5nzLQ63c9E
As much as Paul gets flack for being a "lightweight", you gotta give him props on one thing: at least he knew better to keep Linda in the background (relatively speaking) as opposed to John constantly putting OOOH-NOOOO front & center!!
shareKind of average with a couple of decent songs.
shareYou're right about the initial critic reviews being lukewarm at best. Then after December 8, most of them did a complete 180 & gushed over it......even Yoko's stuff!!
I myself found it to be kind of lightweight but pretty indicative of where he was at, at the time given his last few years as a 'house husband'.
The Yoko parts, while a bit more mainstream than her usual atonal shrieking, are still very VERY............ Yoko.