Yoko Ono decided to look at things in a positive light with this 1982 album. It was a contrast to her previous effort, 1981's "Season Of Glass", which was released right after John Lennon's death. Sadly, Yoko may have been sort of alone on this positive effort-it failed to chart significantly anywhere. Whether it was a hit or not, i certainly regard this as a classic.
The album starts off with "My Man", which was a single. Yoko showcases how her man is "the best in the world", and how she loves him very much. It's actually quite strange on how this song ended up on the album because, frankly, her man was dead. Despite the irony, "My Man" is a great song. "Never Say Goodbye" is where i think Yoko tapped into her genius skills. The combination of the meaningful lyrics and great instrumentation makes this song one of my all-time favorites, with kooky synthesized sounds, handclaps, and heavy percussion. The end of the song isn't as upbeat-in fact, it's somewhat creepy and disturbing, with Sean Lennon's voice distorted as if in a horror movie, and a noise that sounds like outer-space creatures are landing. This section of course leads the listener into the heartbreaking "Spec Of Dust", which is one of Yoko's most beautiful ballads. "Why do i love you so if you're just a spec of dust?" Yoko ponders. Perhaps the saddest line of this song is "In my mind, I'm searching for you a billion miles away", showing how painful Yoko's loss really was. Again, the synthesizer that could only belong in Ms. Ono's music is present, this time blending in with a beautiful piano part. "Loneliness" is once again not as positive as the album's title or theme as a whole, describing how Yoko can "endure almost anything" except for loneliness. "Tomorrow May Never Come" is another favorite, with a short but simple message on how we really don't know what will happen to us. ("Yesterday may scar us forever/Today may never be found/Tomorrow may never come".) i almost see Side 1 as a lesson, almost like a continuous sequence of songs. This may be why Side 2 has not gotten as many spins on my turntable.
Side 2 starts off with the catchy and positive "It's Alright", which is a song i can definitely relate to. Yoko sings of how it's "such a drag getting up in the morning", and how she's afraid of the day ahead. But then, something clicks in her heart, and she knows "it's gonna be alright". "Wake Up" is probably my least favorite on the album, with a slower, more draggy beat, and sort of weird instrumentation. "Let The Tears Dry" makes up for this, though, and is another genius song on this album. It is maybe as dark as or even darker than "Spec Of Dust", with bombs dropping as part of the percussion. The handclaps are again present, but this time there are virtually no instruments playing, except for a whistle blowing a couple of notes from time to time. Yoko is accompanied with a chorus of background singers with the verses, adding to the song's beauty. The following song is much more positive and relieving, called "Dream Love". This once again is not my favorite, but it has pretty sounds of the outdoors, and peaceful lyrics. This song goes to show that Yoko Ono does not have to be a deep poet to be good. The final song, "I See Rainbows", is a bouncy end to the rollar-costar of emotions during the whole album. The positive lyrics help ward off any bad spirits the darker songs created, so it leaves you off with a happy note.
Quite obviously, i definitely recommend this album. As most of her albums do, this showcases Yoko Ono's great talent in many different fields. i truly think she is a genius, and this album definitely deserves to be in more collections.
Excellent
The most difficult Ono CD for me to critique
