Rock N Roll
It may have come a bit late in the day, but producerPhil Spectorhad done fairly well by theBeatles. His much-criticized salvage job ofLet It Bewas quickly forgiven in the wake of his production efforts on John Lennon's spare, harrowingPlastic Ono Bandalbum (and the similarly biting singles "Instant Karma" and "Cold Turkey"), its follow-up (and Lennon's best solo album)Imagine, not to mention the overwrought magnificence ofGeorge Harrison'sAll Things Must Pass. Expectations were thus stratospheric when Lennon decided to collaborate with Spector again on this 1975 collection of the ex-Beatle's favorite boyhood rock & roll chestnuts. Beset by well-publicized personal problems and a series of haphazard sessions, the resulting album nevertheless has some fine, emotionally compelling highlights (especially Lennon's stark reading of "Stand By Me"), but the production sometimes sounds thin, rather than spare, and there's often a sense that Lennon is waltzing his way through some of these tracks. Still, it's a treat to hear Lennon pay loving tribute to the songs and artists that inspired his own legend.Jerry McCulley