Shaved Fish
John Lennon's solo hits have been repackaged numerous times since his tragic death in 1980, butShaved Fish--the only compilation actually released during his lifetime--remains the strongest solo Lennon collection. As with his former partner Paul McCartney, Lennon's post-Beatles albums were (with the notable exceptions ofPlastic Ono BandandImagine) generally patchy affairs, but his singles were almost uniformly excellent.Shaved Fishincludes all of his hits from 1969 to 1975, including such non-LP singles as "Instant Karma," "Cold Turkey," and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." These tracks and others mirror the political and social turbulence of the Nixon era, as well as the inner turmoil that gripped Lennon during this period, but there's still room for the occasional slice of pure pop, like "#9 Dream" and "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." In short, it's a compelling capsule of Lennon's post-Fabs, pre-domestic-bliss period.--Dan Epstein