Lennon Legend: The Very Best Of John Lennon [Limited Edition, Import, from US]

   ジョン・レノンのソロ作品は、これまで何枚もコンピレーション盤がリリースされてきたというのに、本作まで決定版と言えるものがなかったのは不思議でならない。本作の選曲にはうなずけないリスナーもいるかもしれない。けれども本作には、素晴らしく痛烈な「Working Class Hero」が収録されているし、悲しいくらい過小評価されてきた『Rock 'n' Roll』の収録曲もとりこぼしていない。そして、束の間の人生の最後に向けて希望に満ちた再出発を歌ったナンバーも収められている本作は、おそらく誰もが考える選曲に近いだろう。彼の素晴らしいナンバーは今も輝いている。「Imagine」では瞑想し、「Whatever Gets You Through the Night」にはロックンローラーとしてのレノンがみなぎっている。レノンは永遠のアイドルであり、本作はその彼の持ち味を十分に聴かせてくれる。（Chris Nickson, Amazon.co.uk）

John Lennon's solo work has been anthologized so many times that it's hard to believe there wasn't a definitive compilation before this one. And, depending on your particular take, you might not find Lennon Legend quite hitting the mark. However, since it does contain the brilliantly scathing "Working Class Hero", doesn't ignore the woefully underrated Rock 'n' Roll album, and catches the hopeful renewal that came toward the end of his foreshortened life, it's probably about as close as anyone's going to come. His great songs shine, meditations like "Imagine" and his rockers had form and content, as in "Whatever Gets You Through the Night". He was an icon, and this does him justice. --Chris Nickson

Imagine a place where the personal, political, and emotional elements of John Lennon's music converge together seamlessly in one cohesive production. An assortment of his finest solo work, Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon is of great interest to anyone who's ever been a fan of the Beatles, the Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono, or simply the genius himself. Ranging from a rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" to the sounds of the Plastic Ono Band and the Harlem Community Choir on "Happy Xmas" and the classic anti-war anthem "Give Peace A Chance", the recordings assembled here stand as a testament to one of rock's most complex and influential musical talents. If you believe that Lennon's greatest period of creativity came to an end with the Beatles, you owe yourself a listen to this album.

John Lennon Photos

More from John Lennon

Imagine	John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band	The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Mind Games	Working Class Hero	Walls and Bridges