Lennon: Three Thousand Miles

John Lennon
_{Three Thousand Miles and then Some}
Rating: **** out of 5

Despite being in his 70's and arguably already a legend in Rock History, Lennon continues to act as if he has something to prove, and does a decent job of it in his first new studio album in 3 years. The result of a year of soul searching and travel, we have a Lennon that returns to the personal in his music writing, from the blues-infused track Trainwreck, to the tongue-and-cheek and disarming cheerful pop-rock groove of the album's first single Funny Shadows, that explores the deeper, ironic parts of Lennon's psyche without becoming alienating. "Three Thousand Miles" borders on Concept Album, but doesn't quite reach the mark--brilliant in its own ways, but also a little bit safer than the material that we've learned to love best from the Rock Legend. While Lennon seems to draw his best music out of personal turmoil (one can argue that maybe this album is the soundtrack to Lennon's last "Long Weekend," whose length and tensity had some people predicting the end of John and Yoko), we have yet to see the return of the sort of soul-shattering honesty of Lennon's 1982 Album "Burnt Plastic." Granted, that album was written through a year long depression that followed his infamous almost-murder in late 1980, and we doubt he would want to recreate that scenario.

All in all, we approve of soul searching if it means an album like this results. Another great from a Great.

****

Alright, I admit to working on this one out of spite for someone. I'll get back to real work and behave now, momma, promise.

If John Lennon lived.

_{Gonna see if i can make this into a print. doo dee doo....}