High Kings [DVD] [2008] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

This is a hard album to review. It has moments of brilliance and moments of let down for sure, but then so do an awful lot of other albums. It is tempting on occasions to separate the peerless vocals and the superb musical backing (courtesy of the Elephant's Memory Band) from the lyrics which are mostly political and covering pretty dangerous ground. But as with any Lennon album, this is impossible. Because he draws you in so that if you listen to 'Luck Of The Irish' you end up singing along with the lyrics. Accusing the British government of genocide no less. Of the Irish people. I try to respect political views of anyone, particularly musicians, but when the slant is so one sided and exaggerated, it is pretty hard to take. But more importantly, Lennon's best work will always be when he sings of his own experience, his own pain, his own struggle to come to terms with difficult (or easy) situations. Such as, most obviously, on his 'Plastic Ono Band' debut solo album when he deals with the traumatic effect of the Beatles break up, the thoroughly negative side of fame, the loss of his mother when aged 15 and at the same time his new found hope...in his relationship with Yoko Ono.
Here he sings of pretty specific political events of 1971-2, which although important in their own way undoubtedly, are not the stuff of which great Lennon albums are made. These lyrics are, for the most part, the weakest in the Lennon solo canon. He attached himself to various causes in these years, later changed his mind, then later tried to defend them. A tad inconsistent me thinks. But anyway, to the songs. The opener 'Woman Is The Nigger Of The World' one can say for sure is thoroughly genuine in its passion and commitment (helped not insignificantly by Yoko to give credit where it's due). And not least exemplified by Lennon actually living the feminist ideal he had sung about here by literally giving up his career a few years later to become a house husband and bring up his son for five years no less. Not many seem to remember this song these days but it is among the boldest songs he ever recorded. I have a gallon of respect for him for this song alone.
The next song is Yoko's. And now we enter another debate. Whether it was or is reasonable for someone to share a record with his wife when his talent is so obviously superior to her's? And the intention here is NOT to belittle Yoko who on her own terms has produced some remarkably fine music, albeit in a mostly different field to that of Lennon's. This kind of thing at the time (Lennon sharing an album with Anyone other than McCartney!) was probably thought Incredibly Important. The same emotions surfaced when he returned in 1980 after five years of nothing with a joint album with Yoko. Seven songs each. A Different review! But now, especially with John gone, we see things differently and are grateful for what we got. Who are we after all to demand product from anyone in the 'preferred format.'?? Lennon told us on countless occasions that he was now JohnandYoko. With hindsight, we should have just shut the **** up. And actually 'Sisters Oh Sisters' is a pretty damn good song, helped as Yoko admits by Spector's punchy production. I could actually spend an entire sabaticle defending much of Yoko's work. But that again is Another Review.
The next track 'Attica State' is weak, not only lyrically, but musically too. A tedious chant which might only rate as a classic if one were under the influence of something or other. The next 'Born In A Prison' is actually a decent ballad from Yoko with good backing vocals from Lennon. But Spector's contribution here is Oh So Noticeable when one hears the pretty disastrous live version at the One To One Concert (the same can be said for the live rendition of 'Sisters Oh Sisters' unfortunately). The closing track of Side 1 (of the vinyl record) is a classic Lennon rocker. Among his Top 5 in my opinion. And the lyrics are strong, precisely because Lennon is singing of his own experiences. Not someone else's. This is ironically the last song I listened to of his in the UK around 10pm, the night before his death...just six hours before the tragedy.
Side 2 opens with 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' which is pretty damn powerful as the lyric is at least reasonable...for the most part! Wonderful singing, on the verses in particular. 'Luck Of The Irish' follows, a beautiful melody but which suffers not so much because he shares the vocals with Yoko, but more because the lyric is rather too extreme in places, as mentioned earlier. Lennon draws you in, as he had done on his thoroughly unwarranted attack on McCartney from the previous album. Great music, great songs both. But seriously questionable lyrics in places. One wonders what kind of joint composition John and Paul could have come up with as they both tackled the Irish question together in 1972. Neither Paul's song 'Give Ireland Back to The Irish' nor this rank particularly high in the Solo Beatles Canon. I am not doubting their allegiance to the Irish, given their Liverpool background . Just that neither song works very well, at least lyrically.
'John Sinclair' is perhaps the song that works best here, save 'New York City' perhaps. The song is dominated by some fine slide guitar...and great singing of course. 'Angela' is pleasant but utterly dispensable. And then we have Yoko's 'We're All Water' which is pretty enjoyable because of Yoko's hilarious scant singing.
Buti it is as a Lennon album that this one must ultiltimately be judged. And there is an extra disc of live material as well and accordingly the album was priced as a double album. This second live album is pretty uninspring to say the least with the exception of 'Well Baby Please Don't Go' which is a just about passable cover from the Beatles' Liverpool days, and 'Cold Turkey' which although vastly inferior to the single version is notable only for the presence of George Harrison on guitar. Who can hardly be heard anyway. The stuff with Frank Zappa is utterly dismissable.
At least with George's 'All Things Must Pass', which came with a third disc of mostly jam session rubbish, we got two albums of high quality. Here we got a single album of very variable quality with only just over half the songs coming from Lennon himself, plus a live album which is largely forgettable. Unfortunately But time they call the universal healer as Steve Winwood sang in 1980 and it is for the highlights, a few gems here for sure, that we return to this album. And rate it it more generously now than we would have done at the time. After all, this was The Follow Up to Lennon's Absolute Masterpiece, the 'Imagine' album from the previous year (1971).
There is No Beatles Solo Album not worthy of note. And this is No Exception. But at this price I would not think it is good value for anyone other than Die Hards.

Many people thought Lennon had gone completely bonkers when he released this politcally inspired album in 1972, the year after the almighty Imagine album. Whereas Imagine was polished, quiet, melodious and truly peaceful album, Sometime in New York City, was loud, brash and full of political chanting and slogans of the day. Lennon was living in Greenwich village, New York City at the time and teamed upwith Stan Bronstein's Elephants Memory, who had also recently played on Yoko's album. What really annoyed fans about this album, if we're honest, is the fact that Yoko is on it. In big chunks. Half of the songs are warbled by Yoko and the rest feature her in the background. The songs themselves, whether you agree with their political stance or not, are interesting and different and record some of the more controversial things that were happening in the US at the time. Woman is the Nigger of the World is truly awesome, with some excellent production from Phil Spector and vibrant musicianship. New York City itself shows Lennon's true love: all the political chanting doesn't hide the fact that Lennon was a rocker at heart, and New York City he belts out in fine style. The second slice of this album is all live material recorded at the Filmore East with Frank Zappa and his band. Some of it is mere noise, some of it is good, and Well (Baby Please Don't Go) is very very good.

Do you remember the the film where all the sons of the original "Bonanza" brothers got together to save the day ? Well, if you are a fan of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and you hark back to clear harmony and fine ballad singing then try The High Kings. With a family tradition from The Clancy's and The Fury Brothers this DVD is very entertaining indeed. You will be transported back to the 60s with "The Holy Ground", I remember seeing the Clancy's at The Albert Hall in London and The High Kings do them proud.
If you want to hear traditional Irish ballads sung extremely well,then this is for you.
I managed to get the DVD from a well known auction web site in UK region 2 if you haven't a multi region player.