Mind Games [Original recording remastered, Import]

I have to agree with the other reveiwers here. I bought the original release of 'Mind Games' some time ago (I seem to recall it was on EMI's Music for Pleasure budget label) and was particularly disappointed with the murky recording quality. As someone has said elsewhere, it sounded like it had been recorded from AM radio. 'Walls and Bridges' and 'Rock and Roll', his two subsequent albums also suffer, admittedly not to quite the same extent, from the same problem. When I read the other reviewers on this page, I was intrigued, and ordered a copy. The improvement is really quite staggering. Individual instruments and voices are now very distinct and the recording has a far more modern feel.
I am aware that some Lennon purists are unhappy with some of the remixing, particularly with regard to the removal/reduction of Lennon's trademark overused echo on his vocal, but I really do feel that this is nitpicking. It's so good, songs which I had previously avoided and considered to be way below par have been elevated to a new level.
I do hope that Lennon's other 70's albums receive similar treatment soon.

Ok. For my second review on the new John Lennon remasters I have decided to go with "Mind Games", originally released in late 1973.
This review will be divided into three separate segments:

1. Hystorical Context.
2. Album.
3. Remaster.

1. Hystorical Context.

It is 1973. John and Yoko have been practically two years living in New York City. They have just moved from a small apartment in Greenwich Village to the famous Dakota building opposite Central Park. So it is fair to say that they now "live" as a married couple in New York. Yet "things" are not so simple. To explain. This is the year that John Lennons private and personal life will literaly reach "rock bottom". This is due mainly to three different, yet all relative, reasons.
Firstly. While recording "Mind Games" John and Yoko, mainly at the insistance of Yoko, decide to have a small time apart. A separation, to be precise. The stress of being blamed for The Beatles break-up and being constantly criticized for her avant-garde concept work, solo as well as with John Lennon, was to much to handle. So it was time for a break. This is the start of what John Lennon referred to as his 18 month "lost weekend", for which he moved to a beach house in Los Angeles with his and Yokos assistant May Pang.
Secondly. At this precise time, Richard Nixon and the U.S. Government along with the F.B.I. come to the conclussion that they do not want John Lennon in the U.S.A. The "excuse" is his 1968 marihuana bust-up in London, but the real reason is his threat to the state as a peacenick. (For the record I would like to state that at this time and over the years many musicians, actors and artists have been busted for drugs. Yet I do not know of anyone who has been harrased to the extent that John Lennon was at this time because of this. Yet we all know now that that was not the real reason, that was an "excuse cover-up".) So due to this, John Lennon was totally paranoid. And not without reason.
Thirdly. John and Yokos previous album "Some Time in New York City" was completley slated by the press and the public as well, leading to very very poor sales and a hostile reaction. Because of its political themes, this is one of the reasons the government was after him.
So this is what was going on in John Lennons life at the time. Intense.

2. Album.

In "Mind Games" we see a derparture from political themes and a return to more "accesible" pop love songs. The content is more in line with "Imagine", and the sound is very "of the time". This album and 1974s "Walls and Bridges" have a very L.A. 70's feel to them. And they are also John Lennons most commercial sounding albums.
As a whole, it lacks the strong structure and connection from his strongest albums to date "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine". Yet there are very very powerful songs in here. There is a little bit of everything.
Firts of all, we have the title song and lead (and only) single of the year "Mind Games". Its b-side being "Meat City". This is one of the greatest, most powerfull and melodic John Lennon songs out there. It all comes together: beautiful melody, powerful lyrics, elegant arrangement, etc. We also have hard rockers with "Tight As" and "Meat City". Typical love songs, "Aisumasen (I'm sorry)", "Out the Blue". A small concept piece, "Nutopian International Anthem". One politically directioned song with "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)", which sounds very much like songs on his previous album "STINYC". A few fillers with "Intuition", "I know (I know)" and "Only People". And, of course, two of my all time favourite John Lennon compositions "One day (At a Time)" and "You are Here". I kind of see the later as a prequel to "Number 9 Dream" from "Walls and Bridges".
I personally think this album would have benefited if it had been compresed a bit. I think another single should have been released (possibly "Bring on the Lucie") with an exclusive single b-side (either "Only People" or "I know (I know)". This is just my opinion.
All in all, a very underrated album that given a chance and a few listens can very much brighten the darkest of souls. I do find it a very uplifting and "feel good" album, considering what was happenning behind the scenes (just like The Beatles "Abbey Road").

3. Remaster.

This is my second edition of "Mind Games". My first was the 2002 remaster. When I first heard the 2002 edition it was the first time I heard "Mind Games" the album in full. I was slightly dissapointed at first because it did not live up to other John Lennon albums. But over the years I have grown to really really love it!! The sound of the 2002 edition was ashtonishing, even though I had only heard a few songs before, yet on the title track the remastering process was fantastic. So now we come to the 2010 remaster. The first element that strikes me is the power of John Lennons voice. It is definitely much louder and clearer. It is like having a band live in my bedroom. I also find the instrumentation much clearer to appreciate, there are many sounds that are much easier to identify. The word that comes to my mind is "polished". This edition sounds like it has had a very hard and well done clean up job. But the real surprise for me was the mix on "Meat City". WOW!!! What a hard rocking song!!! The guitars are so striking!! Like the sound of lightning right after an intense moment of silence. It is a real Disco Rock Song!! Really really mind blowing!
As far as the packaging goes, it is very similar to The Beatles Remasters, housed in an open up cardboard box. The liner notes are very interesting and we get a small comment from Yoko Ono on the album. And we also have all the printed lyrics. The booklet for the 2002 edition is much bigger and more complete, sometimes even excesive. But it is a shame that all the memorebilia from that edition is not present here. But at the end of the day what counts is the sound and mix of the CD. And I definitely prefer this mix. In one word: POWERFUL!

If you do not have this album I recomend you buy this edition. But if you already have the 2002 edition, or even the L.P. then it is really up to you. But it is definitely worth the listen.

Once again this "review" has resulted in being much longer than my initial thought. But what can I say? I am very passionate about John Lennon, and music and art in general. So when I start "talking" I have to sometimes make myself stop. So I will.

Thank you very much for taking your time to read my second review. I hope I have been of some help. Even if it is just to give you a little insight on this period of John Lennons life, to entertain you for a small amount of time, or even if I can give you a laugh.

Thank You.

Oliver

This is my comments on the sound quality rather than the content of this great album.

Yesterday I purchased Imagine, Mind Games and Double Fantasy to get the ball rolling with my album updates. I've listened to all three and have compared to the original remastered and remixed albums of 2002, of which I have all. After first hearing the difference in instrument segregation and adjusted amplitude of individual channels/instruments, I then listened some more. Apart from that obvious louder punchy sound, the main difference for me, is noise. On all the quiet songs (oh my love-imagine for example), with limited instruments, there's a hell of a lot of noise/hiss. As to with the beginning and end of tracks. The mixers have taken the dynamics too far and pushed the recordings to gain that impact.

Some reviewers have stated that the new 2010 versions are less murky. Well, I prefer to say the 2002 versions are more subtly and closer to the original CD's (which I also owned). In turn the original CD's were closer to the vinyl, which is ultimately Lennon's master vision.

I like the simplicity of the physical album covers. I love the content and that it's just the original tracks without any bonus tracks. So for those reasons and appreciating the time gone into the production by the engineers, I give it 3 stars. I only wish EMI would take the original master tapes, and do an original remaster like The Beatles mono and stereo remasters. You wouldn't dream of saying `lets make George's solo a bit louder.' You leave it as the artist and original producer intended. I suppose it's down to Yoko though. The engineers who worked for years cleaning the Beatles tapes up say, the mono remasters are as close to the original vinyl (in mint un-played condition) in sound, as you can get.

If you're new to Lennon's solo work, you may as well purchase the 2010 remastered and remixed versions. If you have the 2002 versions, I would personally stick with them. I've done the comparison and will be returning the three I purchased. I'm only gonna take notice now to full on remastered collection of the original albums. Until then, I'll look out for the vinyl.

Hope this helps people one way or the other!