- Vinyl
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Zapple
- ASIN: B0050ASIP4
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Unfinished Music No1: Two Virgins was a directionless meandering mess, the sound of two people experimenting without any clear idea of where they were going or what they were trying to achieve. In contrast Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions is much more focused, and remains an excellent avant-garde noise album.
The album is split firmly into two distinct sections - track 1 'Cambridge 1969', an epic 26 minute live performance takes up the whole of one side of the original vinyl album, and consists of a virtual dual between John Lennon's waling feedback guitar and Yoko Ono's wailing vocals (with some variation thanks to additional percussion and saxophone in the last 10 minutes). Often Yoko's atonal screeching can be a painful experience, but coupled with some truly inspired guitar feedback from Lennon this piece works well.
The remaining 4 tracks making up the albums original 2nd side tell a more sombre story, being recorded from Queen Charlotte Hospital where John and Yoko lost their baby when Yoko had a miscarriage. 'No Bed For Beatle John' is an improvised unaccompanied vocal piece, as Yoko sings the story of her stay in hospital and the struggles to release Two Virgins, while John sings some half unintelligible monkish accompaniment about Northern Songs, Apple and Marc Bolan. The next two track are fairly self explanatory - 'Baby's Heartbeat' and 'Two Minutes Silence'; taken out of context the idea of releasing a silent 'song' does come over as artistic pretentiousness, but following the snuffed out intimate sounds of the couple's miscarried baby's heartbeat the moment of silence here is both powerful and appropriate. Finally 'Radio Play' features on overdriven / mistuned radio that emits only bursts of percussive noise, while somewhere in the background John calls out of the hospital for his effects.
The 2 CD bonus tracks are 'Song For John', a brief melodic song sung by Yoko with John on acoustic guitar, and 'Mulberry' which features John improvising bizarre sounds playing acoustic slide guitar.
Not exactly pleasant or easy listening, and at an hour long this album can drag a bit at times, but with some bizarre sounds, a compelling real life story, and some of Lennon's best and most unorthodox guitar playing on 'Cambridge 1969' and 'Mulberry', Life With The Lions is an obscure masterpiece in weird records, and a fascinating piece of Beatles history. Recommended for all those who can accept that albums don't have to limit themselves to being collections of melodic pop tunes.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What can you say now..Yoko's babys heartbeat..fm static noise..and the opening track being 'Cambridge 1969' John on feedback guitar and Yoko..sounding like some is giving her a lesson in torture..but i still find this amusing and totally 'Avant Garde'
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In between some great music John Lennon and Yoko produced this totally egocentric soundscape. Whilst some artists could get away with it John and Yoko don't.
I'm afraid they should have left this where it belonged with the miscarriage. I did feel for them in their loss but to be atonally reminded of it , once is enough!!
I'm afraid they should have left this where it belonged with the miscarriage. I did feel for them in their loss but to be atonally reminded of it , once is enough!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
What the hell was that?
The only thing I have got to say about this album is how did she get a recording contract?
Published on 17 Sep 2003 by Demon JD
Listen to this as a free jazz release, forget it's Lennon.
The way to approach this album is, not as a song-structured Beatle release, but as a typically demanding example of the British free jazz scene of the sixties and beyond. Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2000
Life With The Lions
A truly awful album by the world's greatest pop star. I defy anybody to rate this album with anything other than one star(r). But I would like to thank Amazon.co. Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2000 by "rewgreen"
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