VH1 Behind the Music - the Julian Lennon Coll [Us Import] [Import]

In recent years, the cable music channel VH1 produced a popular music documentary series called "Behind the Music". This series has provided insight into many popular artists in the Rock era - especially the last 20 years. While I have always found "Behind the Music" a most interesting series, it does follow a distinct pattern: Artist hits it big, Artist hits some professional or personal downfall, and toward the end - the artist has some hope for optimism (whether its a successful comeback or a personal satisfaction). Julian Lennon is an 80s artist who fits this pattern to a tee. His career got off to a skyrocketing start, then spiraled down and then was beset by personal problems. Finally Julian was able to pick up the pieces and rebuild his career in the late 1990s. As a result, I think it's appropriate that VH1's "Behind the Music" produces a greatest hits collection for Julian Lennon. "VH1 Behind the Music: The Julian Lennon Collection" does an outstanding job at providing a snapshot at Julian Lennon's career. It even shows there is a lot more music than his widely well-known debut material.

When Julian Lennon came on the music scene with his 1984 debut album, "Valotte" - the music world was ready to embrace him. While it had been almost 4 years since his father John Lennon's untimely death, Lennon and The Beatles were still very much in the minds of the music landscape. Earlier in 1984, John Lennon's "Milk and Honey" - a collection of leftover songs from Lennon's "Double Fantasy" sessions was released. It spawned a song that has become a popular John Lennon tune called "Nobody Told Me". In some ways, people probably realized this would be the last "new" material they would get from John Lennon. However, in 1984 along comes his son Julian Lennon - out of nowhere. He looks - and even sounds like his world famous father. The story of Julian is interesting because he had a somewhat "distant" relationship with John. It makes for a great story - and garners Julian some attention. On top of it - Julian makes a very good album - "Valotte" and the world is good.

After Julian hits it big, things change.- Julian is rushed into the studio to make his follow-up album, "The Secret Value of Daydreaming". This results in the follow-up not being as polished as the debut album - and further results in lack of airplay and poor album sales. As a result, Julian is not able to get his career back on track. He makes two more albums ("Mr. Jordan" and "Help Yourself") before taking a 7 year hiatus that allows him to refocus. In 1998, he returns with a critically well-received fifth album called "Photograph Smile".

It seems after the "Valotte" album that Julian's music has faded into obscurity. "The Julian Lennon Collection" takes 16 tracks - and balances them among the five albums. What one discovers is that Julian truly changes as an artist on each of the five albums. One will also discover that he has some good music from these albums - despite the poor album sales. The 16 tracks on "The Julian Lennon Collection" are arranged in chronological order. This is the perfect setup for this album because you truly will see and hear how Julian Lennon adapts and changes over the years.

Here are the songs grouped by album:

"Valotte" ("Valotte", "Too Late For Goodbyes", "Say You're Wrong", "Jesse"): This was the blockbuster debut album. "Valotte" was the song that started it all. While "Valotte" and "Too Late For Goodbyes" get all of the attention, I've always liked "Say You're Wrong" and "Jesse". No doubt, Julian is riding the wave - sounding like his world famous father.

"The Secret Value of Daydreaming" ("Stick Around", "This is My Day", "Want Your Body"): "Stick Around" was a minor hit and the other songs gained little attention. These songs, while not as polished as the "Valotte" songs are still good. Despite Julian being "rushed", you can also hear him try to move away from the John Lennon sound. We are treated to some synth-pop on "This is My Day" and a ballad on "Want Your Body".

"Mr. Jordan" ("Now You're In Heaven", "Angillette", "I Get Up", "Make it Up to You"): I think the contributions from this album are underrated. Julian clearly moves away from John Lennon's sound on this collection. I've heard his vocals on "Now You're in Heaven" compared to David Bowie (and it does sound like him). "I Get Up" might be Julian's best song. It has a retro-Elvis sound showing another side to Julian. Julian also starts using co-writers for the songs on this album.

"Help Yourself" ("Listen", "Saltwater"): These songs show how Julian has matured as a songwriter. These are also two good songs. "Listen" almost has a feel for an Inxs song. "Saltwater" is a song in which Julian sings about environmental issues. "Saltwater" shows how Julian has come full circle - it sounds like very much like a Beatles song.

"Photograph Smile"("Day After Day", "I Don't Wanna Know", "Photograph Smile"): These are three songs from the 1998 "comeback" album. "Day After Day" also has a Beatles-feel to it while "I Don't Wanna Know" has an alternative rock feel to it. Both of these songs are also outstanding.

The liner notes contain a write-up that sounds very much like a abstract for the VH1 "Behind the Music" special on Julian Lennon. The liner notes don't mention anything on any supporting musicians. At this time, it is worth noting that this is the only Julian Lennon Greatest Hits collection that is currently on the market. In addition, many of his albums are now hard to get - and out of print. Overall - this collection gets the job done. It has some terrific music and will definitely give a snapshot of Julian's career. This is one collection I would highly recommend.

I'm very picky about an artist releasing a greatest hits package. Usually the package is missing important songs from their musical careers or includes songs on the compilation that the fan never heard before. Not on this album. This CD covers everything. VH-1 put together an amazing collection of Julian Lennon's career. It was everything I expected (and I even tried to guess before the release date, which songs would be on it...jokingly...and there they are! I was shocked.) This CD plays the songs in order of the album release. It begins with Julian's first hit/release (from 1984) "Valotte" and the songs from that album (Valotte, Too Late for Goodbyes, Say You're Wrong and Jesse). The second set of songs is from his 2nd album (released in 1986) "The Secret Value of Daydreaming" (Stick Around, This is My Day and Want Your Body). "Mr. Jordan" (my personal favorite Julian album) was released in 1989. The songs from that CD are Now You're In Heaven, Angillette, I Get Up and Make It Up To You. From this CD, my favorite song has to be Angillette. I was actually surprised and excited that it was included on this compilation. "Help Yourself" (released in 1991) is Julian's 4th CD and the last one to be released on the Atlantic label. The two chosen songs from that album are Listen and Saltwater (which is an amazing and moving song). The last album to be featured is "Photograph Smile" which was released in 1999. This album features photographs of Julian as a child and is dedicated to Julian's 'step' father Roberto Bassanini. Three songs were chosen to represent this album: Day After Day, I Don't Wanna Know and Photograph Smile. Kudos to "VH-1: Behind the Music" for putting together a great package of music for Julian Lennon fans!

Poor Julian -- because of his physical and musical resemblance to his father he has not been taken seriously. Now that he's "older" he's lost the "sex appeal" he had among young girls in the 1980's (though I'm sure he didn't want to sell records that way). But Julian Lennon is indeed talented in his own right and he does have something to say, especially to those in our generation who were babies during the Beatles' revolution. Valotte is haunting tune that could have been penned by dad but remains Julian's song; Stick Around is my other favorite song here -- catchy chorus and nice harmonica. Too Late for Goodbyes, a reggae tinged tope ten hit still remains fresh. Photograph Smile shows an older, wiser Julian who stil wants to sing and be heard. I wish Julian would sing more about his experiences as a 60's baby -- many of us could relate to that. Worse cut: "Saltwater" -- nice sentiment (about the abuse of the environment) but cheeesy metaphor. But dad had some really bad songs, too.

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