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Whether you count ‘Mind Games’ as being the eighth or fourth John Lennon ‘solo’ album doesn’t really matter. Whatever your thoughts on that should be put to one side, as we can all enjoy the third box set in the ‘Ultimate’ series. Available in a variety of releases, including a ‘Super Deluxe Box Set’ that is limited to 1,100 units and will empty your wallet of £1,350, this is the 6CD/2BDR version. Preceded by a 12” coloured vinyl EP taster in April, three of the songs here were also on the ‘Gimme Some Truth’ box set released back in 2020. You’ll need a UV light to discover the hidden songs (the 'mind games').
CD1. Recorded in just 69 complete takes (from 187), the original 12 track album, though maybe it’s only 11 as one, ‘Nutopian International Anthem’, lasts just three seconds, puts his voice front and centre and sonically upgrades the sound. The hidden track here is ‘I’m The Greatest’.
CD2. Elemental Mixes inhabit a world between the ultimate and element mixes that brings John’s vocal to the front, and it does show what a great singing voice he possessed. It errs towards an acoustic side by removing any drums. Take 4 of ‘You Are Here’ is a hidden track.
CD3. The Elements Mix reduce the songs to as few instruments as possible that most of us didn’t realise were even there and just the heavenly sounding organ of ‘Mind Games’ will stun you. It won’t sound out of place walking down the aisle or, sadly, carried in a box. ‘Bring On The Lucie’ has female voices chanting the title over a rather funky backing of bass and bongos whilst the electric piano and bass of ‘Only People’ is rather jazzy. 'Meat City' is a forerunner of drum n bass, as that's all you hear here. Actually, sparse as it is, the Elements Mix would make one great instrumental disc. Also available, but hidden, is ‘Mellotron Magic/Weird Slide Guitar’.
CD4. The Evolutionary Documentary explores the process of each song from its first demo state through to the fully-formed master via in-studio development, chat and out-takes. It’s interesting to listen to how Lennon knew how he wanted the finished track to sound even from its most embryonic state. What’s also interesting is a mostly unheard demo, ‘Sally and Billy’, evolved into the bridge of ‘Only People’ three years later.
CD5. Raw Studio Mixes is before any vocal effects were added, just as if you were there in the studio. That one of the all time great singers didn’t like his voice and usually had it double tracked or layered with echo is truly surprising. Here, ‘Tight A$’ has the discarded third verse and additional guitar solo extant. An Ultimate Mix of ‘Rock N Roll People’ is the song you’ll have to find.
CD6. The Out-Takes is just that. ‘Intuition’, for instance, had 26 takes, of which the master was Take 21 and the one here is Take 12. As a bonus, the single version of ‘Meat City’ is hidden whilst the out take heard here is twice as long.
BR1/2. These contain High Definition 24/192 Stereo, 24/192 5.1 Surround, and 24/48 Dolby Atmos versions of all of the above tracks (including the hidden ones). In addition BR1 has a recently uncovered film of John in 1970 at the piano singing a nascent version of ‘Mind Games’ whilst an Evolution Documentary of ‘I’m The Greatest is also here, as is a jam of ‘Matchbox/That’s Alright/Heartbreak Hotel’ alongside advertising footage on BR2 All are hidden.
BOOK. An edited version of the one due for release in September, it’s all about the writing and recording of the album with interviews from those involved (not all musicians) alongside previously unseen photos, lyrics, letters, original tape boxes and memorabilia from the John & Yoko archives. It also gives information on each take of each song.
EXTRAS. There are always bits and pieces included in these sets. In this one, you’ll need that UV light to reveal surprises such as morse code messages and puzzles, extra text in the book and changing labels (and the eight discs here all have different designs). Also included is a reproduction of the original 1973 triptych marketing poster, postcard sized reproductions of 1973 advert artworks and a pot luck individually numbered Citizen of Nutopia ID Card (mine is #3766).
VERDICT. It’s a much better listen than I thought, simply because the ‘muddiness’ from 1973 has been removed making everything sound much clearer. Also, thankfully, it doesn’t have the footprint of Phil Spector all over it. Okay, there are those who just want the original dozen songs, and they are catered for, but for hard-core Lennon fans like myself, this is the one to go for.
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Oscar C.Reviewed in Mexico on 18 September 2025
El Regalo perfecto para un Fan Beatle o de Lennon.
