Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy

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Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 38 ratings · 5 reviews

The murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980, sent shockwaves around the world. The most acclaimed singer/songwriter of his generation, first a Beatle and then a boundary-pushing solo artist, was senselessly silenced forever at age forty; immediately, his final musical statement, an intimate, pop-infused collection called Double Fantasy, released only weeks before his dea...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published October 19th 2010 by MTV Books

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Feb 23, 2013 Charlie Crane rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read lots of books about John Lennon. Heck, I've read lots of books about John Lennon in 1980. (The most tawdry of which is Frederic Seaman's The Last Days of John Lennon: A Personal Memoir. Much classier is John Lennon Sum 80 Pa, a gorgeous book of black and white photographs and lyrics compiled by Yoko Ono herself.) However, one of the best of the bunch is Ken Sharp's Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy (MTV Books, 272 pages), an oral history of the maki...more I've read lots of books about John Lennon. Heck, I've read lots of books about John Lennon in 1980. (The most tawdry of which is Frederic Seaman's The Last Days of John Lennon: A Personal Memoir. Much classier is John Lennon Sum 80 Pa, a gorgeous book of black and white photographs and lyrics compiled by Yoko Ono herself.) However, one of the best of the bunch is Ken Sharp's Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy (MTV Books, 272 pages), an oral history of the making of Lennon's final album as related by musicians, studio personnel, photographers and others.

It's not a hagiography, and Sharp certainly doesn't leave out Lennon's many contradictions. (One minute he's described as insisting that his Brazilian coffee is the only drug he needs, the next he's smoking pot from an ancient opium pipe after a session ends or offering a joint to Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick.) But more than being a talented singer, songwriter and musician with an impressive work ethic, there is a consensus that he was also a really nice down-to-earth guy. Energized by his loving and communicative relationship with Yoko, his beaming 5-year-old son Sean and the rediscovery his musical muse, the John Lennon we read about in this book is responsible for countless acts of kindness, generosity and patience, traits that had often eluded Lennon, most notably in his Lost Weekend of the mid-seventies.

Emblematic of this newfound maturity is his comfort with the shadow of his history with The Beatles (or as he was wont to call them, "The B's"). Surrounded by musicians who grew up in the sixties, Lennon obliges by regaling them with Beatles stories, whipping out his old black Rickenbacker (with a fab setlist still taped to the side), suggesting microphone placement techniques from the Rubber Soul sessions, and even writing a chorus to a verse he wrote around that era (resulting in an unreleased, possibly unrecorded song called "Street of Dreams"). By contrast, in 1980, John's former bandmates were far less openly nostalgic: Paul McCartney was only playing an average of 5 Beatles songs per show, Ringo Starr was filming his role as Atouk in the prehistoric slapstick film Caveman, and George Harrison wrote a memoir that hardly mentioned John (much to his chagrin, according to one interviewee).

Of course, all these stories about John's confidence and energy are imbued with a tragic subtext. Sharp's introduction begins to-the-point by stating the facts of the events of December 8, 1980, and although it's rarely mentioned again until the book's end, even the most touching and optimistic anecdote is undercut by a dark specter that's impossible to ignore. (Thankfully, neither Sharp nor any of those interviewed pay Lennon's killer the attention he sought by mentioning his name.) This reader found it hard to stop from poignantly speculating on what might have been, particularly given the many recollections of John enthusiastically planning a tour in spring of 1981 (from choosing songs to sketching out an elaborate stage design to hinting that certain session musicians should keep their schedules free).

Even with the looming sadness, though, this book is a joy for Beatles or Lennon fans. It's illustrated by copious rare black and white photographs taken during the recording sessions, along with other images such as autographs and a witty self-portrait doodle of the artist as a hen-picked husband (rescued from the wastebasket of the Hit Factory, no less). It's an inspiring and remarkably unified account of a man learning to balance comfort with his artistic past, an intense focus on his artistic future, an even temper, and a commitment to being a good husband and father. John Lennon is depicted not as a living legend, but simply as a driven and creative spirit overjoyed to be back at work doing what he does best.

(This review was previously published on my Examiner page.)(less)

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Jun 01, 2011 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: John Lennon fans, Yoko Ono fans, Beatles fans

Shelves: keeper-shelf

From my review at Books That Rock Us:

http://booksthatrockus.blogspot.com/2...

There is a scene in a made for TV movie about John Lennon where the former Beatle is listening to the radio while lounging near the beach. He pauses on hearing a curious harmony punctuated by a high-pitched ululation that sends him to the nearest phone to call his wife, Yoko. "They're doing your act," he enthuses with apparent belief that his beloved's avant-garde approach to music is finally gaining acceptance. On this...more From my review at Books That Rock Us:

http://booksthatrockus.blogspot.com/2...

There is a scene in a made for TV movie about John Lennon where the former Beatle is listening to the radio while lounging near the beach. He pauses on hearing a curious harmony punctuated by a high-pitched ululation that sends him to the nearest phone to call his wife, Yoko. "They're doing your act," he enthuses with apparent belief that his beloved's avant-garde approach to music is finally gaining acceptance. On this revelation, the scene cuts to a studio somewhere in New York City, where the Lennons commence an historic return to public life through the production of new material that will eventually comprise Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey. To look at those brief moments in a film that otherwise presents a relationship faced with various challenges, one might guess John had been his happiest and most enthusiastic in that time.

I wouldn't doubt it. When Lennon and Ono entered the Hit Factory with The B-52's hit "Rock Lobster" no doubt ringing in their memories, they sought to put their own mark on the new decade. Ken Sharp's Starting Over attempts to record every detail of the making of Lennon's new music, and relies upon the memories of everybody involved in the production - from Yoko to producer Jack Douglas, guest artists Bun E. Carlos and Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and a host of studio musicians and personnel, engineers, and music critics. Lennon himself is represented through interviews granted to various sources before his death.

The structure of Starting Over offers the play-by-play through a series of direct narratives from all involved parties. If you have read Live From New York, a history of Saturday Night Live as told by cast and crew, you will be familiar with the format. Here, readers bounce around a series of "he saids" and "she saids" where everything from Lennon's day to day mood and work ethic to the food delivered for lunch (sushi mainly, until the band rebelled and began to sneak in hamburgers) is revealed. Largely visible, too, is the overall perception of Lennon being somewhat insecure in his work despite the absence of pressure from labels. Because Lennon was not under contract to make the record, he opted for strict secrecy (it almost worked) and seemed ready to destroy everything if it didn't turn out to his satisfaction. One can only wonder the fate of the music that comprised Milk and Honey had he not died - would he have approved of that release?

Despite entering the relaxed atmosphere of the Hit Factory, a cloud did loom overhead - namely the pressure to live up to the Lennon name and reputation, as well as execute an impressive leap from the shadow cast by former band mate Paul McCartney, whose own 1980 album had gone gold. Some may view Lennon's decision to eventually sign with fledging label Geffen Records as opposed to McCartney's label (which, among others, courted Lennon) as a final act of non-conformity.

Few stories in the book, told from different angles, contradict one another. Yet, when it happens it happens big. The process of arranging tunes in playing order, as recalled by Yoko, might have resulted in a disadvantageous placement of her songs if others had gotten their way.

What I found most fascinating about Starting Over is the latter half of the story, the critical and public reaction to the finished Double Fantasy. As I read, I queued up the album to familiarize myself again with the music that seemed to dominate much of 1981 by virtue of our global mourning. Tracking responses by the major critics of the day, Yoko's work is singled out as the more innovative contribution to the album - interesting to note given that the bulk of Starting Over covers Lennon's involvement in the production. Lennon's songs, which mainly reflect his familial contentment and optimism, are dissected with great care, while explanation of Yoko's inspiration to write is hardly examined. I can only guess this lack of balance is attributed to Sharp's intention to offer Starting Over as a Lennon tribute, with the assumption that Yoko's story will be told in due time. This is not to say, however, that Yoko is shut out completely. We are reminded throughout Starting Over that two artists appear on the cover, and the story of how David Geffen finally won the most anticipated album of the new decade solidifies Yoko's importance in the project.

For readers interested in Lennon's later history with a concentration on work rather than gossip, Starting Over is a nice "oral" history, but may come off as a bittersweet read given how the story ends. Thirty years after the events, the stories remain as fresh as the music.(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Daniel Drago rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing book as it is narrated directly from all of the musicians and producers who worked closely with John and Yoko in the Double Fantasy sessions. I love the John songs on this record and it was excellent learning more details about the creative process and seeing John so at peace and happy the last days of his life.

Highly recommended.

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Dec 31, 2010 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

GREAT!!!

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Mar 10, 2011 Gary Shindler rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book even if it's really just a collection of the parties' thoughts behind Lennon's final album.

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