John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band

Los Angeles - March 4, 2021 - From the haunting sound of funeral bells and the emotional wail on opener "Mother," it was clear that John Lennon's first studio album as a solo artist was nothing like his previous work. Recorded in 1970, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was recorded shortly after the end of The Beatles. John got rid of any accessories on the album and created space for a kind of creative exorcism, an almost unbearably honest soul striptease that held more than one revelation. The primal scream therapy John and his wife Yoko Ono performed with Dr. Arthur Janov served as inspiration. With the minimalist Plastic Ono Band - featuring Ringo Starr on drums, Klaus Voorman on bass and producer Phil Spector - John faced his demons on the most personal album of his career, proclaimed his love for his wife, went to court with false role models and buried a dream. Today, the album is considered the absolute crowning achievement of his solo career, the moment when the world's greatest rock star opened his soul and laid it at everyone's feet - honest and revolutionary as it was at its core Now Yoko Ono Lennon and Capitol/UMe are celebrating the 50th anniversary of John Lennon's seminal and influential masterpiece with the 8-disc super deluxe box set John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - The Ultimate Collection. It's a truly intense listening experience and an in-depth journey of discovery through an album that John himself described as "the best thing I ever did." The project is authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who also oversaw the production and creative process. The audio team responsible was the same that worked on 2018's critically acclaimed Imagine - The Ultimate Collection, including three-time GRAMMY winner, engineer Paul Hicks and mixers/engineers Rob Stevens and Sam Gannon. The Ultimate Collection brings the listener right into the studio, where they can closely follow the recording sessions that took place at EMI Studios 2 & 3 on Abbey Road in 1970. Also included are Lennon's post-Beatles singles "Give Peace A Chance," "Cold Turkey," and "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" are presented here once again. From the first idea to the final master, unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams and conversations in the studio show the genesis of these unforgettable songs. In total, the set contains an incredible 35 previously unreleased demos and outtakes On six CDs and two Blu-ray audios, this historic, remixed and remastered collection contains a total of 159 tracks, or eleven hours of music; plus two postcards ("Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?" and "You Are The Plastic Ono Band"), a "War Is Over!" poster and an extensive 132-page hardcover book with song lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and detailed notes. The book was designed and edited by Simon Hilton, compilation producer and production manager for the Ultimate Collection series. It tells the story behind each song and describes the process of making the album through older and brand new interviews in the words of John & Yoko and several others involved In the foreword, Yoko writes: "What John and I liked most about the albums with the Plastic Ono Band was that with them we offered the world an unadorned, basic and absolutely sincere reality. We were influencing other artists, encouraging them, and making this combination of vulnerability and strength, which was not well understood in society at the time, something to be proud of. For a Beatle to say, 'Look, I'm human, I'm real,' was nothing short of revolutionary. That took a lot for John to overcome." The loose jams that developed between John and the band between recordings provide a striking counterbalance to the album's serious themes. Additionally included in the collection is the complete session to Yoko Ono's concurrently released Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, featuring the uncut songs in full length and original speed, as well as three unreleased improvisations