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Milk and Honey

 
Album Review: Milk and Honey
 

  • Artist: John Lennon
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: January 27, 1984
  • Total Time: 38:41
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

The sessions for 1980's Double Fantasy were supposed to yield two albums, the second to be released at a future time, but Lennon's assassination tragically halted the project in its tracks. A bit over three years later, Yoko Ono issued tapes of many of the songs planned for that album under the title Milk and Honey, laid out in the same John-Yoko-John-Yoko dialogue fashion as its predecessor. Not unexpectedly, it's a rougher, less polished product, lacking the finishing touches and additional takes that Lennon most likely would have called for. Nevertheless, Lennon's songs at this point in their development were often quite strong, tougher than those on Double Fantasy in general, and the ad libs and studio chatter that might not have made the final cut give us more of a glimpse of Lennon's delightfully quirky personality. "Nobody Told Me," the advance single off the album, is a rollicking, quizzical piece of work, maybe the best thing to come out of John's 1980 sessions, despite the unfinished-sounding transition to the chorus. "Borrowed Time," another single, is a thoughtful, sparely worded meditation on growing older attached to a Caribbean beat. Yoko's contributions, while not as strong as John's, are surprisingly listenable -- the reggae-based "Don't Be Scared," in particular -- and more current in texture, and her lyrics do tend to answer John's songs. As the album comes toward the close, the tone turns sentimental, culminating with one of John's loveliest tunes, "Grow Old With Me," as presented on a home-recorded cassette in lieu of a studio recording. The ironies of this song and some of the other Lennon material are obviously poignant in the light of the cruel events of December 8, 1980; that and the fact that these songs haven't been as exposed as much as those on Double Fantasy lead some to prefer this sequel. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
I'm Stepping Out John Lennon John Lennon
Sleepless Night Yoko Ono John Lennon
I Don't Wanna Face It John Lennon John Lennon
Don't Be Scared Yoko Ono John Lennon
Nobody Told Me John Lennon John Lennon
O'Sanity John Lennon
Borrowed Time John Lennon John Lennon
Your Hands Yoko Ono John Lennon
(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess John Lennon John Lennon
Let Me Count the Ways Yoko Ono John Lennon
Grow Old With Me John Lennon John Lennon
You're the One Yoko Ono John Lennon

Credits

John Tropea (Guitar), John Lennon (Guitar), John Lennon (Keyboards), John Lennon (Vocals), John Lennon (Main Performer), Earl Slick (Guitar), Howard Johnson (Horn), Jimmy Maelen (Percussion), Yoko Ono (Vocals), Yoko Ono (Wind), Elliott Randall (Guitar), Gordon Grody (Vocals), Billy Alessi (Vocals), Bobby Alessi (Vocals), Pete Cannarozzi (Synthesizer), Paul Griffin (Drums), Neil Jason (Bass), Arthur Jenkins (Percussion), Tony Levin (Bass), Steve Love (Guitar), Hugh McCracken (Guitar), Wayne Pedziwiatr (Bass), George Small (Keyboards), Peter Thom (Vocals), Ed Walsh (Keyboards), Kurt Yahjian (Vocals)
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Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more

 

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