Any astute Beatles fan could tell from listening to this that John was more interested in drinking than songwriting. He might almost have a hook in "Going Down on Love." Too bad he didn't bother to write a song to go with the title.
This stuff represents his lazy idea of commercial songwriting. Stuff like "What You Got" and "Surprise Surprise" are generic half-assed commercially contrived boogie product. They're not especially catchy, or emotional, or memorable in any way. The Walls and Bridges album was John Lennon's closest approximation to being corporate rock.
They're generic commercial mid-70s rock music songs, with little in the way of hooks or unique personality. Lots of different people could have written most of these songs. There's not much that uniquely Lennon-like to them.
Some of the other filler comes out as way, way watered down ideas of the confessional Plastic Ono Band album. But "Scared" or "Nobody Loves You" just don't have the uniqueness or memorability of even the lesser songs from the earlier album.
One good thing about this album was the absence of Yoko Ono. Recorded during their breakup, John got his current girlfriend, May Pang, to sing some simple harmony — a concept that would seem to be beyond Yoko. But enjoy the non-Yokoness of this record while you can. She has edited May Pang out and herself into the contemporary music video for "#9 Dream". It would seem only a matter of time before she re-records Pang's vocals herself, and we find that this was a John and Yoko album all along.
On the other hand, even without Yoko squalling away, John Lennon managed to make a pretty sorry excuse for a record all by his little lonesome. After the legendary self-indulgence of multiple albums of Two Virgins nonsense, and then the flop of his crappy ideological Some Time in New York City, John Lennon was really trying to make a hit. Walls and Bridges was his idea of a good commercial comeback. It worked.
It wasn't great, but I'd probably rather listen to the ideological blather of Some Time in New York City. It's got more personality, you might say.
THE BEATLES ARE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
BEATLES PHOTO GALLERY
MUSIC SUSTAINS THE SOUL
Article comments
1 - Vern Halen
I dunno... corporate rock isn't always a bad thing. But this is a weak album by someone who should've know better. I don't know if I care for Number 9 Dream or Whatever Gets You Throughh the Night either.
2 - godoggo
Al, have you actually tried dancing to "Cold Turkey?"
3 - GoHah
Considering what was to happen, I always thought these lyrics were a little eerie:
Took a walk down the street
Thru the heat whispered trees
I thought I could hear (hear, hear, hear)
Somebody call out my name...
4 - LucyLennon
May did not "sing" on this album. She said called Johns name in the backround of #9 dream. That is NOT a harmony vocal. It was speaking one word.