John Lennon

by Alan Clayson

This book presents a balanced perspective on John Lennon. It is likely to be the last word on perhaps the most influential vocalist and composer of the last century.

Genres: Biography, Music

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Alan Clayson (Dover, England, 1951) is of a late 1970s vintage of composer-entertainers that also embraces the likes of Wreckless Eric, Tom Robinson, Elvis Costello and John Otway. While he is still making regular concert appearances, he has become better known as an author of around thirty books - mostly musical biography. These include the best-sellers "Backbeat" (subject of a major film), The Yardbirds and The Beatles book box.

He has written for journals as diverse as The Guardian, Record Collector, Ink, Mojo, Mediaeval World, Folk Roots, Guitar, Hello!, Drummer, The Times, The Independent, Ugly Things and, as a 'teenager, the notorious Schoolkids 0z. He has also been engaged to perform and lecture on both sides of the Atlantic - as well as broadcast on national TV and radio.

From 1975 to 1985, he led the legendary Clayson and the Argonauts - who reformed in 2005, ostensibly to launch Sunset On A Legend, a long-awaited double-CD retrospective - and was thrust to 'a premier position on rock's Lunatic Fringe' (Melody Maker).

As shown by the existence of a US fan club - dating from an 1992 soiree in Chicago - Alan Clayson's following grows still as well as demand for his talents as a record producer, and the number of versions of his compositions by such diverse acts as Dave Berry (in whose backing group, he played keyboards in the mid-1980s), New Age Outfit, Stairway - and Joy Tobing, winner of the Indonesian version of Pop Idol. He has worked too with The Portsmouth Sinfonia, Wreckless Eric, Twinkle, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, Mark Astronaut and the late Screaming Lord Sutch among many others. While his stage act defies succinct description, he has been labelled a 'chansonnier' in recent years for performances and record releases that may stand collectively as Alan Clayson's artistic apotheosis were it not for a promise of surprises yet to come.

Reviews

[Ben Taylor]

A bit of an odd biography that focuses around John rather than about him. Some of the chapters are quite biting about John or Yoko's later work which feels a bit harsh too but it was enjoyable if not enlightening

[Jim Melko]

Almost Unreadable

I found this book by accident in a used bookstore, but then searched for and bought the Kindle edition instead. I tore into it enthusiastically, enjoying at first accounts of Lennon’s early days that were much more detailed than anything else I’d read - and I had read a lot of other books about Lennon and the Beatles.

By the time the book gets to the recording of “Love Me Do”, however, I felt lost in a storm of free association and ramblings. Pages pass by without even a mention of Lennon; instead, we are treated to a bewildering description of other acts and persons, both significant and insignificant, as well as jumps back and forth in time.

I struggled on and suddenly realized I was now reading about the American tour, without any idea how I’d gotten there. At that point I gave up and began scanning for passages about John or the Beatles, which often could not be found for a dozen pages.

This book is a mess, quite frankly.

[Eric]

Same smartass approach; easier to grasp once you're familiar with Clayson's style. So far so good.

Okay, I'm done with this one. It was okay, but the focus on peripheral groups to the Beatles in the early days, and where they ended up, and what they did, and didn't do (mostly the latter), is in the final analysis, tiresome. And of little value to someone, like me, who really doesn't care all that much. While it is perhaps useful to continually place Lennon in the milieu from which the Beatles sprang, it ends up being less about Lennon, and more about the milieu. I did dig the non-reverent approach however. This slender volume is virtually bereft of any hint of hero worship, which makes it more palatable, and in places, quite funny. Overall: Ehhh.

[Markku]

Clearly weaker than Harrison-volume. I would have hoped more about Lennon's songwriting than feeble comparisons to his ancient rivals in Liverpool, later career of Cynthia Lennon etc. Few good insights, but on the whole not much to write home about.

[pat :)]

there are two types of "funny" artists, writer or otherwise.

1. people who have wit
2. people who write things in a way that screams "look at me everyone, look how incredibly witty I am!"

alan clayson is #2.

[Facundo Puente]

Me pareció mejor que el de George aunque es más corto. Me encontré con algunas historias que no conocía, sobre todo del principio de los Beatles. Al igual que el de George por momentos se va por las ramas.

[Clif]

Worst series of Beatle books ever. Author uses "thick as a paving slab" in all four books to describe the Beatles anthology. Lazy.