John Lennon

As a reminder of John Lennon's profound impact on music, his widow, Yoko Ono, has utilized the anniversary year of both his death 30 years past and his birth 70 years ago to compile some of his strongest material over four thematic discs. It can be said that Lennon's solo work after the Beatles broke up in 1970 alternates between transcendent and uninspired. He acknowledged this, in a sense, all but retiring from music in the mid-'70s, exhausted and challenged more by domesticity than working in another studio. Gimme Some Truth is a healthy mix of popular and obscure Lennon songs, organized in four categories. Working Class Hero features his outspoken socio-political views in the title track, the cutting "Meat City" and the still remarkably powerful "Imagine." Woman revolves both around love and gender dynamics, with "Oh Yoko," "Out the Blue" and "I'm Losing You" standing tall. Borrowed Time is eerily dark, with songs like "How Do You Sleep?" "Old World" and "Cold Turkey" exemplifying Lennon's wildly open approach to sharing his psyche with the world. And, finally, Roots showcases Lennon's love of music, plan and simple, consisting primarily of covers like "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Sweet Sixteen." With its thoughtful sequence, Gimme Some Truth is an excellent distillation of Lennon's '70s, a time of promise, confusion and peace for a truly fascinating visionary.