John Lennon: A Celebration of His Life and Legacy
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley February 12, 2016
Author edited by Ben Nussbaum
Distributor: New South Books
ISBN: 9781620082065
Publisher: i5 Publishing
Release Date: December 2015
Website: http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au
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Designed as a magazine compiled of a series of interviews with John Lennon, or hypothesis on the various aspects of his life as perceived on his journey from a fledgling musician to his death in 1980, this collective work offers differing perspectives on this man, who some thirty-five years on, is as fascinating today as he was then.
Each of the articles takes a look a specific section of his life; as small child growing up in post-war Britain during a time when so much of society’s values had changed and were still changing, to the influence his family had on the man he was to become.
His burgeoning talent as an artist and musician are detailed, as well as his meeting up with Paul McCartney at a village pub in Woolton. It was to be several month later before the pair performed on the stage together. George Harrison a school mate of Paul, joined John and Paul in the Quarrymen and so began, what is arguably one of the most influential bands in the music industry for many decades. Ringo Starr joined forces with them in August 1962 and you could well say the rest is history.
John Lennon has been portrayed as perhaps the most complex of the team, battling his demons, moving from music to art to film, pushing hard at life’s edges; always challenging and in pursuit of that illusive something!
That his life was colourful goes without saying as the world, at their time of fame, was still emerging from a more traditional framework. Wherever the Beatles travelled, whatever they came up with, whether it be their music, their fashion, their hair styles, their views or opinions, they were news! Big news!
Each of the articles in this ‘magazine’, offer up a fresh perspective of where John Lennon was on a personal basis at various stages of his musical and personal growth. His clashes with McCartney as they love/hated their way to fame, his struggle with his identity, his influence on the music industry long after the final chapter of the Beatles had been written; and closed.
He moved on to a very different lifestyle with the woman he called the love of his life, Yoko Ono, focusing more on his art, his differing style of music, as well as setting out on yet another journey of self-discovery.
His legacy lives on to have a significant cultural influence on today’s world of Art and Music; far more so than John Lennon would ever have believed possible when he and Paul McCartney penned that very first song ‘Love Me Do’ in 1958-59, which was finally recorded by the Beatles on 5 October 1962 and began their rise to fame, notoriety and a sound never to be recreated, all the many years on!