Jealous Haters Since 1998!
Home | News | Reviews | Day In Rock | Photos | RockNewsWire | Singled Out | antiTainment Wire | Feeds

Julian Lennon Reissued

08/07/2009
.
(conqueroo) When a son of John Lennon announces his own musical career and shows up looking and sounding very much like his iconic dad, critics and listeners alike are bound to react with arms firmly folded. But Julian Lennon's gifts as a songwriter quickly broke down skepticism and sent the young artist soaring up the American album and singles charts.

Three of his original Atlantic Records albums have long since fallen out of print, only to be reissued by Noble Rot, a subsidiary of Collectors' Choice Music in the Infinity Entertainment Group. The albums The Secret Value of Daydreaming, Mr. Jordan and Help Yourself will hit retail on September 8, 2009 (the day before the remastered album catalog of his dad's group appears in stores). Author Gene Sculatti wrote the liner notes.

Lennon's first single, "Valotte," and "Too Late" from his 1984 Phil Ramone-produced Valotte album notched the No. 9 and 5 positions on the Billboard pop singles chart. The platinum-certified album received a Grammy nomination, and Sam Peckinpah directed the videos. With much to prove, Lennon released his follow-up, The Secret Value of Daydreaming, also produced by Ramone, in 1986. Billy Joel sat in on piano. With both the single ("Stick Around") and the album both attaining the No. 32 spots on their respective charts, the album showed Lennon to be a songwriter of considerable versatility.

If echoes of John Lennon permeated Julian's first two albums, the 1989 album Mr. Jordan found him singing in a voice more reminiscent of David Bowie in the '80s. Rolling Stone praised the album as one that "goes a long way to salvaging his credibility." Mr. Jordan is certainly more aggressive than its reflective predecessors, in part due to Lennon's recruitment of producer Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Jeff Beck). The album's highlights include the rock radio hit "Now You're in Heaven" (which references, like the album's title, the 1941 reincarnation comedy Here Comes Mr. Jordan), "Mother Mary," a playful cross between early Elvis and Wham, and the ballad "Angillette," which addresses a suicidal lover. Guests on the album include The Tubes' Fee Waybill, Eagle Timothy B. Schmidt, singer Fiona Flanagan and, guitar soloing on "Second Time," Peter Frampton.

On Lennon's fourth and final Atlantic recording, 1991's Help Yourself, the singer channeled the sound and soul of his father more than on any other. "Overall it was sort of like self-help, like a self-therapy routine," Lennon told an interviewer. According to annotator Sculatti, "Here he reconnects with melody and soundly conceived and executed compositions, several of them disclosing humanitarian concerns." Highlights include "Saltwater," which was a plea for ecological responsibility; and "Other Side of Town," with Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan guesting. "Get a Life" is a raucous rocker, evoking the spirit of Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." And on "New Physic Rant," on which Lennon raps (kind of), he receives help on the chorus from Girl Scout Troop 592 from Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. All told, Lennon sounds comfortable with the music he presented here. And that's good therapy all the way around.



Click here to read today's full Day in Rock report

Preview and Purchase Julian Lennon CDs

Julian Lennon Tour Dates/Tickets

Julian Lennon MP3 Downloads

Was it Good for you? Please Fark it!, Stumble It, Digg it or more!
Fark
Stumble Upon
Digg
Facebook

AddThis Feed Button

tell a friend about this article

know of a news item we should cover?

antiMUSIC News featured on RockNews.info and Yahoo News

.


...end


.
.
News Reports
.
Day in Rock:
Killswitch Engage Reunite With Original Frontman Jesse Leach- U2 Triple Disc- Rolling Stones DVDs Coming- Free Music For Metal Month- Ion Dissonance- Soil and more

Yesterday's Report: Free Stone Temple Pilots Concert- Five Jimi Hendrix Albums Land In The Top 100- Smashing Pumpkins EP and In Store- New Dead Weather Album and more

 Subscribe To Day in Rock

Quicks: Stone Temple Pilots Preview- Gene Simmons Co Goes Bankrupt- AC/DC Show May Be Bombed Out- Boston- Iron Maiden's BruceAir To Fly Again- Axl Buffett- and more

Day in Pop Ke$ha Sextape Denied- Lady Gaga Creator Sues Lady Gaga- Michael Jackson- Taylor Swift- Miley Cyrus- Janet Jackson- Fess Parker RIP- Paula Star Search Off and more

.
 
Reviews
.

MorleyView: Sex Slaves (Del Cheetah)

Seasick Steve - Man From Another Time

7dayBinge

Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones

First Look: Violent Soho

The Best Films of the Decade (2000-2009): 25-1

The Best Films of the Decade (2000-2009): 50-26

The Best Films of the Decade (2000-2009): 75-51

Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune

The Best Films of the Decade (2000-2009): 100-81

Karnivool - Sound Awake

The Best Films of 2009

Graves Brothers Deluxe - San Malo

HIM - Screamworks

On The Record: Jimi Hendrix, The Love Me Nots, and Panther

Butch Walker Week: Fan Request Show

Butch Walker and The Black Widows - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart

Musink Music and Tattoo Festival

Butch Walker Week: Sycamore Meadows Live

Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave

Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2


.
.
.

Search for Tickets

Or Browse For Tickets

.
.
Today's News
.

Stone Temple Pilots Preview- Gene Simmons Co Goes Bankrupt- AC/DC Show May Be Bombed Out- Boston- Iron Maiden's BruceAir To Fly Again- Axl Buffett- and more

Killswitch Engage Reunite With Original Frontman Jesse Leach

Rolling Stones DVDs Coming Soon

U2 Release Extremely Limited Edition Triple Disc Album

Free Music For Metal Month

Ion Dissonance Finish Recording New Album

Them Crooked Vultures Album For Under $3 Bucks, Single For Free This Sunday

Strange Kozmic Experience: The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix

Soil and Smile Empty Soul Tour Dates Announced

Don't Judge Sex Slaves By Their Name

Alexisonfire Go Vinyl And Announce Headlining Tour

Gwar Tap Andrew W.K. As First Guest for Crack-A-Thon

New York Dolls Going Euro

Nonpoint Lineup Dates With Sevendust

Kottonmouth Kings Gearing Up For Stoner Holiday

Queen's Roger Taylor Answers Fan Questions

Morbid Angel Member Sidelined Indefinitely By Back Surgery

Jonny Lang Busy Tour Schedule Includes Experience Hendrix and Live By Request

Killing Time Online Raffle to Benefit Brain Cancer Victims

Peter Tosh and Gram Parsons Film & Television Music Licensing Deal Struck

Ke$ha Sextape Denied- Lady Gaga Creator Sues Lady Gaga- Michael Jackson- Taylor Swift- Miley Cyrus- Janet Jackson- Fess Parker RIP- Paula Star Search Off and more

Sarah McLachlan Sets New Album Release

Z-Trip Cancels Shows Due To Emergency Surgery From Snowboarding Accident

Landon Pigg Interviewed at Michele Clark's Sunset Sessions

Meaghan Smith All Things Considered

The Perfects Reissuing Their Leaked Year Old Debut

Pharoahe Monch Going To W.A.R.

More News

Subscribe to Day in Rock Report by Email

.
 
Day in Rockers
. Sites that feature the Day in Rock

WRIFKFLY Real RockThe Rock 107.5radiorockcafe.com97.9 WCPR Biloxi100.1 The EdgeRock 105.994.7 The End96.3 The Blaze104.9 The WolfKROQWTOS Pure Rock!trakkrz.com

.
 
anti Worthy Links
.
The Screen DoorLloyd Zeffler blogGary GonzoLonn FriendTalking MetalNightwatcher's House of RockCJ ChilversDeja Voodoothecopycat.bizKeavin.comDolly's Adventures in HyperlandantiMusic MyspaceDay in Rock @twitter

.
 
Merch
.

Posters and Rock T-Shirts!



 

Tell a Friend about this page - Contact Us - Privacy - antiMusic Email - Job Postings - Advertising

Copyright© 1998 - 2010 Iconoclast Entertainment Group All rights reserved. antiMusic works on a free link policy for reprinting of our original articles, click here for details. Please click here for legal restrictions and terms of use applicable to this site. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the terms of use.