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John Lennon Double Fantasy Release Date: 1980 11 17 Running Time: 44:53 Label: Capitol Rating:

The most distinctive thing about Double Fantasy, the last album John Lennon released during his lifetime, is the very thing that keeps it from being a graceful return to form from the singer/songwriter, returning to active duty after five years of self-imposed exile. As legend has it, Lennon spent those years in domestic bliss, being a husband, raising a baby, and, of course, baking bread. Double Fantasy was designed as a window into that bliss and, to that extent, he decided to make it a joint album with Yoko Ono, to illustrate how complete their union was. For her part, Ono decided to take a stab at pop and while these are relatively tuneful for her, they nevertheless disrupt the feel and flow of Lennon's material, which has a consistent tone and theme. He's surprisingly sentimental, not just when he's expressing love for his wife ("Dear Yoko," "Woman") and child ("Beautiful Boy [Darling Boy), but when he's coming to terms with his quiet years ("Watching the Wheels," "Cleanup Time") and his return to creative life. These are really nice tunes, and what's special about them is their niceness -- it's a sweet acceptance of middle age, which, of course, makes his assassination all the sadder. For that alone, Double Fantasy is noteworthy, yet it's hard not to think that it's a bit of a missed opportunity -- primarily because its themes would be stronger without the Ono songs, but also because the production is just a little bit too slick and constrained, sounding very much of its time. Ultimately, these complaints fall by the wayside because Lennon's best songs here cement the last part of his legend, capturing him at peace and in love. According to some reports, that perception was a bit of a fantasy, but sometimes the fantasy means more than the reality, and that's certainly the case here. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks:

	Title	Composer	Time
1	(Just Like) Starting Over	Lennon	3:56
2	Kiss, Kiss, Kiss	Ono	2:41
3	Cleanup Time	Lennon	2:58
4	Give Me Something	Ono	1:35
5	I'm Losing You	Lennon	3:57
6	I'm Moving On	Ono	2:20
7	Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)	Lennon	4:04
8	Watching the Wheels	Lennon	3:59
9	Yes, I'm Your Angel	Ono	3:09
10	Woman	Lennon	3:31
11	Beautiful Boys	Ono	2:55
12	Dear Yoko	Lennon	2:34
13	Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him	Ono	4:02
14	Hard Times Are Over	Ono	3:22
15	Help Me to Help Myself	Lennon	2:37
16	Walking on Thin Ice	Ono	6:00
17	Central Park Stroll (Dialogue)	Ono	:17

Other Releases:

Double Fantasy [Japan CD] Release Date: 2000 Label: Capitol

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