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11.01pm
1 December 2009
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I’m probably never gonna convert anybody who’s already decided for themselves, but I think “We’re All Water” is a tremendous rock ‘n roll performance from (Elephant’s Memory and) Yoko! She’s hitting most of the notes she aims for fairly accurately, her rhythm/phrasing has improved, and her enthusiasm is at a high level, all of which are noted and highly welcomed. (Keep in mind: this woman had almost NO experience listening to, much less singing, rock music until four years previous.) So after she makes it through the first half of the song unscathed, her typical freeform caterwaulings throughout the rest of the song, interspersed with a few shouts and chants, feel earned. Especially with Elephant’s Memory goosing her along. They’re a fairly atypical band of the era, with a sound that’s hard to pinpoint and pigeonhole. Kind of a early ’70s hard-rock take on 1959-style hard-rock, with the piano pounding and the sax riffing away. (Me, I wish they’d gotten a little less conservative and incorporated more fuzztones and feedback and new-thing sax-screech into their sound, but then I’m always wishing for those things. And maybe they saved that stuff for their own albums? => never heard ’em.)
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
11.13pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline DrBeatle said
It’s his worst album, IMO, but New York City, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Luck of the Irish I all like very much (apart from Yoko’s vocals)
His worst, including the Wedding Album et al?? 
I actually like it more than Double Fantasy and Milk And Honey which I found just plain boring, at least Sometime has attitude.
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12.35am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline To be fair Milk And Honey was a patched up album of songs John had recorded during the sessions for Double Fantasy but were left of that album and new Yoko material to match up to an very rough idea formed between the two before Johns sudden and unexpected death. I doubt those were the correct tracks John would have included never mind the exact right takes.
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11.17pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline Just been listening to some of the tracks off this again and I’m amazed New York City wasn’t chosen as a single.
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6.21pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
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^no kidding. It’s so far ahead of the rest of that album in terms of quality that it’s shocking.
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11.18am
11 November 2013
Offline I thought it was embarrassing, irritating (I don’t like people wagging fingers at me), often unpleasant to listen to, and sometimes offensive, when it was released. My opinion has not changed.
12.05pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline vectisfabber said
I thought it was embarrassing, irritating (I don’t like people wagging fingers at me), often unpleasant to listen to, and sometimes offensive, when it was released. My opinion has not changed.
I think you are probably in the majority with that one. Even though I don’t mind the album (some of the music and vocals are very good) I think the scattergun approach to the issues diffused the message way too much. I don’t mind a bit of finger-wagging Now And Then , but a couple of tracks in amongst a great rock album would have been much more effective.
Apparently John couldn’t believe that people didn’t take to the album – he must have been smoking more odd weeds than usual at the time.
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3.27pm
18 April 2013
Offline I like We’re All Water, John Sinclair, and Woman is the N. I also like the live performance that was tagged on.
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11.51pm
18 April 2013
Offline I’m re-listening to disc 1 and just paying attention to the music and it really rocks. I love Yoko’s songs. Is this the only album where John and Yoko sing together at the same time? A lot of the songs on this album have a really hard, gritty sound that you don’t find on other albums. We’re All Water is genius.
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12.56am
1 November 2013
Offline I like this album the most out of all of johns albums and It has my favorite solo John song (Though it is by Yoko)
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trcanberra
2.06am
3 June 2014
Offline I didn’t hate this album as much as I’d expected to. There are some great rockers, and Yoko’s songs are tolerable for the most part. We’re All Water is very good until she screeches. Not bad considering all I’d heard from her was from Live Peace, when she “does her thing all over you.” I remember liking Attica State, NYC, and John Sinclair the most. Even though it wasn’t on the album, special mention goes to Power To The People , which may be my favorite solo John song.
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3.59am
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline I really like the John section. Once Yoko joins though…
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11.53pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline Expert Textpert said
I’m re-listening to disc 1 and just paying attention to the music and it really rocks. I love Yoko’s songs. Is this the only album where John and Yoko sing together at the same time? A lot of the songs on this album have a really hard, gritty sound that you don’t find on other albums. We’re All Water is genius.
Agree re the ‘it really rocks’ part which is why I have always liked it more than most, as per my original post.
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3.23pm
18 April 2013
Offline I’m hearing this again right now and it’s blowing me away. This album is extremely underrated.
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10.02pm
14 June 2016
Offline While this is my least favorite John Lennon album, I don’t mind disc one. However, I cant stand disc two. Too much Yoko screaming.
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3.16pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Is this the worst solo album (yeah that is subjective)? It’s often said to be but I don’t know.
I don’t mind ‘New York City’, ‘Woman is the N—r of the World’ (both are better live however) or the live performances of ‘Cold Turkey ‘ and ‘Well (Baby Please Don’t Go)’, however I rarely play any of them. I’d be willing to wager that all the tracks that were performed live are better live – in fact is this the studio album that has the most solo tracks John played live (after the split before someone mentions ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll ‘).
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4.26pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline I’d suggest that that’s almost inevitable given the scarcity of Lennon live performances. The performances around the time of Some Time In New York City represent a large chunk of him live. Two of those appearances were at political rallies and featured songs that would end up on STiNYC, while the 2 One-to-One concerts were with Elephant’s Memory, who were his band for the album. I think he only played more songs live from that album by default rather than design.
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6.18pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline meanmistermustard said
Is this the worst solo album (yeah that is subjective)? It’s often said to be but I don’t know.I don’t mind ‘New York City’, ‘Woman is the N—r of the World’ (both are better live however) or the live performances of ‘Cold Turkey ‘ and ‘Well (Baby Please Don’t Go)’, however I rarely play any of them. I’d be willing to wager that all the tracks that were performed live are better live – in fact is this the studio album that has the most solo tracks John played live (after the split before someone mentions ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll ‘).
The ‘worst’ of John’s?
Possibly for most people – but as a John / Yoko album I prefer it to their last two.
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8.58pm
14 June 2016
Offline trcanberra said
The ‘worst’ of John’s?
Possibly for most people – but as a John / Yoko album I prefer it to their last two.
Whats worse than this album? I’m curious what you’re thinking of.
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5.19pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline William Shears Campbell said
Whats worse than this album? I’m curious what you’re thinking of.
As noted in my post – Double Fantasy and Milk And Honey ; I personally prefer New York over those two – much too ‘syrupy’ for mine 😉
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