By the time I got to the mature age of nine I was already a Beatle nut. Not that I recognised it as such, I just loved everything about them; the music, the films, their clothing and their attitude. Especially their attitude.
My favourite Beatle by a New York mile was John Lennon. He was the coolest, the funniest and by far the best lead singer. There was no competition in my book. Not that there were many pages in it by this tender age - my pop knowledge only extended to Adam and the Ants and Abba. Clearly I was working through the pop world in alphabetical order. Anyway I'd settled on the Beatles, courtesy of exposure to my Dad's collection, and despite their split earlier in the decade I was hooked. I had the records, T-Shirts, comics and books. Oh and then there were the films. Played to death on the fledgling VCR we rented from Radio Rentals.
When I heard the breaking news on the 8 December 1980 that my favourite had been shot I was devastated. I'd not had any dealings with death at this point so it was as if a family member had left. One of my school 'friends' had, rather too gleefully it has to be said, told me the news. Maybe it was a cruel joke? Could he have been mistaken? Surely he'd pull through......
The following year we were asked to write an essay on one of our heroes and why we'd chosen them. I think I was supposed to write about Neil Armstrong, Kenny Dalgleish or some such celebrity. Not me. So under the title 'Working Class Hero' I set out my thoughts on what John Winston Lennon meant to me. Whilst I don't for a minute think that this was a detailed treatise into my chosen subject, I imagine that I had enough knowledge to provide a reasonable argument as to why he was worthy of hero status. So what if it was a little one sided. Doesn't hero worship from a nine year deserve that? But like I said, pretentious? Moi?
This, his debut solo album, is an unguarded and honest account of his state of mind at that time. It's not a pop record by any stretch of the imagination, leaving his Beatle roots well behind. But it is an emotional and inspirational album. I guess with titles such as 'Mother', 'Isolation' and 'God' this will have been obvious. For me the highlight is still that title to my essay. 'Working Class Hero' still speaks volumes. And loudly, Despite the track only consisting of a guitar and raw voice.
'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' opened a new chapter in his recording career; one that would, over the next ten years, bring mixed results. But anyone in doubt of his solo position, perhaps clinging to the hope that The Beatles split was a temporary hiatus, would've taken little solace from the closing verse of 'God';
"I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me. Yoko and me.....the dream is over".
It was fun whilst it lasted but it was oh too short. He would've been seventy two today. Happy birthday John.
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