Forty years on, Lennon dazzles all over again

John Lennon Gimme Some Truth Out Friday

Anniversaries are two a penny in pop these days, but the odd one can still stop you in your tracks. This week, it’s 80 years since John Lennon was born; in December, it will be 40 years since his murder. His influence has never faded. From beyond the grave he supplied the Gallagher brothers with their entire career.

His widow, Yoko Ono, and their son Sean are marking the 80th with ‘a suite of beautifully presented collections’ of his solo work. John might have scoffed at that wording, while being secretly delighted at the loving care on display. Gimme Some Truth comes in two sizes, either 19 tracks (one CD or two LPs, magisterial) or 36 (two CDs, four LPs, more uneven). Both feature gleaming remixes by Paul Hicks and bold packaging by Jonathan Barnbrook, who designed David Bowie’s Blackstar.

The curation feels bold too, with Imagine tucked away behind several grittier tracks. In fact the order is chronological. The boldness was there at the time, in the blazing honesty of Lennon’s sound and vision.

His melodies were often just descending phrases, vehicles for his views. With their chants and handclaps, these tunes would work at a playgroup, yet they tackle hefty themes, from Mind Games to Jealous Guy to Give Peace A Chance. Any old singer can write a love song, but it took Lennon to write a song called Love. He could work wonders with a single word: God, Woman, Isolation (now rather too resonant). They were all descended from Help!, the first song to bare his tortured soul.

As The Beatles came asunder, Lennon was lost – taking too many drugs and overshadowed by Paul McCartney, who wrote five of their last seven hits. On his own he found himself again. If he couldn’t compete with Paul’s melodies, or his musings on matters of the heart, he knew how to find the heart of the matter. He was the lesser talent, but the stronger brand. Forty years on, his music is fully alive.