Lennon

Twenty-five years since John Lennon was shot by a dropkick oxygen thief, and I can still remember where I was when I heard the news: sitting in wet togs in the back of the family car.

'White Album' Lennon was my own favourite; his first solo album my second favourite; 'Cold Turkey' and the single 'Revolution' my favourite song, (Worst two: 'Imagine,' and 'Number 9.') Despite his musical talents however, Samizdata has it spot on regarding his analytical skills -- remember the Maharishi and the primal scream therapy and the bloody 'bed-ins' with bloody Yoko:

"All we are saying is give peace a chance." And it was true, that really is all he was saying. Lennon said it over and over again. Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace... and presumably felt that just repeating the word over and over again was a better way to convince people that is was a mistake to oppose the communist take-over of South Vietnam... rather than, say, a geo-political critique of US involvement or, say, arguing that preventing communist domination of South Vietnam was not worth American lives or in fact articulating any sort of coherent argument at all. I too would like to imagine a world without war, but I would like to imagine it without tyranny first.

The guy was a buffoon. A talented, gifted, artistic, charismatic buffoon. Just stick to celebrating his art.

Right on, man. Bloody hippy. Good ear for a tune, but.

Linked 'Tribute': Imagine a world without 'Imagine'
Music Heroes Obituary