Mind Games (Remastered)

iTunes Review

John Lennon’s solo career can be seen as a yin and yang of action and reaction. Just as Imagine softened the harsh blows of the previous album (Plastic Ono Band), Mind Games seeks to blunt the bloody impact of the politically charged double LP Some Time in New York City. From Mind Games’ opening chords and orchestration, it’s immediately obvious that Lennon entered the recording studio to record music, not political rhetoric. His worldview is still present, but more importantly it’s led and crafted by his musical instincts. While those instincts are in shorter supply than on his first two solo albums, he still comes up with several worthwhile gems. The title track is lush to disguise the pain, while soul-searching numbers such as “Out of the Blue” and “One Day (At a Time)” sit neatly next to Lennon’s typically tongue-in-cheek rockers, “Meat City” and “Tight As.” “Intuition” is a sturdy minor tune, while “Bring on the Lucie (Freeda People)” and the nonexistent “Nutopian International Anthem” (clocking in as silence) show Lennon hadn’t lost his sense of humor.