After the harrowing
Plastic Ono Band,
John Lennon returned to calmer, more conventional territory with
Imagine. While the album had a softer surface, it was only marginally less confessional than its predecessor. Underneath the sweet strings of
"Jealous Guy" lies a broken and scared man, the jaunty
"Crippled Inside" is a mocking assault at an acquaintance, and
"Imagine" is a paean for peace in a world with no gods, possessions, or classes, where everyone is equal. And
Lennon doesn't shy away from the hard rockers --
"How Do You Sleep" is a scathing attack on
Paul McCartney,
"I Don't Want to Be a Soldier" is a hypnotic antiwar song, and
"Give Me Some Truth" is bitter
hard rock. If
Imagine doesn't have the thematic sweep of
Plastic Ono Band, it is nevertheless a remarkable collection of songs that
Lennon would never be able to better again. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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