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"We All Shine On" unmasks the turbulence behind John Lennon's iconic music

Saturday, October 26, 2024

In one of his last interviews, John Lennon reminded legions of fans that when it comes to his work with The Beatles—and, by extrapolation, his solo efforts—the music will always be the thing that matters most. Indeed, it will be Lennon and The Beatles’ musical achievements that go down through the centuries. The rest, frankly, is just noise.

With "We All Shine On: John, Yoko & Me," author and publicist Elliot Mintz fashions a heartbreaking portrait of Lennon’s life and times beyond the recording studio. In so doing, he explores the reality behind the effort that it required for artists such as Lennon to find their mettle as musicians. In this sense, Mintz’s memoir is not for the faint of heart. The psychological toll of Lennon’s addictions is palpable, as is the personal toil that was required for him to will yet another album into being. As Mintz’s book makes indelibly clear, the cost that it exacted upon the songwriter’s relationships was considerable.

As a California DJ and television personality in the early 1970s, Mintz found himself in Lennon’s orbit during an era in which rock ‘n’ roll was gingerly feeling its way after the majesty and tumult of the 1960s. Not surprisingly, there is an inherent sadness behind Mintz’s memories regarding Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono—and not merely because of Lennon’s senseless murder in December 1980 at age 40. As "We All Shine On" reveals so powerfully, Lennon struggled for years to define himself under the bright lights of The Beatles’ particular brand of superstardom.

Source: salon.com

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