"You Should'a Been There"? With Brandy Alexanders and the Wall Of Sound, you are there! This three-CD set brings into focus for the first time John Lennon's legendary Rock 'N' Roll sessions, both with and without producer Phil Spector. A document of a troubled time in John's life, this collection shows both the peaks and valleys in an extraordinary year and a half of work from October 1973 (when the project began) until February 1975 (when the album was finally issued). Highlights include several tracking sessions, rehearsals and live performances from the era, creating a fully rounded audio picture. Also included in its entirety is the Adam VIII Roots LP in its finest quality to date.
A document of a troubled time in John's life, this collection shows both the peaks and valleys in an extraordinary year and a half of work from October 1973 (when the project began) until February 1975 (when the album was finally issued).
During the months of this period, John was living in Los Angeles, away from his wife and living the "high life". Work was secondary to having a good time during this "Lost Weekend", and even though the L.A. sessions for what was to become Rock 'n' Roll began with the best intentions (Phil Spector as producer, John as vocalist, just like the old days of Philles Records), they soon degenerated into a drink and drug-infested debacle. Then the sessions abruptly discontinued when Spector was involved in a car accident and John was left holding the bag that held no finished tapes. In the interim, John moved back to New York and recorded Pussy Cats with Harry Nilsson and another LP of his own, Walls And Bridges, which utilized the artwork that had been prepared for Rock 'n' Roll.
Brandy Alexanders and the Wall Of Sound includes rehearsals and several tracking and mixing dates from all the sessions. Also included in its entirety is the Roots LP in its finest quality to date. To top it off, live performances from this era (including his November 1974 appearance with Elton John from an electrifying audience tape and the 1975 Salute To Sir Lew Grade performance in both unsweetened and sweetened versions), the video session for "Stand By Me" and "Slippin' And Slidin'" and other contemporary odds and ends create a fully rounded audio picture of this hectic era in the professional life of John Lennon.