"An Unspeakable Tragedy" (40 years ago today)

[TuscanyTile2]

 

[SAR I]

RIP, John.

SAR I

[munchmemory]

RIP, John.

In better days with a pretty decent backing band.

 

[Gastineau Lives]

21 minutes ago, SAR I said:

RIP, John.

SAR I

Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can...

[SAR I]

9 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

Imagine no possessions, it's easy if you try...

John Lennon's Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper*

SAR I

* Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper are registered trademarks of BMW (Bavarian Motoren Werke) Copyright 2020

[SAR I]

14 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

Never forget that day,  Woke up to my mother crying in the kitchen, horrifying loss. RIP John. 

I was in my bedroom listening to WPLJ, my parents were watching MNF in their bedroom.  My mom calls out to me, she tells me the news, I hear 30 seconds of Howard Cosell.  I go back in my room stunned, thinking this can't be happening.  WPLJ plays Imagine, every radio station in New York is simultaneously playing Imagine, and then I knew it was real.

SAR I

[Gastineau Lives]

3 minutes ago, SAR I said:

John Lennon's Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper*

SAR I

* Rolls Royce and Mini Cooper are registered trademarks of BMW (Bavarian Motoren Werke) Copyright 2020

So, in short, you are and were saying, "RIP, you giant hypocrite."

[Losmeister]

walked by the site as a teen, gave me the ******* wilies, big time

[playtowinthegame]

My first Beatles (cassete) album I bought as a kid was Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band. I remember the lady being impressed I wanted to buy it for being so young. My favorite song was Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. 

RIP, John Lennon.

[Sarge4Tide]

I was a freshman at the University of Alabama.  I was in the library studying for a final. didn't watch MNF, and didn't hear about it until the next morning.  I saw it on the headlines of all the newspaper racks in front of the student center on my way to class.  I just couldn't believe it.

That was back when we had newspaper racks, when information travelled slowly, and when people actually went to class to take an exam

[munchmemory]

 

[Gastineau Lives]

4 minutes ago, Losmeister said:

walked by the site as a teen, gave me the ******* wilies, big time

I lived a couple of blocks away for ten years. I couldn't walk past that entrance without thinking about it.

[munchmemory]

 

[munchmemory]

 

[SAR I]

15 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

So, in short, you are and were saying, "RIP, you giant hypocrite."

On a macro level, I understood what John was saying.  A peaceful world without capitalistic competition.

But the man owned an entire penthouse floor of the most expensive building in the most expensive city in the world.  He cheated on his wife, abandoned his child, and took up with another woman.  He sang about having a clear mind and injected copious amounts of heroin.  It's not like he was living the ideals he was selling.  Too many people preaching practices.

SAR I

[jetophile]

38 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

So, in short, you are and were saying, "RIP, you giant hypocrite."

l know society says you shouldn't speak "ill of the dead", but why does becoming dead - or in John Lennon's case, murdered -  suddenly cancel out most of your life as a complete scumbag? We've all seen it go so far in some instances where people who have no business being on a pedestal of any kind are somehow magically full of virtues they didn't earn nor did they ever possess just because they died.

No-one should be or deserves to be violently murdered or have their life stripped from them because it's the only thing you truly own in this world. It's terrible that he was killed; but to be fair, he wasn't an exemplary person. He was a terrible father, a tremendous hypocrite, and a wife beater. 'Imagine' is one of the most full of shi t songs written by one of the most full of shi t people to ever walk the streets of New York. That doesn't mean I don't feel badly that he was gunned down like a dog.

Feel free to disagree with a blanket observation about the human race that also happens to be true. Sometimes if you're really good at ignoring what people really are you can wear opaque enough glasses when patronizing their art. Sometimes you can't. RIP.

 

[rangerous]

1 hour ago, SAR I said:

I was in my bedroom listening to WPLJ, my parents were watching MNF in their bedroom.  My mom calls out to me, she tells me the news, I hear 30 seconds of Howard Cosell.  I go back in my room stunned, thinking this can't be happening.  WPLJ plays Imagine, every radio station in New York is simultaneously playing Imagine, and then I knew it was real.

SAR I

i was watching that mnf game.  i heard it first from cosell just like your parents did.  what a tragedy.

[rangerous]

41 minutes ago, SAR I said:

On a macro level, I understood what John was saying.  A peaceful world without capitalistic competition.

But the man owned an entire penthouse floor of the most expensive building in the most expensive city in the world.  He cheated on his wife, abandoned his child, and took up with another woman.  He sang about having a clear mind and injected copious amounts of heroin.  It's not like he was living the ideals he was selling.  Too many people preaching practices.

SAR I

eh.  practice what one preaches?  john was very wealthy along with his fellow beatles.  i don't think any entertainer takes what they're writing or singing too seriously.  interesting that lennon also owned a bunch of prize dairy cows.

[Jet Nut]

 

Driving home from my girlfriends house, listening to WNEW and heard the news.  Will never forget that stunned feeling

[joewilly12]

RIP John Lennon such a tragedy and a senseless crime. 

[peebag]

Was watching MNF when Cosell announced it.  Not more than 15 minutes later, my brother called me and told me that my maternal grandfather had died.

Quite the night for an 18 year old.

[Biggs]

I lived a few buildings down the block on 72 off CPW at the time.   Walking home from work there was a vigil in front of the Dakota where he lived.  The feeling of loss was overwhelming.   His work by any artistic standard was prolific and extremely high quality and had an enormous impact on listeners across the world.  He is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.  He was a genius with a gift that he shared with the entire world.  

  

[Wonderboy]

58 minutes ago, SAR I said:

On a macro level, I understood what John was saying.  A peaceful world without capitalistic competition.

But the man owned an entire penthouse floor of the most expensive building in the most expensive city in the world.  He cheated on his wife, abandoned his child, and took up with another woman.  He sang about having a clear mind and injected copious amounts of heroin.  It's not like he was living the ideals he was selling.  Too many people preaching practices.

SAR I

He wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But he was an alcoholic/addict which negatively affected his personal life.  He was a prominent figure in the anti-war movement and stood for peace and love and understanding (Elvis) and for that was a legendary artist. Just look at all the corrupt politicians ruining millions of lives in the name of ‘peace’. John rallied for peace.  Isn’t it a pity, isn’t it a shame. The way we break each other’s hearts and cause each other pain How we take each other’s love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Now isn’t that a pity. 
 

[CanadienJetsFan]

2 hours ago, munchmemory said:

RIP, John.

In better days with a pretty decent backing band.

 

Thanks for posting this! An what a back up band indeed!

But, i coulnd't make out  who the drummer was?

[Jetster]

10 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

He wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But he was an alcoholic/addict which negatively affected his personal life.  He was a prominent figure in the anti-war movement and stood for peace and love and understanding (Elvis) and for that was a legendary artist. Just look at all the corrupt politicians ruining millions of lives in the name of ‘peace’. John rallied for peace.  Isn’t it a pity, isn’t it a shame. The way we break each other’s hearts and cause each other pain How we take each other’s love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Now isn’t that a pity. 
 

Didn't George Harrison write isn't it a pity? On All Things Must Pass double album.

[Jetster]

I was 20 years old, was watching MNF & Cosell made the announcement. My good friend called the house & said I'll pick you up, lets drive around, smoke a doobie & every radio station was playing Lennon & Beatle songs. 

Pretty surreal. 

[Ian Fleming]

1 hour ago, Gastineau Lives said:

So, in short, you are and were saying, "RIP, you giant hypocrite."

Not a hypocrite, just a man whose views changed with time and experience- a human being.

“But by the time he died, John  Lennon was a closet conservative embarrassed by his radical past, according to his former personal assistant

He was a very different person back in 1979 and 80 than he’d been when he wrote Imagine,’ he says. By 1979 he looked back on that guy and was embarrassed by that guy’s naivete.”
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009562/amp/John-Lennon-closet-conservative-fan-Reagan.html

 

 

[Thai Jet]

The scumbag, Mark David Chapman, who murdered Lennon was denied parole this past August. It was the 11th time. He's up again in 2 years and at that time Lennon's widow will have to relive it all over as she fights his release. Why not make it 5 years? It's not fair to the victims family. Chapman did it for the fame it would bring him. Disgusting. MDC should rot in prison till the day he dies. 

[CTJetsFan]

I was 12 watching the MNF game when it was announced. I liked the Beatles (had seen Beattlemania which opened my young eyes & ears to them). I went and told my mom who was a huge Beatles fan. Very sad night. Watching the public outpouring the next few days was amazing. Only time I had seen anything similar in my life (to that point) was when Elvis died.

[Wonderboy]

11 minutes ago, Jetster said:

Didn't George Harrison write isn't it a pity? On All Things Must Pass double album.

Yes of course - my favorite album of all time

[Biggs]

20 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

It’s kind of weird to criticize somebody in a thread to memorialize them. He was an Artist, he created art and was incredible at it touched millions of people. Most people like that are pretty screwed up. None of us can live up to our ideals and just got to do the best you can.,  Let’s all just try to not be to critical in this thread. Thanks

Genius like that is often times borderline crazy.  I loved going to the Van Gogh exhibits in the city.  The guy produced his greatest work in a very condensed period where he was likely suffering from psychotic breaks from reality.  Great artists are often tortured souls.  Lennon was prolific and it's likely he was a very tortured soul.  

[jetophile]

10 hours ago, Ian Fleming said:

Not a hypocrite, just a man whose views changed with time and experience- a human being.

“But by the time he died, John  Lennon was a closet conservative embarrassed by his radical past, according to his former personal assistant

He was a very different person back in 1979 and 80 than he’d been when he wrote Imagine,’ he says. By 1979 he looked back on that guy and was embarrassed by that guy’s naivete.”
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009562/amp/John-Lennon-closet-conservative-fan-Reagan.html

 

 

In the last few years of his life he was making some effort (by some accounts) to rectify some of the things he had done, but saying he was embarrassed by his "naivete" is precisely the kind of stilted glossing over that I'm talking about when people die. He wasn't "naïve" at all, c'mon, now. What he was by MANY accounts - most especially, Julian Lennon's (he should know) - was a giant egotistical prick with barely a sliver of conscience. Allegedly he was taking a serious assessment of his life a couple of years before he was murdered, and that's commendable; but he wasn't "naive". That's excuse mongering for willful choices and bad behavior, IMO. It was probably more a mild semblance of shame that he was a crap father (to say the least) who was flat out guilty of abandonment. 

I see @Biggs has trotted out the ole "tortured artist" trope. I'd like to expound upon that, seeing as I'm an artist. I know plenty of artists who are grounded, stable, self-realized, well-centered people, who live relatively "conventional" lives. Shocking, I know.  There are truth(s) to stereotypes, which is why they're stereotypes in the first place; but people find this fact annoyingly and particularly inconvenient when they get on their High Horse of self-righteousness about what's permissible and what isn't (speaking of hypocrisy). I'm going somewhere with this.

So the "tortured artist" thing, being around artists of all flavors and types (dancers, actors, painters, writers, woodworkers, print-makers, book-binders, etc.) since my young adult life up to my current and present state of advanced decrepitude, sometimes it's a complete crock of sh it that people love to shovel and other people love to swallow. It's no accident that artists of all shapes and sizes are more prone to depression and mania because we're more sensitive to stimuli of all kinds, including emotional. Imagine if your mind is always in some sort of overdrive, even when you're sleeping. Your darks are the blackest pitch, your high notes are blinding, words and what they say, words and what they mean, always ideating even when engaged in everyday conversation. I've been told that the way I look at people is unnerving. I can see that. It's because I'm really looking at them, I'm really listening, including to cues; I'm paying attention to detail, their posture, everything. 

Being "tortured" is not an excuse to habitually treat people like sh it. I've had to work on a lot of things over the last few years. Well, HAD to is wrong, I CHOSE to and I WANTED to; but the main reason I get fed up with others in general is because their self-examination and self-assessment skills are sorely lacking. They're just not fully honest about about who and what they really are. As to the rare ones who are, those are the people I break bread with. I am unblinkingly honest with myself about what I'm made of - and some of it is very ugly - but at the same exact time, I can assure you that MOST people think their souls are far more pristinely constituted than what it truly is in reality.  So it goes to follow that I lose patience when I goddamn well know someone is soft-balling themselves to my face and bullshi tting themselves out loud at the same time.  I question sometimes if this falls into the category of actual lying, but I'm of the mind, for example, that the Dalai Lama is full of sh it and just as petty as everyone else when no-one is looking. I'm very confident in that conclusion.

Comparing Vincent Van Gogh to John Lennon is not only a bad analogy, it's a terrible one. Comparing Pablo Picasso to John Lennon is a far better one. Pablo Picasso was a horrid human being. He was a misogynist of the worst kind, psychologically tortured his wives, his lovers, his muses, his children, but never his benefactors. He got away with it because he was such a monumental talent. He wasn't, however, "tortured" about any of it. 

P.S. : Part of Van Gogh's "mental illness" was because he did what all painters did then: they mixed their own pigments. He also did what some painters who were lazy did out of habit: they licked their brushes to point them. What's in those pigments? Lead. What does overexposure to lead and heavy metals cause? Mental illness and death. No doubt his propensity to melancholy and disorganized thinking was greatly exacerbated by this fatal habit. So anyway, my basic point is I don't think John Lennon was a "tortured artist". He was a prick who wrote good songs. 

[jeremy2020]

I thought this was gonna be about Gase's birthday.

[munchmemory]

2 hours ago, CanadienJetsFan said:

Thanks for posting this! An what a back up band indeed!

But, i coulnd't make out  who the drummer was?

That's from the Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus.  A great idea of having rock bands and other acts at one event.  Stones did not think they performed very well (very long day of shooting which went into the next day) so they never released it.  Was finally released in its entirety a few months ago and is on YouTube.  IMO, The Who with a blistering rendition of "A Quick One..." steals the show.

Oh, and that's Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience fame on drums.  And I love that Keith takes a back seat to Clapton by playing bass in the clip.  

[jgb]

Some people just want to destroy the beautiful things in the World.