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In the months before John Lennon and Yoko Ono entered Abbey Road Studios in London to start work on what would become the album “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,” the couple were renting a home on Nimes Road in one of L.A.’s fanciest neighborhoods, Bel-Air.
The Beatles were still the most famous group in the world but were in the midst of breaking up, with members traveling to and from London to finish “Abbey Road,” work on various solo projects for their label Apple Records and argue about release schedules and royalties.
Living along a curvy lane behind walls that afforded complete privacy and overwhelming views of the city, Lennon and Ono were a world away from that drama. They woke to the sounds chirping birds, sprinklers and lawnmowers, enjoyed their tea alone and, when so inclined, chilled by the pool. Lennon worked on some songs, including “Working Class Hero,” “Mother,” “Well, Well, Well” and “God.”
Half a Century Later, John Lennonâs âPlastic Ono Bandâ Still Hits Hard
A new boxed set tracking the making of Lennonâs first post-Beatles solo album reveals the construction of primal songs, and the clarity of his vision.
The songs on John Lennon’s solo album “Plastic Ono Band” made large topics deeply personal: family, faith, class, fame, drugs, love, fear.Credit.Yoko Ono Lennon
It was raw. Yet it was meticulously thought through.
âPlastic Ono Band,â released in December 1970, was John Lennonâs first solo album after the breakup of the Beatles earlier that year. It was a far cry from the tuneful reassurance of Paul McCartneyâs one-man-studio-band album âMcCartneyâ and the polished abundance of George Harrisonâs triple album, âAll Things Must Pass,â both of which were also released that year. In both music and lyrics, âPlastic Ono Bandâ was a stark statement of pain, separation, vulnerability and sel