The U.S. VS. John Lennon (CD, Sep-2006, Capitol/EMI Records)

In the USA, during a social revolution of the 1960's, song writer, singer, musician, original band member of the Beattles, John Lennon, was an outspoken, nonviolent, anti-war activist. Due to Lennon's refusal to cooperate with Pres. Nixon's agenda during the Vietnam war, the federal government considered the peace-loving revolutionary "a national threat." An amazing documentary was produced featuring major social figures who reveal intimate details of what the US government put Lennon through.

This CD is a 2006 release of David Leaf's compilation of 21 of John Lennon's songs. They are played throughout the documentary & during extensive, impressive DVD special features. This CD is unique because the songs included aren't dominantly the Beattles' music.

It seems appropriate to the current mood of this country to return to the spirit of revolutionary nonviolent protest to stop war, for very similar reasons Lennon was concerned about. Here's the list of Lennon's music, as well as a list of who performs it. Lennon performs in every song.

1) "Power to the People" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

2) "Nobody Told Me" John Lennon

3) "Working Class Hero" John Lennon

4) "I Found Out" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

5) "Bed Peace" John Lennon & Yoko Ono

6) "Ballad of John & Yoko" The Beatles

7) "Give Peace a Chance" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

8) "Love" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

9) "Attica State" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

10) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

11) "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama, I Don't Wanna Die" John Lennon & The
Plastic Ono Band

12) "Imagine" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

13) "How Do You Sleep" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

14) "New York City" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

15) "John Sinclair" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band w/Yoko Ono

16) "Scared" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

17) "God" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

18) "Here We Go Again" John Lennon

19) "Gimme Some Truth" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

20) "Oh My Love" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

21) "Instant Karma!" John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

I hope that if you're a young adult who wasn't alive when Lennon was, through this music you feel the energetic, truth-seeking, social-changing, gentle & gigantic spirit of the man we knew & loved so much. His music, activist presence & speeches were a major source of inspiration & leadership to our peace movement.

Too many veteran's of wars misunderstand what our peace-seeking movement was doing & why. We wanted our peers who'd been drafted, home--safely. The famous revolutionaries who were quite often in show business, used the advantage of their access to the media to conduct anti-war activties that would be broadcast or published thoughout the mass media.

Lennon was a man who didn't believe it was right to harm anyone. He was not against Vietnam war troops or veterans! I don't recall a soul who was! Collectively, it was very much back then as it is now, only then it was on a much larger scale. So much so, US society was changed. We learned not to trust governmental leaders headed into harm's way. Unfortunately, the warring generation is still in power. But, not for long now . . .