Thursday, 11 December 2014

That's Entertainment : Julian Lennon


Raise your hand if your dad was a Beatle...

Well, this has been the blessing and the curse of Julian Lennon.

The son of one of the world's BIGGEST pop stars of ALL times, Julian (and his mother) were rejected and left by John Lennon.  Julian grew up in the shadows (it was common place for record labels to encourage pop stars not to admit they were married or even had kids, lest they lose the teenage girl market buying up the 7 inch singles) and spent more time with his 'uncles' Paul, Ringo and George then he ever really did with his father.  And when John was murdered in 1981 before Julian could truly reconcile with his father, you could understand a rich rock star's son bequeathed a trust fund going off the rails.  But to his credit, Julian Lennon did no such thing.

Having grown up with music and helped and encouraged by the other Beatles (amongst others), Julian crafted a niche of his own.  It would be terribly easy to say Julian traded on his looks (he looks and sounds uncannily like John Lennon), his family name or his connections, but that would be trite, sloppy and untrue.  

You see, Julian Lennon was quite gifted in his own right.

From his lauded debut record Valotte, to the much derided (but pop-tastic) follow up album The Secret Value of Daydreaming, Julian Lennon had an amazing ear for a tune and a vocal.  The singles Too Late For Goodbyes and one of my personal faves, Stick Around, were perfect pieces of confection.  However, it would be 1989's Now You're In Heaven, which reached the pointy end of the Aussie Top 10, that won me.  Now You're In Heaven is a delight with a a fantastic B-52's Loveshack beat and wry lyrics.  Yet for all the accusations, it would be Julian's biggest song Saltwater that cements his spot in music history.  Hitting #1 in Australia for 4 weeks in 1992, its his Imagine re-imagined.  In fact, it's cruel to think that the album Saltwater was lifted from (along with the single Help Yourself) would lead to Julian's hiatus for a number of years.

Moving in to philanthropy, good causes and photography, Julian only released material in 1998 and 2011, with the sporadic online single for good measure.  Personally, I think Julian was a wonderful talent who didn't deserve either the derision or criticism he got, just because he was John Lennon's son.  In fact, there are plenty of muso sprogs who make a career in showbiz with very, very little talent.

I suppose, at the end of the day, Julian had a crack, and he released some awesome songs which many easily forget.  In the end, he had the last laugh…living off a portion of his father's estate and royalties, setting him up for life.  And despite what any rock critic or w@nker ever says, he's can still say he's the son of John Lennon, one of the Beatles…and there ain't many people who get to say that on this great big ball of dirt.

Do yourself a favour, check him out.  You won't be disappointed.  

















Stick Around (Extended 12 inch mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ6FyNxk_JA



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