Milk and Honey

Bruce Beatlefan (November 30, 2006)

In spite of everything, this is a very enjoyable album.

\"Everything\" includes, primarily, that there is no living John Lennon to oversee the vision of the album, the completion of some of the songs, and perhaps beefing up the album with a couple of new, strong songs. Only one song is severely crippled by its unfinished state (\"Grow Old With Me\", a lovely song which never grew from its embryonic state). On the other hand, I fear that \"Borrowed Time\" and \"I Don\'t Wanna Face It\" would have probably received some added treatment, and the songs are perfect as they are. John\'s two weak tracks, \"Forgive Me My Little Flower Princess\" and \"I\'m Stepping Out\" (anyone who says that \"I\'m Stepping Out\" is clever and funny and Linda McCartney\'s \"Cook of the House\" is a travesty is an out-and-out hypocrite!!) would stand out far less if there was just one more really good John song.

\"Everything\" includes the renewed emphasis on the \'Heart Play\' theme that made Double Fantasy so wonderful...doing that all over again is beginning to smell like obsession and narcissism. The centerpiece of the album is John and Yoko\'s likening their romance with Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning with the tracks \"Grow Old With Me\" and \"Let Me Count The Ways\". The problem with that argument is that, they make it work! John & Yoko\'s relationship is far more vital to me than the Browning\'s ever could have been, and the songs are terrific (\"Let Me Count the Ways\" is a wonderful song by Yoko).

\"Everything\" also includes Yoko\'s return, more or less, to the kind of goofy stuff that made her so disliked in the early 1970\'s. But this is different. There is a sense of humor, and cuteness in the songs \"O\'Sanity\" and \"Sleepless Nights\" that make them enjoyable. I don\'t know if Yoko has gotten better or if my attitude about her changed due to her tragic circumstances.

There are clearly reasons out there to not care for this album, and many have chosen not to, but inspite of all that, the album is heartfelt and upbeat, and there are enough excellent songs to make it a winner.

john boutet (October 16, 2005)

Gee...the odd numbered songs are great yet the even numbered ones suck...I wonder why?