John Lennon 1970 Interview

I just finished listening to about 2 1/2 hours of an interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1970. The interview is available in five installments through a podcast though you can also just listen to it (or download it) from the net at Rolling Stone.

Here are the direct links to the MP3 files for those that don't know how to subscribe to podcast feeds:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

It was a great interview and really gives you a sense of who John Lennon was when he was about 29 years old. If you are a Beatles fan, it is a must listen. If you are a musician it is worth it to hear his thoughts on creativity, musicianship and artistry.

Highlights to me were:
* He thinks of himself as a genius
* You have to be a complete jerk to make it in the music business
* The dynamic between him and Yoko was not what I expected - she seemed very willing to yield to his thoughts and he seemed easily to discard hers
* He is all over the map, frequently contradicting himself
* He is astoundingly honest, sharing his primal emotional reaction to many things
* Though he didn't go into it too much because Yoko was there, it is interesting to hear how the early Beatles were complete jerks and partyers before their managers 'cleaned' them up. And the women...
* He displays hatred for George and Paul and in different statements, admiration
* His takes on Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Eric Burden, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh and others are illuminating
* All good artists and creative people are pained in some way
* Dichotomy between the relative immaturity of a 29 year old vs. the maturity of a guy who has seen much of the many sides of many experiences at such a young age
* He never likes not being with Yoko
* His favorite songs with the Beatles included Help, In My Life, Yer Blues, Strawberry Fields Forever, Girl and few others I can't remember now - all because they are honest and about him and his experiences.

Anyway - go listen. It's greatness! Like a good book, I wasn't ready for it to end. Many thanks to Rolling Stone for making these available.