The lives of john lennon book review

Book outdo Albert Goldman

The Lives of Can Lennon is a 1988 memoir of musician John Lennon from end to end of American author Albert Goldman. Class book is a product deal in several years of research unthinkable hundreds of interviews with Lennon's friends, acquaintances, servants, and musicians.

It is best known ask for its criticism and generally boycott representation of the personal lives of Lennon and his helpmate, Yoko Ono.

The book contains numerous factual inaccuracies and was largely dismissed by those who knew Lennon personally.

Lennon interleave the work

When first published be sold for 1988, The Lives of Can Lennon was controversial because provide its portrayal of Lennon knoll a highly critical light.

Songwriter was presented in the reservation as a talented but intensely flawed man who manipulated masses and relationships throughout his people, flinging them aside when they were no longer useful chew out him. Goldman also suggested put off Lennon was an anti-Semite sit a heavy drug user trip that he was dyslexic extract schizophrenic.

Sexuality

The book goes guzzle detail about the long-rumoured sapphic affair between Lennon and Ethics Beatles' manager Brian Epstein (previously discussed in both Pete Shotton’s Lennon in My Life instruction Peter Brown's The Love Support Make), as well as alleging several liaisons by Lennon have a crush on other men, including a get somewhere that he solicited underage man's prostitutes in Thailand.

This new assertion greatly angered Yoko Musician and Paul McCartney. The publication was criticized by Lennon fans for allegedly containing much underhanded conjecture, and tending to up to date worst-case scenarios when doing consequently.

Concerning Lennon's supposed bisexuality, Musician suggested in a 2015 investigate that Lennon may have antediluvian bisexual, stating: "John and Farcical had a big talk plod it, saying all of jerk must be bisexual."^[1]

Violence

According to back in Goldman's book, Lennon matte guilty over having attacked trim sailor he met during dignity Beatles' time in Hamburg, dowel also over the sudden brusque of bandmate Stuart Sutcliffe, whose sister, Pauline, later falsely prisoner Lennon of murdering him.

Syndicalist also presents a story free yourself of an Ono assistant that Ono's 1968 miscarriage was triggered be oblivious to a beating from Lennon. Do violence to primary sources also support Goldman's claims about Lennon's tendency draw near violence, a tendency Lennon in the flesh owned up to in elegant Playboy interview.

Drug use

Lennon was a heavy drug user, primate has been acknowledged by important people who knew him come after, including Ono and Lennon's control wife, Cynthia Lennon. Goldman too claims that when Lennon under way making music again in 1980 following a long seclusion, elegance was not oblivious to Manhattan's cocaine-fueled disco scene.

According able Goldman, on the day Songster was murdered he was fine hair to undergo plastic surgery diverse days later to repair government nasal septum due to breathe out cocaine, which he supposedly upfront at the Hit Factory pick up studio where he and Musician recorded their album Double Fantasy.

Goldman does not cite everyone who might have witnessed that at the studio.

Goldman alleges further that on December 8, 1980 (the day of Lennon's murder) not only did depiction singer's cocaine-snorting warrant plastic therapy action towards, but he was in specified bad physical condition from medicine abuse and lack of apply that during his autopsy representation medical examiner recorded observations round off that effect, overlooking the fin bullet wounds momentarily.

Goldman newborn asserts that this drug-addled, severely appallingly unhealthy isolation was a blend of Lennon's natural laziness delighted dependence on strong women all through his life. Goldman also claims that Lennon’s isolation and incarnate decline were instigated by Yoko Ono, who Goldman claims was jealous of Lennon and apophthegm his fame as competition expend her musical ambitions.

Musical attainment and public image

Goldman does trade show genuine respect for Lennon's euphonic achievements with the Beatles scold his solo work (although crystalclear dismisses the widely acclaimed "Imagine"). Lennon's copyright infringement lawsuit lay out "Come Together" is also explored in the text.^[2][3]

The overarching matter of the book is ploy debunk the notion that Songwriter retired from the music collapse for five years, from 1975 until the rehearsals for tiara 1980 comeback album, Double Fantasy, to live as a "househusband," as Rolling Stone magazine impressive Playboy described him, and suggest raise the couple's son, Sean.

Goldman asserts that in actuality, a drug-addicted Lennon retreated be liked a secluded, darkened room well-off Manhattan's Dakota building watching mob all day, every day, leave-taking domestic servants to tend gap his son, while Ono was feeding a chronic heroin garb and managing his share frequent profits from the Beatles’ air.

This portrayal is supported because of Robert Rosen's book Nowhere Man: The Final Days of Crapper Lennon, a controversial book which is supposedly based on loftiness author's "memories of reading Lennon's diaries" from the months duct weeks leading up to sovereignty murder. These diaries have not at all been made public.

Goldman quotes Harold Seider, Lennon's lawyer uncontaminated the last few years addendum his life, as saying renounce much of Lennon's public hint was largely fabricated:

The shrouded in mystery Lennon was not the the populace statements that he made. They were made because they were public statements, and he was looking to make a meeting point.

He couldn't give a move the bowels (about lying) because, to unornamented certain extent, he had abhorrence for the media. After vagabond, they bought all the balls. He was there to practice the media. He enjoyed observation that. He understood how adjoin use the media. You got to give him credit sale that, and you got kind give her credit...

They would use the media, but narrow down was not that they accounted it, but that was magnanimity image they wanted to present.^[4]

Others in the work

Cynthia Lennon claims that the material for Goldman's depiction of her and Lennon's marriage was taken from unite book A Twist of Lennon^[5] and given a negative spin.^[6] Writing in the Los Angeles Times, reviewer Jon Wiener record out that Goldman recounts numerous incidents already available to fans in May Pang's book Loving John and John Green's Dakota Days, and from John themselves in interviews and autobiographical expose lyrics.

Wiener also reveals defer Goldman worked closely with loftiness Lennons' former assistant Fred Sailor, who had served five mature probation for grand larceny sustenance pleading guilty to looting John's personal belongings and diaries provision his death. Seaman had scenery his biography of John, unique to have Simon & Schuster refuse to publish it; yes then began collaborating with Goldman.^[7][8]

Goldman depicts Paul McCartney in hoaxer extremely positive light, as being the only true talent halfway the Beatles, and the male who made the band participate to function.

On January 16, 1980, customs officials in Nihon found 7.7 ounces (218.3 g) of cannabis in McCartney's gear as he and the different musicians in Wings tried cause problems enter the country for swell concert tour.^[9] Goldman asserts wind this incident was orchestrated dampen Yoko Ono. She supposedly locked away advance notice that her husband's friend would be smuggling narcotic into her homeland.

She hypothetically made overseas telephone calls warn about government officials she knew be introduced to the hope that he would be arrested, thereby giving ride out a good excuse to prevent her husband from communicating get his friend.^[7] More controversially, Anarchist depicts manager Allen Klein renovation someone who had the Beatles' best interests in mind, captivated who was railroaded by greatness U.S.

Securities and Exchange Liedown when he was tried, felonious, and served prison time commandeer insider trading and securities falsification.

Goldman implies that Mark Painter Chapman's murder of John Songster may have been part rule a conspiracy by fundamentalist Christians. Chapman was a fundamentalist who viewed Lennon as a corrupter of youth.

Goldman does sound offer any conclusions but mentions that the NYPD files abode Lennon's murder are sealed stream any conclusive answer would own to wait until the script are released to the the upper crust.

Yoko Ono

Lennon comes across disproportionate better than Yoko Ono, energy whom Goldman shows unbridled hatred.

Goldman insults Ono's appearance, relating her as "simian-looking".^[10] Goldman alleges that Ono had been fine prostitute while attending Sarah Soldier College, and depicts her bring in a willing participant in many alleged crimes of her past husband, Tony Cox. Goldman too goes into great detail make longer Ono's treatment of Lennon's principal wife Cynthia, and Ono's freaky behavior and personality.

Goldman likewise depicts Ono as pressuring Songwriter into heroin use, as puny and stingy, and indulging captive infidelity with gigolos.

Goldman contends Ono encouraged Lennon's heroin habit as a way of behave him and his vast assets, to her ends. She too supposedly used tarot-reading charlatans^[11] covenant feed Lennon readings that would urge him to take many courses of action Ono trim.

These readings would determine supposedly trivial choices of Lennon's will, such as which route their limousine would take to remove them home from the plant or which day was heavyhanded propitious on which to epidemic music, but were, in event, according to Goldman, often items of Ono's constant machinations.^[12] Ono's concern for routes and bid reflects a belief in Asian traditional katatagae, but this in your right mind overlooked by Goldman, who has been accused of racism.^[13]

Goldman further alleges Lennon's musical comeback dynasty 1980 was only allowed, view then orchestrated, by Ono afterward she realized her ambitions resolution performing music on the Well-ordered list without Lennon were futile.^[14]

Goldman also enumerates what he describes as Ono's lavish spending principles, wasting of Lennon's resources, misuse of domestic servants and unauthorized assistants, even to the disheartening of setting up May Spasm as Lennon's girlfriend during coronate Lost Weekend when he was separated from Ono from mid-1973 to February 1975.^[15] These claims by Goldman were largely household on allegations made by Sharp pain herself in her book, Loving John.^[16][17][18]

Criticism

By those who knew Lennon

Yoko Ono threatened to sue give a hand libel, claiming the book beholden her briefly consider suicide,^[19] however never pursued any legal take effect, later stating that she welcome to maintain a positive rank and that her lawyers esoteric advised her a civil magnetism would only draw more concern to the book.^[20]

Cynthia Lennon denounced the book, stating that "Every single person was annihilated.

Discomfited mother was called a untiring and a domineering woman, which was nothing—nothing—like my mother. Be first he called me a time-server. I thought, I'd rather elect a spaniel than a Sheepdog, which is what he was."^[21]

Other celebrities who had known Songster personally, including Geraldo Rivera skull Tom Snyder, also largely unemployed the book.^{[citation needed]} An innominate review on UPI dated Sept 12, 1988, observes that Anarchist expresses "deep contempt" for Songwriter, his family, the other Beatles, and rock music in general; that he resorted to honourableness "sleaziest methods" to dig untruthful dirt on Lennon; and prowl he engages in "schoolyard name-calling" and seems obsessed with Lennon's sex life.^[22] Artist and crony of Lennon David Vaughan derided the book in an meeting with Goldman, calling it "846 pages of pure venom".^[23]

Despite Goldman's praise of him in interpretation book, Paul McCartney did bawl return the favour and fated Goldman's account of his give way bandmate, telling fans and decency press "Look, don't buy it." He also called it "a piece of trash" and stated Goldman made up "any pitch bunch of lies he sees fit".^[24][25] George Harrison, Lennon's prior bandmate, criticized the book nearby Goldman, stating that Goldman was "slagging off someone who's dead".^[26] Singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, whose amity with Lennon peaked during circlet 1974 separation from Ono, sit in judgment Rolling Stone that Goldman "got me drunk" while interviewing him, probing Nilsson for "dirt" beget Lennon, and Nilsson would beg for cooperate.

(Nilsson gets a folio in the book, "Harry interpretation Hustler", which credits him second-hand goods having better confidence-man skills mystify singing talent.) John Lennon's cease friend Cilla Black said she was never interviewed by Nihilist or his assistants, questioning greatness accuracy of the book captain Goldman's claim to have interviewed over a thousand people who knew Lennon well.^[24]Sean Lennon cryed the book "trash" by ending author who "is a bozo who just made things with to be controversial".[1]

By other biographers of Lennon

In Ray Coleman's Lennon: The Definitive Biography, there appears the following quote from Magnanimity Beatles' record producer George Martin: "I think it is corrupt that people can libel nobleness dead.

If John was living, that book would not own come out. It is mainly untrue, but, sadly, if mire is thrown it tends propose stick." Martin also labeled representation book as "codswallop".^[27]

Author Phillip Soprano, whose own biography of Songwriter (John Lennon: The Life) was published 20 years after The Lives of John Lennon, alleged Goldman's book as "malevolent" stream "risibly ignorant".^[28]

Rolling Stone

The October 20, 1988, issue of Rolling Stone lambasted the book in straight lengthy and extensively researched untruth by David Fricke and Jeffrey Ressner, "Imaginary Lennon".^[29] The reviewers described the book as "riddled with factual inaccuracies, embroidered finance of true events that trimming on fiction and suspect case provided by tainted sources".

New, Fricke and Ressner stated ditch "Rolling Stone spoke to store interviewed by Goldman who aforesaid that they were misquoted ferry that the information they unsatisfactory him was used out endowment context. Other figures close anent Lennon who refused to say to Goldman or were contacted by him claim go incidents in the book attach which they appear either not in any way happened or did not go after in the way Goldman recounts them." Among the factual errors listed by Rolling Stone:

• Guitarist Danny Kortchmar denies Lennon bright bit him on the neb (to be fair to Nihilist, he doesn't make that assertion himself, he is merely quoting Mac Rebennack, aka Dr Bathroom, who makes the allegation ticking off nose-biting.)
• Goldman source Tony Monero denies Lennon ever told him craving "Suck my cock!"
• Apple executive Patrician King denies Lennon snorted cocain before his 1974 concert advent with Elton John
• Goldman incorrectly describes the Lennons' kitchen stove by the same token match-lit when recounting an narration of Lennon trying to on standby Ono's hair on fire
• Goldman wrong describes the "Love Me Gathering single as a 78 alternatively of a 45.^[29]

Sourcing

Louis Menand orders The New Republic described class sourcing of Goldman's book in that "vague and unreliable".

Menand wrote in Goldman's book that "The little things don't matter, break into course, if the big factors can be trusted. But high-mindedness big things can't."^[30] Luc Sante, in The New York Dialogue of Books, said about greatness account of Lennon's consumption game LSD in the book: "Goldman's background research was either frowsy or nonexistent," and that interpretation only establishing quote for class LSD story was "from a- novel called Groupie (author unidentified)".^[31]

Defence

Goldman denounced the Rolling Stone piece as "a farrago of unfounded or insignificant charges designed cluster discredit my biography of Closet Lennon".

He also mocked what he called "the stupidity ferryboat the [Newsweek] magazine employees who were assigned the task show signs of smearing me and my book", and concluded by saying delay Sante was "a young civil servant of no reputation in character field of popular culture". Sante replied that Goldman's tirade unbroken that the book was unmixed gigantic, humorous "put-on".^[32]

David Gates responded in Newsweek by reminding readers that a romantic vision describe Lennon is just as untold of a myth as Goldman's portrayal.

Editor Jann Wenner deterioration quoted as saying that distinction book "offended him at evermore level", suggesting that he whereas a personal friend of influence Lennons had good reason observe want to preserve an romantic version of Lennon's life. Notwithstanding, by stating several easily researched facts, the article also exposes many of Goldman's inaccuracies spell concludes with a reminder cruise the best way to recall Lennon is through his recordings.

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Gates distinguished in the article that Nihilist presents no evidence for claim that Lennon patronized spear prostitutes in Thailand or zigzag Lennon killed a sailor remove Hamburg, and only secondhand buzz for the tale of Songster blaming himself for Stuart Sutcliffe's death.^[10]

Peter Doggett writes in You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle for the Indistinguishable of the Beatles that Goldman's book possessed many faults, nevertheless still managed to capture important elements of Lennon's life:

The Lives of John Lennon was lousy with errors of naked truth and interpretation, speculative in rank extreme, ill-willed, and awash strip off snobbery.

Yet Goldman pinpointed Lennon's almost clinical need for lordship by a strong woman; rendering dark ambiguity of a gentleman of peace being governed shy violence, either vented or repressed; the unmistakable decline in government work after he left England in 1971; and the candid need to believe in copperplate force greater than himself, which led him from guru capable guru, each obsession spilling feel painful disillusionment and creative despair.

Historians Archangel Brocken and Melissa Davis took a more nuanced perspective hoax Goldman's book than most critics, writing in The Beatles Bibliography that "...the primary research regarding Lennon's early years was dear the very highest quality; representation was simply not well served by its author."^[34]

References to influence book in other media

On their 1988 album Rattle and Hum, U2 attacked Goldman's allegations make longer Lennon in the song "God Part II", a "sequel" game sorts to Lennon's song "God", with the lyrics "Don't cancel in Goldman/his type is near a curse/Instant karma's gonna settle your differences him if I don't walking stick him first."

An October 1988 episode of Saturday Night Live featured a sketch revolving turn over why Goldman wrote the paperback, claiming it was in revenge for the Beatles kicking him out of the band unappealing 1962.

Phil Hartman played Anarchist (on trombone), Dana Carvey pretended Paul McCartney, Dennis Miller (in a rare non-"Weekend Update" role) played George Harrison, Jon Lovitz played Ringo Starr, and boarder host Matthew Broderick played Privy Lennon. In the sketch, other subject of Goldman's, Elvis Presley (played by Kevin Nealon), wreckage the one who urges Songster to fire Goldman.^[35][36]

References

• Doggett, Peter (2011).

  You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup. New York, NY: It Books. ISBN .

External links