By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 9, 1999
Julian Lennon has never enjoyed the security of anonymity. Not only was he John Lennon’s firstborn. He was also the first Beatle baby.
So with the release of his latest album, “Photograph Smile” – his first record in seven years – Lennon is being scrutinized again, though not as closely as when he debuted 15 years ago with the MTV-friendly “Valotte.”
The singer-songwriter, who was a teenager when his father was killed, will perform at 10:35 p.m. tonight on “The Tonight Show,” which airs on WMAQ-Channel 5.
In 1984, fans were hoping Lennon would be able to give them what the ex-Beatles wouldn’t – a new Beatles’ album.
With vocals reminiscent of his father and a pop sound that was not unlike the Beatles, “Valotte” proved to be a commercial success. But his three subsequent records failed to live up to the promise of his surname.
“As far as the public and critics were concerned, there was no consistency in my music, and I don’t think that was an unfair assumption,” Lennon, 35, said last week while in Chicago. “I was very proud of my first record, but I thought that after the world tour I would have a bit of a rest and then start writing again. That was not the case.
“I was not ordered – but close to it – to return to the studio to write a hit album within the next two months. I was very fearful of the sophomore jinx. If you want to have a serious career, then the second album has to be great, or at least as good as the first record. I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to do that, and I felt that was the demise of my career.”
He also had issues with his father’s widow, Yoko Ono. “I was never given anything from Dad or the estate, but there were one of two guitars that I managed to get,” Lennon said. “There were some others that I would’ve liked to have had, but (Yoko) said, `Well, you have to understand that (John and Ono’s son) Sean is here and we can’t cut the guitar into two. So it stays with us.’ And she sold a lot of his stuff through auctions to benefit her charities.
“Yoko and I came to a financial settlement, but it was basically me agreeing to whatever she would give me. With the settlement I did make, I’ve been buying a lot of his stuff back, because that is the only way I’ll be able to pass them along when I have a family. As far as she’s concerned – and again, nothing against Sean – she and Sean were the only people in Dad’s life.
“The thing is, she’s got everything. She owns his name, his likeness, all his money. You name it. She’s got it. What more does she want? The one thing that I do say is that she has everything except the Lennon blood and the talent.”
Disappointed by the lack of promotional support from his label after the release of his fourth album, “Help Yourself,” seven years ago, Lennon decided to retire from the music business.
He moved back to Italy, where he and his mother and stepfather had lived during his youth, and concentrated on doing the things he loved: poetry, photography and cooking.
“I didn’t write (any songs) for years because I didn’t want (the record company) to own them,” Lennon continued. “It took me five years to get out of my contract. But in many respects, it was a blessing in disguise. I had a chance to step back and resolve many of the problems I had.”
Lighting a cigarette, he continued, “When you’re a kid, you want a record deal and you’ll do anything. I just loved music. I didn’t get into music because of my dad (whom Lennon says wasn’t around much). I got into it because my best friend at the time got into guitars, and I did, too. When my mother got me a piano for my 16th birthday, I started writing songs and listening to jazz and classical music. It wasn’t like I sat around listening to Beatles albums all the time, although of course I love those songs as much as the next person.”
of the pivotal people in his life:
Paul McCartney: “He’s always been there (for me) from day one. He’s a very loving character. When Dad didn’t know what to do with me, Paul was always playing cowboys and Indians with me and stuff like that. To this day he sends me a birthday card and Christmas card every year. He remains a caring soul and I’m in awe of someone like that. There are some people who say that Dad was the Beatles, but I disagree with that. Without Paul, there wouldn’t have been the Beatles.”
Half-brother, Sean Lennon: “I love him dearly. He’s blood to me. I used to baby-sit him. I think I even changed one of his nappies (diapers) once. I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I think Sean is very talented. We always have a lot of fun when we see each other, whether it’s for one day, a week or a month. But it’s not a friendship that Yoko approves of. I don’t think she passes along my messages for him when I call.”
“Photograph Smile”
(Fuel 2000/Universal)
(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Well written and beautifully crafted, the 14 songs are unapologetically romantic and sentimental. And while it’s obvious that Lennon wants to avoid comparisons to his famous father (the album art includes baby photos, rather than shots of a John-esque, grownup Julian), he has finally grown comfortable with the fact that he shares his dad’s fab vocals.
While songs such as “Day After Day” and “I Don’t Wanna Know” sound as if they could’ve been pulled from a Beatles’ recording session, Lennon displays a melodic flair all his own. His ballads are opulent, his voice is rich. And he exudes just the right amount of carelessness on the jaunty “Kiss Beyond the Catcher.”
Lennon adopted a do-it-yourself approach to this album, recording it on his own indie label and accompanying himself on guitar, sitar and keyboards.
Seven years in the making, “Photograph Smile” turns out to be an album full of lasting images.
