Some Time In New York City, the follow-up to John Lennon’s Imagine, was inspired by radical left-wing politics of the early 1970s. A critical and commercial failure, it featured two discs containing 10 studio songs and six live performances.
The album was borne of the vitality Lennon felt after moving to New York City. He had previously spoken of his love of the city and of America in interviews, and finally moved there with Yoko Ono in September 1971.
Well nobody came to bug us, hustle us or shove us
So we decided to make it our home
If the Man wants to shove us out we gonna jump and shout
The Statue of Liberty said, ‘Come!’
Some Time In New York City
New York rejuvenated Lennon, both personally and musically, and he swiftly wrote a number of songs about his experiences. They were initially acoustic guitar-based, but took on a more traditional rock ‘n’ roll sound once studio work began.
America is where it’s at. You know, I should have been born in New York, man. I should have been born in the Village! That’s where I belong! Why wasn’t I born there? Like Paris was in the eighteenth century or whatever it was, London I don’t think has ever been it. It might have been literary-wise when Wilde and Shaw and all them were there. New York was it! I regret profoundly not being American and not being born in Greenwich Village. That’s where I should have been. But it never works that way. Everybody heads towards the centre, that’s why I’m here now. I’m here just to breathe it. It might be dying, or there might be a lot of dirt in the air, but this is where it’s happening.
Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
Lennon had become interested in political issues while touring with The Beatles in the mid 1960s. At first unsure of whether to speak out against the Vietnam War, and discouraged from doing so, it wasn’t until 1968’s ‘Revolution’ that social commentary began to take centre stage in his music.
As a solo artist Lennon used his songwriting increasingly as a way to chart what was occurring in his life, whether personal or political. ‘Working Class Hero’ and ‘Power To The People’ were key songs of his in the early 1970s, and he and Yoko Ono had spoken out in support of British Black Power leader Michael X, convicted A6 murderer James Hanratty, and the editors of Oz magazine.
Although he encountered resistance from Nixon’s administration, Lennon found a New York ally in political activists Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. He embraced the counterculture movement in New York, aligning himself with the politics of the New Left and their various causes and campaigns.
If you don’t dwell too much on the politics, even if much of it had validity at the time, or get too bogged down on the really uncharacteristic-for-Lennon lame lyrics, the material here is quite good. “New York City” rocks with the best. What a great riff! “WITNOTW” is actaully quite awesome, especially the ending – ‘We make her paint her face and dance’. A bit frightening actually. “Attica State” is sonically similar to “Gimme Some Truth” and at least as good musically. I found this to be a strong album actually but the political tide in the country then was geared to disparage John – as his paranoid rants were eventually proven to be true. Today, this album has no relevance and so most can’t or won’t give it a chance. John took a bold move issuing this and probably thought he’d be opening minds with this. Instead, they clamped shut basically because the Establishment told them to. After Kent State and Attica, people were quick to cow.
Agree completely. I dont care what others say about this album. I love it.
In my opinion, the studio Album “Somewhere in New York City” is mostly an unlistenable collection of naive, self rightous, simplistic, santimonious, slogans, painfully magnified by the talentless Ono Yoko, that served to harm rather than promote the causes the duo expoused. Ono Lennon’s self absorbed, rich, rock star posturing, invited upon the album’s release & today still invites, ridicule & scorn. Ono Lennon was not a man of peace & Ono Yoko is not an artist.
I feel sorry for you James, What a miserable life you must have.
You need to be more tolerant of other people’s opinions. A lot of what he says is true. Lennon hit his nadir with this record and its political cluelessness of the time. The fact that he let that all go is evidence that he too knew that it was a primal scream, drug-addled, incoherent mess.
He stole that riff from The Kinks.
Following Imagine, John and Yoko had gone to live in New York City, any interviews/ comments in the uk music papers were exciting, as at the time, it felt as they were along way from home. This album was delayed in the UK, the reviews were awful, yet there was for me defining moments.
New York City blasted as one of JL’s finest rock moments, a diary of their time in NYC. “Woman is the N—-r of the World” incredibly brave, lyrics and singing superb! John Sinclair great slide guitar and singing.
“The Luck of the Irish” was superb, lyrically biased, but after the shootings in Derry, someone (brave) had to say something. “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, is not remembered in the same way as the U2 track, the lyrics are hard, but it does bite as a track.
The “Live Jam” cd has the heaviest version of “Cold Turkey” you will ever hear plus the excellent ” Well Baby Please Dont Go”, with the opener “something I used to play at the Cavern !”
So, what about the rest? Too much Yoko for popular opinion (although some of the songs are better than given credit for) too many slogans, sure. The package is of its time, the vinyl better than the modern cd, but interesting! Not for the casual fan, but if you want an album from 1972 that speaks (and sings) from the heart. try it!
Whilst this is an album that gets a hard time from critics, it has its share of outstanding songs. It also has great significance because of the hard time the Nixon administration were giving him and Yoko. NewYork City is a great rocker and I aiso have alot of time for Woman Is The N—-r Of The World, Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Luck Of The Irish and John Sinclair.Maybe it is my Irish ancestry on my mothers side of the family influencing me; but I think Lennons response to the Bloody Sunday massacre great. Put those two along with Paul McCartneys single at the time Give Ireland Back To The Irish and they are fascinating listening.
The album has great music on it and some really good songs. It’s underrated certainly not his best but no where near as bad as some make it out to be. Woman is the n—-r of the world and New York City are two of his best.
I dig this album despite all the negative press it received over the years. I prefer the Live Jam record, which is live Lennon at its best and most chaotic. My favorite songs on the studio record are “New York City”, “Attica State”, “John Sinclair” and “Luck of the Irish.”
When this album came out, I felt it spoke for me.
Great album, though the criticism it received knocked Lennon for 6 . His music never had the same bite again.
Always totally disliked this album. Even as a young teen at the time, I felt that, topically, it was naive, short-sighted, and yes, just a bit immature.
I’ve always been more of a fan of the Live Jam disc, especially the Zappa Fillmore East side. Things get especially crazy as the jams meander onward. Listen in headphones (or earphones) they are a lot of fun.
BEWARE of the absolutely horrible CD remaster of the album that severely truncates the Live Jam stuff. I unknowingly purchased it, and was extremely unhappy to say the least. I returned it. SOMETIME IN NEW YORK CITY is best in its original 1972 format. Don’t settle for an edited version.
It was sad how rock critics turned on John about this album. I think it was because the sourpuss critics wrote all that through cowardice. John hit the States in one of those nativist periods and the public were ostriches, hiding their heads in the sand. John and Yoko were great. Compare their version to Zappa’s « Live at the Fillmore » version. At least they weren’t singing « My dick is a monster » as Zappa was doing. Too political? Give me a break! The songs were thoughtful and intelligent reflections on immoral war, racism, sexism and the brutal Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry. Does anyone have a problem with that? I certainly do not and loved the album. Yes, It is best on vinyl and there must be thousands of copies in good condition out there, based on the chilly response here. Long live John’s spirit! Cheers.
Hated it as a young just barely a teenager. I was expecting Imagine or Instant Karma. But as I got older I grew to love Lennon contributions, on the studio album. No offense intended to Yoko at all, she has her talents, she was John’s muse for a decade, & wrote decent songs in her own right. But I’m a John Lennon fan, so I buy records to hear him sing. Another thing, just as the Double Fantasy material, are his songs of domestic family life, and his Plastic Ono Band songs are his pain and angst, his Janov therapy tunes, the Lennon material on STINYC, are his overtly political, socially conscious tunes. Or a lot of his 65 material was him doing his Dylanesque turn….
Lined up back to back Lennon’s 72 material, all lines up very nicely, as mostly hard rocking, with a couple ballads, homogenous sounding music, all recorded with a New York Street band, his muse Yoko & Phil Spector adding that extra bombast…The STINYC Songs aren’t as great as Strawberry Fields, Norwegian Wood or Tomorrow Never Knows, but they are good & fit well with each other. If one adds as I do, the Happy Xmas single & sequences all the Lennon (or Lennon/Ono ) songs, with A Lennon lead vocal, about the problem, it is two to three songs short, of a full Lennon album. That’s my only gripe really, needs about 2 more Lennon vocals/songs, for an excellent 1970s 40ish minute Lennon album….I agree Yoko’s songs aren’t bad, her singing is OK, if you like her voice, I can always make my own copy, him on one side, her on the other. But hopefully the 50th anniversary box, gives us 1 or 2 ‘new to us” Lennon tunes, but the 8 studio cuts we have ( including ) Happy Xmas are homogenous & terrific !
I saw Lennon in Ann Arbor for the John Sinclair benefit. Everybody was great, from Stevie Wonder to Bob Seger, but Lennon played a poor set and everybody walked out of the arena disappointed. Especially since we had to wait a couple of hours to for the band get the set up and recorded. So I can see why the reviews were negative. In general, the post-Beatles work is of secondary importance.
Woman is the n––r of the world is a very, very good Lennon song where Ono co-wrote the lyrics.
John sinclair is okay.
The luck of the Irish is okay, actually quite beautiful, but Ono ruins it with her singing. She was never a pop/rock artist. After all a better song than Give Ireland back to the Irish by Paul McCartney.
New York City sounds like a remake of The ballad of John And Yoko, which in the chorus definitely goes over to You really got me by The Kinks. What an unnecessary song.
Regarding the other numbers I can not even be bothered.
The LP was at one time a Thorn … in McCartney’s side… The sordid details can be found in the video I recently created by sourcing a rare audio tape of Paul and Linda talking legal matters w/The Eastmans. Never before broadcast, you can find the link in my bio.
Otherwise, my YouTube is the same name here. Apparently, this was another snag carefully manipulated by Allen Klein and STINYC selling under 100,000 units did not help matters!
This album is not as bad 50 years later. It’s a better listen than Mind Games.
Lennon was on fire on this album…..but could not translate with the overt political nature of the song subjects. Woman ….of The World is not racist, but touches down on sexism. Attica State and New York City really cooks. Luck of the Irish is lovely, and John Sinclair is a total earworm ( gotta, gotta, gotta……).
It may not rank at the top of Lennon solo albums……but it’s the last time Lennon brings the heat
The lennon voice was at its rock peak. It’s wasted here in simple slogan songs..
The power of lennon to pull this off to the record executives…”I’m gonna sing about political events, let my tone deaf nasal voice wife yoko sing half the slogans, drop the n bomb and release it as a single, put Nixon and mao naked on the cover and find a local garage band to back it all..
We’ll go on daytime TV and hippy explain it to america..
All a bad miscalculation.
Lennon love to push the envelope..
Just because it’s ballsy doesn’t make it good.
Woman is the N is a catchy tune. Sister o sisters is a campy 60s girl group tune that could land in john waters movie..ono’s out of pitch 4th grade girl vocal works here
All the rest are forgettable and