Lennon Vs. Lennon
Sean Lennon talks to Time Out New York:
TONY: Were you disappointed at what you accomplished with your debut?Ouch.SEAN LENNON: Oh, no. At the time, I could have signed with a major label, hired a famous producer and tried to be a pop star. Like people expect me to do—like my brother did. But that would have been completely dishonest. So I did something opposite of that bullshit expectation of me to carry some torch. I didn’t want to spend a million dollars on some cheesy pop record.
I like Sean Lennon, but this tune is better than anything he ever wrote:
Julian Lennon - "Too Late For Goodbyes" (MP3 Link Expired)
Posted at 4:04 PM
Tags: Julian Lennon | Sean Lennon | The Beatles
Seriously. Why is Sean such a douchebag? I want to love him but he makes it hard.
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Sean is just being honest.....
Julian's shit sucked....
and Sean's debut was very grand royal in my humble opinion....
i'm looking forward to his new album!
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I feel lame because I didn't even know there was another Lennon kid. I do like this better than most of the songs I've heard from Sean, though. And he really doesn't need to act like that...
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Underneath the period production, Julian's first record actually sounds very humble to me.
I think a number of things went wrong for him. The big expectations as Lennon's son, combined with the label wanting a quick hit follow-up to the debut album, plus the usual album-tour-album-tour treadmill, AND the fact that he was barely 20 at the time of that first success almost guaranteed that he wouldn't be allowed enough time to grow and develop as a writer.
His 2nd record flopped, and he reacted by writing songs that sounded like John's later Beatles work. Rather than continuing to write Julian Lennon songs, if you see what I mean.
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That is one awful song. And an even awful-er video.
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Wow Scott that's what I call a video flashback. Sure Sean Lennon has that hipster status and he buddies around with Handsome Boy Modeling School, but that track is golden.
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All that plus Yoko has continually treated Julian like a shit-stain of John's past. She barely recognizes his existence. Seems pretty petty considering he is her "step-son" and blood relative of Sean.
Sean would be nothing if Julian hadn't came first and been the world's whipping boy for trying to be the heir to John's legacy.
Is that something any other child of a musical legend has been able to overcome?
Name some examples.
Fuck Yoko, Fuck Sean.
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i agree. this song is a brilliant pop track, i still listen to it all the time. it's sad that the rest of Valotte is not nearly as good, but like someone else said in response, this came out only a couple of years after John Lennon's death. the expectations of Julian were astronomical, plus he had to deal with being John Lennon's ex-wife's child, not Yoko's. All the flak he had to bear from her was just not fair. he couldn't help who his parents are/were.
Sean Lennon has the same issue, he's not only not living up to the namesake (of course not, the mere thought of that is ridiculous, besides, he's also got Yoko Ono's blood in him, a horrible musician) but his music isn't even standing up to his peers, which is much more important. More power to Julian, he blew me away with "Too late for goodbyes," a great song. way to go Julian. At least you have one memorable pop gem...
Poor guys, being Lennons.
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Loved most of Into the Sun, have loved the one-offs and bootlegs I've heard since then even more. The new songs sound lovely, but the lyrics make me cringe. "Dead Meat"?? gross. Plus Lindsey Lohan is going to be in one of the videos from the dvd that will come with the CD. Sean lost some major cool points from me for that.
P.S. I think he's good mainly because he's got Yoko's blood in him, not despite it. :)
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"Is that something any other child of a musical legend has been able to overcome?
Name some examples."
For every Bijou or Sean, there's these successes (to varying degrees): Jacob Dylan, Hank Williams, Jr. & Hank III, Roseanne Cash, some of the Marley kids, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, and Teddy Thompson. You could probably also add Chris Stills and Tal Bachman. I'm sure there's tons of others.
I do agree that Julian gets a bad rap. "Saltwater," one of his later songs, is great. Moreover, having "Hey Jude" written about you v. "Beautiful Boy" is certainly a coup.
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Please. Sean Lennon is terrible, regardless of his last name. He would be just as useless of a pop act as Sean Smith or Sean Ono or whatever.
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Honestly, Julian's debut solo album is better than either of Sean's albums. Stick an 80's tag or the 80's sound on Julian if you must, but those songs are still strong today.
I love how people think that indie always trumps. Some of you seriously need to get your biased heads out of your biased asses and actually listen to something.
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It's really sad that the Lennons and the LennOnos hate eachother so much. Why was Yoko so mean to Cynthia and Julian? I don't get it.
Poor Julian. He did imply that Sean's record was crap back when it came out, so maybe this is a shot back. I don't know, but i wish John could have left things in better terms - he really fucked up with Julian.
They're both good in different ways.
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Sean is jealous of the mullet.
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I just figured out why it took Sean 8 years to realease his another album. He waited for Elliott Smith to die.
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Sean totally rules.
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Sean Lennon was a major part of Cibo Matto which is an excellent contribution to music, IMHO.
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Here are two quotations from Sean Lennon's 1998 New Yorker interview, wherein he argues who REALLY killed his dad:
"[My father] was dangerous to the government. If he had said, 'Bomb the White House tomorrow,' there would have been 10,000 people who would have done it. These pacifist revolutionaries are historically killed by the government."
[By the way, imagine if you can a headline in the NYT that read: "Revolutionary Pacifist to fans: Bomb the White House"]
and
"Anybody who thinks that Mark Chapman was just some crazy guy who killed my dad for his personal interests is insane, I think, or very naive," he says.
This means, of course, that the man ultimately responsible for John Lennon’s assassination is none other than former President Jimmy Carter, he being the chief whom we said ‘Hail’ to back on Dec. 8, 1980.
http://hotjohnny.blogspot.com/2005/07/celebrity-musing-looking-at-picture-of.html
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Wow, there's a SEAN Lennon? Awesome! I'm sure I'll like him, too, just as soon as someone in the western hemispere plays his music at some point. Or, y'know, at least mentions it or something.
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that julian lennon song came up three times in conversation two weeks ago. and it was a great pop song.
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I agree with Mike a few posts up, Sean's contributions to Cibo Matto are worth remembering. Cibo Matto is better than anything Julian Lennon released.
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Whatever Sean's contributions are to Cibo Matto, he still seems like a total douchebag - the worst kind of pseudo-bohemian celebrity spawn.
Julian has claimed that he's gotten more from record deals than from his father's estate. I actually have a lot of respect for Yoko Ono - I think she's a great artist (well, maybe not musically, but she was doing interesting things before she ever met John) and I think he probably wasn't the easiest person to be around (when everyone sees *her* as the dragon lady), but the way she and Sean have treated Julian is a disgrace.
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I loooooved Into The Sun, even if he is an ass. If you haven't heard "Queue", you're missing out.
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Are you fucking kidding me? "Too Late For Goodbyes" is the shittiest song I've ever heard, right next to Rollin by Limp Bizkit, Dance Dance by Fall Out Boy, and the Macarena. Besides, Sean Lennon makes Julian Lennon sound like Panic! At The Disco.
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I just took a present day refresher of both Lennons (as they both have an album in the works) and Julians new song is much better than the new sean songs. Search their myspaces. However, Sean Lennons contribution to Albert Hammonds song "scared" Is better than both of their material.
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check out lennons secret love child.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpDAvKaMwvk
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I prefer "Stick Around," from Julian's second album, which otherwise isn't much good. Sure, it's plenty '80s, but it's catchy and doesn't bother with poignance.
Talk about a video flashback--the video for "Stick Around" stars Michael J. Fox.
And talk about a great song with Julian Lennon's name on it: "If You Want the Sun to Shine" by the Smithereens, which he co-wrote.
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It's amazing how Yoko remains so divisive, even in younger music fans.
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Forget all Lennon offspring and buy the new Catfish Haven when it comes out on Tuesday.
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Forget all Lennon offspring and buy the new Catfish Haven when it comes out on Tuesday.
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Forget all Lennon offspring and buy the new Catfish Haven when it comes out on Tuesday.
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WWJLD
what would john lennon do?
remember, he was a prick too!
got lots of respect for yoko ono for taking all the shit over the years and taking complete care of the lennon estate and raising a pretty cool kid....
and i love the yoko song "LISTEN THE SNOW IS FALLING" that Galaxie 500 covered back in the day.....
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Sean Lennon = richie rich, i.e. a house full of money & vintage musical equipment but no talent, or anything to say. Yoko of yore would probably disown him today, but she's become a little clown. And clowns are not funny.
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I always thought that a really good ska band would TEAR that song up.
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hasn't anybody heard any other julian lennon besides his 80s track "much too late for his goodbyes"? his _photograph smile_ album was really awesome. i like sean lennon's stuff (half horse/half musician best), too, but julian lennon has a gorgeous voice and sounds (surprise) so much like his father. sean lennon kinda has a nasal whiny voice. seriously, if you haven't heard it yet, get crackin': http://www.amazon.com/Photograph-Smile-Julian-Lennon/dp/B00000I0KG/sr=8-3/qid=1157813733/ref=pd_bbs_3/104-2973673-2307928?ie=UTF8&s=music
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Good Christ, the only thing that this screen cap reminds me of is the Mr. Show Skit where Bob Odenkirk sings 'Mouth Full of Sores'.
"And my heart feels like a mouth full of sores. A mouth full of sores ain't no fun."
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I don't normally post on blogs, and I especially don't post on blogs defending the likes of Sean, but in this case I feel like giving my opinion.
Sean is a genuinely good person. He also happens to be extremely talented. I haven't heard much of his earlier work (aside from cibo matto and dopo yume), but what I've heard/seen of Friendly Fire, it is beautiful.
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Sean is a douchebag. Julian RULZ!
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To nag, if a John Lennon sound a like is what you're looking for, why not just listen to John Lennon?
I don't get that. I respect Sean and his music so much more because he's not TRYING to sound like his father, unlike his brother. And I dont just mean voice-wise, I'm referring to the musical stylee.
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Sean's just spoiled. And he's jealous that Julian got the looks and the gift of singing.
Sean can't produce anything comparable to Julian's material. Furthermore, you want to talk about being a 'sell out'. How come he's on Capitol Records, and couldn't venture out on finding (or creating) his own label like Julian did?
Julian isn't 'trying' to sound like his Dad. If he sounds(and looks)like his Dad, we can all thank God for those wonderful genes.
Sean sings like his Mom. If you wanna call it singing. I'd much rather listen to someone scratch the chalkboard at school.
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omg listen.. if julian sounds like his dad well i dont think he can help it if he wants to stay true to himself. i like his stuff way better then seans to be honest. it sounds like sean is singing through his noise and its really whiney.. i could care less bout their family issues..i think that all of them live and will forever live in johns shadow. but the point is . purely on musical talent. julian wins! even if he "sounds like his dad" at least it doesnt give me the shivers hearing the voice. maybe sean should hold his nose when he sings.
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omg listen.. if julian sounds like his dad well i dont think he can help it if he wants to stay true to himself. i like his stuff way better then seans to be honest. it sounds like sean is singing through his noise and its really whiney.. i could care less bout their family issues..i think that all of them live and will forever live in johns shadow. but the point is . purely on musical talent. julian wins! even if he "sounds like his dad" at least it doesnt give me the shivers hearing the voice. maybe sean should hold his nose when he sings.
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omg listen.. if julian sounds like his dad well i dont think he can help it if he wants to stay true to himself. i like his stuff way better then seans to be honest. it sounds like sean is singing through his noise and its really whiney.. i could care less bout their family issues..i think that all of them live and will forever live in johns shadow. but the point is . purely on musical talent. julian wins! even if he "sounds like his dad" at least it doesnt give me the shivers hearing the voice. maybe sean should hold his nose when he sings.
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Sean should have gone with the producer. His music is trite and banal. Might as well dress up your lack of talent with some production, eh? It's great that he has worked with Cibo Matto and the Beastie Boys, too bad he did learn anything from those far superior groups. I'm guessing that the lack of adversity in his life has stunted his artistic growth. He is just another trust fund hack.
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to Julian haters: "Too Late For Goodbyes" is just as easy to love as it is to hate. It's a hit single from the 80s- poppy, synthesizery, and catchy. But he's got so much better material, most of which is just plain obscure. Ever heard "Sunday Morning" from "Mr. Jordan", or "Take Me Home" from "Help Yourself"? I doubt it, because you're too busy judging him by his hit single. If you'd take the time to listen to his music, you'll find that it is not always so poppy and over produced, and definitely not an outward attempt to emulate his dad's music. In fact, he was trying all along to avoid the innevitable connections between his and his father's music. Don't believe me? Try "Mr. Jordan"- he actually sings in a different voice on that album. Is that the action of somebody trying to sound like their father?
to Sean haters: I didn't give him a chance at first because he's basically half of Yoko, even in terms of his voice. But I actually enjoyed "Friendly Fire", so I can respect him a little more. As for allegations that he's spoiled, that's just unfair. That's a stygma attatched to children of rich/famous people, and I have seen no evidence to indicate that he fits this pattern.
To all: Neither of them are trying to sound like John, let alone leech of his legacy. They are both distinctive artists with music that is varied and compelling. As for the comment Sean made, it wasn't an attack on Julian- or at least it didn't come across as one to me. He was saying he didn't want to do what his brother did, but he never condemned Julian for it. He was probably saying that, in retrospect, julian made a mistake and he didn't want to do the same thing.
By the way, neither of them did anything wrong, but I think that if they truely wanted to shake the John Lennon associations they should have fronted a band, or at least somehow kept their names off the front of the records. That would have been the humble thing to do.
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Anyone who could knock the song "Valotte" is going to miss the point. "Too Late For Goodbyes" is too bouncy for me, but "Valotte" is just nice, smooth piano rock.
Now, Sean could have just omitted the Julian dig and he would have seemed cool, and he would have come across as sincere. Now he just looks like he's stirring up crap to get notoriety; something you do if you really haven't got any confidence in your work.
With just that one shot, Sean has already cast doubt on the validity of his project. And "Valotte", if your chick has any coolness factor, will get you laid.
Count on it.
DwD
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This is amazing. Brothers who dont like each other.....thats never happened.The Indie trumps comment seems valid, But I guess everyone is a little insecure. Why not just make music, and let it speak for itself.
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This is amazing. Brothers who dont like each other.....thats never happened.The Indie trumps comment seems valid, But I guess everyone is a little insecure. Why not just make music, and let it speak for itself.
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I think Julian is a natural. Of course he sometimes sounds eerily like his dad, and why shouldn't he? He doesn't have to work to sound like John and in his earlier years looked a lot like his dad.
I'm sorry, but I am not a Sean fan, myself. He seems like he works too hard to be like John, including the little round spectacles.
For a long time Julian was the forgotten son. I think he has much more talent than he gets credit for.
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Sean is jealous because Julian achieved such great musical acclaim."Into The Sun" has it's moments,no doubt.Julian is so much more talented,as far as I can see.Sean's latest CD is totally non-descript.It's song's are totally forgettable.
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Julian is just so much better than Sean.The fact that Julian suffered more than Sean makes him better."Into TheS un" definitely has it's moments,for sure.If you want to make a comparison,Julian is Filet Mignon and Sean is Soyburger.
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