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November 13, 2006

The Prodigal Son Gets Bitch Smacked

Sean Lennon may have been #10 on the list of disappointing rock royalty children, but he's #1 in many of your hearts -- and the Evening Standard wholeheartedly concurs. They minced no words in review of Sean's gig at London's St. James on 11/9:

He, more than anyone, will never be the Beatles. And if he sounds a little like his father (he would, wouldn't he?) on most of his songs, it merely serves as a reminder that he'll never be John either.

...

Last night's show might have taken place in the more sanctified surroundings of a church, but it's a small venue and the ecclesiastical acoustics did Lennon's delicate pop no favours. Nor did his attire. Imagine Little Lord Fauntleroy's gone-to-seed cousin: shirt and tie, top hat, scarf dangling rakishly around his neck, hobo's beard and huge tinted glasses.

So they definitely did NOT dig his music or his fashion sense. And to all this, the Standard adds, " ... his bat is broken before he reaches the wicket." Which we're pretty sure is an "Oh, SNAP" insult in the UK. So we gotta ask: Have you seen him live? Is he really that bad? Or is his worst decision to perform under that last name? Take heed, Sean Preston.

Posted at 11:34 AM
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35 Comments

INTO THE SUN is a pretty dam good album. I think people are snobs. Somehow this is P4K's fault.

Posted by: Peter at 11/13/06 12:01 PM | Reply
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I saw him a couple years ago and yes, he's really that bad.

Posted by: Mike at 11/13/06 12:10 PM | Reply
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in cricket, the wicket is the thing the bowler must knock over to dismiss the batsmen. it is comprised of three stumps, actually they look like tall stakes, and two bails, which look like matchbooks. the stumps are arranged in a row, and the bails bridge the top. so if sean's bat is broken before he even gets to the wicket, in american baseball that means he is out before he even steps up to homeplate. so, yeah. oh snap it is.

sean lennon you just got omgwtfcricketpwned!

Posted by: mathamatic at 11/13/06 12:14 PM | Reply
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I didn't make it to see him last week in Glasgow but those who did have only said how excellent he was and the reviews in the Scottish press, that I saw anyway, said he was rather good. Why go to his gig and compare him to his father constantly anyway. Should we go to every singer songwriter's gig and complain, "oh he's never going to be as good as John Lennon". Get over it. Sean's album is decent and if he's been forced into the limelight by who is father is then we can hardly hold that against him.

Posted by: Nin at 11/13/06 12:16 PM | Reply
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friendly fire is one of my favorite albums of this year. i saw him last night and paris and he didn't let me down.

Posted by: Alec at 11/13/06 12:18 PM | Reply
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friendly fire is one of my favorite albums of this year. i saw him last night in paris and he didn't let me down.

Posted by: Alec at 11/13/06 12:18 PM | Reply
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I don't quite understand the comparisons to John Lennon. Yeah he KINDA sounds like him, but otherwise, the music's pretty different, more of a Elliott Smith vibe than anything, and Sean's not trying to make a hugely mindblowing album.

At least, I hope he isn't, because he's failing miserably.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Friendly Fire. It's not in my top ten of 2006, but it's still a great fall album.

Posted by: Allen at 11/13/06 12:19 PM | Reply
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What immediately leaps to my mind is that I don't hold his father against him -- his mother, on the other hand, is a whole different ball of wax.

Posted by: Memememe at 11/13/06 12:31 PM | Reply
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i saw him open for Pearl Jam in '98 and it was pretty enjoyable...

Posted by: solace at 11/13/06 12:43 PM | Reply
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Read this interview from the San Francisco Chronicle for the full extent of Sean Lennon's douche-bagginess...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/12/PKGMQKFL3B1.DTL

Posted by: Tugboat at 11/13/06 12:46 PM | Reply
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Read this interview from the San Francisco Chronicle for the full extent of Sean Lennon's douche-bagginess...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/12/PKGMQKFL3B1.DTL

Posted by: Tugboat at 11/13/06 12:47 PM | Reply
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both his mom & dad adored him...

and INTO THE SUN is a great album, in my humble....

i hope he continues to make music....

how do you say playa hata in british?

Posted by: maya lucia at 11/13/06 12:59 PM | Reply
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If you didn't read the sfgate article, do it. It's really fun.

Posted by: dan s. at 11/13/06 1:10 PM | Reply
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Haha, that article is pretty funny. Haven't seen him live but I do dig both his albums. I really can't imagine he's that atrocious live.

Posted by: Frankie Lee at 11/13/06 1:19 PM | Reply
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i don't get the hostility...i found friendly fire very enjoyable as well....

snobs

Posted by: db at 11/13/06 1:21 PM | Reply
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I call retrograde Yoko hatred for breaking the Fab Four up as grounds for this Sean hatred (unfortunate, kinda). Let's not forget that S.Len may think he's John, but more realistically he probably thinks he's Yoko, who ALWAYS thought she was John.

Posted by: christopher at 11/13/06 1:24 PM | Reply
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His work should be judged for what it is, not by constant comparisions to his father or the Beatle's music--only a handfull of bands today could withstand that judgement, so its an unfair comparison. That said, based on the SF interview, Sean needs to lighten up...

Posted by: Dudeasincool at 11/13/06 1:25 PM | Reply
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I don't really care for his stuff, but that isn't because he is necessarily awful. I actually like Julian's stuff, particularly Photograph Smile, but just admitting that probably makes me a loser pop-loving douchebag to some. Sigh. :)

Posted by: Jeff at 11/13/06 1:50 PM | Reply
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I liked his first album quite a bit, though I haven't heard him in years. I saw him open for Beck in 98, and quite enjoyed it. I am curious to hear his new album to see if his greatest sin is, truly having his last name.

Posted by: Utopus at 11/13/06 1:54 PM | Reply
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i think the "broken bat" comment was more empathic than slighting. in context, the reviewer seemed to be saying Sean has no chance - no matter how hard he tries he's still gonna suck because he's so far down to start with.

but regardless of what i think of the comment, Sean Lennon is still quite annoying. i even try to avoid his guest spots on other people's albums.

Posted by: dan b at 11/13/06 2:20 PM | Reply
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Haven't heard the new album, but I agree that he's more in an Elliot Smith vein than a John or Yoko. He's not bad, and not that good. We wouldn't be talking about him at all if he weren't... you know...

AND, I can't believe there are still people that hate Yoko because she supposedly broke up the Beatles. The Beatles started breaking up after they quit touring, and it was pretty much spelled out when Epstein died. Yoko is just a convenient target for people that don't care to learn their history.
You haters, there are lots of people that think Yoko's art and music are awesome, and lots that think the Beatles were shitty. If you had grown up under that kind of pressure you'ld probably never leave the house.

Posted by: Squirrel at 11/13/06 2:26 PM | Reply
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I have a feeling that all of you care way more about this than Sean actually does. He's a bazillionaire - I imagine this album is just a hobby.

Posted by: oldskool at 11/13/06 3:45 PM | Reply
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That piece of shit that wrote that review probably listens to shitty music like Hawthorne Heights or Julian Lennon (both of them sound the same). Sean did look ugly in that picture though, haha.

Posted by: tjxm at 11/13/06 3:50 PM | Reply
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I think the SF Gate article is PRICELESS. the interviewer is the one who comes off as a douche though, not Sean.

Posted by: wendy at 11/13/06 4:06 PM | Reply
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"it merely serves as a reminder that he'll never be John either"

When has he ever said that he wants to?

Posted by: Ben at 11/13/06 4:11 PM | Reply
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The SF Gate interview was awful. I'm surprised the guy's editor even let him turn it in... The interviewer is a tremendous ass.

Posted by: Andy Baio at 11/13/06 4:50 PM | Reply
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it's unfortunate that everyone just compares him to other people. i like sean lennon.

Posted by: joe $ at 11/13/06 6:03 PM | Reply
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Yeah, I saw him at Glastonbury in '98.

He was a bit weak. But then, he's a bit better than Julian...

Posted by: weymart at 11/13/06 8:28 PM | Reply
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Yeah, I saw him at Glastonbury in '98.

He was a bit weak. But then, he's a bit better than Julian...

Posted by: weymart at 11/13/06 8:28 PM | Reply
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That interviewer is a serious moron. Never heard Sean Lennon's music but I want to now that I heard him smack that little prick down like that.

Posted by: filchyboy at 11/14/06 12:41 AM | Reply
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I saw him when he was touring for Into The Sun and the show was great. After the show, he was hanging around the parking lot and was talking to people and seemed cool. I talked to him for a few minutes and he was really nice, and he didn't even flip out on the drug addled woman who wanted him to sign a copy of Double Fantasy!! I am looking forward to seeing him again next Wednesday here in Seattle.

Posted by: Graham at 11/15/06 8:59 PM | Reply
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I saw him when he was touring for Into The Sun and the show was great. After the show, he was hanging around the parking lot and was talking to people and seemed cool. I talked to him for a few minutes and he was really nice, and he didn't even flip out on the drug-addled woman who wanted him to sign a copy of Double Fantasy!! I am looking forward to seeing him again next Wednesday here in Seattle.

Posted by: Graham at 11/15/06 8:59 PM | Reply
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Into the Sun is a pretty good album and I really like his new album.

I saw him back in '98 and he was pretty good live. I bought his album after I saw the show so he must have been good live.

Posted by: Alex at 11/15/06 10:27 PM | Reply
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i agree with the elliot smith comparisons, if it were just someone else completely singing this i actually doubt his music would warrant such strong denunciations - its not amazing, but its not terrible either. its pleasant ditty blah

Posted by: chmain at 11/16/06 4:34 AM | Reply
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I saw him live a few days before the London gig. He was wonderful. And the new album is among the best of 2006. I really tire of so-called music critism that is merely subjective and ignorant in perspective.

Posted by: bev at 11/20/06 10:04 AM | Reply
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