The Beatles were never ones to hold back their opinions. John Lennon, in particular, was very loud about his feelings about his band’s work and later solo attempts. There, ready to humble himself or his pals, Lennon may have been his own toughest critic.
Following the breakdown of the Beatles, John Lennon was in a position to criticize his former comrades’ new music. When Paul McCartney released his first solo album, McCartney, in 1970, John Lennon made no apologies. A year after the Fab Four split, Lennon dubbed the record of his longest collaborator and oldest friend “rubbish.”
McCartney was not the only one who had to confront Lennon’s judgment. Lennon publicly described George Harrison‘s solo debut. All Things Must Pass, in 1970 was “an embarrassing period when George [Harrison’s] songs weren’t that good.”
It appears quite harsh, and one may interpret it as Lennon expressing anger and venom towards his ex-bandmates. When you go back at all of his interviews, both as a Beatles member and as a solo artist, it appears that brutality was simply Lennon’s way.
His criticism was not limited to others. As he criticized numerous Beatles songs, Lennon frequently disregarded his work.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, in particular, was never a favorite of Lennon’s. He enjoyed the White Album’s greater exploration, although never quite got into the concept or was hooked on the sound. While he seemed to enjoy ‘A Day In The Life,’ Lennon described the album tune ‘Good Morning, Good Morning‘ as a “piece of garbage.”
That’s hardly the only song Lennon has disparaged. Similarly, he dubbed his 1970 song ‘Dig A Pony’ from Let It Be as “another piece of garbage.”
Lennon criticized even one of the most famous pieces of Beatles music. The Abbey Road medley, which includes all of the songs on side two of the album, includes songs like “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” Critics praise the band’s greatest and most adventurous work for the rolling instrumental that flawlessly transports listeners from track to track.
However, the medley is “junk” in Lennon’s opinion.
“I’ve never liked that sort of pop opera on the other side, I think it’s junk,” he told Rolling Stone. “It was just bits and pieces of songs thrown together,” he continued, describing the medley as little more than a method to get rid of outdated music.
Critics labeled ‘Mean Mr. Mustard‘ as a “piece of garbage,” and they chastised ‘Sun King’ as well. “None of the songs had anything to do with each other, no thread at all,” he went on to say, “only the fact that we stuck them together.”
John Lennon’s thoughts on the Beatles catalog are crazy, removing so many great tunes.
