Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album

No doubt that Lennon was a creative, interesting musician. But it becomes quickly obvious the negative impact that Yoko Ono had on The Beatles. She is seen trying to contribute to whatever they're doing. He dutifully listens to her then goes on with his work. The people around him seem to understand they must tolerate her presence. The film itself becomes unwatchable from the boring clips of them being silly and, just boring. She clearly had her hands in this, and it's obvious without him, she is never heard from. Grapefruit? Good luck, honey. Show me the film where The Beatles privately discuss Yoko. I'll watch that one. Since I'm not on drugs, this isn't entertaining.

This is perhaps the best rockumentary ever. The only bad thing about it, is Yoko Ono's influence on the movie, as executive producer. She appears in almost every scene for god's sake. People who watch this movie watches it for him not her. But I didn't write this comment to trash the movie, so let's have a look on the good things about it. The most important thing in this flick is the man himself, John Lennon. And in this movie you really get under his skin. You see (and hear) his feelings about Paul McCartney, you see his attitude towards his fans (even the ones of them that's nuts) and you you see... a lot of Yoko Ono.

Let me wrap this comment up by saying, that I gave this movie a "9", and I think, that You should to. It's a great peace of history that we (the public) never before have been allowed to see.

P.S. Make love not war.

This is far superior to IMAGINE:JOHN LENNON which also used footage from Yoko Ono's personal archives. It follows the making of Lennon's classic album, 'Imagine', and we are given insight both into his impatient but passionate recording processes, and also into the man himself and his relationship with Yoko. Seeing the succession of fantastic tracks being laid down with the likes of George Harrison and Klaus Voorman is engrossing, but the most presciently ghoulish episode concerns a bedraggled and disturbed fan turning up on Lennon's doorstep and insisting that all the Beatles songs were written specifically with him in mind (Lennon tries to reason with him then invites him in for a meal). An engaging delve into popular music's past and the work of a genius.

I was too young to experience The Beatles and too young for Lennon's solo career. All of my life I have heard what an incredible artist Lennon was. I never appreciated Lennon or his music until I saw this film. Bravo ! Lennon has been discovered by a new generation. This film has given me an appreciation of the man that millions worldwide knew so well.

Cards on the table, Lennon is my number 1 musical hero and "Imagine", the album only has The Beatles "Revolver" as competition in my favourite albums short-list. As we approach the 70th anniversary of his birth in October (and of course 30th anniversary of his murder in December), this fly-on-the wall documentary offers a fascinating and wonderful insight into his life and artistic processes just when he was at the top of his game or a "life in the day of John Lennon" as George Harrison pithily puts it at one point.

Johnny boy was no saint however as he'd be the first to admit and so we get to see his different temperaments at different times from tetchiness at technical recording glitches to perhaps slightly overplayed devotion to Yoko and in the justifiably most famous scene, his down-to-earth humanity as he engages with a dishevelled fan on his grounds. I can't imagine a McCartney, Dylan or Jagger debunking his own mythology so humanely let alone inviting the poor guy into his home for breakfast.

The music is marvellous, no filler as they say - I didn't appreciate it was George who played the beautifully sensitive guitar on the ethereal "Oh My Love" so I learned something too. His comment on the McCartney-attacking "How Do You Sleep" that "this is the nasty one" and an improvised chorus "How do you sleep ya c##t!" shows up the dynamic contrast with the more pastoral songs elsewhere.

Biggest thrill for me the Beatlemaniac was his interplay with George Harrison and a reclusive, almost silent Phil Spector, probably the only two people here, outside of Yoko, who he treats as artistic equals. I did smile at non-musician Yoko giving Lennon (who was right on top of his music throughout on this album) some musical advice - but I also winced as he immediately passes it on unreservedly to his crack band of musicians.

Anyway, it's very rare I believe to get the chance to witness a musical genius from that era up close and personal at work on his most enduring work and I was confirmed in my wish that JL is still the one person in history I would have liked to meet. And of course it's even more tragic to think that his accessibility to his fans (also demonstrated here by his attending a book launch on the high street for Yoko's "Graperuit" book) ultimately proved fatal to him less than a decade later.