John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band: The Dream Is Over
I don’t believe in Beatles. I just believe in me.
Welcome (or welcome back) to Vinyl Monday! This is my series where I give the who/what/when/where/why and how I feel about classic albums in my collection. My thoughts on John Lennon’s post-Beatles solo debut, Plastic Ono Band (released 1970.) Subscribe for more Vinyl Monday!
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Timestamps:
intro – 0:00
art/packaging/personnel – 1:30
John Beatle – 4:50
John and Yoko – 6:25
Plastic Ono Band – 13:55
track listing/release – 20:15
Lennon Remembers vs. PB – 22:37
my thoughts – 26:58
thanks for watching! – 51:15
Music:
Intro Music: Yeah Yeah Yeah (Long) by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…) Artist: http://audionautix.com/
Outtro Music: Ticket To Nowhere Man by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…) Artist: http://audionautix.com/
Vinyl Monday logo by Callum: https://www.youtube.com/@clynaack
#vinyl #vinylcommunity #beatles #johnlennon
@abigaildevoe
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
what’s your favorite john lennon song? comment below!
@rachaeltyrell9851
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
i was a 13 year old watching Top of the Pops and there is the Plastic Ono Band bashing out Instant Karma and I thought it was fucking brilliant I still do
@middarklight
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Mother destroys me every time
@bugsby4663
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
I will defend 'Woman is the N of the World' as a feminist anthem (ironically from a man who treated women badly) because in the seventies in Britain, N is a word that many used to describe people being oppressed hence why Elvis Costello used it in Oliver's Army. It wasn't really used as a racial slur in Britain in the same way as it was in the US. Obviously it wasn't unknown but the British had their own words to racially abuse people. Lennon's song is uncomfortable to listen to because he says the N word but listening to the rest of the song outside of that word and it's quite remarkable.
@deadsherry
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Yup!
@blangernstein4000
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
The song God is pure blasphemy. Its nothing but spewing forth anger, hate, and self loathing. I skip over that song anytime I listen to POB.
@dudeman5303
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Im not a huge yoko fan, but i do have lots of respect for her and undersrand how important she was to john both just as a partner but also as an influence in art and politics. We wouldnt have gotten a lot of the same things post-beatles without her – we would've gotten some great records I'm sure but she was without a doubt a good influence in his life.
People always wrongfully blame her for the Beatles breaking up and its honestly ludicrous and also unfair to everyone involved, as if the band wasnt capable of being normal adults who had their own interests, dreams, and motives and they endedbup just not lining up with one another. Its so stupid, people assume she was some sort of conniving shadow lurking to decimate "the best band of all time" and all that nonsense. They were heading toward breaking up before she was ever in the picture, her presence in the studio wasnt the catalyst for the breakup, it was a *symptom * of the breakup. She became John's rock, he didnt feel comfortable even going into the studio to record with the band because by that point they all hated each other (except for ringo). I wouldn't even be surprised if she was the reason he even went back into the studio with the Beatles, because I'm sure he didnt want to do it. I wont pretend i know everything that went on behind the scenes but she was a huge support for john as he was going through such a tumultuous time. This was a dark time for him.
Everyone wants to still blame yoko even though it was all a ridiculously sexist conspiracy theory all just set to blame an outsider for the fact their favorite band no longer existed. The claim that she broke the band up didnt even come out until a few years after it happened in the first place, its a fiction born of media, not of reality.
Its all wishful thinking that most likely stems from the fact that everyone wanted them to get back together, but also it sells a lot less copies in tabloids and music magazines to say everyone just grew apart as they figured out who they were and what they wanted in music and it didnt line up with the Beatles – so they decided to point the finger with some sort of sexist drama/conspiracy theory because it sells. To this day people buy this garbage. Of course, no, the breakup could NEVER have just been because the four dudes that are their idols couldn't work together anymore – no – it HAS to be that an asian woman was lurking around trying to destroy their favorite band. Its insane. It doesnt matter apparently how many times all Beatles members have said she was not an influence in the breakup, people just want to be sexist and hang onto this so they can believe the band was destined to go on but was sabotaged.
Edit: i forgot to say, this album is my favorite album by any of the members of the Beatles, i adore this album. I was born in the 90s and loved the beatles when i was really little but had a weird "oh no thats old people/kids music!" phase for some reason when i hit middle school so i stopped listening. After i started playing guitar i revisited them, and fell back in love with their music. I found plastic ono band after i graduated high school, like a year or two afterwards, and it happened to coincide with my (at that time) newly discovered love of punk rock from the 70s and 80s, and also post hardcore of the 90s. It resonated with me at a certain level that blew me away. Its so raw and honest, and in a lot of ways you can just feel his pain and his hope all at the same time. Its such an intimate album, the kind that you dont really ever hear from other artists so its truly one of a kind on so many levels. Its just perfect, because of its flaws and everything else.
@polly-p3j
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
How many subs for a Some Time in New York City VM?
@jamescostigan3721
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
It's a masterpiece that you need to be in the right mind to enjoy appropriately. I'll listen to it whenever I've built up a certain level of angst.
@Scott-x4k6g
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
I still have the original Album, with lyrics printed on record sleeve. This Album convinced me to figure out how to save up money to buy a cheap, used electric guitar. Thank you for the Album overview, well done!
@TimMadvillain
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
I remember, I wasn’t allowed by parents to listen to John Lennon. Because songs like I Found Out and Well Well Well. John Lennon, was a punk before it was cool 🎸
@billythemountainbear
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
I bought this album at a garage sale FOR A QUARTER in 1990 at age 17, best 25 cents ever spent,
@derekroberts6654
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Ok second comment but I promise less serious this time: The Jpop Metal group BabyMetal has sorta made me appreciate Yoko’s NORMAL singing but still not to the point where I would buy one of her albums… I still love BabyMetal waaaay more than Yoko…
@TajBlues
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Working Class Hero says in one song what Roger Waters tried to say in four sides of The Wall.
@jenniferschillig3768
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
The button you're wearing puts me in mind of a different button John wore around this time…or at least, at the point when the legal difficulties between the ex-Fabs were at their highest. During this time, John stopped to say hi to a fan in Central Park, and the fan noticed he was wearing a button that said "I Love Paul." The fan asked why on Earth John would be wearing that, and John said, without the slightest bit of sarcasm, "Because I love Paul!"
And really…that was it in a nutshell, wasn't it? They were brothers despite everything.
@stewartcohen-jones2949
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
Favourite John song ? Strawberry Fields Forever.
Plastic Ono Band is in my opinion the greatest solo Beatles record . It’s as raw as you can get and it sounds beautiful.
It’s the only solo Beatles album that influenced other artists. Probably the first official confessional album that many artists these days are keen to make. It has difficult moments because the subject matter is so personal but I often still pull this one out and marvel at it’s simplistic beauty.
@PAN77769
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
ONO GODDESS
@atrainradio929
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
POB is my favorite Lennon solo record. Excited for this video! "God" is the best song on the record, and probably my favorite John song.
@PAN77769
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
YOKO GODDESS!!!
@patthewizard345
March 19, 2026 at 7:47 pm
I have a very strange relationship with this album. Like it's not an album I ever seek out to listen to but if It comes on, I will listen to it in it's entireity and think about it for days and weeks on end! It reminds me of the film Leaving Las Vegas in it's uncomfortably matter-of-fact depection of it's subject matter. A great film that I rarely want to watch!
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