Happy Holidays, I know it’s been a hard year for many of us, I hope you’ve still been able to enjoy this holiday season. I wanted to let you know that Digital Downloads are 50% OFF in my Bandcamp store until January 2nd. Music is a healer and comforter. Browse around: https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/music Thank you all for the support in such difficult times.
Celebrating the 9th anniversary of my mini-album The Good Old Days Are Back In Drag, which was released as a digital-only album, initially through Maple Music. Until the end of the year, it will be available to download for only $5 from my Bandcamp store. Upon release, Jason Schneider, writing for Exclaim! said it “crackles with the raw energy of a Sun Records single.”
Today marks the 50th anniversary of one of my favourite albums of all time, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. I recently had the chance to discuss this record at length with Paul Romanuk, host of the Beatles podcast The Walrus Was Paul. Lennon’s first post-Beatles album has had a huge influence on me musically throughout my life. In comparison to his work in The Beatles, it’s a stripped down affair, just Lennon on vocals/guitar/piano with Klaus Voorman on bass and Ringo Starr on drums (Billy Preston plays piano on “God” and Phil Spector plays piano on “Love”). It’s a brutally honest and confessional record, I don’t think anyone else in music has dug deeper into themselves and shared it with strangers. John Lennon at least must have been the first. His vocals were never more passionate, as the music goes from one end (raw bluesy-rock ‘n’ roll such as “I Found Out” and “Well, Well, Well”) to the other (the tenderness of “Love” and “Look At Me”. The album opens with abandonment in “Mother” and closes with “God” and “My Mummy’s Dead.” “God” must have been quite the shock, especially for Beatles fans (“I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me”). I also love hearing just him play guitar, he had a unique style on guitar as well as piano that I think is overlooked. He didn’t know it but he helped me learn how to play piano!
It was 40 years ago this past December 8th that we lost John Lennon. By time I was born, he had been gone for over five and a half years but thanks to my folks, I’ve known and loved his music all of my life. Today, I like that I can celebrate one of the important gifts that he gave us, the masterpiece John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Have a listen to the episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-walrus-was-paul/id1524679619
Big Thanks to all those who have supported even more during this crazy year. If you’re looking for gift ideas or want to add something to your collection (I’m a completist too), please consider visiting my official online store for Vinyl, CDs, shirts, winter hats and my 1st book of poetry Just The Night Birds. Walk safely down the aisles here: http://www.jerryleger.com/merch/
TOMORROW (and Bandcamp Friday) will be the last day you can order ‘Traveling Grey’ on Vinyl for only $10 (comes with album download + exclusive download ‘Live on The Blue Plate Special, Knoxville, TN) from my Bandcamp store. ALSO, as part of Bandcamp Friday, when the artists get 100% of sales, EVERYTHING else will be on sale tomorrow in my store for 24 hours including ‘Time Out For Tomorrow’ White Vinyl & Winter Hat Bundle which will be in the Bandcamp store for the ONE DAY ONLY! Shop in the store this Friday! https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/