Between 1973 and 1975, John Lennon briefly separated from Yoko Ono, leading to his “Lost Weekend” period. The “Lost Weekend” saw Lennon dealing with issues like alcoholism and depression, but it also was a period of creative acceleration for him. During this time, Lennon produced three albums and collaborated with artists such as Elton John and David Bowie. Here are the three albums from John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend”.
‘Mind Games’
Mind Games was the first album John Lennon recorded during the “Lost Weekend.” It was released in 1973 and was the first self-produced album from Lennon without help from Phil Spector. Mind Games largely saw Lennon abandoning his more political tracks, returning to his more introspective songwriting style. The only political songs are “Only People” and the three-second “Nutopian International Anthem”.
While Mind Games is a textbook example of Lennon’s vulnerable and personal lyrics, the album itself is a bit of a mess. It bounces around through different ideas and never reaches a cohesive throughline. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and it wasn’t a massive hit with audiences, reaching No. 13 on the U.K. charts and No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
‘Walls and Bridges’
Walls and Bridges was released in 1974 and was recorded after Lennon and then-girlfriend, May Pang, moved to Los Angeles. His time in LA during the “Lost Weekend” was highlighted by musical collaborations and drunken outbursts. However, Walls and Bridges was a step forward from Mind Games musically as Lennon embraced his musical freedom.
It received better reviews from critics and included songs like “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night”, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Still, pieces like “What You Got” and “Bless You” reflect his mental state after separating from Ono.
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“I think I was more in a morass mentally than Yoko was,” Lennon told Playboy in 1980. “If you listen to Walls And Bridges you hear somebody that is depressed. You can say, ‘Well, it was because of years of fighting deportation and this problem and that problem,’ but whatever it was, it sounds depressing. The guy knows how to make tables, but there’s no spirit in the tables. I’m not knocking the record. But I’m saying it showed where I was. It’s a reflection of the time.”
‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’
Rock ‘n’ Roll was the final album of John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend.” The album consists of a collection of 1950s and 1960s rock songs covered by Lennon. This album was complicated as Lennon started working on it with Phil Spector before Walls and Bridges. However, the recording spanned an entire year after Spector disappeared with the tapes before getting involved in a motorcycle accident.
Once the album was released, it performed well, reaching No. 6 in the U.K. The U.S. “Stand By Me” was released as a single and reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lennon reunited with Ono shortly after the album’s release, effectively ending the “Lost Weekend.” However, looking back at this period to see where Lennon’s mindset was and how it influenced him creatively is intriguing.
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