John Lennon – Mind Games (The Ultimate Collection) (1973/2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 04:52:51 minutes | 8,79 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Calderstone Productions
Mind Games was meant to be a return to form for John Lennon, after an instantly dated protest album that felt didactic and cold. He seemed to be back on track with its opening Top 20 hit title song. But the rest of Mind Games could be a strangely ruminative and often mid-tempo, with a shaggy studio approach. Mind Games: The Ultimate Collection makes it clear who fans should blame: The producer. After three straight projects with co-producers Phil Spector and Yoko Ono, Lennon took over those duties. He clearly couldn’t place enough distance between himself and the material to make the best choices for these songs. An outside voice might have encouraged him to continue work on some tracks, or to toss one or two aside.
Thankfully, the new Ultimate Mixes remove many of the production excesses, while the consistently intriguing Elemental Mixes strip things down still further. What’s revealed is a work of tender emotions and no small amount of genuine confusion.
Lennon was at a crossroads in 1973, professionally and personally, and this album allowed him to admit it. Every one of his mixed emotions plays out. But Mind Games: The Ultimate Collection also provides an opportunity for reassessment not unlike Peter Jackson’s expansive Get Back series: The Evolution Documentary places listeners inside the studio where warm and sometimes very funny exchanges are revealed.
Unfortunately, not all of The Ultimate Collection is quite so revelatory. Its Elements Mixes quite confusingly present all of the originally over-produced songs – only without Lennon’s voice. This is both beside the point and a curious subversion of the box set’s entire reason for being. Mind Games still doesn’t rock enough and when it tries, the LP sometimes does so unconvincingly. That’s part of where Lennon was, too.
He attempts to apologize in “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” but in the gorgeous sorrows of “Out the Blue,” Ono is already gone. That hints at how badly things were going behind the scenes. We know now just how much worse they’d become as Lennon’s Lost Weekend unfolded.
Yet there’s something consistently touching about this moment, finally revealed in its stillness. We hear Lennon, so often a closed-off fighter, falling back on his heels. Mind Games is the sound of someone reaching out.
This all-encompassing Time Capsule of the JOHN LENNON MIND GAMES album sessions and era contains 2 Limited Edition Reproduction Artworks by John Lennon & Yoko Ono with Certificates of Authenticity as well as a Hologram-Engraved EP, 9LPs (including 2 Zoetrope Picture Discs), 6CDs, 2 Blu-Rays, 2 Books, 4 posters, 4 postcards, 2 maps, 3 badges, Word Puzzle, Bespoke I-Ching Coins, Nutopian Flag, Nutopian Seal Stamp and Nutopian Embassy replica plaque.
Tracklist:
1-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Ultimate Mix) (04:12)
1-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Ultimate Mix) (03:39)
1-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Ultimate Mix) (04:39)
1-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Ultimate Mix) (03:10)
1-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Ultimate Mix) (04:11)
1-6. John Lennon – Nutopian International Anthem (Ultimate Mix) (00:04)
1-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Ultimate Mix) (03:10)
1-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Ultimate Mix) (03:22)
1-9. John Lennon – Only People (Ultimate Mix) (03:39)
1-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Ultimate Mix) (03:50)
1-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Ultimate Mix) (04:12)
1-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Ultimate Mix) (02:52)
2-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Elemental Mix) (04:11)
2-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Elemental Mix) (03:39)
2-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Elemental Mix) (04:40)
2-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Elemental Mix) (03:10)
2-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Elemental Mix) (04:13)
2-6. John Lennon – Nutopian International Anthem (Elemental Mix) (00:04)
2-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Elemental Mix) (03:10)
2-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Elemental Mix) (04:14)
2-9. John Lennon – Only People (Elemental Mix) (03:43)
2-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Elemental Mix) (03:51)
2-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Elemental Mix) (04:08)
2-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Elemental Mix) (02:52)
3-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Elements Mix) (03:56)
3-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Elements Mix) (03:53)
3-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Elements Mix) (03:40)
3-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Elements Mix) (03:05)
3-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Elements Mix) (03:16)
3-6. John Lennon – Nutopian International Anthem (Elements Mix) (00:04)
3-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Elements Mix) (03:09)
3-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Elements Mix) (03:32)
3-9. John Lennon – Only People (Elements Mix) (03:37)
3-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Elements Mix) (03:49)
3-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Elements Mix) (04:34)
3-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Elements Mix) (02:44)
4-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Evolution Documentary) (06:00)
4-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Evolution Documentary) (05:49)
4-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Evolution Documentary) (07:45)
4-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Evolution Documentary) (06:23)
4-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Evolution Documentary) (06:50)
4-6. John Lennon – Nutopian International Anthem (Evolution Documentary) (00:04)
4-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Evolution Documentary) (05:44)
4-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Evolution Documentary) (07:24)
4-9. John Lennon – Only People (Evolution Documentary) (06:27)
4-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Evolution Documentary) (05:44)
4-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Evolution Documentary) (07:57)
4-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Evolution Documentary) (07:38)
5-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Raw Studio Mix) (04:21)
5-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Raw Studio Mix) (04:36)
5-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Raw Studio Mix) (04:39)
5-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Raw Studio Mix) (03:20)
5-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Raw Studio Mix) (04:06)
5-6. John Lennon – Nutopian International Anthem (Raw Studio Mix) (00:04)
5-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Raw Studio Mix) (03:31)
5-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Raw Studio Mix) (04:18)
5-9. John Lennon – Only People (Raw Studio Mix) (03:44)
5-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Raw Studio Mix) (03:55)
5-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Raw Studio Mix) (06:00)
5-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Raw Studio Mix) (02:53)
6-1. John Lennon – Mind Games (Out-take, Take 7) (04:23)
6-2. John Lennon – Tight A$ (Out-take, Take 6) (02:08)
6-3. John Lennon – Aisumasen (I’m Sorry) (Out-take, Take 2) (04:40)
6-4. John Lennon – One Day (At A Time) (Out-take, Take 18) (03:15)
6-5. John Lennon – Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple) (Out-take, Take 15) (04:29)
6-6. John Lennon – Declaration Of Nutopia (Out-take, Take 1) (01:47)
6-7. John Lennon – Intuition (Out-take, Take 12) (03:31)
6-8. John Lennon – Out The Blue (Out-take, Take 15) (03:02)
6-9. John Lennon – Only People (Out-take, Take 12) (03:32)
6-10. John Lennon – I Know (I Know) (Out-take, Take 22) (03:42)
6-11. John Lennon – You Are Here (Out-take, Take 5) (10:54)
6-12. John Lennon – Meat City (Out-take, Take 16) (06:02)
