Track Listing

1. Give Peace A Chance
2. Cold Turkey
3. Instant Karma
4. Power To The People
5. Mother
6. Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
7. Imagine
8. Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
9. Mind Games
10. No 9 Dream
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
12. Give Peace A Chance

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16413 in Music
• Released on: 1987-12-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

CD Description
Although there have been subsequent Lennon compilations as well as 1990's formidable LENNON box set, SHAVED FISH is thegranddaddy of all such collections highlighting the singer's solo career. SHAVED FISH spanned a spectrum of the ex-Beatle's singles and B-sides through 1974's WALLS AND BRIDGES. Although SHAVED FISH eschews some of Lennon's edgier, more controversial tracks like "Working Class Hero", "God" or "Gimme Some Truth", the collection still acknowledges some of theriskier chances Lennon took in his tumultuous solo forays. The full range of his political, spiritual and social restlessness is represented--from the enraged "Woman Is The Niggerof the World" to the heartbreaking beauty of "Happy Xmas (Give Peace a Chance)"
SHAVED FISH also mirrors Lennon's complicated creative relationship with Ono, from the primal shriek of "Mother" to the mesmerising murmur of "#9 Dream", recorded during Lennon's "lost years" of the mid-'70s during the couple's temporary separation. Unlike later collections which usually feature work from DOUBLE FANTASY and the posthumous MILK AND HONEY, SHAVED FISH doesn't carry the same weight of tragic consequence (nor of domestic bliss) as those retrospectives. Rather, it celebrates the singer at the living, breathing and still defiant apex of his solo career.

Customer Reviews

If You Must Buy A Compilation.....
It is very rarely that I would review a compilation album, having an immense preference album for original albums because they and they alone display the continuity that a compilation can virtually never offer. And this indeed is a compilation album and so in my opinion is vastly inferior to virtually all of Lennon's solo albums, the possible exception being 'Some Time In New York City' (1972). But compared to the countless compilations we have seen since Lennon's tragic death in 1980, at least this album has something none of those albums have.
It was put together by Lennon himself. Not by some record company. Not even by Yoko, who on balance has done a decent job of keeping the Lennon flame alive. And it does a pretty good job of summarizing Lennon's work from 1970-1975. Which is Not Easy. For example, 'Mother' from the first album sounds hopelessly out of place on Any Compilation. It is too God Damn personal for that. Or to quote Lennon in his historic Playboy interview in September 1980: 'I hate that phrase, please replace God Damn with 'F***ing', more appropriate to the magazine we're dealing with!'
But this album is important at least for the singles 'Cold Turkey' (1969), 'Instant Karma' (1970), and 'Power To The People' (1971) which were previously unavailable on an album. And they flow pretty well with the other classics we all know and love.
But being a compilation from a man who produced several stunning solo albums, I can bring myself to give this album no more than 4 stars. If you Must purchase a compilation then this is the one my friends. And yes, the front cover artwork is admittedly superb, not that you can see it too well on a CD!

The only compilation in Lennons life
This is the only compilation John Lennon ever released while he was alive. It has a lot of the bigger hits, not the best songs, but biggest hits of his solo career. The artwork is quite stunning, with full lyrics. It could be a good place to start if you don't have any of his other albums, but if do have all the other albums, as always with compilations, there's nothing new here. For a more complete overview of Lennons music I suggest the John Lennon Anthology box set. It has 4 disks with most of his solo carreer covered, and has a lot of live and rare studio stuff.

One of my favourites.
I first got to hear all o John Lennon's works, when I got into the Beatles, and I decided to delve into the magical treaure chest that is John's career.

I am quite young, so I wouldn't really know what's behind it, or even to judge if it were a classic, but I have to say that it is impeccable.

It is like a 'best of' collection, some of his most famous work, and certainly the songs of his I like the most. It ranges from the rock and energy of 'Whatever Gets you Through the Night', to the preaching and almost a meditation of a song, 'Imagine'.

Everyones favourite Christmas song is included, and the gospel like 'Power to the People'. After listening I began to feel the past, and the thoughts and ways. In my mind, this will always be classic, and I can't stop listening...

Buy it Kids