"Double Fantasy" wins Album Of The Year GRAMMY '81
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I was completely unaware of this. And what an emotional night it must've been for the fans, considering that Yoko accepted the award less than three months after John Lennon's murder:
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I'd give that album a 5/10 rating--half of the songs were 10s and the other half 0s
I remember being quite impressed when it came out as we had not heard anything new from John in many years. It was a pretty radio friendly album and got a lot of airplay. The fact that John had been gunned down probably played a tacit part in it being selected as album of year, but I'd like to believe that it may have achieved that on its own merit. I only wish Ono's tracks were not interlaced with his and that it had been a pure John Lennon album. Didn't the remainder of the Lennon tracks end up on a following album? I don't think I purchased that album as I was so disgusted by the assassination and also Ono's choice of the cover photo (wasn't that the one with John's glasses from the night of the shooting on the cover?). I remember their being a backlash against it at the time. Have those two albums ever been reconstituted into a single pure Lennon album? Also what Paul album was out in the 80-81 timeframe that would have been up against it at the Grammy's? -
I think McCartney II was released around the same time.
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McCartney II came out before Double Fantasy, then Paul's next release was Tug of War with his Lennon tribute Here Today. It should be remembered that it was John who insisted on Double Fantasy alternating songs between him and Yoko, as a dialogue between the two, and that Milk and Honey was recorded at the same time. In fact the reason the album was released on Geffen Records was because David Geffen treated them both as equals. John wouldn't have it any other way. The album with John's bloody glasses was Yoko's Season of Glass which came out exactly 6 months after John was shot down right behind her as they were entering the Dakota building.
Not much you can say to dislikers of Yoko about it, except that John loved it and it's a damn fine album. Certainly deserving of Album of the Year, when you look at other winners of that exaulted award. 
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Emotional in the extreme, I remember watching the broadcast and sobbing like an infant!!! To this day, if I see footage of that horrible Dec night, or even that grammy segment, I flood tears. Can't help it. Always have, always will.
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DF is a great album, worthy of praise for johns songs alone. Spotless, great music and great lyrics. Honestly some of the best songs of his solo career. Not as tortured or psycodelic, but pure and from the heart. Songs you hear and kind of feel happy for John. Good shit. Yokos song are ok. Hey John liked them, good enough for me.
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What's a " damn fine album?" Ono's "Season of Glass"?
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On a serious note (I don't consider Ono to be a serious singer/musician by any stretch of the imagination)...it could be argued that Steely Dan got the short end of the stick at that awards. A case could be made that Gaucho is a better album in many ways than DF. Had John not been shot and not come out of "retirement" after so many years to make it Gaucho would probably have won.
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Erik in NJ:
I'd give that album a 5/10 rating--half of the songs were 10s and the other half 0s
I remember being quite impressed when it came out as we had not heard anything new from John in many years. It was a pretty radio friendly album and got a lot of airplay. The fact that John had been gunned down probably played a tacit part in it being selected as album of year, but I'd like to believe that it may have achieved that on its own merit. I only wish Ono's tracks were not interlaced with his and that it had been a pure John Lennon album. Didn't the remainder of the Lennon tracks end up on a following album? I don't think I purchased that album as I was so disgusted by the assassination and also Ono's choice of the cover photo (wasn't that the one with John's glasses from the night of the shooting on the cover?). I remember their being a backlash against it at the time. Have those two albums ever been reconstituted into a single pure Lennon album? Also what Paul album was out in the 80-81 timeframe that would have been up against it at the Grammy's?Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I'm not generally a fan of Yoko's music, but several of her tracks on Double Fantasy are quite strong, that the sort of dialogue their songs form is the heart of the album. And that is the album that John wanted to make, so I think it's disrespectful of him to wish Yoko's songs weren't there. And no, the posthumous sequel, "Milk and Honey" (another roughly equal John/Yoko split) is not the album with John's glasses on the cover, that was a later album by Yoko. "Milk and Honey" is good, and the demo version of "Grow Old With Me" that concludes the album is heartbreaking. If you choose not to listen to it, it's only your loss. As for the Grammys, all the big awards have a tendency to make up for past mistakes when an artist who should have won awards when younger becomes either aged or dead. The Oscars do this all the time, and the Grammys too. Sure, there was some sentimental voting for DF -- and you can see from the clip what an emotional scene it was for everyone involved.
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I don't think it's disrespectful to say that I wish it was a pure Lennon album and one album had been made instead of two--I think a lot of things Lennon did, especially in the latter years were off the wall (you might want to read the book "John" by Cynthia Lennon). I think it's OK to say that I think her music is basically rubbish and I'm certainly not in the minority with that opinion (N.B. that this is just my opinion of her music--no personal attack here). I know someone that took a screwdriver and carved a groove through every other song on Double Fantasy.
Bruce M.:
If you choose not to listen to it, it's only your loss.
I choose not to--I suppose that's a cross I'll just have to bear.
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Erik in NJ:
I don't think it's disrespectful to say that I wish it was a pure Lennon album and one album had been made instead of two--I think a lot of things Lennon did, especially in the latter years were off the wall (you might want to read the book "John" by Cynthia Lennon). I think it's OK to say that I think her music is basically rubbish and I'm certainly not in the minority with that opinion (N.B. that this is just my opinion of her music--no personal attack here). I know someone that took a screwdriver and carved a groove through every other song on Double Fantasy.
Bruce M.:
If you choose not to listen to it, it's only your loss.
I choose not to--I suppose that's a cross I'll just have to bear.
Well, you can always get John's tracks from iTunes, or go to YouTube and listen to them. Surely you know "Nobody Told Me"? It took me a while to get into Yoko's stuff (even on Double Fantasy), but now I like a lot of it. I didn't like the Season Of Glass cover with the bloody glasses, but the album was pretty good. Her next two in the eighties were kind of lame, but a few from the nineties on I really enjoy, like Blueprint For A Sunrise, Rising, and the new one Take Me To The Land Of Hell. She has surrounded herself with musicians (including Sean) that can really complement her skewed vision of the world. I know, that won't convince you, just thought I'd share my thoughts!
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I will say that Yoko tested people's patience in the eighties. Take a look at the timeline of releases after Double Fantasy and John's death in late 1980: 1981 - Season of Glass [Yoko] 1982 - It's Alright [Yoko] 1982 - The John Lennon Collection [John] 1984 - Milk and Honey [John and Yoko] 1984 - Every Man Has A Woman [tribute to Yoko, including one John track] 1985 - Starpeace [Yoko], accompanied by her ill-fated concert tour 1986 - Live In New York City [John] 1986 - Menlove Ave. [John] 1988 - Imagine: John Lennon [John] - album, and movie documentary She wisely slowed down after that!
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Erik in NJ:
What's a " damn fine album?" Ono's "Season of Glass"?
Hey, if you don't get it, you don't get it. But the album is called Double Fantasy!
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Erik in NJ:
On a serious note (I don't consider Ono to be a serious singer/musician by any stretch of the imagination)...it could be argued that Steely Dan got the short end of the stick at that awards. A case could be made that Gaucho is a better album in many ways than DF. Had John not been shot and not come out of "retirement" after so many years to make it Gaucho would probably have won.
I was surprised that Kim Carnes was in that category, too. I like her, but that surprised me. And, yeah, Steely Dan was a monster in their heyday, and they were possibly robbed -- but I don't think they minded losing to John Lennon.
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favoritething:
I will say that Yoko tested people's patience in the eighties. Take a look at the timeline of releases after Double Fantasy and John's death in late 1980: 1981 - Season of Glass [Yoko] 1982 - It's Alright [Yoko] 1982 - The John Lennon Collection [John] 1984 - Milk and Honey [John and Yoko] 1984 - Every Man Has A Woman [tribute to Yoko, including one John track] 1985 - Starpeace [Yoko], accompanied by her ill-fated concert tour 1986 - Live In New York City [John] 1986 - Menlove Ave. [John] 1988 - Imagine: John Lennon [John] - album, and movie documentary She wisely slowed down after that!
Yoko attempted a tour????? Details!
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Funny thought isn't it??
audi:
favoritething:
I will say that Yoko tested people's patience in the eighties. Take a look at the timeline of releases after Double Fantasy and John's death in late 1980: 1981 - Season of Glass [Yoko] 1982 - It's Alright [Yoko] 1982 - The John Lennon Collection [John] 1984 - Milk and Honey [John and Yoko] 1984 - Every Man Has A Woman [tribute to Yoko, including one John track] 1985 - Starpeace [Yoko], accompanied by her ill-fated concert tour 1986 - Live In New York City [John] 1986 - Menlove Ave. [John] 1988 - Imagine: John Lennon [John] - album, and movie documentary She wisely slowed down after that!
Yoko attempted a tour????? Details!
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Erik in NJ:
Funny thought isn't it??
audi:
favoritething:
I will say that Yoko tested people's patience in the eighties. Take a look at the timeline of releases after Double Fantasy and John's death in late 1980: 1981 - Season of Glass [Yoko] 1982 - It's Alright [Yoko] 1982 - The John Lennon Collection [John] 1984 - Milk and Honey [John and Yoko] 1984 - Every Man Has A Woman [tribute to Yoko, including one John track] 1985 - Starpeace [Yoko], accompanied by her ill-fated concert tour 1986 - Live In New York City [John] 1986 - Menlove Ave. [John] 1988 - Imagine: John Lennon [John] - album, and movie documentary She wisely slowed down after that!
Yoko attempted a tour????? Details!
She had Billy Joel's saxophonist at one tine!
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I'd completely forgotten about her "Hell In Paradise" video: Yoko Ono - Hell In Paradise [1985]:
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Well after watching those two video I must now admit that she may have passed up an illustrious and lucrative career....in comedy!!!
Wasn't that little guy the one that appeared in Seinfeld?? 
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Erik in NJ:
...Wasn't that little guy the one that appeared in Seinfeld??
Looks like him, but I don't think so.
