Shaved Fish by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band (1975)

Shaved Fish is a compilation album by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono band, released in October 1975. Comprised of songs spanning Lennon’s solo career up until that date, it was the only compilation of his non-Beatles work released while he was alive. It originally peaked at No’ 8 in the UK, receiving mixed reviews from critics.

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I questioned whether to review this album when it came to me in a bundle of secondhand records - I’m fully aware of John’s history of abusive behaviour towards his first wife Cynthia, which he himself was self-aware about later in his career after he met Yoko Ono. There’s also one song on the album that uses racist language, which I will come back to later.

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The album opens with the first minute of ‘Give Peace A Chance’ - possibly there wasn’t enough room on the LP to fit the whole song, and it acts as a good intro, setting the scene for much of the anti-war content to come. This is followed by ‘Cold Turkey’, which is very indicative of the sixties with the vocal filters over guitar riffs and a steady drum beat. It refers to John and Yoko going ‘cold turkey’ from their brief heroin addictions at the time.

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Next comes ‘Instant Karma!’, which is more fitting with the sound of the Beatles we’re used to. The song was conceived, written, recorded and released within 10 days, still one of the fastest song processes to this day. After this is ‘Power To The People’, one of the more political songs on the tracklist, acting as a rallying cry though it was released in 1971 on the tail end of the collective power movement seen in the 60s.

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Then we get the song ‘Mother’, which is one of my favourites from the album. It really demonstrates Lennon’s vocal range, with some beautiful highs and lows throughout, a slow drumbeat leading his voice as he sings about the abandonment by his parents as a kid. Despite the subject matter being so raw, John is in full control of his instrument and navigates some wonderful riffs. I especially enjoy a section towards the end that utilises some really cool alternating rhythms.

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Side A closes with the most controversial song, ‘Woman Is The N Of The World’, employing a racial slur. It quotes a line Yoko said in an interview, trying to compare the struggles women have faced with the struggles Black people were facing too. Besides John singing the word multiple times throughout the song being massively harmful, it also ignores the fact that white women have always upheld racism and white supremacy, and that Black women face very specific forms of oppression.Perhaps at the time it served to make a statement, but there were ways to advocate against misogyny without making these comparisons.

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Side B opens with perhaps John’s most loved single, ‘Imagine’, which yearns for a world living in harmony. It is the one song on the vinyl that jumps quite a bit, which is testament to how much the last owner of this record enjoyed it. I’ve always been drawn to piano-led melodies, and I think it holds a very important message. It’s worth checking out Emeli Sandé’s version which is also very impactful. My favourite song from this side of the album however is ‘#9 Dream’, which manages to capture an ethereal state through layered instrumentation and altered vocals by John. Lennon wrote it after a dream he had, which explains the tranquil vibe. It’s lovely to listen to and definitely a forgotten soft rock gem.

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Shaved Fish closes with something festive, the long adored hit ‘Merry Xmas (War Is Over)’. Written in protest of the Vietnam war, it recruits the talents of The Harlem Community Choir, which was comprised of children between the ages of 4 and 12. I’ve heard this song many times over the years, but never realised it was by John, and whilst it isn’t my favourite Christmas tune there is a beauty to it. Yoko Ono also lends her vocals, including to the original B-side ‘Listen, The Snow is Falling’ from it’s initial single release.

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I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to explore this record; whilst Lennon is a controversial figure, his influence on the musical landscape is undoubtable and I think it’s a significant album. I like the cover art with the various illustrations for each song, and I think Apple Records logo sticker might be one of my favourites, inspired by artist René Magritte. I’m unsure if I’ll hold on to this for now, or look out for singles instead, but it’s a good collection of songs for anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with John’s music.