An In-Depth Look At "Starting Over"

There have been a plethora of books written about the life of John Lennon, covering his years as a member of The Beatles, as well as his work as a solo artist. Many of these works focus on the big picture, and attempt to paint an overall history of Lennon's life and music, while also celebrating his influence on new generations of musicians. One of the best books about John is actually much more intimate in scope. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, is a compelling look at John's return to the studio after a five year hiatus. Ken Sharp, who has also written books about David Bowie, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, KISS and Elvis Presley, put together this comprehensive oral history of the making of Double Fantasy, the last album to be released before John's death. The classic disc includes songs such as "Woman" and the title track.

Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy features insightful interviews with Yoko Ono, producer Jack Douglas, guitarists Earl Slick and Hugh McCracken, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Andy Newmark, who played on the album, and worked in the studio with John and Yoko. There are comments from John himself (culled from archival interviews), as well as observations from many of the other behind the scenes personnel who contributed to the record, as well as photographers, writers and radio and television personalities who interacted with John and Yoko during the production of Double Fantasy. The book offers an in-depth perspective on the creative process, and gives you a real insider's sense of what it's like to be in the studio while working on an album.

What also emerges from this fascinating oral history is an insightful look at John Lennon as a musician, husband, father and friend. John was thrilled about returning to the studio after being away from the spotlight while helping to raise his son Sean. Many of the comments focus on how much fun he was having making music again, and how excited he was to work with Yoko on the album. Double Fantasy alternates between John's songs and Yoko's, forming sort of a dialogue between them, and he clearly hoped this record would help people appreciate Yoko's songs as much as his own compositions for the album.

You get a real sense from the interviews and comments that John was much more at peace with himself than he'd been in a long time. It's clear that John's time as a family man helped him come to terms with some of the demons of his past. The studio musicians all talk about how he would clown around between takes, playing old rock and roll songs and talking about his days as a Beatle. He was already talking about the followup to Double Fantasy, and had even mentioned going out on the road and performing live again. It's truly sad that we never got to see John take the stage again, or release more music. This incisive book will truly make you appreciate him as a musician and as a man.

Ken Sharp is a prolific author and talented musician, who truly understands what made John and his music so unique and unforgettable. This thoughtful, poignant portrait of John as painted by Ken through his absorbing history of the Double Fantasy sessions will make you appreciate the music all over again, and feel John's tragic loss that much more deeply. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy was originally published in 2010, and has recently been made available as an e-book. It's available at sites such as Amazon. For more information on Ken and his work, head over to http://ken-sharp.com.