Cambridge 1969

CAMBRIDGE 1969

“Cambridge 1969” is on Side 1 of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono album Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions. It is an improvised performance recorded on 2 March 1969 at Cambridge University, before a live audience, which became Lennon and Ono’s second performance together, but their first released performance and the first performance by a Beatle without the rest of the band since their main line-up’s formation. The piece takes up all of side one and consists of Ono’s vocalizations and screaming accompanied by electric guitar feedback from Lennon. (More from Wikipedia)

“Feedback” starts off with feedback-drenched guitar echo that is among the best I have heard – certainly better than “Free Form Guitar” on Chicago’s first album Chicago Transit Authority, or the side-long “Cambridge 1969” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that was included on their follow-up to Two Virgins, Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions – then again, Index went on to do a real song rather than just waving their guitar in front of the amp.

(March 2011)