Yes, I'm A Witch
Studio Album by Yoko Ono released in 2007
Yes, I'm A Witch review
Yoko Ono – a person enshrouded in rumors and stereotypes
Yoko Ono is an ambiguous person; her mysterious figure is shrouded in deferent legends and rumors that are often meant to be scandalous and even shocking. If we'll abandon all the stereotypes that were firmly attached to her in Lennon's times and will hardly ever come off even after she will pass away, and try to estimate her contribution in development of world culture then it becomes possible to see that this 74-year-old lady has nevertheless played her role in the progress of avant-garde. Though, due to her bold and even manly deeds she made more enemies than admirers. And that is exactly why her new album Yes, I'm A Witch provoked a big quantity of sarcastic if not negative utterances. But the majority of them are still based on those aforementioned stereotypes, which actually stand far from impartial assessment. Yes, the term "music of Yoko Ono" itself sounds scary for many people, yes, many do not like her, but there are those who understand her ideas including the musical ones.
The songs for new album were made by popular indie performers
The events preceding Yes, I'm A Witch's issue are quite original: in order to embody her project Yoko Ono has chosen a number of popular and progressive performers and bands of today including The Flaming Lips, Cat Power, Antony, Le Tigre, Spiritualized's Jason Pierce, Peaches, and the Polyphonic Spree and addressed to them with a proposition to rework some of her songs. She gave them an access to her phonograms and a right to choose any soundtrack from any song. Almost all the artists chose only her voce and in result Ono released an album consisting of remixes, duos and cover versions of her songs made up in modern manner. At the first glance the idea Yoko Ono plus indie stars sounds at least comical, but the final material turned out to be interesting enough. After all, you can take it as a reasonable commercial case or Yoko Ono’s attempt to introduce her artistic persona to a young generation. The album presents basic Yoko Ono's hits taken from different periods of her career. As far as all the musicians were free to do whatever they find to be necessary with her tracks, the album's stylistic variety modifies from electronics to near hard rock arrangements, like for example it was done on Yes, I’m A Witch (With The Brother Brothers). One of the greatest standouts here is O'Oh (With Shitake Monkey) – a peculiar mid tempo house with a positive and a bit psychedelic atmosphere. Kiss Kiss Kiss (With Peaches) attracts with its anthropogenic air, and Toy Boat (With Antony Of Antony And The Johnsons Hahn Rowe) excels with pop oriented arrangements. But a track that needs a separate note is Cambridge 1969/2007 (With The Flaming Lips) – this one became a culmination of insane modern ideas. Heavy beat and hypnotic synths create a really brutal sonic atmosphere, which is additionally loaded with persistent, otherworldly screams of Yoko. If you'd like to know what a really Wild Music is, address your attention here.
Yes, I'm A Witch is a pretty bright example of soft avant-garde
Yes, I'm A Witch is not an album for casual listener, this is just not that thing to be a popular music. But this is a pretty bright example of soft avant-garde and electronics. The album doesn't sound ancient even despite that the basic mass of original material was penned before mid 80's. Of course a major contribution was made by modern arrangements but still it is worth noting that the main musical elements here are Yoko Ono’s voice and melodies. Yes I'm A Witch is a spitting of bare emotion over listeners' heads and there is a danger that some of them won’t be able to stand this test. It is doubtful whether this album will suite for old fans of John Lennon and The Beatles, there is nothing of that kind here, it will be much more appreciated in the circle of experimental music lovers who will probably find something new and especially attractive in this creative work.
Yes, I'm A Witch review
Yoko Ono – a person enshrouded in rumors and stereotypes
Yoko Ono is an ambiguous person; her mysterious figure is shrouded in deferent legends and rumors that are often meant to be scandalous and even shocking. If we'll abandon all the stereotypes that were firmly attached to her in Lennon's times and will hardly ever come off even after she will pass away, and try to estimate her contribution in development of world culture then it becomes possible to see that this 74-year-old lady has nevertheless played her role in the progress of avant-garde. Though, due to her bold and even manly deeds she made more enemies than admirers. And that is exactly why her new album Yes, I'm A Witch provoked a big quantity of sarcastic if not negative utterances. But the majority of them are still based on those aforementioned stereotypes, which actually stand far from impartial assessment. Yes, the term "music of Yoko Ono" itself sounds scary for many people, yes, many do not like her, but there are those who understand her ideas including the musical ones.
The songs for new album were made by popular indie performers
The events preceding Yes, I'm A Witch's issue are quite original: in order to embody her project Yoko Ono has chosen a number of popular and progressive performers and bands of today including The Flaming Lips, Cat Power, Antony, Le Tigre, Spiritualized's Jason Pierce, Peaches, and the Polyphonic Spree and addressed to them with a proposition to rework some of her songs. She gave them an access to her phonograms and a right to choose any soundtrack from any song. Almost all the artists chose only her voce and in result Ono released an album consisting of remixes, duos and cover versions of her songs made up in modern manner. At the first glance the idea Yoko Ono plus indie stars sounds at least comical, but the final material turned out to be interesting enough. After all, you can take it as a reasonable commercial case or Yoko Ono’s attempt to introduce her artistic persona to a young generation. The album presents basic Yoko Ono's hits taken from different periods of her career. As far as all the musicians were free to do whatever they find to be necessary with her tracks, the album's stylistic variety modifies from electronics to near hard rock arrangements, like for example it was done on Yes, I’m A Witch (With The Brother Brothers). One of the greatest standouts here is O'Oh (With Shitake Monkey) – a peculiar mid tempo house with a positive and a bit psychedelic atmosphere. Kiss Kiss Kiss (With Peaches) attracts with its anthropogenic air, and Toy Boat (With Antony Of Antony And The Johnsons Hahn Rowe) excels with pop oriented arrangements. But a track that needs a separate note is Cambridge 1969/2007 (With The Flaming Lips) – this one became a culmination of insane modern ideas. Heavy beat and hypnotic synths create a really brutal sonic atmosphere, which is additionally loaded with persistent, otherworldly screams of Yoko. If you'd like to know what a really Wild Music is, address your attention here.
Yes, I'm A Witch is a pretty bright example of soft avant-garde
Yes, I'm A Witch is not an album for casual listener, this is just not that thing to be a popular music. But this is a pretty bright example of soft avant-garde and electronics. The album doesn't sound ancient even despite that the basic mass of original material was penned before mid 80's. Of course a major contribution was made by modern arrangements but still it is worth noting that the main musical elements here are Yoko Ono’s voice and melodies. Yes I'm A Witch is a spitting of bare emotion over listeners' heads and there is a danger that some of them won’t be able to stand this test. It is doubtful whether this album will suite for old fans of John Lennon and The Beatles, there is nothing of that kind here, it will be much more appreciated in the circle of experimental music lovers who will probably find something new and especially attractive in this creative work.