Invisible Strings – Some Time In New York City

With all the renowned musicians on this record, I tried to look at the album through open eyes and ears. The later of the two caused me to grimace at the worst voice on vinyl I've ever heard. Yoko Ono.....oh no your singing is absolutely horrible.

This UK first pressing sounds much clearer - though still under the dictatorship of that ridiculous "Wall Of Sound" - than the latest 180 gram reissue or the Crapitol pressings. Since it's not a much appreciated album, there are a lot of cheap copies around for the picking. Lyrically and production wise it may still not be your favorite Lennon album, but it's worth having it in your collection for historical purpose and completion. And if you give it a listen without judgement on the politics, you will probably end up enjoying it, including the Yoko tracks, which are not bad at all. I am referring to Record #1. The second one is still trash.

It is necessary to clean or wash the records before listening.
This album contain numerous skips on track 1.
No clicks or other recording defects were detected.
The records are clean sound, provided you get rid of the skips. A regular antistatic brush helped me.

For those that aren't familiar. There is about half a worthwhile album here. Toss out most of Yoko's songs, keep only the tracks where John takes co-credit or full credit. The jam album is a free bonus anyway.
We're All Water has a pretty intense jam for the last 3rd, but is marred by Yoko's screeching.
Luck Of the Irish is a pretty tune, also interrupted by awkward verses and vocals by Guess Who.
The political stuff doesn't wear well, John was parroting radical leftist slogans without really knowing all the facts. So disregard Attica State.
Woman Is The (censored) is more sloganeering. Does anyone really believe this shit?
The jam album is an interesting document of the period. Frank Zappa rips off some incredible guitar, no surprise. Well, Baby Please Dont Go would have been a killer track, except for that damn screeching again.
Overall, a curiosity and not essential

Not a bad pressing, just the music itself is very lacking.

Similar issue to the 2010 release of Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band - skips on certain songs (most prominent on track 1). It seems to be the same across many of the same pressings from this release as I’ve owned a few and returned all…

I have Live Jam PCS 7162 in what looks like a promo sleeve. Does anyone know if it’s just half of the standard release?

5 Stars for the brilliant agonising performance of Cold Turkey! If for nothing else, that track makes this album worth owning!

I still love this album after all these years. As a kid I used to stare at the photos on the cover and wonder WTF they were all about, years later I caught up to the various critical themes that ran throughout, the lyrics on the cover was the news of the day that still plays out now. Sound wise this reissue doesn’t sound much different to me, the bass seems just as buried as ever the mids and high tones are the sonic architecture of each song, making “Some Time In New York City ” the most Punk Rock sounding album Yoko and John ever recording they’ve ever played on. Rock on!

• Lennon and Yoko give provoking political messages supplemented with great instrumentals that leaves a bittersweet taste afterwards. It’s a great part of his discography. It goes without saying though that some parts of the album have aged better than others. (8/10)
• As for the digipak itself, there’s less to be desired. The CDs are a pain to get out and put back in! Leaves scuffs on them in the process. I opted to put each one in a separate CD case. The artwork and additional booklet, however, has a nice touch to it. (3/10)