157 John Lennon John Lennon The shorthand assessment of Lennon was as the tough rock genius and McCartney as the sweet pop craftsman has always seemed facile (and unfair to Paul). But with John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band , Lennon brutally, brilliantly, and definitely underlined the differences between himself and his ex-Beatle brother. " Love " is one of John's prettiest songs, and " Look at Me " is all fragile yearning, but the rest isn't just anitpop: rather, it's rock & roll as Lennon always understood it: anger, catharsis, deliverance. One of the most demanding albums ever made, Plastic Ono Band is also one of the finest-singing with more verve than he's mustered since the Beatles' " Money ," his urgency encouraged by primal scream therapy with Arthur Janov, Lennon bares his soul. The trio lineup- John on guitar and piano, Ringo on drums, and longtime Beatle ally Klaus Voorman on bass keeps the playing fierce, spare and commandin...