On the cover: John Lennon and Yoko Ono by Bob Gruen
SO the cat’s finally out of the bag. Welcome to the new issue of Uncut, which I guess you’ll have noticed by now, comes with a very special CD.
Next month sees the release of Mind Games: The Ultimate Edition – a deep dive into John Lennon’s 1973 album overseen by Sean Ono Lennon. We’re honoured to present an exclusive, ultra-collectable nine-track Mind Games sampler, curated for us by the John Lennon Estate, full of new mixes that shine fresh light on Lennon’s working practices. We hope you agree, it’s a great way in to the marvellous work done by Sean and his team. “We’ve really tried to include everything we possibly can and we’re really looking forward to hearing people’s feedback,” Sean confides to us. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done on an album that has always meant a lot to me personally.”
You’ll also find an in-depth exploration of all Lennon’s solo albums in our mini Ultimate Music Guide, and a terrific cover story from Peter Watts. Of course, there’s more than just ex-Beatles in the mix: Tom Pinnock’s amazing interview with Linda Thompson, Rob Hughes’ piece on the ever-brilliant legacy of Love, Nick Hasted’s catch-up with the feisty Irma Thomas, a celestial trip to Nashville to meet Rich Ruth, and Chris Stein on the birth of Blondie. I think if I were looking for a word to describe this issue it’d be zingy.
Before I go, I hope you’ll all join me in offering congratulations to Tom and Gemma Pinnock on the birth of their son, Nico George Pinnock. Tom’s already showing him how to operate the formidable Album Reviews spreadsheet, so I’m sure you’ll agree that the future of Uncut is in safe hands…