Yoko Ono - Yes, I’m A Witch (Parlophone)
2/5
By: Chris O'Toole
Simultaneously an aristocratic Japanese immigrant and naturalised American bohemian, Yoko Ono was always likely to arouse controversy; traversing as she did the extremes of a wealth of social, financial and political divides. Whilst reviled by fans of the Beatles for her (supposed and exaggerated) negative effects on their idol, John Lennon, and concurrently admired by elite members of the avant-garde artistic community, of which she has been a key figure since the 1960s, Ono represents many different things to many different social factions.
Working in a variety of mediums, including film, music, installation and photography, Ono has consistently detailed her cerebral fluctuations with dramatic affect. For some, she has been a mere reflection of exciting times, exploding in a vortex of others creatively and living from their ideas. For others she is a pioneer, examining human emotion and interaction in new and exciting ways; with Lennon once describing her as the "most important unknown artist in the world". Whatever the truth her work is relentlessly experimental and esoteric, forcing the individual to examine their individual perceptions of the world they experience.
More recently Ono herself had begun to support the spirit of indie music against the interests of the music industry, and has here attempted to harness this latent creativity in conjunction with her own work. For Ono artistic endeavour is always unfinished, and can thus benefit from the creative input of other sources. As such artists are here given the freedom to reinterpret the prodigious musical output Ono has complied over the years, fusing her vocals with new musical compositions. As is perhaps expected Ono did not invite any of the artists her to perform personally, instead each merely took it upon themselves to contribute, recognising the quality of Ono's work and attempting to blend their own qualities with it. 'Yes, I'm A Witch', then, could lead anywhere.
The title is not as superficial as perhaps you would image. After, unfathomably, gaining a negative reputation for her association with John Lennon during the decline and fall of the Beatles, Ono became connected, and finally blamed, for his personal problems. Thus the 'witch' title appears to be a self-referential rebuke to these critics, but in fact it is more universal. Ono feels all women are witches, but in the sense that they are magical beings. Wizards, essentially the male form of witches, are revered and worshiped with a celestial presence, whereas witches are hunted and burnt. The title is a reflection of this, and a reminder that we are all magical in our own spheres.
It is apparent that Ono's vocals were ahead of the epochs in which they were recorded, as they sit remarkably well with these thoroughly modern compositions. The opening pieces by Hank Shocklee and Peaches are thoroughly modern glitch electro, both faintly menacing and filled with sparking beeps and shuddering bass. Ono's vocals sit atop both with equal aplomb, fitting neatly into the mix, sounding crisp, clear and as if they were intentionally recorded for this genre of music. Similarly 'You and I', by the Polyphonic Spree propels the light optimism of Ono's voice into new territory, carrying it shoulder high in a maze of drums and piano.
The piece that originally inspired the whole album, 'Walking on This Ice', which many people requested to cover in the aftermath of John Lennon's death, is here reinterpreted by Jason Pierce of Spiritualised. This was the finest, and final piece, Lennon and Ono ever worked on, and has here before transformed into an astral drone. The drums sound as though they are lurking in the distance, waiting to be called, and the piece is filled with clashing walls of dissonant noise. Ono's vocals sound choked with emotion, but don't sit well with the slabs of noise which continue to erupt, and eventually become a nuisance. This could be a Spiritualised track, and the appearance of Ono is a distracting novelty which is provides an unnecessary counterpoint to the piece.
In contrast Cat Power's version of 'Revelations' is a triumph here. The diminutive and unpredictable Marshall here singing a song of personal redemption, and suggesting we use the power of our anger to transform any situation into a positive. There are other victories too. 'Nobody Sees me Like You Do', by Apples in Stereo, seems ready made for Yoko's most conventional vocal contribution. They do not dilute the unique characteristics of her voice, instead accommodating them in a lush waltz, maintaining their intrinsic integrity but presenting them in a fresh light. Also, the down tempo house 'O'Oh' by Shitake Monkey is build around a lilting melody and a simple narrative of Central Park to produce remarkably simple and inspiring results.
All Ono's vocal talents are showcased on the album. Whilst for some she is written off as simply 'difficult', her range is fantastic, reputedly 4 octaves, allowing her to reach the terrifying shrieks and primitive screams they have characterised her work. Her range remains challenging and she rarely relies on repetition or rhyme to make her point. This is perhaps a little too evident here as some artists utilise Ono's vocals and their own production in entirely different contexts and the two fail to gel. For example on both 'I'm Moving Out' by the Sleepy Jackson and 'Death of Samantha' by Porcupine Tree, Ono's vocals seem totally disconnected with the work of the artists in question.
Overall 'Yes, I'm A Witch's' content outstrips its obviously well meant idea. Whilst the interest inspired by this collection will be heightened by the contributions of an illusive and acknowledged genius and a range of name checking hipster musicians, 'Yes, I'm A Witch' fails to deliver. It is neither a radical readjustment of Ono's work to make it more accessible, nor is it pushing into the unheralded territory Ono has systematically explored. The backings are a little too conventional at times and too often they sit at odds with the abstruse vocal contributions. Her fragile examinations of the human spirit are manipulated and distorted, and whilst they are still carried by her voice, the backing on the majority of these tracks fails to convey the spirit of her work.
Artists in this article: Yoko Ono
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