‘Imagine’ Slips Into the Stores

Despite the ad campaigns and media hoopla surrounding the release of the Beatles albums in compact disc last year, it’s not all that surprising to see the CDs of John Lennon’s “Imagine” slip into stores almost unnoticed.

Rock fans still view the individual Beatles with immense affection, but most don’t place near the same value on the solo efforts by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr as they do on the original Beatles albums.

In most cases, the assessment is reasonable enough, but it is way off when it comes to Lennon’s first two solo LPs. Indeed, 1970s “Plastic Ono Band” (due March 30 in CD) and 1971s just released “Imagine” are more rewarding than almost any of the Beatles albums.

While lacking the innocence and sparkle that made the Beatles’ early work so endearing, the Lennon collections are remarkably consistent and affecting works. “Imagine” is a more accessible look at many of the stark, compelling themes that surfaced in “Plastic Ono Band,” one of the dozen best rock albums ever made.

Co-produced by Phil Spector and Yoko Ono, the “Imagine” tracks range from the graceful idealism of the title number and the whimsical positiveness of the rockabilly-accented “Crippled Inside” to the political rage of “Give Me Some Truth” and the poignant introspection of “Jealous Guy.” An essential package. ****

MORE BEATLES: “Past Masters,” a two-volume set, brings to a close the first phase of Capitol Records’ Beatles CD campaign. The two discs--featuring various singles and other recordings not contained in the formal Beatles albums already released in CD--mean everything released by the Beatles on Capitol is now available in CD.

Volume I ranges from such early hits as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” to “I Feel Fine” and “Bad Boy,” while the material on Volume II goes from “Day Tripper” and “Hey Jude” to “The Ballad of John and Yoko.”

Serious collectors or rock historians will also be interested in “Raw Energy,” available from Romance Records in Los Angeles. This is the CD version of the 1962 Decca Records audition tape that was released commercially on vinyl and cassette in 1982.

Listening to these horrendously uneven recordings, you can almost understand why so many record executives initially passed on the Beatles. But there are some amusing delights, including a campy version of Carl Perkins’ country-accented “Sure to Fall (In Love With You).”