It may seem as though Yoko Ono has been forgotten, but have no fear — she has just released a new album. Yoko Ono’s rather long and colorful history in art and music as well as her marriage to John Lennon have procured some mixed opinions about her work and overall persona. Unfortunately for Ono, this new record offers little redemption.
The album Yes, I’m A Witch Too is a sequel to her 2007 remix album titled Yes, I’m A Witch. Both albums are remixes and collaborations of songs from her entire archive, including her work with John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band. Guest artists were able to pick a song and rework it how they wanted.
This album features 17 songs total, with guest appearances from some favorites like Death Cab for Cutie, Peter Bjorn and John, Portugal. The Man, Miike Snow and Ono’s son, Sean Lennon.
The first step to approaching this album is prepare to be baffled, and to keep an open mind, especially if Yes, I’m A Witch Too is the first time you’ve heard to Ono’s work. Though it might be best to do some research beforehand, listening to this album without any prior knowledge might be the most fun experience.
Ono’s eccentricity is still quite apparent underneath the re-workings from guest artists. If you brace yourself, it is possible to get through the first song and listen to the rest of them. It may be difficult, but the reward is a set of surprisingly good songs along with some crazy ones.
The sound on this album is sporadic. The guest artists experimented with different genres, using elements of rock, classical, dance and techno. But this is not an exhaustive list. Each song is completely different from the next — one rocking the dance floor, then a quiet indie jam, the next laughably absurd.
“Catman,” a song featuring Miike Snow, is good — if a reminder of the Rainbow Road music from Mario Kart is a good thing. Getting through the first listen without laughing would be a miracle.
The song “Mrs. Lennon,” featuring Bjorn and Lennon, is actually a fairly normal song on the album. Though it has some depressing lyrics about the late Lennon and children going to war, it is quite pleasing to the ear.
Portugal. The Man remixed Ono’s truly terrifying original song from 2001, “Soul Got Out of the Box,” making it notably less terrifying. The new spin provides a chill tune to the album.
The few songs mentioned here don’t say enough for the whole album. It is truly unique. Kudos to the guest artists who attempted to put their spin on what were probably challenging songs to remix.
In the end, it’s hard to distinguish if the album is just terrible (with a few exceptions) or if the components of the original songs make it seem terrible. Ono is the type of person one either loves or hates, and though it was a brave attempt, these remixes don’t seem to help her case.