Description
Three of JULIAN LENNON's original Atlantic Records are to be reissued by Noble Rot! The albums The Secret Value of Daydreaming, Mr. Jordan and Help Yourself will be out on September 8, 2009 (the day before the Beatles Remastered collection is released). Author Gene Sculatti wrote the liner notes.

Lennon’s first single, “Valotte,” and “Too Late” from his 1984 Phil Ramone-produced Valotte album ranked at #9 and #5 on the Billboard pop singles chart. The platinum-certified album got him a Grammy nomination, and Sam Peckinpah directed the videos. Julian released his follow-up, The Secret Value of Daydreaming, also produced by Ramone, in 1986. Billy Joel sat in on piano. With both the single (“Stick Around”) and the album reaching the #32 spots on their respective charts, the album showed Lennon to be a songwriter of considerable versatility.

If echoes of John Lennon permeated Julian’s first two albums, the 1989 album Mr. Jordan found him singing in a voice more reminiscent of David Bowie in the '80s. Rolling Stone praised the album as one that “goes a long way to salvaging his credibility.” Mr. Jordan is certainly more aggressive than its reflective predecessors, in part due to the work of producer Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Jeff Beck). The album’s highlights include the rock radio hit “Now You’re in Heaven” (which references, like the album’s title, the 1941 reincarnation comedy film Here Comes Mr Jordan), “Mother Mary,” a playful cross between early Elvis and Wham, and the ballad “Angillette,” which addresses a suicidal lover. Guests on the album include The Tubes’ Fee Waybill, Eagle Timothy B. Schmidt, singer Fiona Flanagan and, guitar soloing on “Second Time” by Peter Frampton.

On Lennon’s fourth and final Atlantic recording, 1991’s Help Yourself, he ably channeled the sound and soul of his father more than on any other. “Overall it was sort of like self-help, like a self-therapy routine,” Lennon told an interviewer. According to annotator Sculatti, “Here he reconnects with melody and soundly conceived and executed compositions, several of them disclosing humanitarian concerns.” Highlights include “Saltwater,” which was a plea for ecological responsibility; and “Other Side of Town,” with Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan guesting. “Get a Life” is a raucous rocker, evoking the spirit of Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” And on “New Physic Rant,” on which Lennon "sort of" raps, he receives help on the chorus from Girl Scout Troop 592 from Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. On this one, Lennon sounds comfortable with the music he offers up.

The Secret Value Of Daydreaming
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IUNUMU/?tag=imwan-20

Mr. Jordan
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IUNUN4/?tag=imwan-20

Help Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IUNUNE/?tag=imwan-20

I'll probably get these but it is "Valotte" that I would like to see with the 12 inch mixes that were released then as bonus. Couple of my friends were in Julian's band and because of I was able to meet him and shoot of couple games of pool as well. Really nice guy, spooky as hell though as we know with his singing voice, his speaking voice is much like his Dad also.

Rick A.

I'd still like to get his cover of "Because" (from Dave Clark's Time project) on a legit CD. It was a hit in the UK.

That's the DC5 "Because," not the Beatles.

Yeah, the "Time" project was cool. I have the vinyl release Jimbo makes note of.

Rick A.

I have his live cover of "Stand By Me" on the Playing For Keeps soundtrack CD. Was this song available elsewhere?

I don't think it has, Kym. He also contributed a cover of "Ruby Tuesday" to the soundtrack to TV's Wonder Years.