Julian Lennon - Photograph Smile
Channeling one's father despite the hardship.
For the son of one of the greatest pop legends in history, Julian Lennon hasn’t exactly had it easy when it comes to the music business. The constant comparisons to John and the ridiculous expectations placed on Julian, particularly after his biological father essentially abandoned him, were, he has said, both unfair and difficult.
No wonder then in the liner notes (remember those?) of Photograph Smile, he dedicates the album to his stepfather. I mean, Paul McCartney felt so bad for him as a kid, he wrote “Hey Jude” and it became one of The Beatles signature hits. Let’s say Julian’s life has been complicated.
I often thought it was a bummer how Dave Grohl was constantly hounded about Kurt Cobain, being asked over and over if every song was about his dead former bandmate. Imagine if your dad was John freaking Lennon.
Channeling John
Still, while Julian may have dedicated the album to his stepfather, the sound and vocal timber of Photograph Smile is unmistakably John. Genetics are like that. Try as he might, it was impossible to escape the look and sound of his dad.
But, when it comes to the songs, this album is much more like his father’s songwriting partner than his dad. Dripping with lush pop melodies and sentimental emotions, Photograph Smile borrows plenty from Sir Paul’s side of The Beatles even if John’s voice carries the tune. In some cases, it is impossible to ignore, like the purposefully early Beatles-inspired “I Don’t Wanna Know,” which is eerie to hear when you close your eyes.
And, admittedly, it’s a little jarring at times to hear that nasally edge singing over big, layered baroque pop songs like “Day After Day” or “Crucified.” Julian doesn’t have the edge (nor does he want to) that his father did, but the similarities are unmistakable. Alas, the comparisons continue.
Standing on his own
In the end, Julian Lennon is an extremely talented artist who got far more criticism than he deserved, particularly for an album this lovely. Yes, he wears Beatles influence on his sleeve, but no more than, say, Tears for Fears or XTC or Cheap Trick or any other of the hundreds of bands that wished they could be the Fab Four. The younger Lennon’s crime, it would seem, is that he wasn’t enough like his father for the critics’ liking.
It is why, he has said, that he goes so long between releases. His first real success came in the ‘80s with the hit record Valotte featuring “Too Late for Goodbyes” and, later, Help Yourself featuring “Saltwater,” the latter an early inkling of the years of environmental activism he would undertake.
Photograph Smile, while echoing those earlier releases over a decade earlier, is more mature, heavier (conceptually if not musically) and darker. It’s also sweet at times and even a little corny. It shows a progression of his musicianship and willingness to delve into more personal feelings. Of course, age will do that for you.
In the end, this is not a great masterpiece of pop songwriting, but it is a beautiful, sometimes wistful record filled with dense orchestration and carefully curated melodies. For fans of some of those aforementioned bands, this is a must listen even if you consider Julian the lesser Lennon.
I certainly do not.
Photograph Smile (1998)
Track Listing:
Day After Day
Cold
I Should Have Known
How Many Times
I Don’t Wanna Know
Crucified
Walls
Believe
Good to Be Lonely
Kiss Beyond the Catcher
And She Cries
Photograph Smile
Faithful
Way to Your Heart