Lindsay Ellis — The Ballad of John and Yoko

Ooh, thanks for the heads up on her new vid! I love her stuff.

I'm a decent Beatles fan, and as far as I can tell, this essay is a pretty good snapshot of the dissolution of the band. Brian Epstein's death was almost certainly larger factor than pop culture recognized, probably more than Yoko Ono ever did or could. Which isn't to say that her influence was insignificant, but her intrusion into the band's dynamic was more of a symptom of the break-up than a cause.

And more people should recognize that the series of betrayals, thefts, profiteering, exploitation, and threats of violence that Yoko Ono experienced after John Lennon's death was nothing short of horrific.

By the way, I recently re-examined Yoko Ono's 1981 album Season of Glass after it was shouted out on Song Versus Song, and it's a pretty devastating work of grief. I can't say that I love it, I have never liked Ono's caterwauling sound when she uses her head voice, but some of the orchestration and even some of her singing when she uses her normal chest voice deserve some recognition.