The Walrus and the Elephants : John Lennon's Years of Revolution

In late 1971 John Lennon left London behind and moved to New York, eager to join a youth movement rallying for social justice and an end to the Vietnam War. Lennon was quickly embraced by radicals and revolutionaries, the hippies and Yippies at odds with the establishment. Settling in Greenwich Village, the heart of Manhattan's counterculture, the former Beatle was soon on the frontlines of the antiwar movement, and championing a range of causes and issues. Seen as a savior by a generation in need of cultural heroes, Lennon was just as passionately hounded by a government eager to find enemies within. The FBI and White House considered Lennon a threat; a plan was devised to deport the singer prior to the election as a "strategic counter-measure" to preserve Richard Nixon's presidency in 1972. The Walrus and the Elephants is told by the unlikely cast of friends, including the musicians of Elephant's Memory, who were among the few with a chance to see the man... Lennon is one of the most documented individuals in modern culture, yet never before has this early New York period of his history been examined with greater depth and clarity.Lee Ranaldo, co-founder of Sonic Youth In late 1971 John Lennon left London behind and moved to New York, eager to join a youth movement rallyingfor social justice and an end to the Vietnam War. Lennon was quickly embraced by radicals andrevolutionaries, the hippies and Yippies at odds with the establishment. Settling in Greenwich Village, theheart of Manhattan's counterculture, the former Beatle was soon on the frontlines of the antiwar movement,and championing a range of causes and issues. Seen as a savior by a generation in need of cultural heroes,Lennon was just as passionately hounded by a government eager to find enemies within. The FBI and White House considered Lennon a threat; a plan was devised to deport the singer prior to the election as a"strategic counter-measure" to preserve Richard Nixon's presidency in 1972. The Walrus and the Elephants is told by the unlikely cast of friends, including the musicians of Elephant's Memory,who were among the few with a chance to see the man behind the Beatle. Exclusive interviews include writerand feminist leader Gloria Steinem; congressional black caucus cofounder Ron Dellums; "Chicago Seven"veteran Rennie Davis; immigration attorney Leon Wildes; and legendary poet-activist John Sinclair, whoseimprisonment for marijuana--a ten-year sentence for two joints--kicked off Lennon's American journey. It was a busy year of making albums, controversial TV appearances and what would be Lennon's lastfull-length concert at Madison Square Garden; it was a time of great change in America, the confrontationsthat began brewing in the sixties reaching an end for many movements . . . and the beginning of a new era.John Lennon fought for peace and was treated with scorn by some, suspicion by others--including agovernment wishing to silence the singer. The Walrus and the Elephants is a look back by those who fought thefight; he was a dreamer, but he wasn't the only one. Nineteen-seventy-one was the year John Lennon left London and pop stardom for a life in New York City as a solo artist, record producer and activist looking to help end the war in Vietnam. He settled in Greenwich Village and quickly came to be seen by the leaders of the faltering anti-war movement as someone who was capable of reinvigorating it. The government was acutely aware of Lennon's power as well, seeing him as a viable threat to Nixon's reelection hopes, initiating extradition proceedings against him. Lennon's second solo album, Imagine, appeared in 1971, followed the following year by Sometime in New York City. Meanwhile, John and Yoko are searching for her daughter, a primary reason they came to America in the first place. And John is struggling to embrace feminism. The Walrus and the Elephants tells a double-barreled story of music and politics, how the personal is political and the political is personal, of upheavals in one life amid the larger cultural upheavals of an era. Examines Lennon's Post-beatle Years, Beginning In Late 1971, When He Left London Behind And Moved To New York, Eager To Join A Youth Movement Rallying For Social Justice And An End To The Vietnam War. Lennon Was Quickly Embraced By Radicals And Revolutionaries, The Hippies And Yippies At Odds With The Establishment. Settling In Greenwich Village, The Heart Of Manhattan's Counterculture, The Former Beatle Was Soon On The Frontlines Of The Antiwar Movement, And Championing A Range Of Causes And Issues--amazon.com. The Advent Of The Hippie Messiah -- John And The Elephants -- Doped With Religion And Sex And Tv -- A Thorough Nuisance -- Wordplay -- We'll Get It Right Next Time -- You Can't Keep A Good Band Down -- A Posttrip Postscript: We All Shine On. James A. Mitchell. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 257-258) And Index.