Album Review: Sean Lennon - ‘Friendly Fire’

Sean Lennon is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sadly, he was five years old when his famous father was murdered on the streets of New York. In 1998 he released his first album ‘Into the Sun’ was released by Grand Royal Records. He would release one more album, ‘Half Horse, Half Musician,’ with them before they label closed shop.

In 2001 he signed with Capitol Records and this 2006 album is the result. I get the impression that Lennon really doesn’t want to ride the coattails of his famous father, but I really can’t help but compare his music with dear ole dad. Perhaps it’s his resemblance to his famous parents. ‘Friendly Fire’ is largely autobiographical piece by Lennon. He broke up with his girlfriend, Bijou Phillips, when he found out that she was cheating on him with his best friend, Max Leroy. Leroy would be killed in a motorcycle accident in 2005 with Lennon never having the opportunity to reconcile with his friend. The songs on the album reflect love, friendship, and betrayal. A nice addition is a DVD filled with music videos for all ten songs. If you look closely, these videos also reflect that cycle of love, friendship, and betrayal. The videos feature Lennon, of course, but also have appearances by Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan, Asia Argento, and Carrie Fisher. I enjoyed the album and thought that “Wait for Me” was the most reminiscent of John Lennon. Some of the videos also reminded me of Beatles efforts – “Yellow Submarine” specifically. I’m comparing again aren’t I? The album is one man’s way of dealing with the loss of a friend and not being able to reconcile with them before their untimely death.The album is much more effective when you know those facts, but I was only able to find that out by surfing the net for more info on the album. The album notes make no mention of any of this and only feature Sean Lennon’s artwork and a dedication to Max Leroy. The album is good but has a more emotional impact when you know about the circumstances behind its creation.‘Friendly Fire’ is now available at Amazon. Visit the music database for more information and a complete track listing.