Anthology (1998) 


 

 Disc One 
  1. Working Class Hero
  2. God
  3. I Found Out
  4. Hold On
  5. Isolation
  6. Love
  7. Mother 
  8. Remember
  9. Imagine
  10.Fortunately
  11.Baby Please Don't Go
  12.Oh My Love
  13.Jealous Guy
  14.Maggie Mae
  15.How Do You Sleep?
  16.God Save Oz
  17.Do the Oz
  18.I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier
  19.Give Peace a Chance
  20.Look at Me
  21.Long Lost John
  
Disc Two
  1. New York City
  2. Attica State
  3. Imagine
  4. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)
  5. Woman is the Ni**er of the World
  6. Geraldo Rivera
  7. Woman is the Ni**er of the World
  8. It's So Hard
  9. Come Together
  10.Happy Xmas (War is Over)
  11.The Luck of the Irish
  12.John Sinclair
  13.The David Frost Show
  14.Mind Games
  15.Mind Games
  16.One Day (At a Time)
  17.I Know (I Know)
  18.I'm the Greatest
  19.(It's All Da-Da-Down to) Goodnight Vienna
  20.Jerry Lewis Telethon
  21.A Kiss is Just a Kiss (As Time Goes By)
  22.Real Love
  23.You Are Here
  
Disc Three
  1. What You Got
  2. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)
  3. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
  4. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
  5. Yesterday
  6. Be-Bop-A-Lula
  7. Rip it Up/REady Teddy
  8. Scared
  9. Steel and Glass
  10.Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)
  11.Bless You
  12.Going Down on Love
  13.Move Over Ms. L
  14.Ain't She Sweet
  15.Slippin' and Slidin'
  16.Peggy Sue
  17.Bring it on Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin'
  18.Phil and John, Part 1
  19.Phil and John, Part 2
  20.Phil and John, Part 3
  21.When in Doubt, F*ck it
  22.Be My Baby
  23.Stranger's Room
  24.Old Dirt Road
  
Disc Four
  1. I'm Losing You
  2. Sean's Little Help
  3. Serve Yourself
  4. My Life
  5. Nobody Told Me
  6. Life Begins at 40
  7. I Don't Wanna Face It
  8. Woman
  9. Dear Yoko
  10.Watching the Wheels
  11.I'm Stepping Out
  12.Borrowed Time
  13.The Rishi Kesh Song
  14.Sean's Loud
  15.Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
  16.Mr. Hyde's Gone (Don't Be Afraid)
  17.Only You
  18.Grow Old With Me
  19.Dear John
  20.The Great Wok
  21.Mucho Mungo
  22.Satire, Part 1
  23.Satire, Part 2
  24.Satire, Part 3
  25.Sean's in the Sky
  26.It's Real

 

Following the model set by The Beatles' Anthology series, John Lennon Anthology—released in 1998—offers an extensive four-disc overview of Lennon’s solo years, presented through demos, alternate takes, studio chatter, and rough mixes. It is not a greatest hits package, nor is it intended to be. Rather, it is a curated glimpse behind the curtain—one designed expressly for the dedicated fan.

The set is arranged thematically rather than chronologically, divided into four discs titled Ascot, New York City, The Lost Weekend, and Dakota—tracing Lennon’s life from the early post-Beatles period through to his final years. The progression offers more of a mood piece than a strict timeline, and while this approach creates some thematic resonance, it also requires the listener’s full investment to be fully appreciated.

Casual fans expecting a hit-laden retrospective will be disappointed. These are, by and large, skeletal versions of familiar songs, raw home recordings, or discarded fragments that never made it to a proper album. For every revealing early take of a classic like God or Mother there are multiple half-formed sketches, incomplete verses, and moments of spoken-word banter that hold little appeal beyond historical curiosity.

That said, for those with a deeper attachment to Lennon’s work, there is much to explore. Alternate arrangements of Imagine and Jealous Guy offer subtle variations on familiar templates. Demos like Real Love and Grow Old With Me—long bootlegged but now officially restored—serve as haunting reminders of what might have been. Some tracks from the Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey sessions, stripped of polish and production, gain emotional power in their unfinished state.

Still, the set’s appeal is undeniably narrow. Without the context of Lennon’s broader catalogue—or without an affinity for the artistic process—it can feel diffuse, even indulgent. But that is precisely the point. Anthology is not meant to streamline Lennon’s legacy; it is designed to deepen it. This is not the place to begin with Lennon. It is, however, a thoughtful companion for those who already know the journey—and wish to revisit the road not taken.

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