Lennon Legend
was released in the fall of 1997 in England to replace the deleted
John Lennon Collection
, and the 20-track collection is remarkably similar to its predecessor, replicating a full 16 tracks and deleting the relatively nonessential
"I'm Losing You,"
"Dear Yoko,"
and
"Move Over Ms. L"
in favor of
"Borrowed Time,"
"Mother,"
"Nobody Told Me,"
"Working Class Hero."
Even if the disc isn't sequenced in strict chronological order, the end result is the strongest single-disc
Lennon
collection yet. It might not offer everything of worth that
recorded -- the
Plastic Ono Band
Imagine
albums remain essentials, and there are great-to-good songs scattered among his later solo records -- but it does function as an excellent sampler and introduction to his solo career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine