John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band - Shaved Fish

Shaved Fish is the first compilation album by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band, originally released in October 1975 via Apple Records.

At the time of its release, Shaved Fish didn't attract as much attention as any compilation of John Lennon's work would have either a few years before or a few years after. Lennon had just issued the genre album, Rock 'n' Roll, and this was released only a year after Walls And Bridges.

Drawing on his singles up to that point in his career, it shows a punkier, more defiant vision of Lennon's work than subsequent compilations, which would dwell on a broader cross section of his output. "Happy Christmas" and "Imagine" are moments of peace in the company of artifacts from his political / agitprop ("Power To The People") and primal scream ("Mother") periods, and his attempts at topical songwriting ("Woman Is The Nigger Of The World"), and "Whatever Gets You Through The Night", which was unique as his first single to reach #1 on the US Singles charts.

"Whatever Gets You Through The Night" also features Elton John on piano and vocals. While in the studio, Elton bet Lennon that the song would top the charts, and such was Lennon's scepticism that Elton secured from him a promise to appear on stage at one of his performances should the record indeed hit number one. When the record did achieve that feat, Lennon appeared at Elton John's Thanksgiving performance at Madison Square Garden on 28 November 1974. It was his last major concert appearance.

This collection, which was the last LP release to come from Lennon in any form until Double Fantasy five years later in 1980 and was the only compilation of his work released in Lennon's own lifetime. Lennon's recording contract with Apple Records and EMI / Capitol Records expired at the end of 1976, meaning this would be the last album released under the Apple Records label.

This LP record is a "Back to Black" series reissue (August 2014) on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl with a printed inner sleeve and digital download code, pressed in Europe.