JOHN LENNON: Sometime in New York City/Walls and Bridges (EMI)

WHILE Walls and Bridges ranks as one of John Lennon's finest achievements, Sometime in New York City remains his most dated and difficult. Both have been remastered and reissued with bonus tracks to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his death. New York City certainly benefits tremendously from the remastering, the likes of Woman is the Nigger of the World and the title track have never sounded better, and much of the indulgent live stuff has been cut. But Yoko's warbling still grates and it's so topical it can't help but age poorly. Walls stands alongside his first two solo albums as primo Lennon, surprisingly upbeat considering all the self-doubt, cynicism, vengeance and loneliness in the grooves.

JEFF CRAWFORD