For her first album in several years, Yoko Ono was joined by her son Sean Ono Lennon's trio Ima (Japanese for now), a trio adept at both abstract, improvisational free jazz and Sonic Youth-style noise rock. Both of these musical extremes can be found on Rising, a harrowing, autobiographical song cycle written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the time of the bombings, Ono - who grew up in Tokyo - was hiding in the Japanese countryside. Given her most sympathetic backing since the early-'70s Plastic Ono Band records, Ono delivers her most heartfelt and experimental work in over 20 years. Highlights include the stunning 15-minute title track, where Lennon, Timo Ellis, and Sam Koppelman whip up an Ornette Coleman-like frenzy as Ono delivers some extremely powerful lyrics. The similarly passionate Kurushi, is almost equally chilling. Rising is an intense, challenging work.

- - -


Yoko Ono / IMA - Rising  1995
(Capitol)

 1. Warzone
 2. Wouldnit
 3. Ask the Dragon
 4. New York Woman
 5. Talking to the Universe
 6. Turned the Corner
 7. I'm Dying
 8. Where Do We Go from Here?
 9. Kurushi
10. Will I
11. Rising
12. Goodbye, My Love
13. Revelations


Recorded at: Broome Street (1993-1995) 
Quad Recording Studios, New York, NY (1993-1995)

Yoko Ono, vocals
Sean Lennon, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, background vocals
Timo Ellis, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums
Sam Koppelman, drums, percussion