Unfinished Music, No. 1: Two Virgins

Track Listings

1. Two Virgins Side One

2. Two Virgins Side Two

3. Remember Love [*]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Two Virgins is still best known for its notorious cover photo of John and Yoko posing naked and unashamed. It's also remembered as a historical artifact: it was recorded overnight in Lennon's mansion, before the couple consummated their relationship. But few have heard the record and fewer still have played it twice. Essentially, it's the White Album's "Revolution 9" stretched into a whole record of white noise, tape effects, discord, and screaming. The follow up, Life with the Lions, was more interesting musically, but Two Virgins is the sound that first made the world say: "What?" --Taylor Parkes

From the Label
John & Yoko recorded the experimental sounds of Two Virgins the night before the morning they first made love."It was midnight when we started 'Two Virgins,' it was dawn when we finished, and then we made love at dawn. It was very beautiful."--JOHN LENNONJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono: all instruments and vocals.Recorded, 1968.

Unfinished Music, No. 1: Two Virgins

Tracks:

Two Virgins Side One
Two Virgins Side Two
Remember Love [*]

Amazon.com

Two Virgins is still best known for its notorious cover photo of John and Yoko posing naked and unashamed. It's also remembered as a historical artifact: it was recorded overnight in Lennon's mansion, before the couple consummated their relationship. But few have heard the record and fewer still have played it twice. Essentially, it's the White Album's "Revolution 9" stretched into a whole record of white noise, tape effects, discord, and screaming. The follow up, Life with the Lions, was more interesting musically, but Two Virgins is the sound that first made the world say: "What?" --Taylor Parkes

Customer Reviews:

Unfinished Music No.1.......2007-05-22

The first in a series of anti-popstar releases designed to, and largely successful in, knocking John Lennon off the pedestal his fans had erected for him. With his new avant-garde wife at his side -- and enough money in the bank to last a lifetime -- Lennon set about ruining his bank value so he could return to being a 'private citizen.' All three albums -- Two Virgins, Life With The Lions & Wedding Album -- are potent reminders of a simpler time when artists could experiment wildly (or just be very silly) and still get released and distributed (erm, somewhat). Rykodisc nicely duplicates the original packaging (except for an odd anachronistic sense of prudishness) and the remastered sound quality is, for 1967, pretty darn good.

Of course you can't actually LISTEN to this stuff....

A First For John & Yoko.......2007-04-17

Well, unless you are a hardcore collector like myself (had it originally on vinyl all those years ago), stay clear of this album. If you want to hear noise that you & your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend could do yourself, then forget this album & make your own noise. The best track on the album is the bonus track. That tells you that this album has nothing to do with Beatles music. I give it one star for being terrible & one star for the packaging ;-). Search Judemac Forever" on msn.

Lennon's nadir--"Two Virgins" .......2007-04-15

"Two Virgins" lives up to its title--it sounds like it was created by someone with absolutely no musical experience at all. While I'm a big fan of Lennon's Beatles and post-Beatles solo albums (even the weakest Lennon album "Sometime in New York City" has its minor moments), I found this completely unlistenable and a waste of 30 minutes of my time.

Is "Two Virgins" misunderstood? If it is it's because it's in an incomphrensible musical langauge. The cover was the only thing this album was notable for--a nude portrait of a couple who had found love. It created controversy (EMI didn't want to distribute it). As avant-garde its too simplistic as music it's a disaster. Avoid unless you must have everything (including every fart, belch and toe nail trimming) from Lennon.

Just Like I Told You?.......2007-03-01

This recording seems to be not a lot more than a recording of these two celebs tripping their brains out. Anyone who thinks this stuff is anywhere as good as "Revolution #9" is missing some point somewhere. Yes, they are connected and Yoko's influence was important on that piece, but here it's like a couple of steps too far removed.

Yoko carries on like a mental patient who wants her rattle and can't find it. John seems preoccupied with all of the gadgetry and noise you hear (and only he seems to know how to reproduce) when you are tripping your brains out. If this is avant-garde, then I'll have the pastrami on rye with mustard and, don't mind me, I'm going to turn the volume down a little. If Yoko would just shut up, then maybe John could develop some of the "fluctuating" sounds INTO A SONG OR SOMETHING, but then maybe not. No, Yoko is very much needed because this is about a relationship, not music. How it got past George "I'll Have the Pigs in a Blanket" Martin, is beyond me. Maybe Yoko temporarily immobilized him with some of her Teriyaki Chicken with Mescalin. Lennon's humor is so dry you have to pry it out of the microwave.

Who else came out with anything this raw? McCartney probably barracaded himself in his room after he heard it. Captures the 60's notion that group insanity could work out as a lifestyle as long as you didn't lose your tambourine - that there would be infinite trips like this one. But, no, there was only one really, and when you hear this recording, you're kind of glad it's over. What's interesting is that Lennon's genius seems to have been predicated on a level of neurosis that would have made Freud consider becoming a farmer. If this is supposed to be the cooing of two love birds, then I just hope the snake gets to the eggs before they hatch. It's more like the chatter of parrots. But, John has a thing for the tripped-out sounds made by appliances and, for a minute there, I thought that something major had gone wrong with my refrigerator. He has been quoted as saying that all sounds were music to him and that is probably the most interesting thing about "Two Virgins." You have to look at this stuff in the greater context of what else Lennon, and to a lesser extent, Yoko Ono have contributed to music and spirituality. Their chain-smoking, neurotic excesses have to be accepted as part of the brew.

What really tickles me is that individual tracks are referred to in the credits - like 3, 4, 5, and 6 were published by ...you know, like I care. You'd have to be tripping your brains out to separate them though. Also, the idea of Lennon editing this stuff after the dope wore off. What would he do? Speed it up? Slow it down? Call up Neil Diamond? Add a drum track? No, it's really just FINE as it is - f*** up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. "Now, let's do it like I told you..." That's the underlying joke here: the charts be damned. Here Paul, put this one on your motorized lazy Susan, smoke a bowl, and give it a spin.

oh yoko.......2007-01-14

This album has sentimental value because it was the first album my boyfriend and I bought together! I am a big fan of Yoko Ono and do not understand why people dislike her so much. Really, she is my role model. I collect her records and put the sleeves on my wall. Did you know she donated an ice cream machine to Sarah Lawrence College?

I don't see why the experimental tracks get so much flack. I think they are really interesting and beautiful. A lot of modern indie artists use sound recorders and make experimental music, which I like too. It is a slice of someone else's experience and everything.

Remember Love is also a very sweet song. The vocals are so cute. !! ! ! Is that all I can really say about a song!

Average customer rating:

Unfinished Music No.1 Two Virgins

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000JVS48U
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Album Description

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Reissue of John & Yoko's first album with the addition of the single B-side "Remember Love." Features coated jacket based off of the original British album art. Vall. 2007

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Two Virgins Side One
2. Two Virgins Side Two
3. Remember Love [*]