Yoko Ono,Yes, I’m a Witch, Washington Square News.
March 1, 2011
Yoko Ono Yes, I’m A Witch Choice cuts: “Nobody Sees Me Like You Do,” “Revelations”
Ever since her controversial appearances with the Beatles in the late ’60s, Yoko Ono has hardly been known as an artist who is easy on the ear. Her screeching vocals can be jarring, often sounding like a cat caught in an amplifier. On her latest album, new artists remix Ono’s old songs, making it one of her best and least challenging efforts. Yes, I’m A Witch is aptly titled, as it has many enchanting qualities.
Performers such as Cat Power, Peaches and the Flaming Lips come along for the ride. What is most enjoyable about this album is the new artists’ contributions: Peaches takes the underlying sexuality of “Kiss Kiss Kiss” to a far more provocative level with her edgy electronic sound, while a surprisingly good melody is salvaged in “Nobody Sees Me Like You Do” under Apples in Stereo’s psychedelic direction. “Revelations” sounds like a classic Cat Power track, though it’s a shame to hear Ono interrupt Chan Marshall’s beautiful voice.
While the album’s primary merits rest with Ono’s collaborators, Yes, I’m A Witch does say something about the versatility of Ono’s songwriting – her simple melodies work as well over Le Tigre’s “Riot grrrl” vibe in “Sisters O Sisters,” as they do over the gentler sound of Porcupine Tree in the melancholic “Death of Samantha.” Just as in the days when Ono married John Lennon and jammed with the Beatles, however, her greatest virtue remains her taste in the musical company she keeps.
- Clementine Amidon
