Season of Glass

Season of Glass
Studio album by Yoko Ono
Released	8 June 1981 (UK) 12 June 1981 (US)
Recorded	The Hit Factory, New York City, 1981
Genre	Pop rock
Length	51:05
Label	Geffen
Producer	Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Yoko Ono chronology
Double Fantasy (1980) Season of Glass (1981) It's Alright (I See Rainbows) (1982)
Singles from Season of Glass
"No, No, No" Released: September 1981 (US) "Goodbye Sadness" Released: November 1981 (US)

Season of Glass is a 1981 album by Yoko Ono, her first solo recording after the murder of her husband John Lennon. The album was released less than six months after Lennon's death and deals with it directly in songs such as "Goodbye Sadness" and "I Don't Know Why". Season of Glass charted at number 49, making it Ono's highest-charting solo album to date.

The front cover features Lennon's bloodstained glasses positioned next to a half-filled glass of water, with a view of Central Park in the background. A young Sean Lennon features on the track "Even When You're Far Away", recounting a story his father used to tell him.

A music video was created for "Goodbye Sadness" featuring footage of John and Yoko together. The video was screened on the first episode of Saturday Night Live's seventh season.

Reissue

The 1997 Rykodisc reissue added bonus tracks of the single "Walking on Thin Ice" and an a cappella demo of "I Don't Know Why", recorded the day after Lennon's death. Demos of Season of Glass songs recorded with Lennon in the 1970s were also released as bonus tracks with other Ono reissues, including an acoustic version of "Dogtown" on Approximately Infinite Universe. The unreleased 1974 album A Story also contained several songs that were later re-recorded for Season of Glass, such as "She Gets Down On Her Knees" and "Will You Touch Me". It was also released by Rykodisc in 1997.

Remixes

Three songs from this recording were reworked by other artists on the remix tribute album Yes, I'm a Witch in 2007. Antony Hegarty reworked "Toyboat", The Apples in Stereo reworked "Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" and Jason Pierce from Spiritualized reworked "Walking on Thin Ice".

Track listing

Side one

1. "Goodbye Sadness" – 3:48
2. "Mindweaver" – 4:24
3. "Even When You're Far Away" – 4:12
4. "Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" – 3:13
5. "Turn of the Wheel" – 2:41
6. "Dogtown" – 3:32
7. "Silver Horse" – 3:03

Side two

8. "I Don't Know Why" – 4:18
9. "Extension 33" – 2:45
10. "No, No, No" – 2:43
11. "Will You Touch Me" – 2:37
12. "She Gets Down on Her Knees" – 4:13
13. "Toyboat" – 3:31
14. "Mother of the Universe" – 4:26

Bonus tracks

15. "Walking on Thin Ice" – 6:00
16. "I Don't Know Why (Demo)" – 2:48

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]
Pitchfork Media	(7.7/10)[3]
Robert Christgau	A−[4]

Season of Glass charted at number 49 on the Billboard 200, making it Ono's highest-charting solo album to date.^[5]

In popular culture

Holly Miranda covered "Nobody Sees Me Like You Do" as a B-side to her single "Forest Green, Oh Forest Green" and on her EP Choose to See, which was included with the purchase of her 2010 album The Magician's Private Library.^[6]

Personnel

• Guitars – John Lennon, Hugh McCracken, Earl Slick, Anthony Davilio
• Keyboards – John Lennon, George Small, Anthony Davilio
• Bass – Tony Levin, John Siegler
• Drums – Andrew Newmark
• Percussion – Arthur Jenkins, David Friedman
• Vibraphone – David Friedman
• Soprano/Alto saxophone – George "Young" Opalisky
• Tenor saxophone – Michael Brecker
• Baritone saxophone – Ronnie Cuber
• Tuba – Howard Johnson
• Engineer – Ed Sprigg

Charts

References