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Approximately Infinite Universe

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"What a Mess" redirects here. For the series of children's books, see What-a-Mess.

Approximately Infinite Universe is the third solo album by Yoko Ono, released in early 1973 on Apple Records. A double album, it represents a departure from the experimental avant garde rock of her first two albums towards a more conventional pop/rock sound, while also dabbling in feminist rock. It peaked at number 193 in the United States. The 1997 CD reissue on Rykodisc added two acoustic demos of songs from this era,[5] that were later released on 1981's Season of Glass. It was released again by Rykodisc in 2007.[6]

Approximately Infinite Universe
Studio album by
Yoko Ono[a]
Released8 January 1973 (1973-01-08)
RecordedMid-October–late November 1972
StudioThe Record Plant and Butterfly, New York City
Length87:17
LabelApple
ProducerJohn Lennon, Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono chronology
Some Time in New York City
(1972) 		Approximately Infinite Universe
(1973) 		Feeling the Space
(1973)
Singles from Approximately Infinite Universe
  1. "Now or Never" / "Move on Fast"
    Released: 13 November 1972 (US)
  2. "Death of Samantha" / "Yang Yang"
    Released: 26 February 1973 (US); 4 May 1973 (UK)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pitchfork8.2/10[2]
Record Collector[3]
Rolling Stone(not rated)[4]

The album was recorded at The Record Plant in New York City, except for the basic tracks for "Catman" and "Winter Song", which were taped at Butterfly Studios. Ono produced the album with John Lennon, whose participation marked a rare music-related activity for him after the failure of the couple's politically themed 1972 double album Some Time in New York City. Lennon also sang the final verse of the song, "I Want My Love to Rest Tonight." As on the latter album, Ono used the New York band Elephant's Memory as her backing musicians. Mick Jagger dropped into the studio for some of the sessions. He recalled playing guitar very loudly with Lennon. Jagger also said that Ono "was really trying to sing properly. She's not screaming, she's really trying to sing."[7]

The inside gatefold sleeve contained Ono's essay "The Feminization of Society". An abridged version of this essay was previously published in The New York Times in February 1972. The full essay was published in Sundance Magazine in May 1972.

Track listing

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All songs written by Yoko Ono.

Original release

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Side one

  1. "Yang Yang" – 3:52
  2. "Death of Samantha" – 6:23
  3. "I Want My Love to Rest Tonight" – 5:11
  4. "What Did I Do!" – 4:11
  5. "Have You Seen a Horizon Lately?" – 1:55

Side two

  2. "Approximately Infinite Universe" – 3:19
  3. "Peter the Dealer" – 4:43
  4. "Song for John" – 2:02
  5. "Catman (The Rosies Are Coming)" – 5:29
  6. "What a Bastard the World Is" – 4:33
  7. "Waiting for the Sunrise" – 2:32

Side three

  1. "I Felt Like Smashing My Face in a Clear Glass Window" – 4:09
  2. "Winter Song" – 3:37
  3. "Kite Song" – 3:19
  4. "What a Mess" – 2:41
  5. "Shiranakatta (I Didn't Know)" – 3:13
  6. "Air Talk" – 3:21

Side four

  2. "I Have a Woman Inside My Soul" – 5:31
  3. "Move on Fast" – 3:40
  4. "Now or Never" – 4:57
  5. "Is Winter Here to Stay?" – 4:27
  6. "Looking Over from My Hotel Window" – 3:30

CD reissue

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Tracks 1–22 per sides one to four of the original album, with the following bonus tracks on disc two:

  2. "Dogtown" (acoustic demo) – 2:51
  3. "She Gets Down on Her Knees" (acoustic demo) – 2:45
  • "She Gets Down on Her Knees" (acoustic demo) is not present on the 2017 reissue

Personnel

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  • Yoko Ono – vocals, piano on "Looking Over from My Hotel Window" and "She Gets Down on Her Knees", arrangements
  • Joel Nohnn (pseudonym of John Lennon) – guitar, backing vocals
  • Stan Bronstein – saxophone, flute, clarinet
  • Rick Frank – drums, percussion
  • Daria Price – castanets
  • Gary Van Scyoc – bass guitar, trumpet
  • Adam Ippolito – piano, Hammond organ, harmonium, trumpet
  • Wayne "Tex" Gabriel – guitar
  • Mick Jagger – guitar on "Is Winter Here to Stay?"

Production credits

  • Produced by Yoko Ono and John Lennon
  • Arrangement – Yoko Ono
  • String orchestration – Ron Frangipane
  • Chief engineer – Jack Douglas
  • Assistant engineer – Danny Turbeville
  • Butterfly Studio engineer – Kurt Munkacsi
  • Re-release produced by Yoko Ono and Rob Stevens (1997)
  • Remastered by George Marino and Rob Stevens, Sterling Sound, New York City (1997)
  • Bettina Rossner, John Lennon, Yoko Ono – artwork
  • Bob Gruen, Iain MacMillan – photography

Charts

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Chart (1973) Peak
position 		Total
weeks
U.S. Billboard 200 193 4

Release history

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Country Date Format Label Catalog
United States 8 January 1973 2xLP Apple Records SVBB 3399
2x8-Track 8VV 3399
United Kingdom 16 February 1973 2xLP SAPDO 1001[8]
Japan 1973 EAP-93087B
France 2C162-94221/2[9]
United States 10 June 1997[10] 2xCD Rykodisc RCD 10417/18
United Kingdom 22 June 1997[11]
Japan 1997 VACK-5373/4
24 January 2007 Rykodisc, Apple Records VACK-1310[12]
United States & Europe 14 July 2017 2xLP Secretly Canadian, Chimera Music SC283/CHIM22
2xLP (White)
2xCD
Japan 2 August 2017 2xCD Sony Records International SICX-86[13]
9 August 2017 2xLP (White) SIJP-51[14]
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The post-punk rock band Death of Samantha, founded in 1983, named themselves after the song of that name on this album.[15]

Notes

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  1. ^ With Plastic Ono Band, Elephant's Memory, Endless Strings and Choir Boys as backing bands.

References

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  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r67637
  2. ^ Masters, Marc (14 July 2017). "Yoko Ono: Fly / Approximately Infinite Universe / Feeling the Space Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  3. ^ Goldsmith, Mike (12 September 2017). "Approximately Infinite Universe - Record Collector Magazine". Record Collector. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  4. ^ Nick Tosches (15 March 1973). "Approximately Infinite Universe | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ Yoko Ono With Plastic Ono Band* - Approximately Infinite Universe (CD) at Discogs
  6. ^ Yoko Ono With Plastic Ono Band* - Approximately Infinite Universe (CD) at Discogs
  7. ^ The Rolling Stones – Off The Record by Mark Paytress, Omnibus Press, 2005, pp 218-9. ISBN 1-84449-641-4
  8. ^ "Approximately Infinite Universe".
  9. ^ "Yoko Ono Approximately Infinite Universe + Lyric inners French 2-LP vinyl record set (Double Album) (373737)".
  10. ^ "Ready or Not: Yoko Ono Albums to be Reissued". MTV. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Approximately Infinite Universe".
  12. ^ "Approximately Infinite Universe [Cardboard Sleeve] [Limited Release] Yoko Ono CD Album". CDJapan.
  13. ^ "Approximately Infinite Universe Yoko Ono CD Album". CDJapan.
  14. ^ "Approximately Infinite Universe [Limited Release] Yoko Ono Vinyl (LP)". CDJapan.
  15. ^ Christopher Evans, "Death of Samantha: Notes from the Underground," The Plain Dealer Magazine, February 22, 1987, p. 6.
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