With John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Lennon brutally, brilliantly, and definitively underlined his shorthand reputation as the Beatles' tough rock genius. One of the most demanding albums ever made, Plastic Ono Band is also one of the finest. 

 After the focused intensity of Plastic Ono Band came the much steadier Imagine. Beyond the beloved title track, there are plenty of other highlights, including “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die” and “Gimme Some Truth.”  

 Some Time in New York City is a not-bad rocking collaboration with the capable band Elephant's Memory; the ponderous lyrics, about the Attica prison riots, feminism, and Angela Davis, are far below Lennon's standard.  

 On Mind Games–distinguished primarily by its sweeping, Spector-ish title track–John rocked tough in places, but it's mainly a holding pattern.  

 From Walls and Bridges, "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," a duet with Elton John, gained Lennon his only Number One hit; even better is "#9 Dream," a heavily atmospheric number boasting cool cellos and fine singing.  

 Critically derided as a step backward, Rock 'n' Roll in fact offers delights for those true believers who share Lennon's lifelong insistence that early rock is the only music that really matters. Produced by Phil Spector. 

 Shaved Fish is a good, though brief, best-of. Lennon Legend is a superior single-disc overview. 

 Lennon had always insisted that he and Yoko were artistic equals. While Yoko had achieved distinction on her own as an avant-gardist, Double Fantasy, released just three weeks before Lennon was shot dead, comes close to redefinition. 

 Tthe six Lennon songs on Milk and Honey are good but unspectacular.  

 Much of Lennon's Eighties posthumous releases are good but unspectacular. A bracing exception is the second half of Menlove Avenue, containing Walls and Bridges outtakes and live performances. It’s Lennon as punky minimalist; sadly, the first side is one of his soggiest. 

 The 74 songs that make up the Lennon box set constitute a comprehensive summary. 

 Lennon Legend is at least the third try at a single-disc overview of John's career. It is flawless if a single album is all you need.  

 The four-CD Lennon Anthology is a beat-the-bootlegs miscellany of studio and home rehearsals, live performances, alternate versions, jokes, and bits of dialogue with Yoko and Sean. The devoted need it, but few others will play it often.  

 Wonsaponatime culls 21 of the best tracks from Anthology. Highlights include “I’m Losing You” with backup by Cheap Trick, the “Real Love” demo, and “Serve Yourself,” a slap at born-again Bob Dylan in which Lennon is both caustic and witty. 

 The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a grab-bag soundtrack to a documentary.