Personnel: Julian Lennon (vocals, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, percussion, programming); Steve Hunter, John McCurry, Justin Clayton (guitar); Scott Humphrey (keyboards, synthesizer programming, background vocals); Bob Ezrin (keyboards, percussion, programming, background vocals); Matt Bissonette (bass); Allen Schwartzberg, Louis Molino (drums); Bobbye Hall (percussion); Paul Buchanan, The San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Troop 592, Olivia D'Abo, Mark Spiro, Carmen Twillie, Peter Fletcher, Clarise Wilkins, Maxine Anderson, Paul Winger, Bobette Jamison-Harrison, Kim Edwards-Brown (background vocals). After the sudden success of his 1984 debut, VALOTTE, and the equally sudden failure of its 1986 follow-up, THE SECRET VALUE OF DAYDREAMING, Julian Lennon disappeared from the mainstream pop radar. Ironically, at that point he began making the best music of his career, first with 1989's underrated MR. JORDAN and this 1991 release. Opening with the minor-key ballad "Saltwater," HELP YOURSELF has a maturity and solidity sometimes lacking from Lennon's earlier work. More importantly, these self-produced tracks are free of the antiseptic slickness of the first two albums, which had been produced by New York-based hitmaker Phil Ramone (Billy Joel, etc.). Instead, the tracks favor a more stripped-down approach based on acoustic rhythm guitars, non-MIDI keyboards, and real drums. Lennon's voice has deepened and grown as an instrument as well; he sounds hardly at all like his famous father. Though a commercial disappointment, HELP YOURSELF is a fine adult pop record.
Rebel King (5:50) Saltwater (4:07) Get A Life (4:17) Would You (6:20) Maybe I Was Wrong (4:27) Help Yourslef (4:41) Listen (5:04) Other Side Of Town (5:34) New Physics Rant (4:48) Take Me Home (4:27) Imaginary Lines (5:11) Keep The People Working (3:36)