Yoko Ono Yes, I'm A Witch CD

Yoko Ono is one of pop music's most divisive figures, both because of her controversial (to some) relationship with John Lennon and her uncompromising and often difficult artistic and musical vision. To reduce Ono's musical output to the shrieks and shouts she's most often associated with, however, is to overlook some truly excellent music. YES, I'M A WITCH seeks to correct these oversights and misunderstandings by recruiting a host of indie-rock and electronica heavyweights to rework key Ono tracks. Most artists chose to recast the songs in the glitches and sputters of contemporary electronic music (something of a digital equivalent to Ono's melisma), with Le Tigre's triumphant electro-clash reworking of "Sisters O Sisters" a particular standout. Yet the most poignant moments--Antony and Hahn Rowe's shimmering take on "Toyboat," Cat Power's simple piano-driven duet on "Revelations"--occur when Ono's subtleties are placed front and center, allowing the hidden beauty in her work to emerge.

Photographer: Albert Watson.

Personnel: Yoko Ono (vocals); Yoko Ono; DJ Spooky, Peaches, Flaming Lips, Craig Armstrong, Cat Power.

Audio Mixers: Peaches; Craig Armstrong; Chuck Brody; Hank Shocklee; Jason Pierce; Le Tigre .

Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[Ono's] long-underrated talent for simple, direct melodies makes it easy for these disciples to rescore Ono's songwriting in their own lingo."
Spin (p.86) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he collection manages to achieve formal freedom, hit-record verve, and one woman's personal supernatural."
Entertainment Weekly (p.74) - "[T]he results should be required listening for anyone who doubts her continuing relevance to cutting-edge culture." -- Grade: A-
The Wire (p.57) - "[With] some highlights showing off Ono's on-the-verge voice from various novel angles....Jason Pierce's lovely drone distortion on 'Walking On Thin Ice' complements Ono's voice perfectly."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "What YES, I'M A WITCH proves, above all else, is that the world is at last catching up with Ono....[The album] offers a widescreen version of the Yoko Ono story."