Donald Ross Skinner (Love Amongst Ruin)

“Lennon's songwriting trajectory traced a path from introspection and insecurity, through stripped bare confessional to hyper-communication and, ultimately, something perhaps too comfortable and palatable to many. The first two of these always appealed to me the most, from the self doubt of ‘Help!’ to the fork-in-the-road cuts like ‘I'm So Tired’, Julia’, ‘Glass Onion’ from The White Album and, ultimately, the stark openness of ‘Mother’, ‘God’, ‘Isolation’, etc, from the ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ album.

"Lennon’s guitar playing tended to blend with the song, although he had a few spotlight moments: the genial blues noodle on ‘Get Back’, the visceral yawp of ‘Yer Blues’ and the take-a-number-and-wait-your-turn three-way on ‘The End’ to name a few. The most tear-ass guitar sound he ever achieved? The vocal on ‘Twist and Shout’. Well, he had a body, a neck and a head, was wired up and periodically strung out. Sounds like a rock ’n' roll instrument to me. How 'bout them apples?!”

The Beatles 'Get Back'

TG209 (on sale 26 November) features John Lennon on the cover and honours the working class guitar hero's contribution to the guitar world, including interviews with 'Nowhere Boy' Aaron Johnson and 'Imagine' session guitarist Joey Molland.