NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Gibbard wasn’t necessarily looking for music by Yoko Ono when he went record shopping a few decades ago. He was just browsing in the “O”…
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Gibbard wasn’t necessarily looking for music by Yoko Ono when he went record shopping a few decades ago. He was just browsing in the “O” section and stumbled on a copy of her 1973 album “Feeling the Space.” “It wasn’t super-expensive and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take a shot on this. I’m feeling adventurous,’” recalls the lead vocalist and guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie. He took it home, anticipating something experimental and challenging from the avant-garde and multimedia artist who became John Lennon’s collaborator in life and art. But Gibbard found something warm and lovely. “As I started to delve deeper into her catalogue, I found her songwriting just incredibly arresting,” he says. “Yoko is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant artists of the 20th century, hands down across all media.” This month he’s hoping more music fans will hear Ono’s work with the release of “Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono,” a 14-track album of covers from such artists as David Byrne, Yo La Tengo, Sharon Van Etten, Thao, Japanese Breakfast and The Flaming Lips. The album’s release on Friday coincides with Ono’s 89th birthday. “I have a hard time believing that when people hear this music that they will just shrug and walk away from it. I think it’s too good to be ignored,” says Gibbard.
