Skeptics of Yoko Ono’s power to hold musical interest — quite a few remain, alas — are directed to Approximately Infinite Universe. This 1973 album, boasting John Lennon on guitar, is the closest Ono, well, approximated studio rock verities until Double Fantasy, 1980′s collaboration with John. Because Ono preferred unusual chord combinations and sprung rhythm tempos, few tracks sound like Doobie Brothers, Eagles, or even Steely Dan; the musicians seem to respond to her inflections and stresses instead of working out conventional arrangements. The results are the familiar refracted through the strange: check out “Kite Song” and “Move On Fast.” This double album also redefines “sprawl” as a vital kind of counterpoint: when she essays singer-songwriter balladry, she complements it with a tongue in cheek permutation, complete with saxophone. In the cred department, she includes a howling rocker called “Yang Yang” anchored by boogie piano, hand claps, and Lennon’s unhinged guitar that might have scared the hell out of any punk graduate, class of ’76. If there’s a must-hear Ono album, it’s Approximately Infinite Universe.
