This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
I have the press release — but frankly, I’m still unclear on why EMI are reissuing this 1971 classic now.
Apparently it has something to do with this being the 20th anniversary of John Lennon’s passing. Yeah, and … ? Oh well, whatever the reasoning, you can’t argue with the album — indisputably one of Lennon’s best works, with gems including Jealous Guy, Oh Yoko!, How Do You Sleep? and, of course, the title cut. All of which have been remixed and remastered for this release, with sharper highs, crisper edges and cleaner separation. The pointed idealism of Imagine and the spitting venom of Gimme Some Truth were never clearer. Never mind the flimsy excuses; why not just rejuvenate the entirety of his catalogue?
