It's a good time to enjoy Julian Lennon's music

It's the time of year when leaves are changing, it's getting darker earlier, and just about everything appears to have a pumpkin-flavored version in stores.

It's also the time of year when I tend to pull out some Julian Lennon albums.

I don't quite know why it is, but records "Valotte" (his first, released Oct. 15, 1984) and "Help Yourself" (his fourth, released Aug. 20, 1991) are perfect fall soundtracks for me.

I own all of Julian's albums (and I've got Sean Lennon's music, too; John's kids are both musically gifted), and I enjoy them all. "The Secret Value of Daydreaming," "Mr. Jordan," "Photograph Smile" and "Everything Changes" all are worthy records and suit different moods.

But here I am, smelling burning leaves and feeling that prickly hint of winter wind and it gets me to thinking of songs like "Valotte," "Space," "Well I Don't Know," "Too Late for Goodbyes" and "Lonely" (all from "Valotte"), and "Rebel King," "Saltwater," "Help Yourself," "Other Side of Town" and "Take Me Home" (all from "Help Yourself").

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Part of it no doubt goes back to junior high and high school. I got "Valotte" as a Christmas present around eighth grade, and I bought "Help Yourself" probably around my freshman year of high school. I'm sure I played them both quite a bit during holiday breaks, so that likely affects my seasonal memory. (I have a similar relationship with The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album and Stephen King's "The Shining," but that's a story for another day.)

'Valotte'

Even with the opening lines to the first song, Julian sounds vocally a lot like a younger version of his dad.

But the material isn't derivative, and title track "Valotte" is no "Imagine" rewrite. At the time of the album's release, Julian was 22 years old. The lyrics of this song show someone with a more mature world view than one might expect: "Sitting on the doorstep of the house I can't afford / I can feel you there." There's no brash flaunting of legacy or wealth, it's a humble reflection. Refreshing!

Julian sets a mood, and he's got a wickedly well-developed sense of melody (I've played stuff to people who've never heard the material before and they are humming along pretty quickly).

Perhaps the best-known song is "Too Late for Goodbyes," a song many see as a message from son to slain father. However, Julian had just seen a relationship fall apart, which makes the lyrics far more understandable than if he was singing to John (especially on lines like "Now it seems you don't care for me, and I don't understand why").

Julian's debut album is pleasant, melodic and offers a number of excellent tracks. It may not necessarily be loaded with innovation, but considering the expectations and comparisons that would inevitably be made, "Valotte" holds up as a tuneful and enjoyable record.

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'Help Yourself'

From the opening moments of "Rebel King," you know this album is different from its predecessors. There's a mood, a cinematic feel to the introduction. The lyrics feel somewhat piecemeal, not connected, yet it works together somehow.

On previous album "Mr. Jordan," Julian tried different vocal stylings that sometimes sounded more like David Bowie or even Elvis Presley than like his dad, and the "Help Yourself" album builds a little on the vocal gymnastics. Certainly, more of the songs are in his natural (therefore, more John-like) sound, but he doesn't shrink from going where the song takes him.

Frustration seems to be a big part of this album. Songs "Get a Life," "Maybe I Was Wrong," "Help Yourself" and "Listen" offer more than a little finger wagging. But Lennon's knack for melodies and nailing down memorable hooks elevate them beyond singalong scoldings.

The album's best-known song is no doubt his lament about man's damage to the planet, a song called "Saltwater." It's a beautiful song, with nice vocal harmonies and skilled guitar parts.

"Help Yourself" is an album where Julian really let himself play with different styles, different genres and textures. The album definitely carries tinges of late 1980s and early 1990s sounds, which can feel dated on occasion, but the album still strikes me as an invigorating strut of a 28-year-old artist who has come into his own and has something to say.

Finding his way

Maybe one reason these albums stick with me, especially this time of year, is because I can relate to how both reflect so well the progressions of a young man finding his way.

This time of year, especially when I smell the burning leaves and detect the winter tinge on the evening air, I remember being a boy. I remember my excitement for Halloween. I remember mugs of cocoa and hot apple cider, I remember the comforts of sitting in front of a TV with my family. I remember looking out the windows, watching the darkening skies, thinking about the big wide world just waiting out there ... .

Nostalgia, I suppose.

I'm older now. I have a better understanding of the world outside the windows, and I don't watch as much TV as I used to. But the romantic stirrings and the big questions still rattle around in my head.

And I still love Julian Lennon's albums.

The more things change, right?

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This is the opinion of music enthusiast Chris Shields. Follow him on Twitter @clshields1980. Read more of his columns at www.sctimes.com/cshields.