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Just how good is Jeff Lynne?


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My only real exposure to the music of Jeff Lynne in past years was a much-played (call that thrashed) LP, ELO - 'A New World Record'. In more recent times I was aware of his contribution to The Travelling Wilburys and enjoyed his performance on the DVD 'Concert for George'.

Over the last few months, as I have started re-building my vinyl collection, I have picked up more ELO LPs and am currently listening, for the first time, to the double ELO LP, 'Out of the Blue'. It is bloody sensational. What impresses me as much as the enjoyment of the music is that it is all written and produced by Jeff Lynne. He also happens to be the lead singer and guitarist.

No wonder that, in 2008, The Washington Times named him the fourth greatest record producer in music history. (according to Wiki)

Any more Jeff Lynne and ELO fans here?

Cheers

wolster

Edited by wolster
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There's a Quad based DTS CD of Eldorado floating around the interwebs which is pretty good and thats the only ELO i have atm, would have been nice to see some surround releases of their later stuff but it's not to be. i think i had 'new world record' LP in the 70's and then punk exploded and ELO was off the radar :nana

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Hi Wal, I bought several ELO LPs back in the 70's and your post has made me go have a look for what I've got in the record cabinet, as I haven't listened to ELO for some time now, but I think I'll give a couple of these albums a spin today. I have four LPs "The Electric Light Orchestra" , A New World Record", Discovery" and "ELO's Greatest Hits" and they would have all been purchased in the 1970's. I haven't heard "Out Of The Blue" but I'll keep an eye out for it at the second hand fairs.

I can't say that I've closely followed Jeff Lynne's career but looking at the first album I have here "The Electric Light Orchestra", Jeff Lynne is credited with vocals, piano, electric guitar, percussion and bass. This list pales by comparison to the then lead vocalist [and producer with Lynne] Roy Wood who along with vocals is credited with cello, oboe, acoustic guitar, string bass, bassoon, clarinet, recorders, slide guitar and percussion. Wood doesn't appear on the later albums I have and Lynne is credited as producer and lead vocals. I think "The Electric Light Orchestra" is their first album and if you like this group than I'd highly recommend this album to you..........it would be my favolurite ELO album.

Cheers,

Keith

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Thanks for the tip, Keith. Must look out for that one. According to Wiki, Roy Wood left the group in 1972 before most of their albums were produced.

The albums I have are 'New World Record' (just ordered a Japanese pressing), 'Discovery', 'Time' and 'Out of the Blue'.

If you are spinning 'Discovery' today, crank the volume up for the track 'Don't bring me down'.

Cheers

wolster

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I bought New World Record when it came out and thrashed that until it wouldn't play anymore.

Remember when it first came out, we, or a lot of people, thought it was a Beatles side project because of the sound and harmonies. The music was very early 60's influenced . Jeff played so many instruments on it and it had so many overdubs that it was very hard for them to play that album live.

I have recently bought an old LP of NWR and I also have a live surround sound CD. unfortunately this was recorded with out the great man at the time (he must have been of Wilburing)

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I bought New World Record when it came out and thrashed that until it wouldn't play anymore.

Remember when it first came out, we, or a lot of people, thought it was a Beatles side project because of the sound and harmonies. The music was very early 60's influenced . Jeff played so many instruments on it and it had so many overdubs that it was very hard for them to play that album live.

I have recently bought an old LP of NWR and I also have a live surround sound CD. unfortunately this was recorded with out the great man at the time (he must have been of Wilburing)

Below is the review on All Music and backs up what you're saying Grumps...............I'll be spinning this later this arvo too.:nana

"Jeff Lynne reportedly regards this album and its follow-up, Out of the Blue, as the high points in the band's history. One might be better off opting for A New World Record over its successor, however, as a more modest-sized creation chock full of superb songs that are produced even better. Opening with the opulently orchestrated "Tightrope," which heralds the perfect production found throughout this album, A New World Record contains seven of the best songs ever to come out of the group. The Beatles influence is present, to be sure, but developed to a very high degree of sophistication and on Lynne's own terms, rather than being imitative of specific songs. "Telephone Line" might be the best Lennon-McCartney collaboration that never was, lyrical and soaring in a way that manages to echo elements of Revolver and the Beatles without ever mimicking them. The original LP's second side opened with "So Fine," which seems like the perfect pop synthesis of guitar, percussion, and orchestral sounds, embodying precisely what Lynne had first set out to do with Roy Wood at the moment ELO was conceived. From there, the album soars through stomping rock numbers like "Livin' Thing" and "Do Ya," interspersed with lyrical pieces like "Above the Clouds" (which makes striking use of pizzicato bass strings)."

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I am a big fan - have most of the ELO back catalog in either vinyl or CD. Out of the Blue is my favourite album. Jeff Lynne was definitely the creative force.

The band split in a messy way many years ago - Jeff Lynne went his own way, and has since released Zoom, and some of the other guys still tour under ELO II (I think). They were in Australia maybe 4-5 years ago.

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I was a pretty big ELO fan when they were current, but just can't get into them in the same way now. As for Jeff Lynne, the only thing of note that he has been involved with in the last 20 years (that I like) was his contributions to the Travelling Wibury's.

Chris

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I bought New World Record when it came out and thrashed that until it wouldn't play anymore.

Remember when it first came out, we, or a lot of people, thought it was a Beatles side project because of the sound and harmonies. The music was very early 60's influenced . Jeff played so many instruments on it and it had so many overdubs that it was very hard for them to play that album live.

Have just listened to A New World Record and I had forgotten how good this album is..................enjoyed the whole lot again and the LP is in remarkably good condition still.

Cheers,

Keith

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Have just listened to A New World Record and I had forgotten how good this album is..................enjoyed the whole lot again and the LP is in remarkably good condition still.

Cheers,

Keith

When i bought my used LP some time last year I played it twice straight off - it was that good. Was great to hear some well known tracks from our younger days again and the recording quality is not bad either.

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I have an old LP of early ELO stuff which has been gathering dust for years. I always liked ELO in the early days, and have recently built up my collection of their recordings (on CD). I also have Travelling Wilburys, and The Move (some of it pre-Jeff Lynne, admittedly).

I think Jeff Lynne's songs are terrific. He has a knack for writing catchy tunes that I just can't get out of my head (to paraphrase an ELO tune). Unfortunately, the production on some of the later ELO recordings is simply awful, though. In the 80s, they dropped the orchestral sound, and went very synthy. I guess it was the mood of the times, but it was a pity. I much prefer the earlier ELO stuff. Eldorado is a standout, in my opinion.

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I have Time and Discovery, one of which I won in a competition in TV Week I think, bought me some notoriety with my friends!

Never saw them in concert but my brother did, probably close to 25-30 years ago, he said they were awesome at the time, I may have been to young to afford the ticket.

When I went through my "buy concert's on DVD" phase I purchased 1 of theirs and it is just like listening to their record's. Fantastic musically and whilst Jeff Lynne's voice gets a pass mark he does let the quality of the recording down somewhat. The DVD is called ZOOM and contains all their great tracks, Evil Woman, Strange Magic, Turn To Stone, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Don't Bring Me Down & the fantastic Roll Over Beethoven, but no Rockaria!!!

Have always enjoyed ELO's music so may have to pick up a couple more albums.

If you've ever heard anything that Jeff Lynne has produced for other artists you will always here the signature ELO sound, most notably Tom Petty.

So just how good is Jeff Lynne, probably quite brilliant really, but not good enough for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

Dirty.

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Jeff Lynne is a living LEGEND. he is somewhat maligned and definately underated.

I have all of his ELO albums as well as a lot of the other music he has been involved in.

Look at a quick snapshot of his history

At 18 , aka 1965/6 joined the idle race - a then veru successful Uk pop band. Then joined the then bigger " TheMove" with Roy Wood.

Clearly Jeff was / is a Beatles fan and this was why he and Roy Wood set up their side band - Electric light Orchestra" in 1970 to explore the pop / trippy / orchestral melodic music that the Beatles had started.

From 1973 when Roy Wood had left ELO had 10 studio albums up to 1986. Jeff wrote and produced every song on every album. the production was extremely good and very complex multitracking especially when linking in the strings etc. ELO did however have lack of a big drum sound - no doubnt the sound that Jeff wanted.

Too many great songs to even list.

1983 - produced two Dave Edmonds albums and wrote a few songs including the top 40 hit Slipping away. He also wrote and produced a couple of songs for Del Shannon, however he killed himself

1987 - brought George Harrison back from the dead, producing Cloud Nine and co writing part of the album

1988 - part of and producer of the Travelling Wilbury's

1989 - part of Roy Orbison's rise from the dead, writing several songs including the no1 song " You got It"

1989- produced and co wrote Tom Petty's Full Moon fever

1990 - 2nd Wilbury's album and released his excellent solo album " Armchair theatre"

during the 90's - more producing/writing with Tom Petty, the Beatles re-masters, Aerosmith, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Roger McQuin, Joe Cocker, Hank Marvin

2000's, 2nd solo album or known as ELO album Zoom, produced anothey Petty album in the 2007 and has produced 4 tracks from the 2009 Regina Spektor album

pretty damm legendary if you ask me.

cheers

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A few more bits of trivia.

"Do Ya" was originally recorded by The Move, before ELO. Bev Bevan was also in The Move with Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood before joining ELO. Roy Wood left ELO early on to form the band Wizzard.

If you listen to The Move's material, you can hear the similarity to early ELO, with the use of orchestral sounds on some songs.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Just playing a great album.

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Thanks turntable but I gotta admitt I was struggling for the connection at first and then I realised Petty's involvment with The Traveling Wilburys and I guess Lynne robably produced his album. I don't have it but I'll keep an eye out for it.

Cheers,

Keith

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