|
Post by pelo on Sept 5, 2017 18:47:26 GMT
And to those who believe that all the songs on AITU sound pretty much the same: well, listen more attentively.
From Prog Mag:
"As with ELO's best albums in the past, it includes an impressive number of styles: Beach Boys harmonies, Roy Orbison balladry, descending Beatles chord sequences, reggae rhythms, electro pulses - it's a record collection in miniature."
Jeff: " You know what? I like variety ... I like to do diffeent things and think of new ideas all the while"
|
|
|
Post by pelo on Sept 5, 2017 19:01:08 GMT
I wouldn't call it a concept album in the narrow sense, but there certainly is a unifying theme, which Jeff himself pointed out. Jeff: I did intend it to be like a unified piece of work [Caroline Martin] But this record, Alone In The Universe, is about exactly that: being the loneliest thing in the universe. The songs on this album are all about loneliness and stuff like that. And I got it, really, by thinking back to my favourites when I was a kid. […]So I tried to do one with a twist on this album. 'I'm Leaving You', that is. Cos she says she's leaving him, all the way through, then he says 'Ah, actually, got some news for you, mate.' That type of thing. But I do love lonely songs. Love 'em.(Quietus) I can't see the way that unifying theme links Dirty to the Bone (an evil woman), The Sun Will Shine on You (an advice), Ain't it a Drag (a beatle merseybeat), All My Life (I'm in love), I'm Leaving You (I won't be alone but actually with somebody else), One Step at a Time (I'm going to get you girl), Fault Line (hey I live in California) and Blue (what the hell does this song mean anyway). Fault Line is a bonus track, Blue (Does the world stop turning if you're not watching anymore), however, fits the concept perfectly. Same goes for Dirty To The Bone (feeling lonely in a relationship), Ain't It A Drag (you go your way and I'll Go Mine/We'll never Meet Until The Next Time) or One Step (trying to get to you Babe, but no communication) or I'm Leaving You (see quote by Jeff above) Jeff about The Sun Will Shine On You: Helping someone [who feels left alone with a problem] and make them feel less alone in the universe. Yeah, all my life should have been the album closer (a happy ending), but it's like a message to all the lonely people: never quit the game (all my life I searched for you ...)
|
|
|
Post by fernandoamado on Sept 5, 2017 19:43:11 GMT
I can't see the way that unifying theme links Dirty to the Bone (an evil woman), The Sun Will Shine on You (an advice), Ain't it a Drag (a beatle merseybeat), All My Life (I'm in love), I'm Leaving You (I won't be alone but actually with somebody else), One Step at a Time (I'm going to get you girl), Fault Line (hey I live in California) and Blue (what the hell does this song mean anyway). Fault Line is a bonus track, Blue (Does the world stop turning if you're not watching anymore), however, fits the concept perfectly. Same goes for Dirty To The Bone (feeling lonely in a relationship), Ain't It A Drag (you go your way and I'll Go Mine/We'll never Meet Until The Next Time) or One Step (trying to get to you Babe, but no communication) or I'm Leaving You (see quote by Jeff above) Jeff about The Sun Will Shine On You: Helping someone [who feels left alone with a problem] and make them feel less alone in the universe. Yeah, all my life should have been the album closer (a happy ending), but it's like a message to all the lonely people: never quit the game (all my life I searched for you ...) Fault line is not a bonus track like Surrender. This was probably recorded for the album and forced back by Fruin. That line in Blue is banal, it could be an impersonal question. The song never talks about being alone. Dirty to the Bone never says anything about a relationship nor feeling alone. Ain' it a drag is about a separation but not in a sad way, "Jeff took the last plane out just to see the pretty view"... And if a separation was enough to talk about being alone, the whole Time album would be about being alone. WTF one step is a disco dance song, nothing about being lonely! It's completely the opposite. Again, The Sun Will Shine is an advice song, you can't relate everything to being lonely. So you could relate every song on ANWR to being alone just because Jeff hints something about it on Tightrope, Telephone Line, Mission, Do Ya, Above the Clouds and Shangei-La? Come on!
|
|
|
Post by pelo on Sept 5, 2017 20:33:18 GMT
Fault Line is a bonus track, Blue (Does the world stop turning if you're not watching anymore), however, fits the concept perfectly. Same goes for Dirty To The Bone (feeling lonely in a relationship), Ain't It A Drag (you go your way and I'll Go Mine/We'll never Meet Until The Next Time) or One Step (trying to get to you Babe, but no communication) or I'm Leaving You (see quote by Jeff above) Jeff about The Sun Will Shine On You: Helping someone [who feels left alone with a problem] and make them feel less alone in the universe. Yeah, all my life should have been the album closer (a happy ending), but it's like a message to all the lonely people: never quit the game (all my life I searched for you ...) Fault line is not a bonus track like Surrender. This was probably recorded for the album and forced back by Fruin. That line in Blue is banal, it could be an impersonal question. The song never talks about being alone. Dirty to the Bone never says anything about a relationship nor feeling alone. Ain' it a drag is about a separation but not in a sad way, "Jeff took the last plane out just to see the pretty view"... And if a separation was enough to talk about being alone, the whole Time album would be about being alone. WTF one step is a disco dance song, nothing about being lonely! It's completely the opposite. Again, The Sun Will Shine is an advice song, you can't relate everything to being lonely. So you could relate every song on ANWR to being alone just because Jeff hints something about it on Tightrope, Telephone Line, Mission, Do Ya, Above the Clouds and Shangei-La? Come on! So are you saying Jeff is not telling the truth? I can clearly see that he made a conscious effort to write sad and lonely tunes, like his idols Roy or Del, but of course there is some room for interpretation, which I think, is also intentional. In fact, lyrically, the songs operate on two levels. On a personal level, they are about Jeff's life, his wives, his daughters, his own mortality, his childhood; and then, there is the general theme of loneliness. One Step, a happy song? Well, definitely not for me. I picture the character somewhere all alone, shouting out into space "Don't give me the silent treatment, talk to me". He tries to get the girl, and there is still a bit of hope left, but actually, the song is more about desperation. I can really relate to this, I know this situation so well. Fault Line, to me, sounds like a leftover, not really typical of AITU, whereas Blue was definitely recorded for the album. Talking about lyrics, Jeff never was the kind of writer to be very specific. Think of "Time" and songs like The Lights Go Down. Still, if you listen to them within the framework of the album, they make sense and are part of the concept. I don't know, the overall mood of Ain't It A Drag seems very sad to me. Well, even if the future might look brighter, it definitely conveys the pain that the character went through. Many songs by Jeff are actually about loneliness, so you probably could relate most of the songs on ANWR to being lonely; but this wasn't a conscious move I believe. Whereas with AITU Jeff set out to write songs of this type. It's the general mood and atmosphere of this record if you ask me.
|
|
|
Post by fernandoamado on Sept 5, 2017 20:41:46 GMT
Fault line is not a bonus track like Surrender. This was probably recorded for the album and forced back by Fruin. That line in Blue is banal, it could be an impersonal question. The song never talks about being alone. Dirty to the Bone never says anything about a relationship nor feeling alone. Ain' it a drag is about a separation but not in a sad way, "Jeff took the last plane out just to see the pretty view"... And if a separation was enough to talk about being alone, the whole Time album would be about being alone. WTF one step is a disco dance song, nothing about being lonely! It's completely the opposite. Again, The Sun Will Shine is an advice song, you can't relate everything to being lonely. So you could relate every song on ANWR to being alone just because Jeff hints something about it on Tightrope, Telephone Line, Mission, Do Ya, Above the Clouds and Shangei-La? Come on! So are you saying Jeff is not telling the truth? I can clearly see that he made a conscious effort to write sad and lonely tunes, like his idols Roy or Del, but of course there is some room for interpretation, which I think, is also intentional. In fact, lyrically, the songs operate on two levels. On a personal level, they are about Jeff's life, his wives, his daughters, his own mortality, his childhood; and then, there is the general theme of loneliness. One Step, a happy song? Well, definitely not for me. I picture the character somewhere all alone, shouting out into space "Don't give me the silent treatment, talk to me". He tries to get the girl, and there is still a bit of hope left, but actually, the song is more about desperation. I can really relate to this, I know this situation so well. Fault Line, to me, sounds like a leftover, not really typical of AITU, whereas Blue was definitely recorded for the album. Talking about lyrics, Jeff never was the kind of writer to be very specific. Think of "Time" and songs like The Lights Go Down. Still, if you listen to them within the framework of the album, they make sense and are part of the concept. I don't know the overall mood of Ain't It A Drag seems very sad to me. Well, even if the future might look brighter, it definitely conveys the pain that the character went through. Come on, where did you read all that stuff about his relatives? I can't recall him talking about any of them on any song (ever). This album isn't the exception. He doesn't sing about any of his wives (unless you believe the woman on Dirty to the Bone was dedicated to any of them). His mortality??? Tell me where exactly he says anything about it. The only thing that links Jeff and any of his daughters is the fact that one of them sings in the background. Isn't She Lovely and Superstition are songs about daughters, ask Stevie Wonder. Every Breath You Take is a song about wives. Ask Sting. Eldorado IS a song about mortality. Ask Jeff (ok, we'd love to ask him more urgent questions hehe). The Lights Go Down is VERY specific: One day I gotta get out of here (New world, 2095) I gotta make everything clear (Solve the problem and get back to 1981) I gotta see you (the girl he left in 1981), etc. The Time album is one of his finest moments regarding lyrics.
|
|
|
Post by pelo on Sept 5, 2017 23:07:18 GMT
@ fernandoamado There's no denying that Jeff tried to find a unifying concept for AITU because he said so himself. You may not find this convincing but it was his intention. Quotes (Jeff Lynne) I did intend it to be like a unified piece of work [Caroline Martin] But this record, Alone In The Universe, is about exactly that: being the loneliest thing in the universe. The songs on this album are all about loneliness and stuff like that. And I got it, really, by thinking back to my favourites when I was a kid. […]So I tried to do one with a twist on this album. 'I'm Leaving You', that is. Cos she says she's leaving him, all the way through, then he says 'Ah, actually, got some news for you, mate.' That type of thing. But I do love lonely songs. Love 'em.(Quietus) As for Jeff and references to his personal life in the new songs, he mentioned this explicitly in an interview with Marcel Anders (eclipsed). The interviewer was quite surprised to learn that Dirty To The Bone is about the same woman as Evil Woman. Jeff then went on to explain that All My Life was written for his girlfriend. In an interview with The Sun he stated that he wrote The Sun Will Shine On You for his daughters because they had a bit of a hard time. He never actually mentioned that some of the songs on AITU deal with mortality, but for me it's kind of obvious when I listen to the title track or When The Night Comes (to stay). Could also refer to lost friends. Again I wouldn't say this song IS about the transitoriness of human life, but I am pretty sure that Jeff had this in mind when he wrote the lyrics. But he actually intended the lyrics to be ambiguous to some extent.
|
|
|
Post by fernandoamado on Sept 5, 2017 23:10:40 GMT
Jeff says a lot of things. Jeff says he's never spoken to Bev since America wasn't discovered.
In fact, Jeff says in an interview that he wrote The Sun Wilk Shine on You for himself, whereas in another interview he says he wrote it for a friend.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Sept 6, 2017 17:15:07 GMT
fernandoamado: point taken about the Showdown - Love and Rain non-similarity. It's not their harmony, though, but their rhythm and style what makes them sound similar. About CGIOOMH and Alone in the Universe's similarities, you say it's just the first three chords that they share, but they both do: I - vi - I - vi - IV. That's the first five chords they share, not just the first three. And it's not just that: the melody over those parts is really similar too. "Midnight... on the waaaater" vs "Alone... in the uuuuniverse" is close enough for me (those phrases even got the same length). So yes, I still see them really similar to each other in a too long span to say one wasn't copied from the other. By the way, as I told you on other occasions, I'm really interested and curious about your theory that Jeff Lynne has been doing the same thing over and over again, so if you'd like to explain yourself more in detail I'm all ears -or all eyes, to be more literal-. If you consider Love And Rain a mee rewrite, you could just as well say that Sorrow About To Fall is the same song as Showdown. Nonsense. Is The Way Life's Meant To Be The same song as Acros The Border? Do you think Four Little Diamonds is Don't Bring Me Down Part Two? As you can see, writing songs in the same style as older songs is nothing new for Jeff, it's quite typical. And no, I don't think that On My Mind was left off the album because it sounds too similar to Lonesome Lullaby. IMHO, it does not. pelo: man, your are answering to a lot of things I never said...
|
|
|
Post by fernandoamado on Sept 6, 2017 17:24:05 GMT
Yes, that's the first five chords, but hey, it's very usual when doing a I, iv9 to repeat it twice haha.
When I have time I'll do it. I have to prepare the speech and do a video (it's no the same when I'm writing!)
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Sept 6, 2017 17:38:33 GMT
Yes, that's the first five chords, but hey, it's very usual when doing a I, iv9 to repeat it twice haha. Well, if it's unusual, the stronger my point about similarity is. Wow, with speech and video! I admire your boldness. Can't wait to see that!
|
|
|
Post by babyzoomer on Sept 7, 2017 11:59:20 GMT
Announced on the "Rockward Live" facebooky site thingy, as of 12 hours ago - it's over.
It ain't gonna happen; maybe LL was needed.....
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Sept 7, 2017 12:15:38 GMT
Announced on the "Rockward Live" facebooky site thingy, as of 12 hours ago - it's over.
It ain't gonna happen; maybe LL was needed.....
hmmm.... or maybe LL just had to be brought in line...
|
|