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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2021 21:01:46 GMT
More random thoughts:
I'd be thrilled if Jeff released this in the current 17-track edition, but with BF tacked on afterwards, as a bonus track. How hard can that be? Make it a hidden track, even.
I've never heard a seamless extended edition of SM. Perhaps this 71min thing will prove (to my ears) to be the greatest ELO statement ever. I love many tracks on the (truncated) released version. But I cry when I think about what got left off / cut out, and I really do think the originally released version has most of the worst choices one could make. (Did Jeff really choose to NOT have Hello My Old Friend, Buildings Have Eyes and Endless Lies on it?)
Bluebird doesn't get enough love in the ELO Universe. If only this was the lead single!!
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Post by StrangeMagic on Apr 21, 2021 5:14:02 GMT
More random thoughts: I'd be thrilled if Jeff released this in the current 17-track edition, but with BF tacked on afterwards, as a bonus track. How hard can that be? Make it a hidden track, even. I've never heard a seamless extended edition of SM. Perhaps this 71min thing will prove (to my ears) to be the greatest ELO statement ever. I love many tracks on the (truncated) released version. But I cry when I think about what got left off / cut out, and I really do think the originally released version has most of the worst choices one could make. (Did Jeff really choose to NOT have Hello My Old Friend, Buildings Have Eyes and Endless Lies on it?) Bluebird doesn't get enough love in the ELO Universe. If only this was the lead single!! I'm not sure that Jeff chose the tracks that went on the one-LP version. Maybe the label took the choice away from him. What a slap in the face, if that's what happened.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2021 18:55:18 GMT
Well, after a few spins, I have to say that even in this 35th Anniversary Edition format, (ie with the absence of BF, and some other "wrong" things that some have mentioned), this disc, imho, represents the grandest ELO statement. It's fantastic.
I used to think Letter From Spain and Train Of Gold were third rate ELO. I've changed my mind.
The track sequencing is also great. At first I thought that Danger Ahead and Four Little Diamonds back to back was a mistake, but this is the rockin' middle of the album.
I thought I read somewhere that the "after 4" thing at the start of Four Little Diamonds was gone. No, it's there.
I adore this thing. We can quibble about what is missing, and what might be wrong, but the 17 tracks here, on one disc, have floored me.....38 years later!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2021 23:08:21 GMT
More random thoughts:
I still think that Rock And Roll Is King is the worst track on the album. But it's fun.
"Side 4" is quite heavy/dark: Mandalay, Time After Time, Hello My Old Friend. I wish the full version of the instrumental was used. We need a longer break between the final two "songs".
I agree that BOP version of Endless Lies is tighter, but the SM version has many charms. I might get used to the SM version, which was quite jarring at first.
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Post by StrangeMagic on Apr 25, 2021 2:56:12 GMT
Well, after a few spins, I have to say that even in this 35th Anniversary Edition format, (ie with the absence of BF, and some other "wrong" things that some have mentioned), this disc, imho, represents the grandest ELO statement. It's fantastic. I used to think Letter From Spain and Train Of Gold were third rate ELO. I've changed my mind. The track sequencing is also great. At first I thought that Danger Ahead and Four Little Diamonds back to back was a mistake, but this is the rockin' middle of the album. I thought I read somewhere that the "after 4" thing at the start of Four Little Diamonds was gone. No, it's there. I adore this thing. We can quibble about what is missing, and what might be wrong, but the 17 tracks here, on one disc, have floored me.....38 years later! I had the same reaction to the release of the double album. I not only started a love affair with it, I started writing a trilogy based on it.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2021 22:02:30 GMT
I might have to order a new CD, because I've worn this one out.
In this forum, we superfans focus on what is not there. But just look at this tracklist:
1 Secret Messages 4:44 2 Loser Gone Wild 5:27 3 Bluebird 4:13 4 Take Me On And On 4:58 5 Stranger 4:27 6 No Way Out 3:26 7 Letter From Spain 2:51 8 Danger Ahead 3:52 9 Four Little Diamonds 4:05 10 Train Of Gold 4:21 11 Endless Lies 3:25 12 Buildings Have Eyes 3:55 13 Motor Factory/Rock 'n' Roll Is King 3:09 14 Mandalay 5:19 15 Time After Time 4:01 16 After All 0:39 17 Hello My Old Friend 8:31
I maintain that this is the definitive ELO disc. I adore OOTB, Time, ANWR, etc etc.....but this collection takes the cake for me.
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Post by livinthing on May 4, 2021 7:20:39 GMT
I agree, when first heard in single LP form back then, it was Okayish. Side 1 was fine apart from LGW. Then by the time you got to Train of Gold it was all over. Now listening to this version,all the tracks fit very well. Even the once lame tracks sound good. The album now build's to the brilliant climax. From an album l could take or leave,l am now obsessed with it.
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Post by Timeblue on May 4, 2021 11:24:41 GMT
To me,the good songs on SM are GOOD but there are two many 'meh' songs for me. I've never liked TOG,TMOAO,LFS and to a certain extent,RRIK but I love B,DA,FLD and BHE and HMOF is just immense...oh well,each to their own.
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Post by livinthing on May 4, 2021 11:50:20 GMT
You should be a script writer for Line of duty
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Post by tremblinwilbury on May 4, 2021 12:05:01 GMT
Taking a leaf out of BSJ's book...
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Post by Timeblue on May 4, 2021 15:39:39 GMT
You should be a script writer for Line of duty Or just lazy...
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Post by Mattster-Vinyl on May 4, 2021 22:42:55 GMT
I know some people question why a certain track is missing, and passions run high about it, but either way I think that this Secret Messages Double Album is a brilliant piece of work by the genius that is Jeff Lynne.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2021 20:03:47 GMT
ROFL. Idk. ICYMI, even the "worst" songs that I previously thought on SM are much grander now. IAE TOG now. LFS reminds me of a cold and windy morning. Oh...wait....NVM. (But RARIK still makes me cringe a bit, FWIW.) LMK if you agree. Lol.
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Post by Timeblue on May 8, 2021 22:26:40 GMT
Trying to think of a suitable acronym response.......nope!
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on May 18, 2021 22:29:58 GMT
What a surprise to hear Time After Time again. It was the B side on the 12 inch version on RARIK and I havent had that on a turntable since about 1985.
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