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Post by Helmut83 on Dec 2, 2014 16:26:59 GMT
Not that we needed Melvyn Gale saying it to know it...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2015 21:08:34 GMT
I just think that if a musical genius creates a dbl album masterpiece, only to have it cut down to a single album, that would take a lot of the wind out of one's sails. Then combine that with band member clashes, and being exhausted from constant pressure to tour and crank out new albums. I really doubt that Lynne would have produced another ELO album for several years, and then it wouldn't have been BOP because he would have been in a different place.
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on Feb 24, 2016 23:16:40 GMT
In Rock Family Trees (Brum Beat) JL pretty much makes it clear that his attitude to BOP was that it was the last, necessary hurdle,blocking his way out of ELO and so to me, sounds and feels like a 'let's just get this over and done with quickly' project. It's my least favourite album and I haven't listened to it in years.
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Oct 30, 2016 23:02:05 GMT
Had come across this thread and found it an interesting read because I do like Balance of Power and I have read it was a contracted album and I think because I know this when I listen to it, I do get the impression that Jeff does sound a bit fed up on the album but it doesn't stop me liking the album. I think the problem I do find with it, is that it sounds dated like stuck in the 1980s because it has all the ingredients of a typical 1980s song at the time, the dodgy sax solos make me cringe, they just make me think of Careless Whisper (or as my parents say careless with his wispa) but I really love So Serious because it's such an upbeat song and cheers me up and the lyrics are interesting (am intrigued of where the origin of that song came from) and Getting to the Point that is such a great song and Endless Lies (a great homage to Roy Orbison, I do prefer the BOP version to the Secret Messages one myself) but yeah I think the highlight for me of the album is Jeff's vocals. As for Jeff is ELO gotta say I do agree with that, after Roy left Jeff was the driving force of ELO, Jeff wrote and produced everything, okay so he didn't play all the instruments but I doubt all the other band members had that much say on what the songs sounded like, all the songs stemmed from Jeff.
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Post by fernandoamado on Nov 1, 2016 2:18:56 GMT
BOP happens to be one of my favourite albums. Yes, it's completely different to the rest, but so what? Time was totally different to the previous and it's Jeff's biggest artistic effort. And hell, I'm pretty sure ELO fans are divided into to categories: those who would choose Zoom over Secret Messages and those who would choose Secret Messages over Zoom. But theres a second set of categories in which you like wether Secret Messages because it's a hell of an artistic work or Balance of Power because it's more uplifting. SM is my least favourite album but, apart from that, I strongly believe that BOP is a GOOD album, and that it's just as good as SM. Yes, it's full of 80s-teenager-keyboard-sounds, but that's just how post '85 albums were. Eighties' famous artistic' pop sound was before '85. After that year or so, eighties' sound got cheesy and followed a sound formula.
This ELO album had new colours for the band, new vibes, new everything. Without Someone sounds like Waiting For a Girl Like You - Foreigner, and Destination Unknown sound similar to Ghostbusters or the same Destination Unknown - Missing Persons, in terms of eighties sound. You know, it's different. But Jeff doesn't implicit anything about his tired relationship with ELO until Send It. The rest of the album lyrics are generic and it's perfect to me. Yes, he repeated the Telephone Line theme with Calling America, recycled the melody from Letter from Spain to use it on Getting to the Point and reimagined Showdown on Sorrow About to Fall. I love that album and it has good sounds, I like it over Secret Messages and whenever I hear the first seconds of Heaven Only Knows, I know the next minutes will be good!
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Post by Helmut83 on Nov 1, 2016 4:56:26 GMT
In Rock Family Trees (Brum Beat) JL pretty much makes it clear that his attitude to BOP was that it was the last, necessary hurdle,blocking his way out of ELO and so to me, sounds and feels like a 'let's just get this over and done with quickly' project. You say it sounds like "let's get done with this quickly" to you because you knew about the circumstances in which it was made. Let me ask: if you hadn't known about them would it have sounded that way for you? There's something about that statement (which I've seen many people make, you are far from the only one) that makes no sense to me. It's like saying "Abbey Road sounds to me like the Beatles were fighting and falling apart". I think it's impossible to get that perception if you hadn't read about the circumstances.
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Post by jackpunch on Nov 1, 2016 7:13:05 GMT
Quite enjoy it. In the car cd currently. Not keen on So Serious' Secret Lives or last two tracks. But the rest are pretty strong songs. Would love to hear one or two of them re recorded with real drums, strings and less electronica. Tracks 5 thro to 8 are a very very good run.
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on Nov 3, 2016 0:33:09 GMT
In Rock Family Trees (Brum Beat) JL pretty much makes it clear that his attitude to BOP was that it was the last, necessary hurdle,blocking his way out of ELO and so to me, sounds and feels like a 'let's just get this over and done with quickly' project. You say it sounds like "let's get done with this quickly" to you because you knew about the circumstances in which it was made. Let me ask: if you hadn't known about them would it have sounded that way for you? There's something about that statement (which I've seen many people make, you are far from the only one) that makes no sense to me. It's like saying "Abbey Road sounds to me like the Beatles were fighting and falling apart". I think it's impossible to get that perception if you hadn't read about the circumstances. I bought BOP in '86 and was unaware then of JL's attitude and like most fans, what was going on in the band at the time. It just didn't sound like the classic ELO that I loved and I just couldnt warm to it, although it had a few decent tracks, it definitely had that "end of an era" feeling of a band who had peaked earlier. It was only much later that I became aware through interviews, of Jeff and Bev's real feelings and relationship, at the time and it's not difficult to make the connection and see BOP, as I do, in the context of a group about to split. Incidentally,like many fans, I didn't like Time very much either. But over the years it has grown on me, even to the extent of recently replacing my cassette with the CD! I do, however, think it significant and no coincidence that it was BOP (and Time) that JL ignored in all the recent live shows and tour (not even Hold On Tight?) It was great to hear Secret Messages, probably for the only time live but I noticed the audience response was, shall we say, muted and polite and I supect many of them had never heard it before!
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Post by Helmut83 on Nov 3, 2016 2:30:42 GMT
I bought BOP in '86 and was unaware then of JL's attitude and like most fans, what was going on in the band at the time. It just didn't sound like the classic ELO that I loved and I just couldnt warm to it, although it had a few decent tracks, it definitely had that "end of an era" feeling of a band who had peaked earlier. It was only much later that I became aware through interviews, of Jeff and Bev's real feelings and relationship, at the time and it's not difficult to make the connection and see BOP, as I do, in the context of a group about to split. I see. There was something which didn't sound right or not as good as previous records. Explained this way it makes much more sense to me. the audience response was, shall we say, muted and polite and I supect many of them had never heard it before! I don't remember which show you've been to, but in London that could be said about every song not named "Mr. Blue Sky".
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Post by elophile on Nov 3, 2016 14:37:48 GMT
the audience response was, shall we say, muted and polite and I supect many of them had never heard it before! I don't remember which show you've been to, but in London that could be said about every song not named "Mr. Blue Sky". That's a damn shame Helmut83 !!! I thought Secret Messsages got a good audience response at Radio City solmaker's amazing video of it: solmaker.com/public/ELONYC/IMG_2018.m4vJeff's reaction to almost coming in early is priceless! solmaker : are you going to put your fantastic video up on the youtubes? It's the best video out there!!
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Nov 3, 2016 15:00:44 GMT
As someone who is a fan of ELO's later work like Time, Secret Messages and Balance of Power (though I love Time and SM more), I think it's a nice surprise that Jeff played Secret Messages because his set list does seem to be more of the earlier stuff and I think it would be nice for Jeff in future setlists to cater for people who not only love the 70s stuff but the fans that love the 80s stuff but I don't know how long Jeff would ideally want the setlist to be because I know he's not a massive fan of performing live but I think it would be nice for Jeff to play more of Time because sadly I wasn't able to see the Time tour back in the 80s (the joys of being born in the 90s haha) because there are fans out there who do like the 80s ELO stuff and not just the 70s
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Post by wolvesgirlgonewild on Nov 3, 2016 15:10:02 GMT
I don't remember which show you've been to, but in London that could be said about every song not named "Mr. Blue Sky". That's a damn shame Helmut83 !!! I thought Secret Messsages got a good audience response at Radio City solmaker's amazing video of it: solmaker.com/public/ELONYC/IMG_2018.m4vJeff's reaction to almost coming in early is priceless! solmaker : are you going to put your fantastic video up on the youtubes? It's the best video out there!! Thanks for sharing this video, you certainly got a good view! Poor Jeff nearly singing at the wrong time that was hilarious, I know how he feels I'm never sure when to start singing on it myself!
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on Nov 3, 2016 19:32:24 GMT
I bought BOP in '86 and was unaware then of JL's attitude and like most fans, what was going on in the band at the time. It just didn't sound like the classic ELO that I loved and I just couldnt warm to it, although it had a few decent tracks, it definitely had that "end of an era" feeling of a band who had peaked earlier. It was only much later that I became aware through interviews, of Jeff and Bev's real feelings and relationship, at the time and it's not difficult to make the connection and see BOP, as I do, in the context of a group about to split. I see. There was something which didn't sound right or not as good as previous records. Explained this way it makes much more sense to me. the audience response was, shall we say, muted and polite and I supect many of them had never heard it before! I don't remember which show you've been to, but in London that could be said about every song not named "Mr. Blue Sky". I was at both Birmingham shows (April and June). Inevitably, I suppose, there were varying levels of response and enthusiasm depending on the song. There were clearly a lot of people there who were strictly "hits only, please" as opposed to us serious fans. Never mind SM, there were plenty who were frankly mystified by "10538" and wondering 'what the hell was that??'.
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