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Post by Timeblue on Sept 26, 2021 7:31:04 GMT
We'd ALL like to know what his reason is for the Time snub. If he is doing it to hurt former members he is also hurting Richard too (I wonder what he thinks of the situation?)
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Post by ShardEnder on Sept 26, 2021 10:52:21 GMT
If I may dare to try and take a guess from an educated place of having spent far too long reading up on every last detail I can find of that era in particular, I suspect Jeff doesn't want to be reminded of Time or everything it represents for him both professionally and personally. Let's break down some of the key factors:
1. Having felt that he'd taken the "kitchen sink" production approach to its logical conclusion by bringing in the largest choir yet for Discovery, Jeff had grown tired of leading ELO, yet he was still under contract to deliver three albums, or at least the equivalent to that amount of material. He's often described the band's output during the 1980s as coming from a place of obligation rather than real inspiration, though he never stopped putting in the necessary work.
2. For his love of pop and in spite of their great success, Out Of The Blue, Discovery and Xanadu increasingly threatened to leave ELO dismissed by the music world as lightweights, while Time was an album he'd been carefully developing since at least 1979 as a return to statements that were more substantial.
3. One of Jeff's biggest influences around this period was the up-and-coming Trevor Horn, which culminated in a critic reducing the Video! single down to being so derivative that he yet again switched course into what I like to call the Wilbury sound - a template he's rarely deviated from since. As somebody who has always seemed legitimately modest and more than a little shy, to be attacked in such a way must have been quite the blow to whatever confidence he possessed.
4. To his fans, it seemed as if Jeff was entering the new decade from a place of domestic comfort. However, for all his talk of wanting to settle into Walsh Hall with his new wife and soon to be two daughters, the reality is that he instead committed to the Time Tour then spending 18 months in total developing Secret Messages almost entirely alone, putting a strain on his family that ultimately wouldn't end well for him, leading to a period as close to full-blown depression as I think it's possible to get by the Balance Of Power sessions. Had it not been for George Harrison offering him a lifeline and the opportunity to connect with a new circle of friends that led to an incredible new chapter in his post-ELO career as primarily a producer known for giving established talents a shot in the arm, I dread to think how differently things may have turned out for him.
I've tried to keep this as simple as I can, and in short, without also covering his rapidly disintegrating friendships in the group, it's safe to say that Time could mark the beginning of a difficult run he'd rather forget, or perhaps even something he can't bring himself to reflect on in a way many of us would like. Those all-too-brief comments on each track in the expanded reissue from 2001 should have been an early indicator, and I vividly recall how defensive he became about this album when asked to recall its original 2LP running order during an interview that same year. Not long after, he resorted to a system where he's now a lot more controlling about what exactly journalists are able to directly ask him, and that level of fan interaction is now a thing of the past. Then again, considering the whole album was recorded and mixed in less than three weeks, maybe he just doesn't have that much to say about what is a mere snapshot from a vast, storied book of achievements he could otherwise be discussing? Rather than potentially opening himself up to questioning, his silence on the matter is just as effective a way of drawing a line under this.
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Post by Timeblue on Sept 26, 2021 11:15:13 GMT
To me, it still doesn't answer the question of why Time has been ignored, Secret Messages is still represented in live shows more than Time and he did a lot of work on the expanded SM and Video! came out in 1984.
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Post by lasttrain929 on Sept 26, 2021 16:32:18 GMT
In all seriousness with Jeff's age and the covid nightmare, I hope he is healthy. Not sure how current it is but in the video posted on TikTok he looked and sounded great performing Do Ya by himself.
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Post by ShardEnder on Sept 26, 2021 19:15:05 GMT
That recent Do Ya video appears to have been cut together from what I can only assume was the several hours of footage shot for the MBS documentary back in 2011. If we're getting an extended version that doesn't brush over the history of ELO in a matter of minutes, I certainly wouldn't be complaining.
As for the 2018 reissue of Secret Messages, it's clear that Jeff's involvement with that project amounted to him writing a short piece (which isn't even accurate) and requesting the removal of Beatles Forever so late into production that you can still hear a trace of the opening chord. Still, it wasn't an entire bust - he did let us finally hear all except one of the double album's original interludes, even if their order was changed for some reason.
BTW, I've been informed that the second wave of those Japanese-exclusive limited edition 50th anniversary reissues has now sold out, or at least Sony finished shipping all units out to retailers. By contrast, the first wave seems to still be available through various online retailers, which is a difference I'm hoping makes its way to the powers that be as a sign the market has spoken about what it feels should be the focus going forward.
At moments like this, I really wish there was someone who could at least engage directly with the fanbase or be held somewhat accountable. Instead, it feels as if ELO under Jeff's new approach has become a one-way street where choice information and products flow out, but there doesn't appear to be any logic to how social media accounts are handled. Competitions, random anniversaries and posts that regularly mix up commemorating various milestones by using the 2012 remakes.
Of course, we had precisely this for over 20 years, only now we've "evolved" to a confusingly wide range of platforms that have traded substance for cohesion. While that could easily be seen as a good thing, it's clear the emphasis is on catering to casuals whose interest doesn't extend past the contents of your average hits compilation. Should you seek anything beyond that, you're totally on your own to explore further, and it's not always clear what's out there.
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Post by Chippa on Sept 26, 2021 19:55:56 GMT
In all seriousness with Jeff's age and the covid nightmare, I hope he is healthy. Exactly. He's a 73 year old former smoker. He's definitely considered high risk.
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Post by lawrev on Sept 27, 2021 12:48:20 GMT
That recent Do Ya video appears to have been cut together from what I can only assume was the several hours of footage shot for the MBS documentary back in 2011. If we're getting an extended version that doesn't brush over the history of ELO in a matter of minutes, I certainly wouldn't be complaining. As for the 2018 reissue of Secret Messages, it's clear that Jeff's involvement with that project amounted to him writing a short piece (which isn't even accurate) and requesting the removal of Beatles Forever so late into production that you can still hear a trace of the opening chord. Still, it wasn't an entire bust - he did let us finally hear all except one of the double album's original interludes, even if their order was changed for some reason. BTW, I've been informed that the second wave of those Japanese-exclusive limited edition 50th anniversary reissues has now sold out, or at least Sony finished shipping all units out to retailers. By contrast, the first wave seems to still be available through various online retailers, which is a difference I'm hoping makes its way to the powers that be as a sign the market has spoken about what it feels should be the focus going forward. At moments like this, I really wish there was someone who could at least engage directly with the fanbase or be held somewhat accountable. Instead, it feels as if ELO under Jeff's new approach has become a one-way street where choice information and products flow out, but there doesn't appear to be any logic to how social media accounts are handled. Competitions, random anniversaries and posts that regularly mix up commemorating various milestones by using the 2012 remakes. Of course, we had precisely this for over 20 years, only now we've "evolved" to a confusingly wide range of platforms that have traded substance for cohesion. While that could easily be seen as a good thing, it's clear the emphasis is on catering to casuals whose interest doesn't extend past the contents of your average hits compilation. Should you seek anything beyond that, you're totally on your own to explore further, and it's not always clear what's out there. Clearly, Jeff's media machine is vastly different now (and less effective) than in the run up to and through the release of Zoom. Given that the past 7-8 years have seen Jeff touring at levels that even the original ELO did not accomplish, I just find it odd that the the media machine would be less effective and personal. Jeff's public statements, when given, are carefully curated and there is no in depth discussion by him of certain areas of ELO history. I guess that I was expecting more sophistication from Jeff's social media machine given all the touring and increased cash flow.
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Post by Timeblue on Sept 27, 2021 15:39:55 GMT
Oh to be a casual fan who doesn't know his Bluebird from his Bluebird Is Dead. But I'm not and I'm bloody well p****d off with the whole situation....
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on Sept 27, 2021 18:13:33 GMT
But, ELO doesn't exist anymore, its "Jeff Lynne's ELO" which technically just celebrated its 7th anniversary (Hyde Park, 14/09/14) 2 weeks ago, which somehow, we all missed.
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Post by Timeblue on Sept 27, 2021 20:35:43 GMT
But, ELO doesn't exist anymore, its "Jeff Lynne's ELO" which technically just celebrated its 7th anniversary (Hyde Park, 14/09/14) 2 weeks ago, which somehow, we all missed. I'm surprised that Jeff didn't put out a tweet...
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Post by lawrev on Sept 27, 2021 22:14:03 GMT
This Time Tour rehearsal video from ATV (August 1981) covers several interesting ELO topics, including whether ELO was a real band or session musicians backing Jeff.
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Post by ShardEnder on Sept 28, 2021 3:36:31 GMT
But, ELO doesn't exist anymore, its "Jeff Lynne's ELO" which technically just celebrated its 7th anniversary (Hyde Park, 14/09/14) 2 weeks ago, which somehow, we all missed. If Jeff ever had the audacity to commemorate Hyde Park as the debut of his current touring band, I'd set up a Twitter account just to remind him that the same line-up first performed on 11-12-2013.
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Post by Chippa on Sept 28, 2021 17:05:46 GMT
This Time Tour rehearsal video from ATV (August 1981) covers several interesting ELO topics, including whether ELO was a real band or session musicians backing Jeff. I still can't get used to mustache-free Jeff.
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Post by trekkielo on Sept 29, 2021 15:47:53 GMT
Speaking about "legacy of ELO", where's the Time 2 LP 40th Anniversary Legacy Edition?
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Post by Timeblue on Sept 29, 2021 16:48:33 GMT
Haha! Is this an ongoing trend now?
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