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Post by pack8398 on Nov 14, 2015 17:14:39 GMT
Here's my 2 cents on the album. First off, I completely disagree with those who compare this album to Zoom. For me it sounds like it would've fit in perfectly as a follow up to Balance of Power. There are a few songs that sound much more Long Wavish than Zoom.
As a whole, I love the album...very listenable. Some songs are obviously stronger than others but that's the case with every album.
Breaking down the songs from most favorite to least-obviously everyone will have a different take. This just happens to be mine.
1. All My Life- this song absolutely blew me away. I've probably listened to it a dozen times this morning. Interestingly the song sounds sad and happy at the same time. The transitions in the song, gentle inflections in Jeff's voice, lyrics...just a perfect song for me. Damn that man can still sing!
2. When the Night Comes- Loved this song and definitely has that 80's feel to it. Such a catchy tune and one you find yourself singing along with after about two listens.
3. Love and Rain- that little base hook in this song is addictive as hell. Some say this song reminds them of Showdown. For me it reminded me more of Evil Woman played at 33 1/3.
4. When I Was a Boy- Have to admit the first time I listened to this I got pretty teary-eyed. It is such a heart felt and touching song and sort of brought Jeff's career full circle for me.
5. One Step at a Time- Nice little chugging song that Jeff had so much success with in the 70's and 80's. Had a very Time-like feel to it for me.
6. Alone in the Universe- I really loved the wide open, outer space feel in the opening- reminiscent of Secret Messages or possibly Time. I enjoyed this song and that longing feeling that Jeff's trying to get across. I could see this song definitely growing on me over time.
7. Dirty to the Bone- Along the way apparently some lady really pissed Jeff off lol Catchy tune but the lyrics "deceive you until the cows come home" had my wife giggling.
8. Ain't it a Drag- beginning of song reminds me of the Batman theme from the 60's. Decent song but nothing special for me.
9. The Sun Will Shine On You- opening reminds me a lot of 'Letter From Spain'. For some reason I could see this song being on some movie soundtrack.
10. I'm Leaving You- This song really had an Armchair Theater feel to me- just a slow, soft song. Enjoyable but not one of my favorites.
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Post by thewordsofaaron on Nov 14, 2015 17:45:18 GMT
Here's my 2 cents on the album. First off, I completely disagree with those who compare this album to Zoom. For me it sounds like it would've fit in perfectly as a follow up to Balance of Power. There are a few songs that sound much more Long Wavish than Zoom. As a whole, I love the album...very listenable. Some songs are obviously stronger than others but that's the case with every album. Breaking down the songs from most favorite to least-obviously everyone will have a different take. This just happens to be mine. 1. All My Life- this song absolutely blew me away. I've probably listened to it a dozen times this morning. Interestingly the song sounds sad and happy at the same time. The transitions in the song, gentle inflections in Jeff's voice, lyrics...just a perfect song for me. Damn that man can still sing! 2. When the Night Comes- Loved this song and definitely has that 80's feel to it. Such a catchy tune and one you find yourself singing along with after about two listens. 3. Love and Rain- that little base hook in this song is addictive as hell. Some say this song reminds them of Showdown. For me it reminded me more of Evil Woman played at 33 1/3. 4. When I Was a Boy- Have to admit the first time I listened to this I got pretty teary-eyed. It is such a heart felt and touching song and sort of brought Jeff's career full circle for me. 5. One Step at a Time- Nice little chugging song that Jeff had so much success with in the 70's and 80's. Had a very Time-like feel to it for me. 6. Alone in the Universe- I really loved the wide open, outer space feel in the opening- reminiscent of Secret Messages or possibly Time. I enjoyed this song and that longing feeling that Jeff's trying to get across. I could see this song definitely growing on me over time. 7. Dirty to the Bone- Along the way apparently some lady really pissed Jeff off lol Catchy tune but the lyrics "deceive you until the cows come home" had my wife giggling. 8. Ain't it a Drag- beginning of song reminds me of the Batman theme from the 60's. Decent song but nothing special for me. 9. The Sun Will Shine On You- opening reminds me a lot of 'Letter From Spain'. For some reason I could see this song being on some movie soundtrack. 10. I'm Leaving You- This song really had an Armchair Theater feel to me- just a slow, soft song. Enjoyable but not one of my favorites. hey...completely agree...when i was a boy.....had me first time....still gets me now....must have heard it just loads of times....and Jeff singing it at the One Show recording....twice in a row....lump in my throat both times....and then at the Beeb Concert Theatre the next night.... .....how do you do that Jeff....?....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2015 19:21:13 GMT
Okay I ate a huge chicken dinner, listened to the album again, and fell asleep in the recliner. Now to finish my review! Obviously When I was A Boy has been "inside my head", since my earballs first heard it a month or so ago. I haven’t grown tired of it! Score- A Love & Rain is a song I could rant and rave about all day long, but I won’t! Jeff has the soul of Rev. Green, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and BB King, somewhere in his DNA. My 17 year old son was grooving to this song, earlier. I raised him well! LOL! Score- A+ Dirty To The Bone might have fit in well on George Harrison’s Cloud 9 record. It has that delicious sugary coating that Jeff is known to use now and then. When I first read the title of this song, I figured it would be more of a blues rock thing (like Love And Rain), but he threw me for a loop! Score- B+ If anything, When The Night Comes goes to show that Jeff can reach back into his huge songbook and take a piece here, a nugget there, and make a whole new and fresh sounding piece of music! Score- B+ When The Sun Will Shine On You first started playing, I thought it sounded like one of those Time or Secret Messages tracks like Hello, My Old Friend, or Mandalay. But it’s so much more than that. To me, this is the most modern sounding song on the album. It contains some esoteric beauty that’s rarely heard in today’s music, though. Score – A Ain’t It A Drag is just so irresistible! “The shit hits the fan..” ..I love the way Jeff sings that line. The piano line throughout the song gives it that little special nudge that makes it one of the standouts. Someone else compared this to Bob Dylan’s It Ain’t Me, Babe. That’s somewhat accurate, but I also hear Dylan’s Absolutely Sweet Marie, especially in the melodic verses. Score- A+ I would wager that Paul McCartney is green with envy that he didn’t write All My Life. Achingly melodic and wistful, and Jeff’s voice is so incredibly pure. I can’t blame 88keys for shedding tears! Score- A+ I’ll bet Roy Orbison is beaming with pride after hearing I’m Leaving You. This is like a sequel to In Dreams, and It’s Over. And that’s not a bad thing at all! Score- B+ “Talkkkk to me..”, that hook from One Step At A Time, is stuck in my head like Krazy Glue! Then the chorus! Oh god, the chorus is like the best flashback to 1979, ever! I can’t get enough of this song. My son said it reminds him of the band MGMT. I’ll have to look into that! Score- A+ Alone In The Universe would have fit in great on Time, even going along with the concept of that album. Yet another piece of pure beauty, in my opinion. It also sounds like he broke out all of his old synthesizers to build a backing landscape for this song. And it is brilliant. Score – A+ Bonus Tracks Fault Line is the little brother of I’m Gone, and Boderline. Simple and sweet. Score- B Blue could be another Roy Orbison song, if not for the VERY ELO-like “middle bits”. I enjoy this one the more I listen to it. Score- B+ Yeah this album is a total success, in my opinion.
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Post by thewordsofaaron on Nov 14, 2015 20:17:58 GMT
Okay I ate a huge chicken dinner, listened to the album again, and fell asleep in the recliner. Now to finish my review! Obviously When I was A Boy has been "inside my head", since my earballs first heard it a month or so ago. I haven’t grown tired of it! Score- A Love & Rain is a song I could rant and rave about all day long, but I won’t! Jeff has the soul of Rev. Green, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and BB King, somewhere in his DNA. My 17 year old son was grooving to this song, earlier. I raised him well! LOL! Score- A+ Dirty To The Bone might have fit in well on George Harrison’s Cloud 9 record. It has that delicious sugary coating that Jeff is known to use now and then. When I first read the title of this song, I figured it would be more of a blues rock thing (like Love And Rain), but he threw me for a loop! Score- B+ If anything, When The Night Comes goes to show that Jeff can reach back into his huge songbook and take a piece here, a nugget there, and make a whole new and fresh sounding piece of music! Score- B+ When The Sun Will Shine On You first started playing, I thought it sounded like one of those Time or Secret Messages tracks like Hello, My Old Friend, or Mandalay. But it’s so much more than that. To me, this is the most modern sounding song on the album. It contains some esoteric beauty that’s rarely heard in today’s music, though. Score – A Ain’t It A Drag is just so irresistible! “The shit hits the fan..” ..I love the way Jeff sings that line. The piano line throughout the song gives it that little special nudge that makes it one of the standouts. Someone else compared this to Bob Dylan’s It Ain’t Me, Babe. That’s somewhat accurate, but I also hear Dylan’s Absolutely Sweet Marie, especially in the melodic verses. Score- A+ I would wager that Paul McCartney is green with envy that he didn’t write All My Life. Achingly melodic and wistful, and Jeff’s voice is so incredibly pure. I can’t blame 88keys for shedding tears! Score- A+ I’ll bet Roy Orbison is beaming with pride after hearing I’m Leaving You. This is like a sequel to In Dreams, and It’s Over. And that’s not a bad thing at all! Score- B+ “Talkkkk to me..”, that hook from One Step At A Time, is stuck in my head like Krazy Glue! Then the chorus! Oh god, the chorus is like the best flashback to 1979, ever! I can’t get enough of this song. My son said it reminds him of the band MGMT. I’ll have to look into that! Score- A+ Alone In The Universe would have fit in great on Time, even going along with the concept of that album. Yet another piece of pure beauty, in my opinion. It also sounds like he broke out all of his old synthesizers to build a backing landscape for this song. And it is brilliant. Score – A+ Bonus Tracks Fault Line is the little brother of I’m Gone, and Boderline. Simple and sweet. Score- B Blue could be another Roy Orbison song, if not for the VERY ELO-like “middle bits”. I enjoy this one the more I listen to it. Score- B+ Yeah this album is a total success, in my opinion. lol .....dunno what the chicken dinner had to do with it....heh heh.....but maybe other reviewee's should be eatin a big dinner like yours.... nice review....Aint it a drag....ahhhh the naughty line Jeff couldnt sing at the beeb the other night..... if you want to rant about Jeff all day long i dont think anyone on here will mind....he is King Midas at the moment..... nice that your son is enjoying it too.....mine is only 7 but im gradually instilling in him the delights of Jeff and the many facets there of....
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Post by dcollins on Nov 14, 2015 20:46:29 GMT
Have listened on rotation all day now, so here goes.
When I was boy - very familiar now given the early release a few weeks back. Sounds even better now via headphones. Great singing from Jeff and wonderful key change mid verses. Obviously a very personal song for Jeff. 7/10
Love and Rain - great base line hook takes us back to early ELO until the wonderful instrumental crescendo brings this track to another level. 8/10
Dirty to the Bone - layered vocals and catchy chorus - but surprisingly lacking a bridge and key change to really make it stellar. 6/10
When the Night Comes - great track with Jeff sense of humour showing in the lyrical references to midnight blue and twilight- one of my favourites 8/10
The sun will shine on you - a bit too sentimental for my taste and somewhat of a disappointment to me given other reviews - needed something different - chorus or bridge to lift it 5/10
Ain't it a drag - great driving track to open side two with a nod to Tom Petty - 7/10
All my Life - to me this is the stand out track on the album. Beautiful vocals and a haunting chorus followed by a bridge that brings the whole song to another level. Reminds me a bit of Patience by Take That in structure but has Jeffs signature all over it - absolutely wonderful 10/10
I'm leaving you - one of the weaker tracks - Jeffs respect for Roy continues beyond Mystery Girl but the lyric twist a la Running a Scared arrives too early for me 5/10
One step at a time - infectious beat with a great vocal in the verse that leads into a totally unexpected disco style chorus 8/10
Alone in the Universe - solid but unspectacular closing track that could do with a longer instrumental fade out - 6/10
Fault Line - California's geological landscape influencing Jeffs lyrics combined with Wilburyish soft country rhythm combines to split opinion on this track - nice inoffensive song but seems misplaced on the album 5/10
Blue - Jeff fascination with all things blue to the fore - can't hep feeling the short intro was developed post main song completion - it seems somewhat out of place - overall nice song that's a bit of a grower 7/10
Overall - a solid performance with some very good songs and one great track in All My Life - if I was choosing the track list for a new 20 song compilation possibly one or max two would make it. Great production with some great guitar solo but would have been even if Jeff had let go of the need to do the drumming all by himself - 7.5/10
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Post by dillwyn on Nov 14, 2015 23:50:58 GMT
Right ...24 hours in...lovely album and a very entertaining follow-up to Long Wave.
As previously mentioned the 3 tracks I'd heard are in my top 5 ...wiwab, when the night comes and ain't it a drag top songs. No killer single but lovely compositions and immaculate (if not a little safe) production but ...gulp and after years of sitting here lurking and not giving an opinion ... it is time for the negatives. love and rain (poor chorus), dirty to the bone (poor lyric/music style difference ..it doesn't work as there is no humour) and i'm leaving you (for me...one 60's reference too far) ...unusually these are under-thought IMHO ..I have found myself skipping these already....ok flak jacket on ...over to you
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Post by kcabnrut on Nov 15, 2015 4:15:49 GMT
Just had the chance to listen to it all the way through for the first time, so I don't have much to say. BUT...
Did anyone else find themselves smiling at all the throwback riffs and phrases? I can't remember them all off the top of my head, but each song sounded like something I loved from years gone by.
"Midnight blue..." "Twilight..." "Pulls you in, takes you down..." And then later in another song, "Sad affair..."
I found myself thinking this was a career summary, lol!
(And yes, I'm one of those who also thought it was very Zoomish)
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Post by janne on Nov 15, 2015 6:46:12 GMT
Sorry...but I don't understand what people don't get about the Zoom album...Ordinary Dream has ELO stamped all over it...ive still only heard a few tracks from AITU but its nothing like Zoom...to me anyway... Completely disagree..... I held off getting ZOOM for a long time just assuming I wouldn't like it - having been burnt by late career albums from other artists. It's turned out to be one of my favorite ELO albums. Right up there with OOTB and TIME. So yeah, I don't get it either. ZOOM is filled with super solid songs, it taught me to have faith in Jeff to always deliver. I guess we just have to agree to disagree. For me, Zoom doesn't sound like an ELO album, and none of the songs really stuck in my mind.
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Post by 88keys on Nov 15, 2015 7:26:37 GMT
Having spent the past day and a half with this album (after initially weeping like a fool while listening to All My Life. ) ,I'm ready to rank the songs. 1- All My Life....One of the greatest songs Jeff Lynne has ever written, and I'll fight anyone who disagrees. 2- One Step At A Time....I played this in my car tonight, and was bouncing around behind the wheel like a maniac. Better than ANYTHING on Balance Of Power. 3-When I Was A Boy....Perfect opening song. 4- Love And Rain....The groove if endless. And the change of pace at 2:25 is a stroke of genius. 5- Ain't It A Drag....A real good mood song! 6- Sun Will Shine On You .... A positive message with a delightfully weird musical motif. 7- Alone In The Universe....Floating in space, put to music. 8- Dirty To The Bone....It reminds me of Melting In The Sun, mostly because of the dry vocals. I remember reading once how Jeff got that vocal affect on Melting In The Sun, by recording his vocal part through a mic connected to a Sony Walkman. It Makes me wonder if he did the same thing here? 9-When The Night Comes....This is a good song for Summer nights! 10- Blue....Early Beatles with a mild touch of Spain! 11- I'm Leaving You....I like the very old fashioned organ sound. It's slightly creepy! 12- Faultline....When stacked up against the rest of the songs, it's not special. But on it's own, it's not bad.
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Post by starlight on Nov 15, 2015 13:26:53 GMT
Has anyone spotted any more newspaper reviews over the weekend, looked yesterday but didn't spot anything?
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Post by dillwyn on Nov 15, 2015 13:55:02 GMT
Has anyone spotted any more newspaper reviews over the weekend, looked yesterday but didn't spot anything? Have you tried something like Newsnoow.co.uk. It pulls all the articles together...you may see one you've not spotted.
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Post by dillwyn on Nov 15, 2015 13:55:42 GMT
Newsnow sorry
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Post by starlight on Nov 15, 2015 14:02:00 GMT
excellent, found a brief new review from today's Guardian...not enough to buy the paper but good to know where to look, thanks!
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Post by elophile on Nov 15, 2015 15:14:34 GMT
Just had the chance to listen to it all the way through for the first time, so I don't have much to say. BUT... Did anyone else find themselves smiling at all the throwback riffs and phrases? I can't remember them all off the top of my head, but each song sounded like something I loved from years gone by. "Midnight blue..." "Twilight..." "Pulls you in, takes you down..." And then later in another song, "Sad affair..." I found myself thinking this was a career summary, lol! (And yes, I'm one of those who also thought it was very Zoomish) "Pulls you in, takes you down..." Good one! I hadn't noticed that! I love when Jeff quotes himself... It's like finding a prize in your Cheerios.
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Post by elophile on Nov 15, 2015 15:19:22 GMT
@brax earballs!!
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