|
Post by Chippa on Dec 5, 2015 0:00:08 GMT
The only "protest" or "political" type song ELO ever did, and it's a good one. Great, timeless message.
|
|
|
Post by ShardEnder on Dec 5, 2015 0:26:09 GMT
The only "protest" or "political" type song ELO ever did, and it's a good one. Great, timeless message. I've always considered Time After Time another protest song, and even Jeff described it (in the commentary for the Secret Messages remaster) as being about the futility of war. Still, there are few tracks by anyone that match the sheer visceral force of Kuiama - the violin solo leaves me on the verge of tears every time!
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 5, 2015 17:13:02 GMT
The only "protest" or "political" type song ELO ever did, and it's a good one. Great, timeless message. Wouldn't you say "Boy Blue" is more or less of the same kind? Both are anti-war songs.
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Dec 5, 2015 21:27:19 GMT
I adore Kuiama, it's my favourite ELO song and my first born has it as her middle name (edged out by Alice as her father is a rabid Alice Cooper fan, and to be fair it's a lot easier to spell). Really? Wow, I didn't know! If you ever commented this before I think I missed it. Talk about being a real fan... Does she like ELO as much as you do? I think I only mentioned it once, when I first arrived here. She likes most music but you'll be horrified to learn that her favourite band is Abba. However when she and her sister were young I made them a mixtape of Idle Race songs which went down a storm, and they both have a soft spot for Roy Wood songs too. I think it's the catchy and childlike qualities which appeal to them
|
|
|
Post by ShardEnder on Dec 6, 2015 0:58:05 GMT
There's nothing wrong with ABBA... In fact, their paths crossed with Jeff's quite a few times over the years. First of all, The Way Life's Meant To Be was recorded at Polar Studios, where their last few albums were made. I've found out that this is where he also first experimented with digital technology, which had only been recently installed midway through sessions for The Visitors in early 1981 - an uncharacteristically dark collection of songs that would prove their swansong (and one that comes highly recommended from me, by the way). Then, he met Anni-Frid Lyngstad backstage at ELO's concert in Stockholm during the Time Tour, later passing a demo tape of One Way Love on to her former colleague, Agnetha Fältskog, who eventually cut a version of this.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 6, 2015 18:46:43 GMT
She likes most music but you'll be horrified to learn that her favourite band is Abba. ABBA? Oh, the horror! *faints* At least you compensated a bit with Roy Wood. She should be thankful to you for being introduced to his music, as I am. That album of his you posted on the CD of the Week was great.
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Dec 6, 2015 19:43:31 GMT
Heh! I thought I recalled you not being Abba's biggest fan Helmut83 ... maybe if Jeff is really lurking about here he might be lured out of hiding to give you his side of the story smiley-cool15
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 7, 2015 0:42:44 GMT
Heh! I thought I recalled you not being Abba's biggest fan Helmut83 ... You recalled correctly, my friend.
|
|
|
Post by poorbob on Mar 6, 2016 9:01:41 GMT
I love this song so much, so sad and some great guitar work. First time I got to listen to this was on a Canadian import of Ole ELO (as I had yet to acquire ELO II) ordered from Aidrian's record catalogue (remember them?). The mark of a great song in my book is the shivers it can give, in just the delivery of a lyric or the slight note change in the music, Kuiama has that in spades.
|
|
|
Post by billwebster on Mar 9, 2016 15:26:46 GMT
Kuiama is a really amazing early work of Jeff Lynne. It's especially amazing since his whole craft is showcased right there, already on "ELO 2". In 2014, I compiled a producer feature on Jeff's career as a music producer for other artists and Kuiama was one of the centerpieces of the feature.
|
|
|
Post by queenofthehours on Mar 30, 2016 18:20:16 GMT
'Kuiama' is wonderful. I used to listen to it a lot when I first began listening to ELO and getting acquainted with the albums but not so much now. I think because the quick, poppier numbers are always easier to listen to rather than to find time to immerse yourself in an 11-minute+ song. It's a shame Jeff isn't such a big fan of the early ELO stuff but there are two reasons why he should not be - 1, a lot of rock sounded just the same back then, it was the time of prog. 2, modern production and his own skills were not available at that time. He had to work with what he was given.
That said, 'Kuiama' is a masterpiece for any band. The limits the group had actually help the track. If ELO had stayed prog or split in '75 it would be gem. It's just that 'Mr Blue Sky' has overshadowed it. I couldn't even start to imagine a shiny, Discovery-style production dusted all over it. And I know the reason I love it is because it sounds original - name another song like it? There isn't one. It's almost orchestral and before hearing this I'd spent ten years listening to nothing but classical music so I felt very at home. The strings, the variety in pitch, it's "movements" are all like eating a delicious many-coursed meal compared to the sweets and crisps on the later albums. My favourite part of the track is the piano, it gives the song a very emotional atmosphere while the strings seem to lead to the heart of the song even more so than Jeff's great vocals. This is Jeff's Beethoven moment. Listen to 'Kuiama' and then some classical and both will give you the same feeling, whatever that feeling is because I cannot name it.
|
|