TOM PETTY IN ELIZABETHTOWN

A follow-up about the new Tom Petty material which is expected to be released end of this year or early next:  Cameron Crowe's new movie Elizabethtown is being release in October, so says tompetty.com.

Apparently, the movie will feature two new Petty tracks, "Jack" and "Square One" but there's no indictaion yet that these are part of his new sessions with Jeff Lynne.  Also in the movie is Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne collab Learning To Fly from 1991's Into The Great Wide Open.  A soundtrack is scheduled to be out September 13.

MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY - HARVEST SHOWDOWN

There are very informative write-up's about Message From The Country and Harvest Showdown from Spin CDs.com.  The hidden track on Harvest Showdown is revealed, so don't read it if you don't want to spoil the surprise.  Is it a surprise?  You be the judge.

All of the vendors selling the CDs are still listing a September 5 release day, but with just over two weeks to go, FTM Online and The Move's official web sites have nothing on it.  I won't read anything into it like I always do, but then again...

The question raised on the Showdown List is whether we want the CDs by the September 5 release day or if we wait a little longer, we can get them with an autograph... most likely just from Bev Bevan.  I voted to get them on time.  I can always work on the autograph later.  After reading the responses on the list, I found myself clearly in the minority on this.

ELOMUSIC.COM

It could mean something.  It could mean nothing at all.  Sony Music's official ELO website is now offline with a promise that a new one is coming soon.  It's just as well, elomusic.com hasn't been updated with any content since Essential ELO was released over two years ago... and that was the first edit to that site in two years.  Much of the info and design was centered around ELO's Zoom, which is apparently no longer in Sony/Epic's jurisdiction.  It all raises the questions: What will this new site contain and what ever became of plans for elo.biz?

CARLY SIMON

It's completely unrelated to anything Jeff Lynne-oriented, but while reading through some entertainment news, I came across something quite refreshing.  Carly Simon's new CD, Moonlight Serenade is in the Top 20 (#17 this week after debuting at #7) on the Billboard album charts. You go, girl.

THE NEXT BIG ELO COMPILATION CD

Now that the All Over The World CD has seen release in America, I can say for certain that since other countries have track alterations, I don't find this USA collection definitive at all.  Horace Wimp and Wild West Hero were singles in the UK, so their presence on the UK edition is warranted.  Leaving Can't Get It Out Of My Head (arguably the band's most compelling performace) off of a definitive ELO collection is almost bewildering.  AOTW's biggest atribute, though, is the remastered sound.  Nice and clear with the tape flaws taken out of Evil Woman and Hold On Tight.

So when Mr. Blue Sky: The Ultimate Electric Light Orchestra Collection or something like that gets released in two or three years... (you laugh, but there will be another comp... watch...) I'd like to propose the track list based on the tracks that have had a big impact in the USA and resembling a good cross section of the band's catalog: I'll even use AOTW as a model.

FIRE ON HIGH  -  CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD  -  LIVIN' THING (I'd even start this with the last note of So Fine, just to be different)  -  MR. BLUE SKY  -  EVIL WOMAN  -  DON'T BRING ME DOWN  -  SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN  -  SHINE A LITTLE LOVE  -  TURN TO STONE  -  DO YA (my version would have the unedited alternative mix)  -  HOLD ON TIGHT  -  TELEPHONE LINE  -  ALL OVER THE WORLD  -  SHOWDOWN  -  MA-MA-MA BELLE  -  XANADU (Olivia version)  -  ROCKARIA!  -  STRANGE MAGIC  -  ALRIGHT   -  ROCK'N'ROLL IS KING

Running Time 79:58.  I think it flows rather well.

USA RELEASE OF ALL OVER THE WORLD

Well, Day one of the US release of the new All Over The World comp CD didn't exactly leave me encouraged.

For one, It was difficult to find.  OK, it's a comp CD on its release day.  There are higher priorities.  But, Best Buy had none... and after more traveling, I end up at our three story Tower Records which gets a lot of traffic.  They had just one copy.

It gives the appearance to me that Legacy Recordings isn't even setting this up to succeed.

Although I support (and tell people to support) artists by buying their CDs, I can't seem to justify the huge ugly ass FBI warning on the back cover and disc.  I'm afraid to play the damn thing much less rip it into my iPod.

Oh yes, the promo sticker on the front cover... says "20 Massive Hits including 'Evil Woman,' 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head,'..."  Sitting next to that on the shelves is ELOs Greatest Hits, now adorned with a Sony/BMG slipcase with the phrase "Career-Spanning Hits From The Classical String Rockers!"

Does anybody at a record company check anything?