THE IPOD'S SMOKING...

I'm starting to go bonkers over Blue Lips.

Why doesn't he produce music more often?

FIRST LIP(S) IMPRESSION

UPDATE: The song is uploaded to her MySpace page now and you can buy a download it starting tomorrow on Amazon.

First, I think it helps to follow along with the lyrics. (Below) I think when it hits me what the song is about, I'll go nuts.

I'm dropping all notions that Far will be a pop record.  This (in the case of Blue Lips) is actually two people with unique and amazing musical ideas.  There are enough Jeff Lynne flavors here to keep us interested, but there's something new and different going on, too.  Shame that there aren't more ELO fans on board with his producing.  His producing is still ripe, especially in a setting like this.

Her voice is amazing.  Her piano playing here is dreamy.  The strings are gorgeous.  And the way the song rises and falls in intensity gets more appealing over time.  This is one of those songs that you'll pick up on something new the more you play it.

I love it.

BLUE LIPS LYRICS

He stumbled into faith and thought,

"God, this is all there is."

The pictures in his mind arose,

And began to breathe.

And all the gods and all the worlds

Began colliding on a

Backdrop of blue.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

He took a step, but then felt tired.

He said, "I'll rest a little while."

But when he tried to walk again,

He wasn't a child.

And all the people hurried fast,

Real fast,

And no one ever smiled.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away.

He stumbled into faith and thought,

"God, this is all there is."

The pictures in his mind arose,

And began to breathe.

And no one saw, and no one heard.

They just followed the lead.

The pictures in his mind awoke,

And began to breed.

They started out beneath the knowledge tree.

Then they chopped it down to make white picket fences,

And, marching along the railroad tracks,

They smile real wide for the camera lense.

They made it past the enemy lines

Just to become enslaved in the assembly lines.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

Blue,

The color of our planet from far, far away.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

Blue,

The color of our planet from far, far away.

Blue,

The most human color.

Blue,

The most human color.

Blue,

The most human color.

Blue lips,

Blue veins.

Blue,

The color of our planet from far, far away. 

BLUE LIPS

Taking Blue Lips for a test run.  Will post a few thoughts a bit later today once it sinks in a bit.  Post what you think if you've heard it.

LAUGHING WITH BLUE LIPS

Anyone buying tickets to Regina Spektor's concert (already sold out) at the Beacon Theatre in New York will be get a free 2-track download featuring Laughing With and the Jeff Lynne-produced Blue Lips on May 18.

There's a short sample of it on Amazon, but you can't buy the full version until Tuesday May 19.  The sample fades out just as you catch a good taste of any Jeff Lynne hallmark.

AND MORE...

Amazon UK's listing for Regina Spektor's Far adds the track times:

1. The Calculation - 3:13 

2. Eet - 3:54 

3. Blue Lips - 3:34 

4. Folding Chair - 3:35 

5. Machine - 3:51 

6. Laughing With - 3:18 

7. Human of the Year - 4:12 

8. Two Birds - 3:23 

9. Dance Anthem of the 80's - 3:44 

10. Genius Next Door - 5:10   (is that a misprint?)  :-) 

11. Wallet - 2:30 

12. One More Time With Feeling - 4:03 

13. Man of a Thousand Faces - 3:12 

MORE FAR DETAILS

Big Hassle Media has what appears to be Regina Spektor's press release for her new album, Far.  

Jeff Lynne produced:

Blue Lips

Genius Next Door

Folding Chair

The Wallet

He produced a total of five tracks for her, the fifth could conceivably come along with the Special Edition or the digital edition or perhaps some other version of the album down the road.  Stay tuned.

Oh, and we'll aparently be hearing Jeff's voice on the record, too.

BY THE WAY...

Laughing With was posted roughly 36 hours ago.  It already has almost 30,000 hits.

FAR TRACK LIST

Regina put up the track list for Far on her MySpace page, where you can listen to the first single, Laughing With...

and Laughing With is quickly growing on me.

Anyway, the track list (no producer credits yet):

1. The Calculation

2. Eet

3. Blue Lips

4. Folding Chair

5. Machine

6. Laughing With

7. Human of the Year

8. Two Birds

9. Dance Anthem

10. Genius next door

11. Wallet

12. One more time with feeling

13. Man of a Thousand Faces

LAUGHING WITH...

Looks like there's a tweak to the album artwork...

More importantly, the first single from Regina Spektor's Far is up on MySpace... I can't confirm anything yet, but even though the vocal is bone dry, I'm guessing Laughing With is not one of the Jeff Lynne tracks.  If this track is any indication, though, this CD will be completely unconventional.

Now, I'm psyched...

I find it kinda gripping either way.  Post your thoughts on it...

FAR OUT ARTWORK

Here's a nice way to kick off a Monday morning.  We now have the artwork for Regina Spektor's new album Far with (perhaps) five Jeff Lynne productions on it.  I imagine the track list and producer credits are not too far behind.

Here are some links to the artwork and a few wallpapers.  By the way... love!  it!

STARTING TO ROLL ALONG...

Amazon is the first show what's likely the artwork for Let It Roll: The Songs of George Harrison.

UPDATE: The track list :

1. Got My Mind Set On You 
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) 
3. The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) 
4. My Sweet Lord 
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack) 
6. All Things Must Pass 
7. Any Road 
8. This Is Love 
9. All Those Years Ago 
10. Marwa Blues 
11. What Is Life 
12. Rising Sun 
13. When We Was Fab 
14. Something (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack) 
15. Blow Away 
16. Cheer Down 
17. Here Comes The Sun (Live - Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack) 
18. I Don't Want To Do It 
19. Isn't It A Pity

FTM'S FRONT PAGE

For the record, there's a nice shot of Jeff's interview at the ASCAP I Create Music Expo on Face The Music Online's front page.

SO FAR...

No track list or producer credits yet, but it appears Regina Spektor's Far will also be released as a Special Edition with a DVD.

HERE IS (MAYBE) THE NEWS??

There's an interesting post on Reuter's Fan Fare blog ahead of Jeff Lynne's interview and Golden Note Award on Friday in Los Angeles.  It's the first real sign that he's been working on his own material since the lead-up to Zoom in 2001.

Lynne, the bearded Svengali famed for leading the art-rock band Electric Light Orchestra, is also working on a solo album, which he hopes to release later this year. It would be the follow-up to his first solo outing, 1990’s “Armchair Theatre.”

Although we've been down this road before in terms of timeline, it's encouraging.  And, says the report:

He has just finished producing five tracks at his home studio with singer/songwriter Regina Spektor, and plans to work on some songs with Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh.

Hopefully that means five songs that all made the album.  We're all still awaiting Far's finalized track list.  The Joe Walsh material will probably take a while since The Eagles are touring at least through July.

A MUST HEAR...

UPDATE (April 22):  The full 90 version is online through Saturday on BBC6 Music.

If you missed BBC Radio 2's The Record Producers with Roy Wood, you only have a few days to hear it online.  There's a great break-down of 10538 Overture (among other tracks) using the multi-tracks.

Note: The link will be become a dead end on Monday.

This is partly why I was dismayed that the real take 1 of 10538 Overture wasn't issued even as an online bonus mp3.  It's great listening.

STAR FOR GEORGE

George Harrison got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today.

Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney were among the many there for the ceremony.

Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

To coincide with the event, Capitol announced Let It Roll: The Songs of George Harrison for a June 16 release.  It's George Harrison's first ever career-spanning hits collection.

No track list yet, but Steve Marinucci from the reliable AbbeyRd's Beatle Page believes there could be a rarity on it.  My rarity vote is for Cheer Down.

A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY...

A press release on Regina Spektor's new album Far is out today.  The 13 track album is now due on June 23.  There's no track list or artwork or producer break down yet, but we do know the first single is a track called Laughing With. 

THE EVENT IS SET...

Here's the blurb on Jeff for his interview and Golden Note Award presentation at this year's ASCAP I Create Music Expo.  His event is set for Friday April 24.

INTERVIEWER: Erik Philbrook - ASCAP 
ASCAP is pleased to present Jeff Lynne with its prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award for his extraordinary musical achievements and welcome him as our very special guest interview. Lynne has had an incredible 40-year career as a songwriter, producer and leader of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), co-founder of The Traveling Wilburys and producer of such artists as The Beatles, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Even with a lifetime of other musical accomplishments, Jeff Lynne is and always will be known as the man who turned on the Electric Light Orchestra, one of the most remarkable success stories in rock history. ELO has sold well in excess of 50 million records worldwide, and continues to be a remarkably popular catalog. Jeff Lynne wrote and produced 26 Top 40 hits in the UK, and 20 Top 40 hits in the US with ELO, and became a major arena and stadium draw. Lynne has also released a solo album, Armchair Theatre. His remarkable career includes producing and collaborating with many of the greatest musical artists of all time, including a number of Lynne's all-time heroes: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Brian Wilson and Del Shannon. Together with Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Bob Dylan, Lynne was a member of the Grammy award-winning Traveling Wilburys - a supergroup like no other.

...and when you also count his outside collaborations during and since ELO, the number of songs he put into the American Top 40 jumps to at least 30.  There are not many musicians who can claim that.

SUDDENLY FROM THE BLU SPEC

ELO's A New World Record is unleashed in Japan on the new Blu-Spec CD format.  While it gets a slight uptick in sound quality (as per the other ELO blu-specs vs. standard CDs,) it gets a slight downtick in packaging quality, mostly because you get a old-fashioned opaque CD tray with a blank inlay underneath.

Otherwise, with this version, you get the entire remaster booklet in Japanese... pretty cool actually, the Jet disc label is pretty much the same design as the Mini-LP except for a few markings and there's a black and white lyric booklet inside.

Again, this is pretty much for the collectors who want everything.  The difference in sound quality won't make much of a difference for most fans.