BIG CHANGES AFOOT

Just a short time ago, I was notified by (the ever deteriorating) AOL that its FTP/website/blog spaces, including this one, will be discontinued on October 31, 2008.

While there are plans to move the blog spaces to another service, the web spaces will not.  That means as of October 31, 2008, the Unofficial Jeff Lynne Reference Page will be shut down for good. 

I do of course have mixed emotions about this news.  The site was created in 1997 as a simple resource guide and a lot of work has gone into it over the years.  However, it takes a little more time than I can afford to maintain it.  The site and this blog is really just a hobby, but a hobby I get a great deal of pleasure out of.  It's all of you who help me to enjoy it.  You guys send me kind thoughts, engaging e-mails, and even news tips frequently and I greatly appreciate you all. 

I do plan to maintain this blog after October.  It's quite easy and fun and I still plan to share e-mails back and forth.  That part will not change.

So, in the coming weeks, I hope to have a new URL for the blog and things will return to normal... spelling, grammar and punctuation errors and all.  Hopefully AOL will step up and provide us with a blog service where all of you can contribute, not just AOL subscribers.  It's the least they can do.  (Funny thing is I'm still paying for AOL, hence my "mood" above.)

In any event, I just wanted to pass this news along to all of you.  As soon as I get more information about where the blog is going, I will pass it on right away.  I also welcome suggestions from you on places where I can host the blog, for free preferably. bflat33@aol.com

 

BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS...

Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh just gave an interview to a reporter from the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  He reveals he and Jeff Lynne have recently recorded together, but didn't elaborate much about it.  I really like the possibilities, though...

OH, PRETTY BOX SET

Roy Orbison was long overdue for a career box set and thankfully, this one has done the man justice. 

I have to admit, I didn't have or appreciate Roy's work until I learned of his involvement with Jeff and the Wilburys.  The early stuff is just a hair out of era for me personally, but I get it.  Go to 3:12 on You Got It and listen to way he delivers that "baby...", and you'll get it too... if you don't already.

Roy's new box set, The Soul of Rock and Roll, out today, contains most all of his released output with Jeff Lynne at the producing helm.  Outside of that is a collection about as comprehensive as it gets.  And for $30 (got mine at Best Buy,) it's a great value for your money.  107 songs spread out over 4 CDs.

There is a quote from Jeff and Tom Petty among many others plus a factoid I never knew until today: The Traveling Wilburys were Roy's pallbearers at his funeral.

I would have done one thing differently.  I would have pushed the new remix of Not Alone Any More.  It's an excellent remix and should have at least a little more exposure.  That's really just a wish.  Overall, this is a first-rate release.

MORE ON THE MOVE BOX

Amazon is revealing a little more of the upcoming Move box set.  I'm still trying to visualize how this will be packaged.  From this image, it looks a little unconventional.  FTM will probably have a full-on spread about this shortly, but we're still more than 6 weeks away from release day.

 

 

MORE RE-ISSUES

  

A standard re-issue of the new Traveling Wilburys Volume One and Volume 3 CDs from Rhino will be released in Japan on September 24.  You'd think someone at a record company with a little foresight would think to re-issue these as mini-LP paper sleeve editions, but alas, these are apparently standard CDs.

 

While on the topic of half-assed re-issues, ELO's Out of the Blue was indeed re-issued earlier this year.  Turns out, it's the remastered CD with the bonus tracks, new standard booklet, but the old ZGK 35530 back insert.  All that can be yours for a measly $6.  You'll know it's the budget version when you pick the CD up and one side of the tray insert is blank.

AN OCTOBER MOVE

Play.com now saying the Move box set is out October 27... 31 unreleased titles.

OLE EBAY

Holy cow...