NOW, IT'S A PLAYLIST

Hope you're all having a great summer.  News in the ELO world has been sparce, so the blog is getting a vacation break.  Barring any major developments, the blog will pick up again in the coming weeks.

I did see a note on the latest Musictap.net entry that ELO will be one of the artists who will get a Playlist: The Very Best Of... CD on September 2 from Sony BMG.

There's allegedly an All Over The World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra CD (likely no different than the already existing UK version) in eco-friendly packing coming on Tuesday July 22.  We'll see about that. 

I wonder, though, if record companies push to recycle CD jewel cases, would we even need eco-friendly packaging? There's not much left to CDs after the jewel case, is there?

Anyway, have a great rest of the summer, everyone!

10 BEST COMEBACK ALBUMS

I feel it's my duty to bring little news tidbits to this blog even if the news is 2 months old.  Thing is: I don't recall seeing this before.

Rolling Stone compiled the 10 Best Comeback Albums Ever.  George Harrison's Cloud Nine is #8.

WELL, AT LEAST GENE KELLY ON ROLLER SKATES LOOKS CLEARER NOW...

Xanadu: Magical Music Edition is in stores beginning today and as promised the sound and picture quality has been substantially improved.  So, all of that glitz and camp is more pronounced than ever before.

The bonus soundtrack CD is the current USA edition on MCA, so they didn't throw the fans a bone there.

The Going Back To Xanadu feature is admittedly a bit fun.  A few observations from that: ELO is mentioned just once, the whole bit about the lengths they went through for the customes was interesting, (in addition to the director, producers and other major crew members,) they interviewed several of the dancers and two muses, 2 of the Tubes turned up, Michael Beck wasn't even mentioned by name, Olivia apparently declined to be interviewed, and holy shit, Thaaattt's Gene Kelly's widow?!!?!

 

MORE FROM ROSSIF

Rossif Sutherland added three more songs to the player on his MySpace page, and although they're worth a listen, my hunch is none of those three involve Jeff Lynne. Makes one wonder if he's any closer to releasing his CD.

OT: LONG LIVE LIFE

Just as I hoped, the new Coldplay record is out of control.  For those of you who like Jeff's productions for the quality recordings they are, you might appreciate Cemeteries Of London (with a few seconds from the end of Life In Techicolor), Lost! and Yes.

Lost! was released in acoustic form (titled Lost? with a question mark) weeks before the album's release and it, without question, was a brilliant move.  I learned and love the song in its acoustic form.  When you get to the album version weeks later, you know it enough to sing along, only thing is: it blows the doors off your expectations.

What's also interesting is Reign of Love, Chinese Sleep Chant and The Escapist are presented more as interludes or segues instead of outright album tracks. Interesting idea. (Was Secret Messages the last time Jeff Lynne interluded between two songs??! Not sure I'd count Opening/Heaven Only Knows)

Between the free download of the first single, an exclusive b-side on vinyl, Lost?, the title track on iTunes and iTunes commercial, plus the full album on vinyl with full length CD inside of it, the marketing of this record is genius.

I recommend the lyrics to follow along.

The CD is already out in the UK, Tuesday for the States.

HEADS (AND SKATES) UP...

It's starting to look more and more like National Xanadu Month.

Cast members from Xanadu On Broadway will be performing on American TV starting this Thursday June 12 @ 9 am Eastern Time with All Over The World on Regis and Kelly...

Then, on Friday June 13 during the 8 am hour, they perform Magic, Don't Walk Away and Xanadu on the CBS Early show...

And this coming Saturday June 14 (Suspended in Time) during CBS Saturday Morning at 8 am.

And don't forget, the remastered DVD of the original movie with bonus soundtrack CD is in stores two weeks from tomorrow. (Hat Tip: Euan)

END OF THE LINE

         

The Traveling Wilburys two albums are back in stores today as individual titles.  Both Volume One and Volume 3 CDs have Traveling Wilburys Collection-style cardboard slipcases and inside, you'll find the CDs and inserts designed almost exactly the same as their originals except for some different markings and updated credits. No change in audio content from last year's releases.

In addition, both titles are available on iTunes.  But, in another par-for-the-course instance, someone filed them under Traveling Wilburys, whereas the rest of the Wilbury items are found under The Traveling Wilburys.  Ho-hum.

OT: COLDPLAY and EMI

After reading articles and posts from several people about the state of affairs at EMI (the company who gave us ELOs First Light Series among others), this New York Times article paints a pretty clear picture of how bad it is.  EMI was sold to a private equity group which is now in serious financal trouble because of that transaction.  What can save them?  Possibly Coldplay.

For the record, Coldplay is usually where I turn these days during my mental health breaks from ELO and related tunes.  The timing is perfect, their new album is just about here and there's seemingly nothing big in the pipeline from Bungalow Palace.

The stakes are high for EMI and they need Coldplay's album (Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends) to be a huge sales success.  Marketing-wise, they've pulled out all the stops.  On top of free concerts and high-profile appearances, there's (well, was) a single download for free, one week only, a 7" single (free with magazine) with exclusive b-side, a CD single with an acoustic mix of an album track, and for good measure, the title track exclusively on iTunes. Four songs unleashed already and I'm outright begging for more.  Brilliant marketing.

I really hope it works for all of them.  If any current band can pull it off, it's Coldplay.  And for my part, this is the most stoked I've been about an album in years.

XANADU: WEST END VERSION

In a turn of events I'm sure many didn't see coming, not only is Xanadu on Broadway becoming a national tour, and heading to Chicago, now there are plans to open in London according to Playbill.

It will be in a yet to be determined venue in London's West End in spring 2009. 

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NEW GREATEST HITS BREAKDOWN

 

The new Tom Petty Greatest Hits CD is out today and yes, the tracks are remastered and a vast improvement over the last package.  It does underscore the need, though, to perhaps have his albums remastered... especially Full Moon Fever.  The version of FMF you can buy in the store today is the same faint version that was made available on its original release... in 1989. 

Can you imagine a remaster of that and Into The Great Wide Open done like the Wilburys remasters??

MR. JET BLUE SKY

Jeff lands another commercial campaign.  Mr Blue Sky (actually Jeff's most recent remake of it) is the centerpiece for JetBlue's Happy Jetting.

TOO MUCH, EVEN FOR ME...

 

You know the Discovery box (see picture) that holds 9 of ELO's Sony Paper Sleeve Collection CDs.  A box alone just sold for $102.51 at auction on eBay.  Just the box.  They are official, if not approved, collectors items made from a company called Disc Union for many groups' paper sleeve series, but wow.

There are other empty boxes for sale (not just ELO) I'm having considerable trouble finding for under $50.  Again, wow.

ANOTHER GROUP SAYS GROOOSSSSS

For those of you who like cover versions, here's a press release about The Northern Kings.  The Finland-based group will have a new album in UK on 16 June called Reborn.  Among the album's 13 cover versions is ELO's Don't Bring Me Down. 

Hat Tip: Will Taylor at Noble PR

THE WILBURYS RETURN STRIKES GOLD

     

From Rhino:

THE WILBURYS RETURN STRIKES GOLD The Traveling Wilburys Collection Is Certified Gold as Rhino Releases Remastered and Expanded Versions of Volume 1 and Volume 3 Individually

Available June 3 from Rhino Records

May 05 2008

LOS ANGELES --

After being out-of-print for more than a decade, Rhino reintroduced The Traveling Wilburys' music last year with The Traveling Wilburys Collection. The set, which features previously unreleased bonus tracks, has been certified gold. The legendary super-group of musical "brothers" stays in the spotlight as Rhino releases expanded and remastered versions of the band's historic, Grammy-winning 1988 debut and 1990 follow-up as individual albums.

With a lineup featuring esteemed artists Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty, the Traveling Wilburys were a one-of-a-kind musical phenomenon. The remastering of the music featured on VOLUME 1 and VOLUME 3 was supervised by Lynne.

The all-star configuration came about by chance when the members convened at a Southern California studio in 1988 to record a B-side for a single by Harrison. Recalling the group's origins, Harrison was often quoted as saying: "And so everybody was there and I thought, I'm not gonna just sing it myself, I've got Roy Orbison standing there. I'm gonna write a bit for Roy to sing. And then, as it progressed, thenI started doing the vocals and I just thought I might as well push it a bit and get Tom and Bob to sing the bridge." The experience recording "Handle With Care" was so much fun they decided to release it under the Wilburys moniker and continue the collaboration with an album's worth of songs.

Their camaraderie is heard in every groove on Rhino's remastered reissue of their now-historic, VOLUME 1. The album achieved wide critical acclaim, and most critics agreed that the music was so extraordinary because of the modest ambitions of the band, which translated to a fresh and relaxing sound. Rolling Stone instantly hailed it as one of the Top 100 Albums of all time. The album also saw commercial success: it reached #3 on the Album charts, garnered double-platinum status, and earned the group a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. The remastered version includes the bonus tracks "Maxine" and "Like A Ship."

The Wilburys followed it up in 1990 with the group's second full-length, VOLUME 3. The disc was recorded without Orbison, who passed away in '88, but the songs are still full of the spirit that made their musical "brotherhood" the stuff of legend. With Harrison and Lynne producing again, both "She's My Baby" and "Wilbury Twist" became radio hits as the album reached #11 in the U.S. and achieved platinum success. The remastered version includes the bonus tracks "Nobody's Child" and "Runaway."

VOLUME 1
Track Listing

1. "Handle With Care"
2. "Dirty World"
3. "Rattled"
4. "Last Night"
5. "Not Alone Any More"
6. "Congratulations"
7. "Heading For The Light"
8. "Margarita"
9. "Tweeter And The Monkey Man"
10. "End Of The Line"
Bonus Tracks
11. "Maxine"
12. "Like A Ship"

VOLUME 3
Track Listing

1. "She's My Baby"
2. "Inside Out"
3. "If You Belonged To Me"
4. "The Devil's Been Busy"
5. "7 Deadly Sins"
6. "Poor House"
7. "Where Were You Last Night?"
8. "Cool Dry Place"
9. "New Blue Moon"
10. "You Took My Breath Away"
11. "Wilbury Twist"
Bonus Tracks
12. "Nobody's Child"
13. "Runaway"

TOM PETTY GREATEST HITS

Anyone who bought the new Mudcutch CD probably noticed the small insert that came with it.  Turns out, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits is being altered and re-issued on May 20.  The collection has new album art and apparently replaces Something In The Air with Stop Draggin' My Heart Around with Stevie Nicks. 

The tracks (including 5 produced by Jeff Lynne titles) are remastered.  To date, Full Moon Fever or Into The Great Wide Open have yet to get a badly needed remastering job.

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DAVE EDMUNDS PAPER SLEEVE COLLECTION

The new Dave Edmunds Mini-LP collection is out now including two of his albums with some help from Jeff Lynne.  Information (from 1983) and Riff Raff (from 1984 and a rarity on CD) have joined a growing list of paper sleeve collection CDs.

The remastering has me a bit perplexed, though.  Remember, both CDs were remastered and re-issued on BGO in 2002 with excellent results.  These new CDs however are much louder and powerful (and sweetened for lack a better descriptor.)  While I think some people will prefer the sound of these, I'm beginning to see why "flatter" is a bit better in this case.  The new CDs just blast through the headphones (a good thing) but I'm detecting parts where the fine little details are getting crushed and buried.

I have yet to give them a spin on the main stereo, though.  We'll see how they fare there.

Outside of that, the paper sleeves are beautifuly made.  However, the two Edmunds CDs I got contained only the album cover with CD and black and white lyric booklet inside.  That's it.  ELO, as you may or may not know, made out much better than that.

And no matter how good the remastering, I still, to this day, can't make out the first 6 syllables of Breaking Out.

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TOM PETTY GOES SHM-CD

Another Japanese release of note in the coming weeks.  Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits CD is being re-released on the SHM-CD format which is compatible with standard CD players. 

The format promises better sound through the use of a polycarbonate plastic disc.  But, if they're not using a better, newly prepared master, it's hard to figure out how much better the sounds on this disc will be.  Anyone who knows about this process and/or format, please weigh in.

Anyway, the disc (with 5 produced by Jeff Lynne cuts) is out May 28.

CONCERT FOR GEORGE

For the record, the Concert For George is now available digitally on most of the main online music outlets, and at least in the case of iTunes, the "album" includes the Sam Brown and Jools Holland's rendition of A Horse To Water that didn't make the original CD.

LOOKING AREA FLY ON

Well, indications are that it may take a while for any bonus material for the new Fly/Salvo edition of Looking On to appear online.  Other than the USA edit of Brontosaurus, there's apparently not much left.  The Salvo Looking On website is teasing us with Falling Forever "if you pray hard enough..." which I personally translate into "fat chance."  But hope does indeed spring eternal.

I GUESS BY NOW YOU GOT THE GIST...

The April 23 post of Musictap.net claims Rhino has the Traveling Wilburys Volume One and Volume 3 CDs separately on the docket for June 3.  If this is true, I would not expect anything other than what's on the Traveling Wilburys Collection CDs.

Since the Traveling Wilburys Collection seemed to satisfy everyone who wanted to buy the Wilburys again, I would think it would be wise for Rhino to tack on the extended versions and other related bonus tracks (like, say, the remix of Not Alone Any More) to their respective CDs.  I would not count on it, though.