My Jeff Lynne wish list for the years to come
I've been thinking about what I'd like to hear from Jeff Lynne in the years to come, though I don't expect any of these to ever happen. (If I were a close friend and confidant of Jeff, though, I'd give him a kick in the arse and tell him to get to work.)
Jeff is often accused - and sometimes praised - for being too "posh" in his production style. Sometimes for not being posh enough. It's ok with me if he goes either way. In fact I'd like to hear some of each. Here are some things I'd like to hear from this genius:
* A live album recorded in a club, with Jeff doing stripped down, intimate versions of well known and lots of not-so-well-known tracks)covering his career from the Idle Race to Zoom (the last ELO album), and a few neat covers, maybe.
* (At least) one more ELO studio album, with lots of strings (though not necessarily strings on every song). But I'd like it to be more of a group effort than Zoom was, even if Jeff writes all the songs and tells the others what to play! Sure, I'd like it to be the classic line-up, with Roy Wood guest-starring on a couple of tracks. But that's not bloody likely. OK, how about the Zoom tour line-up plus Bev Bevan? (Those two need to kiss (figuratively, that is) and make up.)
* A live album, put together with the same care as, say, Concert For George, to document the tour that results from the above studio album. It would contain lots of songs in addition to the main set list, because the group would rotate lots of cool lesser known numbers in at various shows around the world - and record them for posterity.
* A true solo album - just Jeff himself, on vocals, plus guitar and piano (only one instrument at a time, though - no overdubbing) doing new original material.
* An instrumental album. This could be Jeff or ELO. Posh or not. Orchestral or not.
* A solo album that does feature other players, with interesting collaborations with, in no particular order, Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield, Justin Hayward, Roger McGuinn, Randy Bachman and, don't laugh, Robin Gibb. Plus Anoushka Shankar.
But I know. I am dreaming in Technicolor.
Jeff is often accused - and sometimes praised - for being too "posh" in his production style. Sometimes for not being posh enough. It's ok with me if he goes either way. In fact I'd like to hear some of each. Here are some things I'd like to hear from this genius:
* A live album recorded in a club, with Jeff doing stripped down, intimate versions of well known and lots of not-so-well-known tracks)covering his career from the Idle Race to Zoom (the last ELO album), and a few neat covers, maybe.
* (At least) one more ELO studio album, with lots of strings (though not necessarily strings on every song). But I'd like it to be more of a group effort than Zoom was, even if Jeff writes all the songs and tells the others what to play! Sure, I'd like it to be the classic line-up, with Roy Wood guest-starring on a couple of tracks. But that's not bloody likely. OK, how about the Zoom tour line-up plus Bev Bevan? (Those two need to kiss (figuratively, that is) and make up.)
* A live album, put together with the same care as, say, Concert For George, to document the tour that results from the above studio album. It would contain lots of songs in addition to the main set list, because the group would rotate lots of cool lesser known numbers in at various shows around the world - and record them for posterity.
* A true solo album - just Jeff himself, on vocals, plus guitar and piano (only one instrument at a time, though - no overdubbing) doing new original material.
* An instrumental album. This could be Jeff or ELO. Posh or not. Orchestral or not.
* A solo album that does feature other players, with interesting collaborations with, in no particular order, Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield, Justin Hayward, Roger McGuinn, Randy Bachman and, don't laugh, Robin Gibb. Plus Anoushka Shankar.
But I know. I am dreaming in Technicolor.
posted by droppingpin at 8:37 PM
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