alexis
I'll Be On My Way
Posts: 447
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Post by alexis on Apr 4, 2008 23:45:18 GMT
Wow, heard a song of theirs today (nothing special, "Telephone Line"), and I remembered that these guys sounded like nothing but the Beatles with 70's effects. Harmonies, minor chords, middle eights, the works.
I guess Jeff Lynne knew he'd be auditioning for the Traveling Wilbury's one day!
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alaskan
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 64
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Post by alaskan on Apr 5, 2008 2:06:24 GMT
Lynne's sound, from my estimate, was shaped by and used as a starting point John's sound in '67, being very similar in distorted vocal and eclectic string arrangements as part of his songs. Going all the way back to the original Electric Light Orchestra, which still had Roy Wood in the lineup on the first release (thus the first Lynne only album was ELO II). He was a real natural at that sound and always struck me as carrying the torch of that mix created by "I Am The Walrus"
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woodbine
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 27
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Post by woodbine on Apr 5, 2008 2:35:30 GMT
alaskan, your comments are right on the money. ELO's early cover of "Roll Over Beethoven" is interesting in this connection. I know, the original was a George vocal, not John, but the heavy strings in it are very Beatles.
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Post by The End on Apr 5, 2008 8:33:50 GMT
It's a shame Lynne didn't follow The Beatles' example of making every song sound different - you can spot a Lynne production a mile off! Not many people could make Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and The Beatles sound like ELO!
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alaskan
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 64
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Post by alaskan on Apr 5, 2008 16:18:50 GMT
I think he got sort of trapped in the musical world he made. I mean, the first release simply titled Electric Light Orchestra was a smaller band - still not fully evolved as Lynne was sharing songwriting with Roy Wood, a much more straight ahead rocker. It took til ELO II, when Wood had left and Lynne expended the strings that it took on the sound he wanted. On that one, his vocal is heavily reverbed. Great cuts off ELO II are "From the Sun to the World" and "Old England Town". They are a very inventive marriage of real rock and strings. The later stuff appeared as if he simply ran out direction for that sound. Maybe the true indicator of his affection for the Beatles was his production work in one of the post-breakuo releases. I'm sure it was a labor of love.
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barrywom
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 33
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Post by barrywom on Jan 29, 2013 20:39:57 GMT
That first self titled LP by the way (in the US called No Answer) has a track called Look at me now which is really in the scope of this thread or forum board. From the first hearing (in 1972 that was for me) is sounded like Eleanor Rigby, part two! Take a listen:
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Post by The End on Feb 3, 2013 16:33:11 GMT
Not heard that before - totally agree though. That's Roy Wood on lead vocals, right?
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barrywom
What Goes On In Your Heart
Posts: 33
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Post by barrywom on Feb 6, 2013 19:12:10 GMT
Yes it is.
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