Time Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't know if its being the first LP I ever bought has anything to do with it, but I've always cherished *Time* and continue to listen to it with surprising regularity. The arrangements are both more intricate and more atmospheric than those on many other ELO albums, and the loose but present narrative thread (of a man lured to an enticing but ultimately lonely future) has always captivated me. "Ticket to the Moon" embodies more than one kind of longing, and its heart-wrenching beauty has few parallels in pop music.
This fresh edition of the album is superlative in almost every respect. The sound, while still dynamically compressed, is extremely true to the astonishing quality of the original LP, with perhaps greater heft in the bottom end (but not so much as to make it sound overly equalized) and of course no surface noise in the quiet moments!
It probably goes without saying that the new version trumps the original CD, mastered by the great Joe Gastwirt in the late '80s. While timbrally respectable, Gastwirt's version still suffered at the hands of the relatively poor-quality analog-to-digital converters of the day, and for some reason certain song transitions did not originally make it the CD intact (track 5 into 6, track 11 into 12); these are restored on this new edition.
The original CD lacked lyrics and complete liner notes, and these also can be found on the remastered disc. The CD's only failing is in the petty "commentary" from Jeff Lynne, who more often belittles than illuminates his music (the commentary on the new box set, *Flashback*, is little better). At best, Lynne offers insight on the keyboard sounds used in the haunting instrumental, "Another Heart Breaks"; at worst he sounds put out at having to say anything at all: his comment for "The Lights Go Down" is merely "I guess the lights went down." One would think this reissue were being put out under duress!
In any case, if you liked this record or are feeling adventurous and want to hear one of the best albums released in the 1980s, add this to your cart!

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Highway Companion Review

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Tom Petty fans rejoice because he's back with his third solo studio album `Highway Companion.' The album consists of 12 tracks that are perfect for a road trip and live up to the classic guitar rock sound that fans of Petty have loved for years.
`Highway Companion' finds Petty once again teaming with musicians Jeff Lynne (who produced the album and was a member of the Traveling Wilburys band with Petty) and Mike Campbell (longtime guitarist for Petty and the Heartbreakers).
The album features a stripped down studio rock sound closer to the sound that Petty did on 1989's `Full Moon Fever' than the singer's follow-up solo album `Wildflowers' in 1994. All of the songs were once again written by Petty, and the singer/songwriter also played rhythm guitar, drums, harmonica, electric piano, bass, and lead guitar and provided lead and backing vocals on the album's various tracks.
`Highway Companion' (which Petty describes as being about the passing of time) is filled with the type of rock songs that one would expect from Petty, and never strays too far from the formula of song writing that made him a rock icon. It kicks off with the "blues heavy" track "Saving Grace" - with lyrics that set the tone for the whole album.
The song is simply the perfect way to start a rock album, and you will be in love with `Highway Companion' before Petty finishes the track. This is a heavy blues song filled with guitar riffs similar to "Running Down a Dream" or something off a Bo Diddley album. Petty keeps other parts of the album bluesy with tracks like "Jack," "Turn This Car Around," and "This Old Town."
"Flirting with Time" and "Down South" are reminiscent of work done by Petty and the Heartbreakers on albums like `Echo' and `Into the Great Wide Open.' Tracks like "Big Weekend" and "Ankle Deep" seem influenced by Petty's work with the Traveling Wilburys.
Petty then slows things down with tracks like "Square One" and "Damaged by Love" which features the songwriter's unique ability to craft lyrics that seem simple and profound at the same time. If you were not hooked by the end of the first track, "Square One" will win you over.
If you are a fan of Tom Petty's solo work or his work with the Heartbreakers then you will want this album. It is a good blend of all the influences throughout Petty's career, and every song is a hit. Petty packs the album full of guitar driven rock, catchy lyrics, and choruses that have good enough hooks to keep you singing them after one listen.


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Highway Companion, Tom Petty's third solo album and first in a dozen years, is a timeless album about the passing of time. A constant companion on the road of rock n' roll, Petty, says Rolling Stone, is "rock aristocracy".

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Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)Zoom, ELO's first studio album since Balance of Power some 15 years ago, is a fun and rock and rollicking return. The new version of the ELO spaceship contains elements of both old school ELO and some modern dashes, such as they are with the musical style of Lynne, a huge fan of retro, 50's based rock and roll. Throw in some dashes of Beatles influence (helped by former Fabs George Harrison and Ringo Starr) on songs like "Just For Love" (try to avoid the John Lennon, "Across the Universe" influence), and of course some Traveling Wilburys touches, especially on "Easy Money," a hard-up rocker kind of like "Four Little Diamonds," off of ELO's "Secret Messages," and the album comes across as a nice listen. In fact, Lynne's preferred musical style better fits his lyrics, which were never really all that complicated; they're a way to help guide you to the melodies, which were always (and no exception here) very strong. But that's not to say that the album is predictable, either. There are little wrinkles throughout that make a close listen rewarded: the use of strings seem more tied to establishing melody instead of just supporting it, the little hints of past ELO songs ("Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" in "All She Wanted," the afore mentioned "Four Little Diamonds" in "Easy Money," and tap dancing, straight out of "Jungle", for "In My Own Time,"), and the last song, called "Lonesome Melody," which is a rocker despite the song title. One last thing: for those who hated ELO in their earlier days, 1) the sound of this album feels much more accessible than ELO's style perhaps 20 years ago, and 2) Lynne has largely changed the use of the strings, using them to create melody and using guitars to establish support, which makes for a much more solid sounding set of songs. Highly recommended, with strong songs throughout, plus some nice surprises as well!

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Electric Light Orchestra: "Out of the Blue" Tour - Live at Wembley/Discovery Review

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(More customer reviews)ALL Listening? good! I will begin, DO NOT BUY THIS for the ELO concert, (Discovery videos fine)
Why do I say this? do i hate ELO? Do I hate this concert? NO and NO! This is the concert that many would be critics latched on to and accused the band of lip-synching their way through live shows! The sound has not been touched since it was broadcast on television in the seventies and whilst that would have sounded fine back then on our mono cathode ray tubes then, it does not bear repeating today!
Did ELO lip sync? NO!!!!!!! but watching this you could easily be fooled as many others were back then! I urge you to seek out the 2006 special edition of this fine concert to Truly hear what was played that night (The one without Discovery) The sound mix on this concert has been damaging to ELOs legacy and led people (including the Rock & Roll hall of fame) to dismiss this seminal band out of hand!.
Lets set the record straight! the sound mix used on ALL versions of this concert (up to 2006)was a puerile mono sound TV only mix that was dubbed over with the studio versions of the songs on several tracks! why? god alone knows, But it has taken as long as 28 years to put right Remember get the 2006 Out Of the Blue Live at Wembley!!! to at last hear this group perform LIVE on this concert and in DTS surround!
Only buy This version if you want the Discovery videos!
Thank you for listening.

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