Jeff Lynne – Long Wave
Frontiers Records
www.elo.biz
Rating: B+
Returning from a long winter’s nap is ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne. His newest album, Long Wave, to be released October 9th is a collection of songs, most predating the rock and roll era. Lynne was captivated by these tunes as a child and has put his own spin on them, making them a true blast from the past with ELO sprinkles on top!
This album is a testament to Lynne’s musical genius. Who would ever think of making pop rock versions of “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” or “”Smile”?
What makes this so wonderful is that is works – everything Jeff does works. And he did it all himself, he plays and sings everything.
He even pays homage to his ex-bandmate in the Traveling Wiburys, Roy Orbison on the classic tune “Running Scared.” The result is very emotional.
He has fun on “Mercy Mercy” and the Chuck Berry classic “Let It Rock” and goes a tad ELO meets the Beatles (like he has never done that before) on “She” and “So Sad.”
At the end of the day, Lynne is back with a wonderful collection of songs, straight from his heart, fingertips and vocal chords to you. He pulls this one off with ease leaving all who love his talents wanting more.
By Jeb Wright
