Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Mainstream/AOR | Heft: Jahrgang 2013, eclipsed Nr. 150 / 5-2013 | VÖ-Jahr: 2013 | Wertung: 6/10 | Label: Frontiers | Autor: ML
Jeff Lynnes first solo album "Armchair Theatre" was released in 1990. The new version of the album was now pimped up with two bonus tracks ("Borderline" and "Forecast"). In contrast to last year's cover album "Long Wave" "Armchair Theatre" has much more charm and drive. It was released shortly after Lynne joined the Travelling Wilburys and produced George Harrison's "Cloud Nine". So it is not surprising that Harrison appears several times as a guest musician. But even then Lynne was a loner who preferred to play all instruments himself. Richard Tandy (ELO) is one of the few steady fellow musicians. Basically, Lynne doesn't offer much else on this work than on the Electric Light Orchestra albums recorded before, except for his more openly carried out weakness for Schmacht schmaltz ("September Song"). And that's the difference to most ELOWerken, because there they usually managed not to cross the border between emotional pop and kitsch. Here the stylistic confidence is missing, even if some tracks are great.
Top track: Every Little Thing