Wednesday, August 27, 2008

MOVE ANTHOLOGY 1966-1972

 

The long awaited Move Anthology 4 CD box set will apparently be out on September 29 in the UK.  The track list according to Play.com:

Disc 1: 1966 - 1967

  1. You're The One I Need
  2. I Can't Hear You No More
  3. Is It True
  4. Respectable
  5. Night Of Fear (Alternate Version)
  6. Disturbance (Undubbed Alternate Version)
  7. I Can Hear The Grass Grow (Full-Length Version)
  8. Move
  9. Wave The Flag And Stop The Train
  10. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (Stereo)
  11. Flowers & Lemon Tea (Tony Visconti Talks To The Players)
  12. Flowers In The Rain
  13. Cherry Blossom Clinic (Enhanced Stereo)
  14. Vote For Me (Mono)
  15. Fire Brigade (Early Piano Version; Rough Mix)
  16. Useless Information
  17. Yellow Rainbow (Enhanced Stereo)
  18. Kilroy Was Here (Enhanced Stereo)
  19. Fire Brigade
  20. The Girl Outside (Alternate Take)
  21. Mist On A Monday Morning (Enhanced Stereo)
  22. Flowers In The Rain (Acoustic Version; Rough Mix)
  23. Simple Simon (Take 6 Backing Track; Rough Mix)

 Disc 2: Live At The Marquee 1968

  1. Move Bolero (Live)
  2. It'll Be Me(Live)
  3. Too Much In Love (Live)
  4. Flowers In The Rain (Live)
  5. Fire Brigade (Live)
  6. Stephanie Knows Who (Live)
  7. Something Else (Live)
  8. So You Want To Be A Rock'n'Roll Star (Live)
  9. The Price Of Love (Live)
  10. Piece Of My Heart (Live) *
  11. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher (Live)
  12. Sunshine Help Me (Live)

 Disc 3: 1968 - 1969

  1. Somethin Else (EP Version)
  2. Sunshine Help Me (EP Version)
  3. Wild Tiger Woman (UK Single Edit)
  4. Omnibus (Enhanced Stereo)
  5. Blackberry Way
  6. A Certain Something (Piano Version; Rough Mix)
  7. Curly
  8. Second Class (She's Too Good For Me) (Part 1)
  9. Second Class (She's Too Good For Me) (Part 2)
  10. Beautiful Daughter (Reduced Mix)
  11. This Time Tomorrow
  12. Hello Susie (Abridged)
  13. Dont Make My Baby Blue
  14. The Last Thing On My Mind
  15. Open My Eyes (Live At Fillmore West 1969)

 Disc 4: 1969 - 1972

  1. I Can Hear The Grass Grow (Fillmore West 1969)
  2. Brontosaurus (US Promo Edit)
  3. When Alice Comes Back To The Farm
  4. Turkish Tram Conductor Blues (Take 5; Rough Mix)
  5. Feel Too Good
  6. Lightnin' Never Strikes Twice
  7. Ella James
  8. Tonight (US Edited Version)
  9. Do Ya (Edited Version)
  10. Chinatown
  11. California Man
  12. The Duke Of Edinburgh's Lettuce

I have to admit, I'm not terribly excited by this track list yet.

PLAYLIST

It appears the ELO Playlist CD is already out.

Indeed, this is a re-packaged Essential Electric Light Orchestra collection from 2003.  The one difference, there's an enhanced section on the CD that leads you to additional photos (including one of the newer shots of Jeff used in the Yamaha magazine article about him), credits and most notibly, 2 new wallpapers.  I had a hell of time trying to access the wallpaper, but here are direct links to them:

http://feature.legacyrecordings.com/playlist/ELO/playlist_elo_1024x768.jpg

http://feature.legacyrecordings.com/playlist/ELO/playlist_elo_1680x1050.jpg

http://feature.legacyrecordings.com/playlist/ELO/playlist_elo2_1680x1050.jpg

http://feature.legacyrecordings.com/playlist/ELO/playlist_elo2_1024x768.jpg

By the way, if you think the Essential madness is over, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Judas Preist, Journey and several others are getting Essential 3.0 releases.  They contain a third music CD of more hits and fan favorites.  Funny.

Two other observations:  1) There are no post-1974 group photos in the enhanced section... and 2) There's an ELO Part II CD in the discography.

A SKATELY PLEASURE-DOME DECREE

 

While taking this week off, I thought I'd take in a show.  Actually, I meant to see Xanadu on Broadway a while ago, I just had major fears about what I was going to see when I got there.  I'm not really a Broadway musicals fanatic, but after 2 Tony award nominations, I figured it was worth trying.

But it was hard to get to that point.  Xanadu (the film) got some of the most horrifying reviews ever.  I mean, what's not to love about a creative muse who pops out of a mural with her 8 sisters and persuades 2 men (a character played Gene Kelly one of them) to open a roller disco?

Frankly, the new Broadway cast CD and performances on TV didn't help me.  I just didn't see it translating well.

That was then.

Flash forward to last night, I get my Playbill and my glow stick, then finally settle into my seat. Surprise #1, the Helen Hayes Theatre was a packed house.

The house lights dim, then I brace myself for the worst. The male lead, Cheyenne Jackson, sets up the first number. The music strikes up, the mural "comes to life" and the festivities begin. As soon as you realize that two of the muses were now guys, all bets were off.

Xanadu on Broadway was excellent.

It's now a jacked-up, and high-camp comedy only loosely based on the film.  The talent was amazing, every one of them. And for the record, I caught it with Whoopie Goldberg... a huge bonus.

The jokes were far from stale.  Like I said, two of the muses are now guys: the muse of comedy and the muse of dance.  However, if that idea bothers you, stay as far away from this show as you can.

Otherwise, prepare to have a great time in a very Mama Mia-esque kinda way.

Rob Caiger, by the way, is interviewed about Jeff in Xanadu: The Book!  Seriously!  which is sold at the Helen Hayes Theatre.  While Rob's interview is quite good, it should be an interview with Jeff.  And given the Tony nominations and the good will, fun and humor this show is creating, Jeff may want to consider embracing this production very publicly.  I'm not confident it's his kind of humor, but the show won over so many.

I'm almost shocked how much fun it was.

I'm now officially thankful Xanadu was an awful movie.

Here's their webiste, and for discount tickets (highly recommended, the show is not cheap) go to broadwayoffers.com and enter XUDVD85.  For a larger premium, there are seats on the stage.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

ROY ORBISON BOX

On top of what appears to be a complete overhaul of his website, there's a career-spanning box set from Roy Orbison on the docket for Tuesday September 30 from Legacy.

While there's nothing new studio-wise (unreleased) from his later years (Jeff Lynne-produced to be more to the point,) all 5 of Roy's released recordings with Jeff at the helm have made the cut as well as the Wilburys Not Alone Any More. 

For the record, the only other Lynne-related track is a mash-up/remix of an old original and a newer version of Ooby Dooby.  That did not make the cut.

Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty will be among a slew of artists who will contributing comments to the liner notes.