Synergy

Synergy

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
2001 single for the Dutch dance act, their follow-up to the seminal 'Roaches'. Four mixes, Kenneth Graham's Signit Mix, Blackwatch Merseyside Mix, John Graham's Quivver Mix & Original Mix.

Tracks:

High Life
Panda's Dream
Swunk
A Simple Prayer
Cape Fear
Wet Skin
Synergy
Where's My Paradise?
Lucky Seven
Swamp Thing
Cultural Concurrence
Tower '99

Amazon.com

Drummer Dave Weckl gained such a cultlike following playing with Chick Corea's Elektric and Akoustic bands in the 1980s that he could probably release an album of solo wood-block tapping and have it sell enough copies to make the effort worthwhile. So it's a pleasant surprise that Synergy is a decidedly group effort that thrusts the varied compositional talents and versatility of Weckl and his bandmates to the forefront instead of merely showcasing the leader's drum chops. Not that Weckl has been letting those chops sag; his solo percussion odyssey "Cultural Concurrence" and his ferocious soloing over the Latin groove of the title track are enough to give air drummers everywhere a workout. But what makes Synergy more listenable than some of Weckl's other efforts is the inspired group interplay that finds him and his longtime touring ensemble--saxophonist Brandon Fields, keyboardist Jay Oliver, guitarist Buzz Feiten, and bassist Tommy Kennedy--locking in on grooves that push beyond his normal jazz-fusion terrain. From the West African feel of "High Life" to the Cajun-tinged "Swamp Thing" to the swanky James Brown funk of "Wet Skin," Synergy is an inspired and varied outing. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews:

The octopuss.......2005-02-14

Dave Weckl is an amazing musician, this is clearly stated in this great album, his drumm-driven compositions are enjoyable even to those who dont really care about the drummer. Great playing all around and a very fun recording, i keep comming back to this one.

Mr. Weckl shows he's a composer and a musician.......2004-03-18

By far, this is my favorite of The Dave Weckl Band. Yes, his previous releases really were a whole bunch of flying sticks bashing out ridiculously perfect rhythms. But this album shows true musicianship and very nice composition. I think this is the one that turned peoples' heads and made them realize that Dave Weckl is far more than just a master percussionist.

And for the one that thinks there was an "infringement"...synergy is a word...you can't trademark a word and think that suddenly that word can't be used.
From Webster's dictionary:
Synergy -
1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
2. Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.

If you look at those two descriptions, both describe the music on this album to a "t".

Awesome drummer.......2003-03-26

Dave is the best drummer in the world hands down. To the reviewer who thinks anybody cares about trademarks and basing their decision of buying a CD on that....get a life buddy!

more drum mastery.......2000-10-07

I much prefer acoustic jazz to electric; but being a drummer, I buy ever new Dave Weckl CD that comes out. The guy is just so smooth it's ridiclous. Although every aspect of his drumming is nearly flawless, his combo tom/splash fills are just the best. Additionally, Buzz Feiten plays some great guitar solos on this record, particularly track 2. Unfortunately, he won't be on the new release. Jay Oliver has left the band too. Personally, I love over-the-top drums, and could listen to Dave's earlier solo-fest recordings all day. That is why this recording and the first Weckl Band release were a little disappointing to me at first. I wasn't expecting so much in the pocket playing from Dave. They grow on you though. All of the songs are inventive and well crafted. After repeated listening, you become more and more in awe of what the best of the best can do. Can't wait for his new one. Check out the live mp3s downloadable from Dave's website. They will blow your head off!

The Dave Weckl Band: Synergy.......2000-02-04

This is the follow-up CD to Rhythm of Soul and they picked up right where they left off. Another musical masterpiece by drummer/band leader Dave Weckl. Synergy is full of tight grooves, musical solos, and creative musicality from all of the band members. This CD is filled with many musical styles to fit everybody's taste.

Average customer rating:

Synergy
Glass Harp
Manufacturer: Music Mill
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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Glass Harp
It Makes Me Glad
Glass Harp: Live at Carnegie Hall
Jammed!
Freehand

ASIN: B000BFH2SM
Release Date: 2005-10-14

Tracks:

One Day at a Time (3:40)
Never Is a Long Time (3:25)
Just Always (5:05)
Special Friends (2:42)
Coming Home (3:31)
Song of Hope (4:21)
Child of the Universe (3:00)
Mountains (3:59)
Answer (2:38)
Dawn of a New Day (2:55)
Let the Bells Ring (6:52)

Album Description

On November 8, 2005, Nashville-based Music Mill Entertainment will re-issue the three full-length projects recorded by rock pioneers, Glass Harp. Simultaneously released will be Glass Harp (1970), Synergy (1971) and It Makes Me Glad (1972) - all out-of-print for more than three decades.

Lewis Merenstein, who won a Grammy® for his work on Van Morrison's Moondance (also produced Spencer Davis Group, John Cale, Gladys Knight, others), originally produced all three sets by the progressive-rock trio. Recorded at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios, the newly re-mastered volumes now contain bonus material of previously unreleased songs.

Glass Harp is known as much for its extended live jams and improvisations as for being the vehicle that gave rise to Contemporary Christian guitarist, singer and icon Phil Keaggy. Keaggy joined the band while still in high school and helped propel it from local to regional status and beyond. At its peak, Glass Harp toured with The Kinks (at Madison Square Garden), Iron Butterfly, Yes, Traffic, Humble Pie, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent and Chicago.

Phil Keaggy left Glass Harp in 1972 just after the release of It Makes Me Glad. The following year, after a brief stint with another influential Christian group Love Song, he recorded his first solo album, What a Day. Since then, Keaggy has released dozens of albums earning popular acclaim for his guitar virtuosity, songwriting and Beatle-esque vocal flavor. He also spent much of the `70's and `80's recording and performing with myriad Contemporary Christian artists while, in effect, helping to build the very healthy CCM genre.

Bassist Daniel Pecchio later co-founded the Cleveland rock outfit the Michael Stanley Band. The group enjoyed a ravenous local following and a reputation as a great live band. The pop charts also boasted several AOR/pop singles from the band in the early 1980's.

Drummer John Sferra worked as a solo artist and has sometimes performed as a member of Keaggy's band.

Tracks:

The Girl From Ipanema
Black Magic
Love For Sale
Meu Piao
Far Away
Medley: Mamae Eu Quero & Chica Chica Moon Chic
All I've Got
The Puppy Song
Wanting You
We'll Make Today Last Night Again

Average customer rating:

Emotionally Blue
Shakatak
Manufacturer: Synergy Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000QUU5XQ
Release Date: 2007-07-09

Tracks:

All Because of You
Emotionally Blue
Osaka Skyline
5 A.M.
Cascade
Two Hearts
Te Amo
Lagoon
Turn on the Stars
Can't Make the Night
Time and Again
Fall in Love
Small Hours

Average customer rating:

Lyric sheet not included. . .and still no guitars

Sequencer
Synergy
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra
Cords
Games
Audion
Metropolitan Suite

ASIN: B000167XW6
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

S-Scape
Chateau
Cybersports
Classical Gas Paradox:
A. Largo, New World Symphony
B. Icarus
Sequence 14
Sequence 14 [Original 1975 Demo]

Product Description

1. S-scape
2. Chateau
3. Cyber-sports
4. Classical Gas
5. Paradox
a. Largo, New World Symphony
b. Icarus
6. Sequence 14

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Lyric sheet not included. . .and still no guitars.......2005-12-04

After the promise of Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra the previous year, one would think that Sequencer would have been a comparatively impressive work. Unfortunately, this album is gravely disappointing compared to the first album. S-Scape, the first track, ends as soon as it starts to get good. Other tracks, like the wonderful Chateau and the cool Cybersports, are good short pieces but offer only a taste of the Synergy heard in ER. It just strikes me that Larry Fast may have been a bit short on material (or energy) at the time he created this album as the majority of the pieces on it are either covers of others' works or tone sequences. Only once the last track (Sequence) 17 gets going do you begin to hear the Synergy character that you wanted to hear more of when you bought the album.

Now don't get me wrong--there are tracks in here that are definitely worth listening to. It's not a bad album, but this is not the best that Synergy has to offer.

Average customer rating:

A sparkling gem in the metal world
Christian rocker chick
Just depends on how you look at, I guess.
QUINTEESENTIAL PROGRESSIVE DEATH METAL!!!
Great metal from the Norwiegan metal band

Synergy
Extol
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Undeceived
Burial
The Blueprint Dives
Mesmerized
Solace

ASIN: B00009KV3I
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Grace For Succession
Paradigms
Pyschopath
Blood Red Cover
26 Miles From Marathon
Confession Of Inadequacy
Scrape The Surface
Thrash Synergy
Aperture
Emancipation
Nihilism 2002

Album Description

After inking a deal with Century Media on a worldwide basis, Norway's Extol are unleashing their third album. Recorded in Oslo's Toproom Studio with Birge Finstad (Borknager, Mayhem), the band married a more direct and thrashy approach to their already complex, yet melodic style. Having built a substantial international following based on the strength of 2002s Undeceived album, the band is eager to capitalize on their new found success and have crafted an album that no discerning fan of Swedish Metal should be without. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

A sparkling gem in the metal world.......2007-02-20

After my most recent listen, I can safely conclude that this cd belongs at the top of anyone's list of technical metal bands. In my opinion, there is simply no comparing other bands to the beautiful concoction of metal that is Extol. Here's why:

Synergy has THE most terrifyingly complex guitar riffs I've ever heard. I really cannot describe it. You just have to buy it and find out for yourself. I cannot stress enough how amazingly good the guitar and bass trio of Extol is. As a guitarist myself, I have yet to hear any one who can match these guys' right hand dexterity with palm muting/tremolo picking. It is absolutely sick.

Between the Buried and Me, Dillenger Escape Plan, Death, Cynic, Alarum, Spastic Ink, Spiral Architect, Nile, and all the other Tech Metal heavies...as amazing as they all are, the progressiveness of Synergy surpasses all and utterly obliterates most of them.

Synergy truly takes the cliche of "organized chaos" and makes it a reality. The guitar duo and bass somehow managed to pull off the most stunningly jagged, angular, chromatic, polytonal, and crunching guitar riffs and seamlessly melded them with an almost scary sense of musicality. Before I said the word "musicality" everyone probably thought of Dillenger Escape Plan or Between the Buried and Me. Don't think of them as a Dillenger or BTBAM. BTBAM's riffs pale in complexity when compared to those on Synergy. And I'm not just saying that to be a jerk. I actually love BTBAM, but for the sake of this review...their riffs don't hold a candle to the ones on this cd.

But Extol didn't just put on the Progressive helmet and go full steam ahead to make something that is purely cerebral. Intertwined between, within, and amongst the slaying riffs are beautiful, fresh, singable melodies, choruses, leads, and even a few solos (Ole Borud plays one of the best and most melodic solos I have ever heard on Track 3).

This cd is as fresh, musical, heavy, and tasty as it is complex and cerebral...which is why I think Extol's Synergy is the ultimate realization of what bands like Dillenger Escape Plan and company are trying to accomplish. Its almost jazz-like in its balance of dissonance and beauty...or tension and resolution.

An amazing cd that, along with Undeceived, belongs at the pinnacle spot of technical death metal. I originally got into metal because of the stunning musicianship of Extol, and I search constantly for new bands both secular and Christian...but none of them can hang with Extol in my opinion.

This CD is the "Sound of Perseverance" of Christian metal. And I think any metalhead should have both Undeceived and Synergy in their collection.

Christian rocker chick.......2006-12-24

Are you kidding me!?Duh Extol is five stars... what kind of question is that? Not only is Extol's music THE BEST, they're Norwegian!!! I love Norway!!!They're guitar is amazing and also they spread the great word of God to us headbanger chicks and dudes out here!!! Extol Forever!!!!!!!!

Just depends on how you look at, I guess........2006-03-13

I'm not really going to say much about this cd.If you liked undecieved or burial and you that this cd will continue in the same vainand will not listen to it unless it is death metal or black metal, than this cd is not for you.Instead, this is what you would call technical thrash, and from what I have heard from others it sounds like somewhat like the old band Beleiver.So if you like technical metal of any kind or just open minded about what kind of music you listen to, than try this out.You might just like it.I did.

QUINTEESENTIAL PROGRESSIVE DEATH METAL!!!.......2006-03-01

Synergy is a pinnacle album for extol and the fulfillment of the progressive metal ideal. Even Chuck Schuldiner would be proud of this album (if you don't know who he is, then you really have no business commenting on this genre, much less submitting a written review of this album). Many have criticized the decreased vocal variation in Synergy from previous Extol albums. I find that the shift away from the use of black metal elements in song writing and vocal enhancement immerses this album deeper in the realm of progressive death. The instrumental technicality and song arrangements speak for themselves with the fine vocals tastefully melting the sounds together for a master work. As an Extol fan and lover of heavy and progressive metal, I am always keeping an ear out for that brutal sound which is both listenable and boggling to the ear. While listening to this album you will many times slap your friend on the back saying, "My goodness!!! Did you just hear that . . . what they just did??" This disk is a must buy for Believer and Death fans!

Great metal from the Norwiegan metal band .......2005-12-20

First of all, I have to tell you that I'm very strict. I only give cd's 5's if the completely deserve it. I would have given this like a 4.8 but this site doesn't have that.
Okay, this is great music. At first when I heard it I didn't like it very much. It has very unusual guitar riffs and it has very fast paced songs. I'm not used to this very much. Usually I listen to lighter stuff like Blindside or POD. So the first time I heard it my ears were totally thrown off. On my first listen I liked Blueprint Dives a lot better, I still like it better, but this is close. Here is what I think of the songs:

Grace For Succession: 4.5/5 On my first listen this was one of the only songs that I liked. It has a lot of singing (well, a lot compared to the rest of the songs) and the guitar riffs aren't too strange. One thing I didn't like was that the second verse was too short. Pretty good song.

Paradigms: 4/5 Not quite as good as Grace For Succession. I like the way that this song starts though. It's still pretty good.

Psychopath: 4/5 Okay, this song is still growing on me. It has extremely strange guitar riffs, and this kind of wierd talking at the beginning. It has a good guitar solo in the middle, and it's a good song, but you probably won't like it at first.

Blood Red Cover: 5/5 This is one of the only songs on the cd that they actually repeat the chorus more than twice. I really like the guitar work in the beginning of the song too. Altogether, a great song.

26 Miles From Marathon: 5/5 I love this song. It also has very strange guitars but the guitars took a lot of talent to play and put together like they did it on this song. Great song!

Confession of Inadequancy: 3.5/5 I didn't know quite how to spell the title so sorry if it's wrong. Even though I rated this song lower than the rest of the songs so far it's still good. I love the singing in this song.

Scrape the Surface: 5/5 This and 26 Miles From Marathon are probably my favorite songs on the cd. This song doesn't exactly have screaming or growling. It just has Peter doing this wierd thing. Really good.

Thrash Synergy: 3.5/5 Extremely fast paced, and it's actually a long song. My biggest complaint about this song is the bridge. It's really long and kind of boring.

Aperture: 4/5 The first time I listened to this cd I was so glad when it got to this song. I was like, oh finally a break. I still like it when I listen to the cd all the way through, it is just a short break.

Emancipation: 4/5 Really good guitars at the beginning. The rest of the song is pretty good too.

Nihilism 2002: 4.5/5 Another extremely fast paced song. The best thing about this is the minute long guitar solo that it ends with. An awesome way to end this great album.

SO BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!

(By the way, all you old Extol fans, this is still good music, it's just different. Pretend like it's a different band and you'll love it)

Average customer rating:

My second favorite Synergy album
Stands Up After 30 Years
melodic depth
A return, of sorts, to the beginnings.

Cords
Synergy
Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Jupiter Menace

ASIN: B0001BH6HS
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

On Presuming to Be Modern
Phobos
Deimos
Sketches of Mythical Beasts
Disruption in World Communications
On Presuming to Be Modern II
Small Collection of Chords
Full Moon Flyer
Terra Incognita
Trellis
On Presuming to Be Modern III
Phobos & Deimos [Radio Edit]

Album Description

Cords was the third album to be released from Synergy and was originally released in 1978 whilst Larry Fast was recording and working with Peter Gabriel on his second solo album. The album is wholly composed and performed by Larry fast and contains the tracks Full Moon Flyer, Trellis and Terra Incognita. Cords has been re mastered for release alongside the other Synergy releases, which will be re released over the coming six months.

Album Description

The man behind Synergy is Larry Fast a native of New Jersey who was to have a far-reaching effect on the use of synthesizers in rock music during the seventies & eighties. 'Cords' was the third album to be released by Synergy & was originally released in 1978 while Larry Fast was recording & working with Peter Gabriel on his second solo album. Remastered with one bonus track 'On Presuming To Be Modern III'. Voiceprint Records. 2004.

Customer Reviews:

My second favorite Synergy album.......2007-03-24

While I like Sequencer a little better than Chords, I like Chords better than the first album.

My incentive to post a review though is that the editorial blurb states :
"The album is wholly composed and performed by Larry fast"
which I believe is incorrect.

Chords was the first Synergy album to include any form of guitar work, specifically in the form of an early prototype synth guitar and it was performed by someone other than Mr. Fast.

Really interesting stuff though, with a 'darker' feel than the first two albums. This one is a must have for synthesizer fans in my humble opinion.

Stands Up After 30 Years.......2007-01-10

This album blew me away in 1977 as a thoughtful, fast-forward use of electronic instrumentation for melodic music. While others around were utilizing similar technology, this album is truly inspired with music commensurate with the instrumentation (technology) that moves from beginning to end with the right mix of excitement and understatement making this a truly classic recording.

melodic depth.......2006-10-06

I own an original 1978 "clear" vinyl copy of CORDS which I am afraid to put a needle to. So this CD allows me to listen to this synthesizer masterpiece at will. CORDS stood out from the other electronica of that era due to its advanced layering and oceanic depth. Even in today's electronica genre this project has a fresh sound. An assemblage of titles which posses an ominous "breathing" quality about them.

A return, of sorts, to the beginnings........2005-12-11

This album is more like Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra than like Sequencer. If you liked the original Synergy album ER you'll probably like this one. If you like Sequencer (and I do) you'll probably like this one more. It's a return to the early days of synth music, when composers and musicians were just figuring out what to do with them, and just what they could do.

Average customer rating:

Weave Me the Sunshine
Paul & Mary Peter
Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Flowers and Stones
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No Easy Walk to Freedom
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ASIN: B000JGW9EU
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Tracks:

Weave Me The Sunshine
Right Field
I'd Rather Be In Love
State Of The Heart
No Easy Walk To Freedom
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Whispered Words
El Salvador
Greenwood
Light One Candle

Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Pre-Digital Electronic Music
A very sophisticated recording of electronic music

Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra

Manufacturer: Voiceprint UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sequencer
Cords
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The Jupiter Menace

ASIN: B000167XVW
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

Legacy
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Classical Gas [1975 Version]
Synergy
Relay Breakdown
Warriors

Album Details

This Re-issue Has Been Remastered and is the First in a Series that Will Make their Entire Back Cataloge Available. Includes Different Bonus Tracks to the Us Version.

Customer Reviews:

Pre-Digital Electronic Music.......2006-08-24

I have the original lp of this album(it came in clear vinyl) which was recorded in SQ quadrophonic sound! The early U.S. release on CD doesn't even come close. I only wish it could be remastered using SACD or Dolby Surround like some of todays CD's or even DVD Audio. But, even on CD this is one of the best early electronic music masterpeices!

A very sophisticated recording of electronic music.......2006-06-20

This 1975 album is, in my estimation, nearly singular in the world of electronic music due to its sheer complexity. In fact, this album by American electronic composer Larry Fast is much closer to progressive rock than Berlin School electronica for example - there is just a lot going on in each of these compositions.

The six tracks on the album range in length from 2'58" to 12'50" and feature a range of tones and dynamic contrasts. Another interesting aspect of the music, and I never expected to discuss this in a review of an electronic composition, is the abundant use of melodies, harmonies, and most importantly both rhythmic and melodic counterpoint. In fact, it is amazing what Larry achieved with just the use of a mini-moog, an Oberheim Polyphonic, and a Mellotron 400. In fact, it makes me wonder what it would have sounded like if he had scored these complicated synthesizer pieces for rock instruments, including a full drum kit.

Interestingly, Larry's link with prog rock is not as tenuous as one might think with his being an electronic composer and he struck up a good working relationship with the prog band Nektar around this time. His excellent work can be heard on Nektar's Recycled album (1975).

This remastered album features restored cover art and excellent sound quality, along with some skimpy liner notes.

This album is very highly recommended to those electronica fans who want something a little more varied than the typical fare. Also recommended are two albums by Isao Tomita including Snowflakes are Dancing (1974) and The Tomita Planets (1976).

Lynne Me Your Ears: A Tribute to the Music of Jeff Lynne

Average customer rating:

Not half bad
Interesting Project, Varying Quality
Very good overall
"Eldorado" shimmers, but the rest is weak.
1 star - 1 star = 0 star

Lynne Me Your Ears: A Tribute to the Music of Jeff Lynne
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Not Lame Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Armchair Theatre
Back to the Story
Out of the Blue
The Night the Lights Went On (In Long Beach)
Moment of Truth

ASIN: B00005TPGM
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Tracks:

10530 Overture - Mitch Easter
Ma Ma Ma Belle - Earl Slick
Telephone Line - Jeffery Foskett
Do Ya - Jason Falkner
Sweet Is The Night - Ben Lee
Rockaria! - Pat Buchanan
Every Little Thing - Michael Carpenter
No Time - Peter Holsapple
Showdown - Richard Barone
Handle With Care - Jamie Hoover
Strange Magic - Mark Helm
Evil Woman - Ross Rice
Steppin' Out - Carol Wayne
Don't Bring Me Down - Swag
One Summer Dream - Prairie Sons And Daughters
Can't Get It Out Of My Head - Doug Powell

Tracks:

Twilight - The Shazam
Mr. Blue Sky - Tony Visconti
You Took My Breath Away - The Heavy Blinkers
Message From The Country - The Balls Of France
The Minister - Ferenzik
Xanadu - Heilson Hubbard And Venus Hum
When Time Stood Still - Bill Lloyd
Above The Clouds - Sparkle Jets UK
Rock And Roll Is King - Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings
Morning Sunshine - Jeremy
Boy Blue - Rick Altizer
Livin' Thing - PFR
On The Run - Sixpence None The Richer
Bluebird Is Dead - Todd Rundgren
Turn To Stone - Roger Klug
Eldorado - Fleming And John

Album Description

From Not Lame Records, this collection of Lynne's songs features Jason Falkner, Todd Rundgren, Jeffrey Foskett , SWAG (featuring members of Wilco, The Mavericks, Cheap Trick), Jamie Hoover (Spongetones), Richard Barone, Sixpence None The Richer, Carl Wayne (ex-The Move), Bill Lloyd, The Shazam, Bobby Sutliff/Mitch Easter, Neilson Hubbard, Peter Holsapple, Ben Lee, Doug Powell, Tony Visconti (producer), Pray For Rain (PFR), Fleming And John, Earl Slick, Ross Rice and more.

Customer Reviews:

Not half bad.......2007-04-28

While I would agree that this CD can't compete with original material, I would still state that as tribute CDs go, this one has its merits.

Lynn's sole solo CD, since he left ELO and since the Wilbury's died off..."Armchair Theater." is consigned to short attention span reviewers, so I have this one to address.

The cuts are really well recorded and they are cool played really loudly...(my neighbors are knockin,' right now). And isn't that what ELO were always about?
\
BEK

yeesh! whoda ever thought I'd have settled for three sentence reviews? Much less three paragraph?

Oh well...I'm outta here!

Interesting Project, Varying Quality.......2007-02-15

The inestimable Doug Powell put together a disparate group of artists to cover songs of Jeff Lynne, all the way from The Move to ELO to solo to The Traveling Wilberries.

Although the songs are all superior, some covers are much better than others. I particularly enjoyed Jamie Hoover's cover of "Handle With Care," as well as Todd Rundgren's beautiful take on "Bluebird." Solid contributions also by Swag, Bill Lloyd, Earl Slick, and Jason Falkner.

I might have spliced this down to a single disc, and gotten rid of some of the covers that don't add much. But on balance this is a nice tribute to a great artist.

Very good overall.......2005-05-06

If you really like Jeff Lynne's music, you will find something to love about this set. As mentioned by others, some of the covers are pretty straight-forward (10538 Overture, Telephone Line, among others) while many are further afield. Some are pretty way-out there, in particular Mr. Blue Sky by Tony Visconti, whose version nearly screams, "I warned you when you asked me to do this tune." But really it's all in fun I think, and most of the cuts improve with every spin.

Personal favorites include Boy Blue, One Summer Dream, Eldorado, Steppin' Out, Don't Bring Me Down, Showdown, Do Ya, and Above the Clouds. Going further about this is futile, it's all a question of taste. But I enjoyed the fresh vocals, simpler arrangements, the sometimes rough edges or techno-styled flourishes, etc.

Give this a try. Of the 2 CDs you'll find at least one whole disc of stuff you'll be glad to own.

"Eldorado" shimmers, but the rest is weak........2004-08-15

"Eldorado" as done by Fleming and John (who?) is amazing and wonderful....the singer just absolutely makes the song her own.

The rest of the album is pretty marginal....every song other than the aforementioned "Eldorado" suffers from either amateurish performance or miles-off-the-mark reinterpretation (i.e, Todd Rundgren's drum-and-bass "Bluebird is Dead": I know the idea seems cool, but- trust me, you *don't* want to pay to hear it.)

Oh well.

1 star - 1 star = 0 star.......2004-07-01