Fans of the legendary rock group Electric Light Orchestra were left hoping for more songs from Jeff Lynne which “are like Secret Messages.“
The lesser-known release from ELO, who will play their farewell show at Hyde Park later this year, has delighted fans, who want more of that sound. A post to the r/ELO subreddit had fans share their hopes for similar-sounding music, and where to find it. One user suggested heading into the production work of Lynne, who has worked with artists like George Harrison and Tom Petty in the past. His collaborative efforts in the studio as both an instrumentalist and producer was noted by some longstanding ELO fans, who say Secret Messages can be heard in some of his future works.
One fan asked: “Albums like Secret Messages. Does anyone know any albums that have the same, strange vibe and sound as Secret Messages, or is it truly unique?” Another fan has since suggested a Dave Edmunds album which featured Lynne as a producer.
They wrote: “The closest you’ll probably get is by combining the tracks Jeff Lynne produced for Dave Edmunds on his albums Information and Riff Raff, which makes a lot more sense when you consider that two of the songs included in this batch date back to later during the Secret Messages sessions.”
A separate user added: “Both of those albums are pretty rough; but I enjoy Lynne’s contributions greatly.” Another suggested combining the Lynne-produced efforts from the Edmunds double bill would get you a “glorified EP,” but also an understanding of Lynne’s work as a producer and the influence of Secret Messages.
They wrote: “Sure, it would technically be closer to a glorified EP than an all-out album, but you could always throw in the extended 12” mix of Something About You to further pad out the length, maybe expanding it even further with one of the soundboard audio sources for the live versions of Slipping Away or Information.
“Not that anyone except the most hardcore of fans would probably want to hear Dave and his touring group at the time straining over the original studio backing tracks, presumably used because Lynne threw so many production gimmicks at those songs that they’d sound hollow or even imprecise without such details being in the mix).”
Others have suggested a broader range of “sophistipop” albums from the 1980s, with Secret Messages serving as a great starting point for one user. They shared: “Secret Messages was my gateway drug into that genre.
“I love the crunchy drums, all the synth textures, and truly, their is nothing that truly sounds like Secret Messages. (Besides Dave Edmunds stuff from that time, and ELO’s next album has slivers of it.)
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