Fans of veteran musician and producer Jeff Lynne believe his best project is outside of the Electric Light Orchestra‘s discography.
Lynne, who has produced the likes of Tom Petty, The Beatles, and Roy Orbison, fronted ELO from 1972 onwards and reunited the band in 2014. Though the farewell Over and Out tour was cut short due to health reasons, Lynne’s legacy is long-lasting, and fans were thrilled to share their thoughts on his discography’s deep cuts. One such album has been tipped as the “best thing he ever did” by fans of the band who took to the r/ELO subreddit and shared their thoughts on Armchair Theatre. Lynne’s debut solo album was made shortly after ELO disbanded, with the group’s Balance of Power serving as their last studio album until 2001’s ill-fated Zoom.
A fan wrote: “Thoughts on Armchair Theatre as an album? Favourite songs from it?” Some fans were quick to praise the underrated Lynne album as the real gem of his discography. One person replied: “It’s my favourite thing he ever did. One of my favourite albums of all time. Every Little Thing, Lift Me Up, Blown Away, the whole album is great.
“I read that the record label gave him free rein after he produced successful albums for Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys. And this is what he made.” Another pointed to their favourite song from the album and shared the deeper meaning behind it.
They wrote: “Save Me Now. I first listened to the album on a walk last autumn, and it was approaching golden hour when that song came on and lots of white butterflies were dancing over a field. Felt like I was in a real-life set of movie credits. I’d kind of forgotten about that memory (and song), so thank you for bringing it all back with your post.”
A third has since suggested one of the songs featured on the album should have gained Lynne a spot at the top of the charts. They wrote: “Lift Me Up should have topped charts.”
While many were full of praise for Lynne’s solo album, many wish he had done more as an artist outside of Electric Light Orchestra. One person shared: “I wish he’d done more. This album is fantastic. Great production that only Jeff can do. Highly underrated.”
Another added: “I love it! Fantastic easy listening. What Would It Take sounds straight off of Cloud Nine. Blown Away is gorgeous. Every Little Thing and Lift Me Up are absolute bangers (and the beginning of Lift Me Up always reminds me of New Blue Moon, and vice versa). The entire album is a hit, and I listen to it several times a month on repeat.”
A third shared: “BRILLIANT album! I love ALL of them but Nobody’s Home, Don’t Let Go and Blown Away are highlights. I think his cover songs on this album are AMAZING. I feel like his cover of September Song is one of the best covers I have EVER heard. ALL TIME!”
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