“Jeff Lynne Shocks Fans with Surprise Album Drop: Get Ready for a Rockabilly Revolution!
“We’re not lazy. It just seems like it,” quipped Jeff Lynne, explaining to an audience at Los Angeles’ Forum Sunday night (in the second of two shows there) that it had been 37 years between trips to the venue for ELO. It seemed possible for a moment that Lynne would expound a little more on his live work ethic, or why he’s changed his mind about taking ELO’s music on the road after decades of sitting it out, embarking on the first thing that can really be considered a U.S. tour in close to four decades. But there was no further exposition coming from Lynne, a man of few public words and possibly the least effusive major rock star of all time. When it comes to chatting an audience up, he’d sooner turn to stone.
Even though his continued vested passion in it has not always translated into it, the ELO catalog speaks for itself. And it was a beautiful sight to see on Sunday night, captured all too briefly in a 19-song set that recapped the closest thing the 1970s had to offer in terms of truly Beatles-level pop (which may or may not include the Wings opus). Not only is “Can not Get It Out of My Head” a catchy song title, but for many fans, it is also a curse that has plagued them for more than 40 years. Their desire to see this music performed live by a group other than a tribute band has gone horribly unsatisfied. If we can still see past those lingering shades, Lynne may be giving in to people’s requests because he needs to pay for his grandchildren’s college education, but even so, it feels like a kind gesture. It is also probably not too late to take a well-earned victory lap.
