Idle Race - "Idle Race"
UK/Liberty/LBS 831 32E (stereo),
Australia/Liberty/Festival Records/SLYL-933,597 (stereo), Australia/Liberty/Festival Records/LYL-33,597 (mono)
Druhé LP "Idle Race" bylo vydáno v Listopadu 1969 krátce před odchodem Jeffa Lynna. Albu možná chyběl bohatý skládaný obal jako u prvního LP, ale co do hudebního obsahu bylo stejně, jestliže ne ještě působivější než album první, skvěle dotvářející portrét skupiny.
Bylo to první album nesoucí punc "Produced by Jeff Lynne", který podle Rogera Spencera v podstatě svým způsobem blufoval v celé věci! LP nesoucí název shodný se jménem skupiny dokazuje ale vyzrálost všech členů skupiny. Album je dobře odměřený a kompaktní celek, lyricky a sluchově nadřazený k prvnímu albu, uvádí úžasné melodické nápady, které se vyrovnají hudebním nápadům Lennona a McCartneye. Tvůrci na něj mohou být pyšní!
V tomto albu můžeme slyšet daleko víc vlivu hudby Beatles než v albu Birthday Party, zejm. v písních "A Better Life" a "Hurry Up John" (Revolver). Nicméně i v dalších skladbách proniká tento vliv ("Mr. Crow and Sir Norman" a "Big Chief Woolley Bosher"), i když nelze Idle Race upřít zcela originální pojetí a rozšíření vlastních nápadů z prvního alba.
Někdo by mohl z tohoto alba vycítit regresivní krok jako v té době u mnoha jejich hudebních současníků, pouštějících se do experimentální hudby zrozené z blues. Idle Race místo toho nabídli soubor lyrických balad jako "The Girl at the Window", "Please No More Sad Songs" a "Sea Of The Dreams", které více připomínají střední období Beatles (Rubber Soul a Revolver).
Daleko důležitější zejména při zpětném pohledu bylo, že druhé album Idle Race neslo zvukové sémě, které mělo vyklíčit a vyvíjet se do svého charakteristického zvuku až později, kdy je svět měl rozpoznat jako zvuk Electric Light Orchestra.
Hudba byla působivá a vysloužila si příznivé přijetí u kritiky ve většiě tehdejších hudebních médií. Ale stejně jako "The Birthday Party" před tím, nedokázala se prosadit u veřejnosti, která by hudbu kupovala... Úvodní píseň "Come With Me" byla vydána jaka singl o několik měsíců dříve, a je pravděpodobné, že neúspěch na žebříčku tohoto příliš komerčního kusu signalizoval Jeffu Lynnovi, že Idle Race byl tak předurčený k neúspěchu.
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The Idle Race - texty písní
Come With Me
Come with me
It's oh so easy for me to see
We can be
Close together, for always forever
You'll never believe but it's true
You will see
The happy corners where we will be
It's for real
I'll sing to you all the songs that we knew
That's not true don't be blue they're for you
Ooowah, ooohwah, oooh-wah (etc.)
Can you feel
It's spinning round like a great big wheel
It's for real
I'll sing to you all the songs that we knew
That's not true don't be blue they're for you
Ahhhahhh, (etc. etc. etc... You know the sound
you make when you don tight fitting underwear!)
Come with me
Come with me
Come with me
It's oh so easy for me to see
Come with me
When I find that you're all on my mind
That's the time I will say come with me
(J.Lynne) 2.42
Sea Of Dreams
Little girl in the sea of dreams
There's a smile on her little face
She looked around she could see no peace
Her heart was sad and her body weak
Dum, dum, dooby-dum dum dum (repeat)
But in her dream she was big and strong
She fell in love with a sailor
He travelled far off to distant lands
He never travelled to see her
Dum, dum, dooby-dum dum dum (repeat)
Then one night a strange man did come
He whispered words unto her mother
Little girl in the sea of dreams
She closed her eyes and met her maker
(J.Lynne) 3.13
Going Home
I see the faces on my picture one is you
I see the reasons why the picture just ain't true
I'm going home
I'm gonna be there one of these mornings
Gonna break away on the thirteenth of July
I'm going home (Going Home)
The dust collector keeps on banging at my door
Tales of the wild west, I can't mean it anymore
I'm going home
I'm gonna be there one of these mornings
Gonna break away on the thirteenth of July
I'm going home (Going Home)
And I'll be there one of these mornings
Walk down the road and there you are, yes I am
Maybe I'll see you if I can
Break away, from all of these memories
Walk down the road and there you are, yes I am
Maybe I'll see you if I can
I'm going home
I'm gonna be there one of these mornings
Gonna break away on the thirteenth of July
I'm going home
Going home (repeat several times)
(J.Lynne) 3.40
Reminds Me Of You
A bunch of dead flowers, kept in a vase
And its all that remind me of you
Why do I keep them, well might you ask
They're all that remind me of you
Two separate people, two separate ways
And I hope they may pass again
Withered and dead like, your love for me
And they're all that remind me of you
Once fresh and green now no, honey for the bee
They're all that remind me of you
A bunch of dead flowers kept in a vase
And they're all that remind me of you
Why do I keep them, well might you ask
They're all that remind me of you
They're all that remind me of you
They're all that remind me of you
(D.Pritchard) 2.54
Mr. Crow And Sir Norman
Ventriloquist was he, little boy sat on his knee
The people knew that the show was but the best one in the land
Until the night before the act
The dummy's clothes had all been packed away - he'd gone
And he'd left poor Mr. Crow right in the lurch
You know he's gone far away
I hear his voice go laughing
What of all the years we shared?
Hello Mr. Crow has your little boy left home - did he run away
Well I hope he'll soon be back to do the show
I'm sorry you must feel quite sad when your dummy runs away without a word
That is all old Mr. Crow had heard
You know he's gone far away
I hear his voice go laughing
What of all the years we shared?
Now come on Mr. Crow my dear
We'd better have this gottle o' geer
Then one fateful night into the dressing room so bright
Walked our friends hateful doll
Mr. Crow cried tears of joy all in his tea
The bad doll said kindly address me as Sir Norman, little man I am a star
And if you weren't so old maybe I'd let you be my doll
You know I've been far away
I've heard the people laugh
Now I'm a great big star
[Here they are Mr. Crow and Sir Norman...]
(J.Lynne) 3.16
Please No More Sad Songs
Yes she's leaving on the train
Never coming back again
The lines go far ahead
Got a job fixed in the city
Wants to be a star she's pretty
And I don't get a part
So please no more sad songs
I've heard enough today
Isn't it nice holding you tight, remember?
Left a note here on the floor
Where she used to knock the door
I found when I got home
Said you're gonna be a singer
Be a star and real swinger
I hope it's very nice
So please no more sad songs
I've heard enough today
Isn't it nice holding you tight, remember?
Thought she was joking when I looked around
Went to her room and saw her things had gone
She must have flown, ahhh
Yes she's left upon the train
Never coming back again
The lines went far away
Got her job in the big city
She became a star so pretty
Now I don't know her name
So please no more sad songs
I've heard enough today
Isn't it nice holding you tight, remember?
So please no more sad songs
I've heard enough today
Isn't it nice holding you tight, remember?
Isn't it nice holding you tight, remember?
(J.Lynne) 3.19
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Girl At The Window
In the town lived a girl so fair
Her mother would not dare
To let her anywhere
She was a lonely girl
John and Paul and
Ringo and George
Were playing lovely tunes
From the window of her room
By the light of the moon
Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see
In the fields lived a lonely boy
Who'd wander every night
Just to see her window light
Then he was happier
Then he'd sit upon the ground
Just to listen to the sound
Of the music going round
And he would call to her
Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see
One night her mother said I think it's time for bed
The little girl crept down the stairs free as a bird
Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see
She met the boy sitting on the ground
And they listened to the sound
Growing distant as they found
They were happy now
Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see
Hey girl there at the window I wish you would come and see me
I've got so much to tell you so much I want you to see
(J.Lynne) 3.43
Big Chief Woolley Bosher
In the land they call the west
On the prairie's virgin crest
Lived a great man and his braves
And he led them to their graves
Big chief plays with baby son
The work of the Indian today is done
Life is easy, life is grand
'Til there is white man, gun in hand
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Started out when settlers came
And built their homes on the Indian range
Big Chief Woolly Bosher liked it none
Traded with a bad man for a gun
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Big chief looks out at his great land
Locomotive on the prairie stands
Life that leak from the city in the east
Let us destroy that iron beast
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Big chief rides on the trail tonight
Tread the land for which he must fight
In their fight for love and glory
Some Indians were saved
They lived to tell the story
And Woolly Bosher prays
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Big chief rides on the trail tonight
Soldier boys marching in the morning light
Bring the guns, bring the bows
Let's blow them into heaven let's see if God knows
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
One hundred men must have to die
When a thousand soldiers look you in the eye
Big chief sees his men fall round
The soldiers kill and the bugle sounds
In their fight for love and glory
No Indians were saved
And Big Chief Woolly Bosher
Had written on his grave
He has done no wrong
Except being bold
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh
(J.Lynne) 5.16
Someone's Knocking
Someone knocked my door 'round about half past four this morning
Despite what I said, I was out of bed still yawning
Well that's it once again, someone knocking
Going through my head wish they'd stop it
I walked down the stairs just a little bit scared - apprehensive
With a few judged words that shouldn't be heard reprehencin'
Well that's it once again, someone knocking
Going through my head wish they'd stop it
So I opened up just to take a look, was I dreamin'?
There was no-one there just the cold night air - I was dreamin'
Going through my head wish they'd stop it
(D.Pritchard) 2.51
A Better Life (The Weatherman Knows)
Hush little baby, don't you cry
Oh-oh, don't you cry
Maybe tomorrow's, a better life
Oh-oh, if you try
Rain is falling all around
Storm came, it brings you down
But if you lose your mind
Weatherman, in his overcoat
Look up in the sky now, the weatherman cry now
Oh-oh, the window pane
Damp in the valley, up in the alley
Oh-oh, it's pouring rain
Rain is falling all around
Storm came, it brings you down
So let your mind roll on
Weatherman, dries the lonely tears
Early in the morning, while the sun's still yawning
Oh-oh, smiles on you
Maybe today is, a better life
Oh-oh, if we try
Sun is shining all around
It warms your heart and melts the cloud
But if your mind can see
Weatherman, smiles a lonely smile
(J.Lynne) 2.45
Hurry Up John
I'd love to carve my name of him she said
And tie this rope around your head she said
Hurry up John (hurry up John)
Hurry up John (hurry up John )
Then she rolled me up and said
I look very strange without a head
It was time I should be gone
But I was waiting for John, to take me home
I've gone too near the edge, you'll fall she said
Hurry up John (hurry up John)
Hurry along (hurry along)
Then she rolled me up and said
I'd look very strange without a head
It was time I should be gone
But I was waiting for John to take me home
(J.Lynne) 3.32
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Birmingham Main
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