Armchair Theatre (album)

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Armchair Theatre
Jeff Lynne-Armchair Theatre.jpg
Studio album by Jeff Lynne
Released 12 June 1990 (UK)
2 July 1990 (US)
Recorded Raindirk at Posh Studios, England 1989–1990
Genre Rock
Length 36:41
Label Reprise
Producer Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne chronology
A Message from the Country – The Jeff Lynne Years 1968/1973
(1989)A Message from the Country – The Jeff Lynne Years 1968/19731989
Armchair Theatre
(1990)
Long Wave
(2012)Long Wave2012
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[1]
Entertainment Weekly B–[2]
Goldmine 3/5 stars[3]
Los Angeles Times 3/5 stars[4]
MusicHound 3.5/5 stars[5]
Q 3/5 stars[6]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[6]

Armchair Theatre is the first solo album by Jeff Lynne, released in 1990.[7]

History

"Every Little Thing" and "Lift Me Up" were released as singles. The album also features cover versions of two classics: "September Song" and "Stormy Weather".[7] Lynne wrote and recorded "Now You're Gone" as a tribute to his late mother.

The album reunited Lynne with Electric Light Orchestra's keyboard player Richard Tandy and featured fellow Traveling Wilburys member George Harrison (both Harrison and the Wilburys were signed to Warner Bros. Records, parent of Reprise Records which released this album). Despite positive reviews the album became only a minor hit.

A remaster by Frontiers was released on 19 April 2013 in the UK, and on 23 April 2013 in the US, and included two bonus tracks, one of them being previously unreleased.[8]

Track listing

All songs written by Jeff Lynne, except where noted.

  1. "Every Little Thing" – 3:41
  2. "Don't Let Go" (Jesse Stone) – 3:00
  3. "Lift Me Up" – 3:36
  4. "Nobody Home" – 3:51
  5. "September Song" (Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill) – 2:57
  6. "Now You're Gone" – 3:57
  7. "Don't Say Goodbye" – 3:09
  8. "What Would It Take" – 2:40
  9. "Stormy Weather" (Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen) – 3:42
  10. "Blown Away" (Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty) – 3:29
  11. "Save Me Now" – 2:39
2013 remaster bonus tracks
  1. "Borderline"
    Recorded 1989; previously unreleased version. Original version previously released as non-album track on "Lift Me Up" 12" and CD single
  2. "Forecast"
    Recorded 1989; previously unreleased song
Japanese bonus track[9]
  1. "Strange Magic" (Live from Bungalow Palace)

Personnel

  • Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, autoharp, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals; drums on #5 and bonus track #13
  • George Harrison – acoustic guitar on #1, 3 and 5; electric slide guitar on #3, 5 and 9; backing vocals on #1 and 3
  • Richard Tandy – acoustic guitar on #1 and 3; piano on #5 and 9; backing vocals on #2, 5, 9 and 10
  • Mette Mathiesen – drums on #1-4 and 6-10; percussion on #1, 2, 6 and 10; backing vocals on #5, 9 and 10
  • Phil Hatton - backing vocals on #1-5, 7, 9 and 10
Additional musicians
  • Jim Horn – saxophones on #1 and 2
  • Michael Kamen – string arrangements on #1 and 9
  • Hema Desai – operatic vocals on #1, classical Indian vocals on #6
  • Jake Commander – backing vocals on #2, 5, 9 and 10
  • Sireesh K. Lalwani – percussion on #3 and 6, violin on #6
  • Vikram A. Patil, Nellai D. Kanan, Fateh Singh Gangani – percussion on #3 and 6
  • Dave Morgan – backing vocals on #3, 5, 9 and 10
  • Rita – saw on #5
  • Sheila Tandy – backing vocals on #5, 9 and 10
  • Ashit Desai – classical Indian vocals on #6
  • Del Shannon – backing vocals on #10

Chart performance

References

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