Customer Reviews

Alpacas Orgling

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is brilliant.

It's rare that I'll be that straightforward about it, but sometimes it's just best to cut to the chase. Which is what L.E.O. did, in this excellent, elegant tribute to the many production styles, beeps, whirrs, and full choirs of Jeff Lynne. Somehow Bleu has managed to write a concise group of songs that all (save for Ol' College Try) sound like cuts from ELO's best.

Of all the songs, the only true blatant rip of an ELO grove is 'Ya Had Me Goin'", which is directly Evil Woman in places, but it feels more like a lost second verse than theft. Bleu's vocal range fits perfectly with Jeff's, and hearing recognizable voices in the background choirs is always appreciated (specifically Jason Scheff from Chicago!)

This album is clearly new material, but it's the tiny, split second hooks or riffs that just sound exactly like ELO at their best, one little 'Oh, oh' here, one 'Clap clap' there, and it all fits together brilliantly to be an album that's enjoyable to the first listener, and to the longtime ELO fan - it's rare that tribute material can have such broad appeal. Every era of ELO is represented here: 'Goodbye Innocence' feels like chart-topping ELO (a la Out Of The Blue), 'Ya Had Me Goin'' and 'Distracted' belong in early ELO (Face The Music, Eldorado), with 'Private Line' and 'Sukaz' hailing from electronic-ELO (Secret Messages, Time) and even 'Nothin' Will Ever Change' providing a cameo from Jeff's solo-material era (Armchair Theatre)

Well, if you know your rock history, you know ELO was a side project of '60s band The Move. Who knows? Bleu may continue to release LEO records - and by the strength and taste of this music, I wouldn't be disappointed.

Bleu Mcaulay has recently stated in an interview that this album pays homage to the amazing talents that is Jeff Lynne.
It's obvious from start to finish that he has tried to recreat the sounds that Jeff Lynne has become well known for over several decades.
Rick Rubin also lent a helping hand speaking directly to Jeff and then advising Bleu and his mates on all those wonderful rich sound tapestry's that Jeff conjures up and how he does it.

But what a wonderful album it is.

Goodbye Innocence with the George Harrison slide guitar, could've easily fitted onto the Cloud Nine album.

Distracted very ELO-ish a wonderful melody with great harmonies.

Old College Try sounds very Mccartney to me combined with a little Lynne.

Nothing Will Ever Change is pure Jeff Lynne, with falsetto in the chorus and wonderful chord changes this could've easily been on Jeff's recent Zoom album.

Don't Let It Go again is pure Jeff Lynne. Super catchy melody, great harmonies and soundalike Jeff Lynne production.

This is actually a great album, every song is a pop gem though I wish Jeff Lynne himself had really produced it, Bleu MCaulay and his mates have made one hell of a record and appropriately a fitting tribute to one of the greatest musicians in pop history.

Buy it now!!!

I read the Amazon's review section regulary, but I write to it only in special ocasion.
I am writing this because Alpacas Orgling is the best album I bought in two years.
The songwriting is very good, and the arrangements are superb. The songs are very similar to ELO, and I liked it better than the great ELO return, Zoom.
Buy this album!!!!! You will like it very much.

Hearing former Jellyfish frontman, Andy Sturmer, sing oh so briefly on Goodbye Innocence is glorious -- well worth the price of this record. If you're a Jellyfish fan you MUST own this record.

Love this album! Yes, it has all the Jeff Lynne touches and that's why I love it. My son would never listen to my old E.L.O. albums. He loves this album and now likes a few E.L.O. songs because they sound like this album - go figure. Loved the extra track after "Sukas" - nice touch. Fast forward and you'll find it.

This album is very good. Buy it, you'll dig it. It's like ELO/Wilburys/Harrison/Orbison and everything else that Lynne's ever touched. It's VERY good.

The main reason I'm digging this record is because it has the return of Andy Sturmer from THE COOLEST band ever- JellyFish. JellyFish should've been absolutely huge, yet they weren't. Great songs. Great vocals. Great players. Apparently lame record company or artist management. Not to mention timing. Right when Jellyfish hit, Grunge reared it's ugly head. After two fantastic albums, Jellyfish fell apart. Then Andy vanished for years. He's only heard briefly on this album, but it's SO great to hear his voice again. I hope to GOD that he keeps recording.

Seriously great power pop album.

Okay, I bought Bleu's "Redhead" directly from The Man Himself at a Toad the Wet Sprocket concert at the Myrtle Beach House of Blues several years back. I LOVED it. I enjoyed it so much, I remembered Bleu's opening act more than the actual Toad show. So I had been eagerly anticipating this project. I was not disappointed! The sounds are fresh, fun, and addictive listening. I only wish he would do his "secret" songs as a series of short blanks before the actual music rather than a 20 minute (or so) pause between the last song and the bonus. I generally love the last songs on his album, but don't often add them to my playlists as it just takes up too much time and always throws me off when I'm listening. The quality of the music is FANTASTIC, though. I ripped this album to my computer immediately after getting it, and probably listened to it 10 times in the first day. The kicker though, is that it's still the first album I add to my playlists for day-to-day listening. Now that's staying power!

How does this lineup sound to you? Bleu, Andy Sturmer (Jellyfish), Mike Viola (The Candy Butchers), Jason Scheff (Chicago), Steve Gorman (The Black Crowes), Matt Mahaffey (Self), John Fields, Tony Goddess (pApAs fritAs), Hanson, Eric Barao (The Cautions), Scott Simons (The Argument)...yeah, I thought so. Fans of Electric Light Orchestra will absolutely love this, but it has so much more to offer. Everyone of the songs on Alpacas Orgling melds the talents of the popsters above into sweet tributes to Jeff Lynne and the contributions he made to the Power Pop genre. But take note, this release is loaded with originals not remakes. This is special music that will excite, soothe and satisfy lovers of Pop music everywhere.

This is more a review of reviews that would seek to tell you that this CD is too derivative. NO kidding... a project that calls itself L.E.O actually sounds like ELO?! They do a fantastic job of it too - taking the sound and genre into the post-millenial abyss. If you miss ELO, BUY this CD!

It is painfully apparent that "Acroyear" has no clue as to what the word homage actually entails: This is indeed a very fitting, cleverly, and tastefully done tribute which VERY successfully resuscitates a classic sound and style with completely original compositions. Being that time, tide, trend, and ever-narrowing pop radio programming parameters will ensure that whole new generations will NOT be exposed to the original sounds or songs of ELO... This is a completely logical way for a great style and sound to be simultaneously preserved and catapulted into the future.

It is also MILES above and beyond sampling which has been thoroughly accepted in the pop firmament of the present. The clever fact that they named this project L.E.O. - which is a nice "sideways" arrangement of the infamous abbreviation for Electric Light Orchestra - denotes that the songs are also interesting sideways re-writes or re-examinations of ELO songs as well as an emulation of the sonic stylings of said band.

ALL bands and artists emulate and reflect their influences-whether they have the wherewithal to admit it or not: a few bands; when they possess the sheer talent actually manage to take those infuences and teachings and make them their own: L.E.O ARE such a project. Their pristine pop pedigrees - combined with their admit-all "sideways" moniker clearly exonerate them of ALL charges of plagerism. After all - No one has really taken to task all the myriad deluge of bands that have used the Beatles as a sonic template throughout the decades?! The great hallowed and sacred Beatles themselves were admittedly built on the foundations of the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, soul, and American country music and artists.

Music without influence is like a building without foundation; destined for a very short existence. I will end this now with a very famous joke which goes: Question; "Why did ELO break up?" Answer; "Because they ran out of Beatles' riffs!"

Point, set, AND match;-) Renn Loa

I found out about L.E.O. randomly while looking up news about Jeff Lynne. This is definately one of the stand out albums of 2006. I highly recommend this album to any fan of Jeff Lynne or anything ever produced by him.