Armchair Theatre (album)
1990 studio album by Jeff Lynne
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Armchair Theatre is the first solo album by Jeff Lynne, released in 1990.[8]
| Armchair Theatre | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 June 1990 | |||
| Recorded | Posh Studios, England 1989-1990 | |||
| Genre | Roots rock[1] | |||
| Length | 36:41 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | Jeff Lynne | |||
| Jeff Lynne chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[3] |
| Goldmine | [4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| MusicHound Rock |  [6] |
| Q | [7] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
History
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). Lynne wrote and recorded "Now You're Gone" as a tribute to his late mother.[citation needed] The album also features cover versions of two classics: "September Song" and "Stormy Weather".[8]
The songs "Every Little Thing" and "Lift Me Up" were released as singles, both featuring non-album b-sides, "I'm Gone" from the former and "Borderline" and "Sirens" from the latter. Despite positive reviews the album became only a minor hit.[citation needed]
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.[9] An additional bonus track was included in the Japanese re-release.
Track listing
All songs written by Jeff Lynne, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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" | Lynne, Tom Petty | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Save Me Now" (A) | 2:39 | |
| Total length: | 36:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Borderline" (Recorded 1989; previously unreleased version. Original version previously released as non-album track on "Lift Me Up" 12" and CD single.) | 2:24 |
| 13. | "Forecast" (Recorded 1989; previously unreleased song.) | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 42:26 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Strange Magic" (Live from Bungalow Palace) | 3:02 |
- A ^ "Save Me Now" ends at minute 1:53. After 15 seconds of silence (1:53 – 2:08), an unusual whirring sound and seagull cawing are heard for 13 seconds. After the whirring sound there are 10 seconds of silence, followed by Jeff Lynne saying "Hey, it's still going y'know," and chimes ringing.
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, and 6; 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
- Hema Desai – operatic vocals on 1, classical Indian vocals on 6
- Michael Kamen – string arrangements on 1 and 9
- Jake Commander – backing vocals on 2, 5, 9 and 10
- Dave Morgan – backing vocals on 3, 5, 9 and 10
- Sireesh K. Lalwani – percussion on 3 and 6, violin on 6
- Fateh Singh Gangani, Nellai D. Kanan, Vikram A. Patil – percussion on 3 and 6
- 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
Charts
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 35 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] | 23 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] | 44 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 52 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[15] | 7 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 8 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[17] | 24 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 83 |