Lynne Me Your Ears

Tribute albums are, by definition, risky affairs, since every act invariably either chooses to faithfully re-create a classic or to remake it with their own thumbprint. On Lynne Me Your Ears, a long-overdue, two-hour tribute to the many projects of Jeff Lynne (his work with Electric Light Orchestra, the Move, the Traveling Wilburys, and his solo work are all included here), there are plenty of acts choosing either road, with many opting for faithful re-creations. But where some of the original material -- especially the ornate Electric Light Orchestra compositions -- has not aged very well due to Lynne's tendency to chase musical trends like ornate strings, elaborate keyboards, or disco beats, most of these new versions manage to update and freshen Lynne's compositions. So some may cry foul, but despite mercifully few misses this works very well as a compilation. Given Lynne's love of melody, it's no surprise that the compilation is top-loaded with some of the best power pop acts of the '90s and 2000s (the Shazam, Michael Carpenter, Sparkle*Jets U.K.), but the disc also pulls in some more disparate artists like Todd Rundgren (who remakes "Bluebird Is Dead" with a gentle disco beat) and Sixpence None the Richer. The best moments, of course, are where the artist re-creates the original with a slightly different spin, like on Rick Altizer's hard-rocking "Boy Blue" or Ross Rice's stunning remake of "Evil Woman," where he turns the song into Bobby Brown-esque dance-pop circa 1990 and it works. As tributes go, Lynne Me Your Ears succeeds precisely because it does what it needs to: offer a new spin on old material while making listeners want to drag out their old vinyl for another listen. ~ Jason Damas, Rovi