This is the second album from Birmingham's the Idle Race, following their peculiar psych-pop debut, Birthday Party. This is the first record that chief songwriter Jeff Lynne would produce. Poor record sales for their first record forced them to strive for a more cohesive, accessible sound, which they pulled off quite well. But I can't help but miss the unique aspects of Birthday Party that made it so great. This one's just a bit too concise in it's songwriting and production, but good nonetheless. Unfortunately, Idle Race didn't succeed commercially, which led to Jeff Lynne's departure from the group. He would go on to join the Move, which had offered him a position in the band prior to the release of Idle Race. The group would continue on without Lynne, releasing one last record, Time Is, in 1971. It was never really the same band without Lynne, though.
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Thanks for this. Not as downright great as their debut but a very under-rated LP nonetheless. IBx
ReplyDeletemaybe better than the first, but both are fantastic records. the double cd of both is even better, with the singles and alts added. Search for BBC sessions. Only a fraction of what they did for BBC is in circulation... I once saw a stack of tapes at UA in London... some day these will be released.
ReplyDeleteThe group would continue on without Lynne, releasing one last record, Time Is, in 1971. It was never really the same band without Lynne, though.
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