Jeff Lynne’s “Long Wave” is not your typical album of cover songs. In selection they somewhat resemble Paul McCartney’s “Kisses on the Bottom,” save the Chuck Berry and Roy Orbison numbers. In approach, Lynne chose to put his indelible stamp on them rather than recreate what has already been created.
On the traditional pop numbers like “Smile” and “At Last,” Lynne adds that ELO feel and brings the songs up to date (relatively speaking of course).They were two songs that were the most challenging when you think of Lynne’s style, but he really pulls it off well, in a way showing that a great pop song is truly timeless.
For Chuck Berry’s “Let it Rock,” he played it close to the original version, and even if you didn’t know the song beforehand (which I didn’t the first time through) it’s soon clear that it is a Chuck Berry song.
The best track on the album is undoubtedly “Running Scared.” The song was written and originally performed by Lynne’s former Traveling Wilburys mate Roy Orbison. Lynne sings the song in a way that expresses the love he must have had for his late friend, it is just a wonderful version of the song and a fitting tribute to a legendary artist.
