Before
they magically morphed into Electric Light Orchestra (a/k/a ELO),
thus ending their tenure in 1971, The Move were considered
by their fans as being the greatest rock band in U.K. music history.
It never mattered to long time disciples that the MOVE werent
an instant stateside phenomenonlike
Jethro Tull or even King Crimson (to name a couple bands that became
huge in the U.S. circa 1969). The four studio albums released by The
Move are still considered the holy grail for those fans and in 2016,
Esoteric Records released multi-disc versions of the first three albumsMove
(1968), Shazam (1969) and Looking On (1970).
For purposes of musicology in this review, the first two Move albums
are somewhat similar in scope although their second, Shazam was
a much more determined and a much heavier album from a rock recording
perspective. Either way, with Move now expanded to 3
CDs, including 61 songswith a stunning mono mix of the entire
first album, stereo mixes and BBC sessionsand
Shazam, expanded to 2 CDs with 40 tracksincluding
the entire late 1969 album released in early 1970, Shazam era
singles in mono and stereo and more BBC session datesfans
of The Move will be in orbit with these 2016 Esoteric remasters. The
liner notes for the first two albums, written by Mark Paytress,
are quite exemplary, filling in missing pieces behind the bands
long and winding pre-ELO history. Clearly, Move mastermind Roy
Wood, drumming master Bev Bevan and their late, great lead
vocalist Carl Wayne remain heroes among British rock enthusiasts
and Esoterics multi-disc CD remasters of the first two Move
albums puts the defining touches on a vital slice of rock music history.
The first two Move albums were and still are incredible to say the
least, however from a musical perspective, things really came
into focus in a big way when Move vocalist Carl Wayne moved out and
Roy brought fellow Brummie and Idle Race founder Jeff Lynne into
the Move fold. In his liner notes for Esoterics 2016 double
CD remaster of Looking On, rock scribe (and my esteemed Facebook
friend) Mark Paytress boldly declared that Released as Fly
HIFLY 1 on December 11th 1970, Looking On flopped. From
this writers "Stateside" perspective, nothing could
be further from the evidential truth. Despite the painful fact that
Herb Alpert's then incredibly influential A&M Records unexpectedly
booted the Move from their historic roster following Shazamwith
The Move then moving to Capitol Records starting with Looking Onan
essential part of rock history was serendipitously unfolding before
our eyes and ears. From this writer's Stateside perspective, as a
devout Move fan who was watching as this was all happening, I (in
retrospect) would have to possibly credit then Capital Records
A&R guru Herb
Belkin (and also his A&R boss Artie
Mogull) for being there when The Move were signed to Capitol Recordsthus
ensuring that the EMI / Harvest / United Artists Records connection
would be in place by the time The Move were near ready to release
the debut, self-titled Electric Light Orchestra album late in 1971.
More intriguing from a musical perspective than anything ELO ever
released, Looking On was a huge success for Stateside Move
fans, despite the totally unusual and quite surreal album production
(and bizarre album artwork). Perhaps most importantly, Looking
On led in turn to the penultimate Move album Message From The
Country (including the bands final singles featured on the
2005 MFTC reissue on Capitol Records) and even more importantly,
leading to the original band's first album as Electric Light Orchestra,
released in late 1971 by EMI on their Harvest label and in the U.S.
on UA Records.
Stateside perspective pt.2; without knowing the full ramifications
of the Move's David
Platz / FLY / Cube Records connection, Capital did very little
to promote both Looking On and then again Message From The
Country, (the latter bought by this writer the day of its U.S.
release as a suspiciously sealed, cut-out Lp at Nappy's Records in
Times Square!) Yet, both of the final two
Move albums on Capital Records still remain totally essential listening,
as were / are the final Move singles like California Man,
Down On The Bay, "Chinatown", etc., which were
all featured originally in the U.S. on the United Artists' Lp Split
Ends, and decades after, on the above mentioned EMI CD reissue
of Message in late 2005. That said, Esoterics 2016 double
CD set of Looking On is a fantastic, ear-opening experience
to say the least. The 20 page CD booklet is complimented by a poster
which features a batch of period piece press clippingsincluding
an interview with Move bassist Rick Price. Like their historic
remasters of the first Move album and Shazam, Esoterics
Looking On double CD set is filled with sonic surprisesboasting
a number of out-takes and rarities, including a mono mix of Brontasaurus
and a Frankenstein-ed composite of the title track, Looking
On, mixing two different out-takes for a unique version that
almost betters the original. The history of The Move and how Roy,
Jeff and Bev went on to create the Electric Light Orchestra, and the
bands inexplicable and unexpected split, could fill a musical
encyclopedia. Even so, these three Esoteric remasters are essential
listening for Move and ELO fans. Imagine that in a hundred years,
when were all dead and gone, and younger, fresher ears are checking
out these albums out for the first timeprobably
in their U.K. rock music history 101 classIll
bet the kids will still be blown away at how incredibly inventive
and brilliant The Move truly were. www.cherryred.co.uk