Maybe the groove has run down...a bit
Brooke Oates | VA | 12/21/2007
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Hmmm...where to start. I have been a Stephen Duffy fan for many, many years. The opening lines of "American Eyes" from Paradise Circus had me hooked. I love all of the early LT albums (especially Astronauts) and his first few solo albums post-LT up through I Love My Friends (which I consider to be his best work of all) That said...other than a few tracks on Looking for a Day in the Night and "My Forest Brown" from 6, the latest incarnation of the LT is leaving me flat and I'm not sure I can express why. To me, the last few albums seem a bit short on melody and dynamics...it's like every song just kind've comes and goes without much impact. Go back through your collection and pick out his best tunes: "Return to Yesterday", "I Went to the Dance", "The Darkness of Her Eyes", "The Deal", "If the Stars Shine Tonight"...etc, etc. If you are honest (like I'm trying to be here), it will be tough for you to find anything on the past three albums that can rub shoulders with that company. I love Duffy for what he is and does...I would prefer that he move away from the tried and true pedal-steel LT quandry and bring some new dynmaics to his work. Perhaps I'm living too much in the past...but his work sounds like second-rate home recordings to me now whereas they used to send shivers up my spine. My two-cents worth..."
Great new LT Album
G. Daines | Boston, MA USA | 01/06/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album proves that nothing Stephen Duffy ever does is a fluke. It is more of the great songs he and The Lilac Time are known for. Particular standouts are: Another Time, Dream of a Girl, and Driving Somewhere. Instant classics! If you love SD & TLT, you will love this album. The only things robbing it of 5 stars, in my humble opinion, are a few weaker songs (No Direction, Parliament Hill Fields, and Dark Squadrons), and more importantly a more overtly political tone than previous work which comes across as a bit preachy (Another Time, Aldermaston) and I find that this detracts from the overall experience. Regardless, it is a MUST HAVE CD for anyone who appreciates SD & TLT, or... for that matter... music."
You deserve to hear this!
John Fields | Boston , MA | 06/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Runout Groove is yet another gem by the wonderful musician/lyricist Stephen Duffy and his band The Lilac Time.Listen to this beautiful album a few times and chances are you will see what i mean!
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