![]() ![]() “Evil Woman” and the beautiful “Strange Magic” are hits. The band adjusts the balance a bit more, and comes up with one their best albums. Given free rein, Jeff Lynne’s soaring high tenor scores more hits than misses, though the misses have their share of histrionics, as in “Laredo Tornado” and “Poorboy.”įace the Music (1975). ELOs first Top Ten hit, “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” follows, complete with orchestra and angelic choir. Taking on the concept of fantasy, the opening track sounds like it’s been lifted from the “Wizard of Oz” soundtrack- until the overture kicks into high gear. The closer, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” features more explosive drumming and other excesses, but who cares? This is the way a concert hall should sound- at least once in a while.Įldorado (1974). On the rock front, there’s the superb “Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle” and “Showdown.” The two ballads “Bluebird is Dead” and “Oh No Not Susan” plod amiably along. We hear it again in “New World Rising” and “Daybreaker,” and it’s thrilling. The opener “Ocean Breakup” has that great crooning, bombastic drums, a beautiful melodic line- a band that’s in sync and ready to kick classical ass. And on the third day, the band found its sound. That being said, it’s all several steps up from the debut. Along with that we get some great performances, but the four songs involved go on for two to three minutes too long. In the meantime, we get a killer version of “Roll Over Beethoven” that’s to die for. The balance between classical and rock instrumentation has been achieved. Add to this the garage-like acoustics, and it makes for a tough listening experience.Įlectric Light Orchestra II (1973). Radio,” but much less on “Look at Me Now.” And while some of the tracks are to be applauded for their ambition, “Battle of Marston Moor” sounds pretentious and amateurish. On the one hand, the merging of classical and rock works well on “1st Movement,” so-so on “10538 Overture” or “Mr. And while interesting, it becomes cumbersome to listen to after a while. The debut leans more toward the classical than the rock. The Moody Blues and Procol Harum ventured into classical territory once in a while, but only one band successfully blended rock and classical instruments, as well as styles, on a consistent basis- the Electric Light Orchestra.Įlectric Light Orchestra (1971). While chamber pop has always been a big draw with listeners, few rock or pop groups have attempted to make classical instrumentation a regular part of their creative output. ![]()
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