Electric Light Orchestra Comprehensive Discography Review Part I

Just found a really interesting podcast called Political Beats.  Political pundits talk, in depth, about their favorite bands.  When I say "in depth" I mean that the ELO podcast was three hours long.  They went through the ELO catalog album by album, track by track, talking about the strengths, the weaknesses, and the history.  The Beatles podcast, which I haven't listened to yet, took two three-hour podcasts.

Before you read any further, however, be warned.  Having listened to a three hour podcast on ELO, I found myself compelled to go back and listen to the whole discography, in order, to see what I might have been missing.  So here's my thoughts, after a couple bits of interesting trivia:

1. The name has nothing to do with lights. A normal orchestra (symphony or philharmonic) can have 70 to 100 musicians according to Wikipedia.  A chamber orchestra typically has only fifty or fewer.  Light orchestra is apparently a British term for a much smaller version of the full orchestra.
2. ELO started as a prog rock project by Roy Woods and Jeff Lynne, members of The Move.  It was supposed to be a side project but then Woods left and Lynne kept going.

And, having written the intro to my post, I decided to do something completely different.  I'll give you brief impression of each album, but more importantly I'll tell you if you are missing out on anything by not listening.  At the end I'll give you my version of ELO's Greatest Hits.

No Answer:

ELO songs you've probably never heard of but should: 10538 Overture.  The first song on the first album, definitely takes you where ELO will go in the future.

Lots of Beatlesque sounds.  Norwegian Wood, This Bird Has Flown (perhaps although I'm rusty on my Beatles so I may have the songs wrong, but definitely not the sounds.  Look at me Now and Mr Radio if you want to hear those sounds.

Lots of weirdness.  Avoid Battle of Marston Moore and Manhattan Rumble unless you like prog rock weird.

Conclusion: Listen to the first song and add it to your music playlist.

Electric Light Orchestra II:

Only five songs.

Hits: Roll Over Beethoven.  Yes it's a Chuck Berry song but man are they having fun playing it.  Add to playlist.

Not much else of note. From the Sun to the World has a bit of everything during it's 7:16 playtime but I wouldn't say you'd be missing too much if you didn't listen.  Except that Beethoven.

On the Third Day:

Hits: Showdown and Ma-Ma-Ma Belle.  Two really good ones, especially Showdown.

ELO songs you've probably never heard of but should: Oh No Not Susan.  Excellent.  Get's in your head.  They also have a 6:33 version of Grieg In The Hall of the Mountain King.  I guess it was de rigeur back then but this may be the worst I've ever heard.

Eldorado:

This is ELO.  What you expect when you hear the name.

Hits: Can't Get it Out of My Head, which I like a lot

Overall: I'm not impressed.  Boy Blue, anti war song right about the time that the Vietnam war was ending anyway, Laredo Tornado, there just isn't anything else on this album that stands out.  So still waiting for my favorite ELO album to show up.  I'll let you know when I find it.  I do, however, have six songs that I can put into my music rotation so far.

Face the Music:

Fire on High, fun instrumental, although I'm not a big fan of instrumental oddly.  I listen to classic, etc, love Grieg and Dvorak, but rock instrumental comes on and I tend to tune out a bit.  Perhaps I'm listening for a different reason and the vocals fills that need.

Apparently waterfalls are illusions or something.

Hits: Evil Woman, not my favorite ELO hit; Strange Magic, ranks right up there.

All in all, decent album, nothing annoying but nothing that says "listen to me again" right now.

A New World Record: Here it is.  My favorite ELO album.  Haven't listened to all the rest yet but wow.  Just no breaks from good music.  The low point is Mission (A World Record) but it isn't terrible, I just couldn't figure out the point.  Meanwhile:

Hits: Telephone Line, one of Lynne's best ever; Rockaria, right up there in the top ten (pronounced Rock Aria, by the way, not rokaria, like a rock and roll and opera mixed); So Fine, another decent piece; Livin' Thing, another top ten, (how about that incredible intro, go listen to it right now); Do Ya

Out of the Blue:  Was going to post what I had through A New World Record, and was on my way up to do so, but got distracted by some woodwork that has had stripper on it for the last couple hours while I made dinner.  Needed to be scraped and scoured.  So I listened to Out of the Blue.  At first I thought I might have jumped the gun with "my favorite album" A New World Record.  Out of the Blue starts with Turn to Stone. One of the greats, followed by It's Over and Sweet Talkin' Woman.  Then it gets a little iffy with Across the Border which frankly is mediocre, a series of OK songs before Mr. Blue Sky.  Just OK, and ends with three just OK songs.  Just not as overall outstanding as A New World Record.

ELO songs you've probably never heard of but should: Sweet is the Night

Watch this space for Part II.