Listmeister listens -- Electric Light Orchestra

[dihansse]

[RoundTheBend]

Yes I'd like to know that too Romanelli.


Also I laughed out loud at this:
I resisted doing a diary like this because, once upon a time, I had a blog for reviewing popular music. I stopped doing it, mainly because I ran out of ways to say "this song is awesome."


Also really cool project. This is a really interesting concept because as I rate things I am constantly thinking how my rating is relative to others.

[Romanelli]

[Listmeister]

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ELO 2 by Electric Light Orchestra

BEA Ranks: 1973: 97th; 1970's: 880th. All Time: 4,782nd.
Ranked highest by TrekkiELO, 11th all time.

So, Roy Wood left the band in 1972 to forma a band called Wizzard (a couple of his cello tracks made the album, though). Lynne (frontman) and Bevan (drums) carried on, and the band expanded to include Richard Tandy (keyboards) Mike deAlbuquerque (bass), Wilfred Gibson (violin), and Mike Edwards and Colin Walker (both cello).

Five long tracks compose the second album of the Electric Light Orchestra project. The original idea was for a concept album called The Lost Planet.

I couldn't get into "In Old England Town (Boogie No. 2)." I sensed no boogie. "Mama" is much prettier, even a bit smarmy in the singer-songwriter days of 1973. Lynne's vocals are more confident, and the classical strings really enhance the performance.

"Roll Over Beethoven" is taken a bit more literally than the Chuck Berry original, opening with several bars from the 5th Symphony before melting into the Chuck Berry guitar. Lynne sings a couple of versus (he gets some of the words wrong), and then some back-and-forth between the classical and the rock, more lyrics, and then more classical, more rock 'n' roll. It's the most enjoyable single track so far in the discography.

"From the Sun to the World (Boogie No. 1)" opens side 2 with a long synth intro. It's a keyboard showcase for Richard Tandy, and the song (and Lynne's still-not-there-yet vocals) are secondary. Lots of boogie in this one.

"Kuiama" is the big finale. It seems to be a song of comfort, sung to a girl (Kuiama) whose been hurt by war. There's a lot of emotional content here, shared sadness, with the instrumental bridge keeping the love flowing even though no words are spoken. After the bridge, you discover that the narrator has been hurt by war, too. He's had to stand and fight and kill. Jeff Lynne's songwriting is at its best when he's telling a story, and you really feel for these two lovers.

Each album seems to be getting better than the last one. Roy Wood's absence is noticed, in that there's less variety and less energy than before. This album seems subdued to me although there is plenty of rock and roll moments. The format of intro, verse, long instrumental bridge, more verses, outro seems to be one they are comfortable with and they don't deviate from that too much.

In the context of 1973, the songs don't seem radically different from the singer-songwriter stuff that was coming out at the time from people like Elton John and John Denver; however, ELO has the classical musicianship that puts them far ahead of their peers in terms of instrumentation.

Listmeister ranks: 1973: 11th.

[Listmeister]

[Listmeister]

So, what happened to Roy Wood?

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Wizzard Brew by Wizzard (UK)

BEA: 1973: 639th, 1970's 6118th; All Time 53,416th.
Ranked highest by Leonard, #31 of 1973; Listmeister 1970's #81, 1973 #7.

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Boulders by Roy Wood

BEA: 1973 183rd; 1970's: 1671st; All time 11,169th.
Ranked highest by Gero, 18th all time.

1973 was a big year for Roy Wood. His old bandmates (The Electric Light Orchestra) released their second album without him (see above). Roy had left to form a new band, called Wizzard, recruited from former members and session musicians from The Move. This new band, in March of 1973, released an album. That wasn't enough for Mr. Wood, he also wanted to produce a solo record.

Wizzard Brew has a lot of the energy and goofiness of the Move's first three albums. Wood's vocal power shines through, and it's clear that ELO was weaker without it, at least at this point in the ELO catalogue. "Jolly Cup of Tea" is a fun marching-bandy sort of romp. The opening tracks for each side ("You Can Dance Your Rock'n'Roll" and "Buffalo Station/Get On Down to Memphis") are solid rock and roll with amazing guitar work.

I think what surprised me most about Wizzard Brew was that I liked it more than ELO 2. It's more fun. ELO 2 is trying too hard to be serious; even it's best track (Roll Over Beethoven) has an element of "we're playing serious classical music here". The musicianship on Wizzard Brew is first rate, but it doesn't take itself too seriously.

On Boulders Roy is trying to do it all himself. Sometimes it works, when he's trying to do the singer-songwriter thing (Praise Songs, Nancy Sing Me a Song are particularly delightful). When he tries to rock (Rock Down Low), it's clear he needs a band for that. Sometimes he's trying to be a balladeer or something (Dear Elaine), and his voice just isn't up to it.

The fun that we've come to expect is still there. "When Grandma Plays the Banjo" is, to use the technical term, a hoot.

Listmeister Ranks:
Wizzard Brew: 1973: 7th. 1970's 81st
Boulders: 1973: 22nd

[Romanelli]

A couple of things about The Electric Light Orchestra II (as it was called in America) (I was very into the history of this band for awhile):


The album had different cover art in the US.

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The album had a different title: it was called ELO 2 in the UK, and Electric Light Orchestra II in the US.

After this album, "The" was dropped from the band name.

The UK version of "Roll Over Beethoven" is over a minute shorter than the version released in the US.

The track "Momma" was renamed "Mama" for the US release.

On the 2003 First Light Series album, a 30th anniversary reissue, Carl Wayne of The Move sings lead on 3 of the bonus tracks, including a version of "Mama".

On the same reissue, Marc Bolan of T. Rex plays lead guitar on 3 tracks, including an early version of "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle".


In my opinion. "Kuiama" is Jeff Lynne's peak as a lyricist. Lyrics after this album seemed almost like an afterthought for him.
_________________
May we all get to heaven
'Fore the devil knows we're dead...

[Listmeister]

Jeff Lynne smiles upon the world.

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On The Third Day by Electric Light Orchestra

BEA ranks 1973: 79th; 1970's 711th; All Time3,725th
Ranked highest by Clouds2095, 6th All Time.

We're not done with 1973 yet. Electric Light Orchestra (they've dropped the the) released its third album, the second of 1973, called "On the Third Day" (get it? Third?) . It's really two half-albums. Side Two was recorded first, right after ELO 2 was finished. Cellist Colin Walker and violinist Wilf Gibson left the band, Mik Kaminski feplaced Gibson on violin, and then they recorded the first side.

Side One as a suite bookended by Ocean Breakup (which, in the book of Genesis, happened on the third day.). The second track (Bluebird is Dead) is interesting in light of what comes later. The vocals swing into falsetto in a way we haven't heard before but would become a big part of their sound, and Tandy's keyboard is producing some amazing music. Bluebird is Dead leads into Oh No Not Susan, followed by New World Rising, which is a storm of classical instrumentation and electronic keyboarding. The suite is unified in such a way that you don't know when it's transitioning from one song to the next.

Before we get to side two, we have to discuss a situation where the US version of the album is radically different from the UK version, released first. The US version adds a song called "Showdown" to open Side Two. It is the funkiest song in their catalog so far. There's a groovy (for lack of a better word) interplay between the electric bass and the strings. It was released as a single in the UK, where it was a Top 15 hit. (If you care why this was, the single belonged to a different label in the UK (Harvest) from the one that released the LP (Warner Brothers) . United Artists was their label in the States).

But in the original version, side two opens with"Daybreaker", an amazing instrumental where the band shows off their skills in a piece built around one of Tandy's keyboard riffs. "Ma-ma-ma Belle" has driving guitars and drums behind it to produce a well-crafted pop tune. it's probably the earliest ELO track that you will still hear on the radio. If "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" had driving guitars, "Dreaming of 4000" starts with virtuoso guitars, and leads into a beautiful song with interesting lyrics.

The finale is called "In the Hall of the Mountain King", which starts off with a familiar classical melody that I dien't know the title of, so I looked it up (thanks, Wikipedia). It's a piece by Edvard Grieg that he wrote by 1876, originally called I Dovegrubbens Hall.

This album is the best one we've discussed so far, including the Roy Wood LP's. How much better depends on whether you include "Showdown" on it. Let me put it this way: Given the choice, I'd rather have the Showdown-including US version on vinyl.

Listmeister Ranks
1973: 3rd. 1970's 29th; All Time 89th.

[Romanelli]

...you also will want the American version for dismissing that horrible album cover in favor of this one:

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The classic band photo where everyone exposes their navels to the camera. So much better than the UK cover.
_________________
May we all get to heaven
'Fore the devil knows we're dead...

[TrekkiELO]