Product Description

First album in 15 years for Jeff Lynne, aka the Electric Light Orchestra. Written, produced and performed by Lynne withguest appearances from his former Traveling Wilburys bandmate George Harrison and Ringo Starr, it features more of ELO's trademark epic, string-driven pop-rock.

Track Listing

1. Alright
2. Movement In Paradise
3. State Of Mind
4. Just For Love
5. Stranger On A Quiet Street
6. In My Own Time
7. Easy Money
8. Really Doesn't Matter Anymore
9. Ordinary Dream
10. A Long Time Gone
11. Melting In The Sun
12. All She Wanted
13. Lonesome Lullaby

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42135 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-11
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Although Zoom marks ELO's first proper album for 15 years, it'd be unjust to accuse Jeff Lynne of resting on his laurels. After all, the ELO main man has been busier than most in that time, becoming a much sought-after producer for the likes of Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever and Into The Great Wide Open), George Harrison (Cloud Nine), Paul McCartney (Flaming Pie) and the Beatles themselves (he produced the reunion single "Free As A Bird" from their first Anthology). On Zoom, Lynne again demonstrates his unique knack for combining simple tunes and lyrics with grandiose, symphonic music, a formula that made ELO one of the biggest bands of the 1970s. Zoom lacks the thematic coherence that marked some of the band's best work (notably Out of the Blue, A New World Record, Eldorado and Time) and got ELO unfairly lumped in with the prog-rock crowd; instead, Lynne showcases his strengths as a composer of pop songs--after all, this is the man who wrote those 70s-rock staples "Living Thing", "Evil Woman" and "Don't Bring Me Down". On Zoom, his songs are a bit more introspective and personal, as well as slightly scaled down--the namesake "Orchestra" has become more of a string quartet. But with songs like the Beatles-esque "Ordinary Dream", the rocking "Easy Money" (with Ringo Starr on drums), the mellow "A Long Time Gone" (with George Harrison on slide guitar) and first single "Alright", it's a change that works. Let's just hope it doesn't take so long for the next ELO album to arrive. --Robert Burrow

Customer Reviews

Can't get it into my head
Course I was excited when this came out - I didn't need a sticker on the front to tell me it had been 15 years since the last ELO album - but I don't think I've played it more than three times. This doesn't sound like ELO; doesn't even sound like the last, semi-duff ELO album, Balance of Power. It sounds like Tom Petty, the Wilburys, George Harrison and everyone Jeff Lynne has produced - too much production and not enough music (or enough musicians!)

In the 1970s, ELO did something unique by using billion-track studio technology (and hundreds of hours of work) to create the effect of a rock band augmented by multi-layered harmony vocals, orchestral strings and a choir; now Lynne uses these techniques and all the digital tricks developed since to allow himself to play all the instruments and still sound like...wait for it...four blokes standing in a studio and playing a song they made up in the bar before they came in. OK, he plays them well enough, and the songs are sort of, well, Alright, but the sheer musical and emotional impact of a Big Wheels or a Ticket to the Moon is nowhere to be found.

The clue to what's missing on in the guest list - there are cameo spots from Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Richard Tandy; all he needs is a bass player and you'd have a perfectly pleasant album called Jeff Lynne and Friends Play Some Songs They Made Up in the Bar. But to call this an ELO album smacks of crass, ex-wives-to-pay cashing in. Well, he's got my cash for this one, but not my appreciation. A pity.

Awesome Album
The 70s for me was the decade of Bowie, Gabriel era Genesis, Roxy Music, Lou Reed and then Punk and New Wave - ELO were too grandiose and over the top musically for me. Now, 25 - 30 years later, my new wife has re-educated me... What hits me is how fresh their music is now, it's quite timeless. There are still a few older tracks from the back catalogue that I don't like, but that aside, their musical legacy is awesome.

Zoom is probably their best album (in my opinion), it was instantly great, but grows better with each play.

A favourite track - erm... ...all of them!! This is a Desert Island Disc and no mistake!

Nice, but it AINT ELO......

If you're looking for more of the classic ELO sound that has been missing from your life for the last 20 years, forget it. This is a Travelling Wilbury's album, end of story. Sounds nothing like ELO. Maybe their time will come again and they'll re-unite and we'll have another classic album, my heart hopes so but my head says their time is long gone.....