Track Listing

1. 10538 Overture
2. Look At Me Now
3. Nellie Takes Her Bow
4. Battle Of Marsten Moor
5. First Movemnent (Jumping Biz)
6. Mr Radio
7. Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)
8. Queen Of The Hours
9. Whisper In The Night
10. Battle Of Marsten Moor
11. 10538 Overture
12. 10538 Overture

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11982 in Music
• Released on: 2003-04-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Customer Reviews

Flawed masterpiece
"Electric Light Orchestra" gives a glimpse into the collective madness of Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. Hurray for that, says I!

Not content with churning out hit singles as The Move and influenced by some of the Beatles classical work - Wood, Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan combine their pop sensibilities with almost frugal string and horn arrangements to produce this 1971 gem.

Wood's "Look At Me Now" and "Whisper In The Night" are almost revamped "Eleanor Rigbys". "First Movement" contains some very special acoustic guitar work from Wood, who was (and still is) very under-rated as a guitar player. His other track, "The Battle Of Marston Moor" is a very high-brow instrumental - dominated by french horn and wasp-ish cello - but you get the feeling Wood is playing this for laughs.

Jeff Lynne contributes the album's other five songs. Unlike Wood, you feel Lynne can't help writing a single. "Mr Radio" and "Queen Of The Hours" are lovely Lennonesque songs that owe a lot to the "White Album". However, the album's high point is Lynne's "10538 Overture" - built on a confident Abbey Road-era guitar riff - where both Lynne and Wood's combined talents show through. Roy as a multi-instrumentalist is just superb and Jeff's vocal and guitar work are clear and focused.

Both Lynne and Wood are musical geniuses and their stylistic approach to their work here shows. You are constantly suprised at their unbounded melodic turns, arrangements and imaginative production. And yet that real strength is also "ELO"'s biggest flaw and shame. Because no band was ever going to contain two egos as these. Wood knew this, and bailed out as "10538 Overture" hit the Top 10 in the summer of 1972, leaving a evermore confident Lynne, with Bevan, onto bigger things.

But ELO never really got much better than this. Or the Beatles for that matter. Brilliant stuff.

What might have been ?
This album was a bold experiment in the use of instruments more usually associated with the classics than a rock album,and as such should have a place in the collection of any discerning music fan.From the arresting opening of 10538 Overture the album takes you on an intriguing ride through haunting,strident and sometimes alarming sounds.There are interesting and poignant stories,too-'Nelly takes her bow 'and the eerily sad 'Mr.Radio'.Though the' Battle of Marston Moor' is grandly pretentious it just about works.'First Movement(Jumping Biz)'is a Classical Gas type track which makes non-players wish they could play guitar.A complete change of mood is afforded by 'Manhattan Rumble',its ghostly piano echoing a long-ago gangster massacre.With 'Whisper in the Night' the album has a fitting hymn-like finale after the preceding drama.This was the only ELO recording on which Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne collaberated although they were trying more experimental pop in the later Move albums.ELO went on to be a huge success with a popular,but for me, rather formulaic sound and Roy Wood went on a rather aimless path creating Wizzard,little more than a novelty band.I listen to this album and wonder what might have been.

Embarassed to admit I like it
ELO have to be one of the most unfashionable bands ever, but their early period with Roy Wood was much more interesting.

Although pretentious and hippyish, this album is also very likeable due to the great tunes, and the typical early seventies experimental feel.

Fans of ELO will love this album for its obscureness, and non-fans should enjoy its originality and daringness.