Electric Light Orchestra - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
	Released: 2005 Label: Epic/Legacy Cat. No.: 94489 Total Time: 77:43
	Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, August 2005 Electric Light Orchestra, known by their fans as ELO, is one of the most celebrated bands in rock-pop music. The driving force behind the band was Jeff Lynne. At the very beginning, a recognizable Beatles influence was in his music. That influence with his new rock band would work very well with all the other elements that would make up their unique sound. The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is what it says it is, and yes, this is the CD as seen on TV! This is a great collection of tracks, every one excellent from my point of view, and all remastered, of course, for optimum listening pleasure. In Lynne’s introduction to this collection, he talks about the miracle of being in the top ten and selling millions of records. Not everyone can stake claim to that kind of success and the fact that what he was doing was so totally different and considered non-commercial at the time, makes the ELO story that much more incredible. Eldorado (1974) and Face The Music (1975) were my introduction to ELO. I was not ready for Eldorado when it came out, I was still in my Kiss rock stage, and that is all I wanted to hear. It was not until several years later that I would appreciate the uniqueness and complexity of the ELO sound. I do remember reading an article in Circus magazine and Bev Bevan stating how difficult it was to be a drummer in the band, with all the orchestral parts and such. If you have not heard those two albums, they come highly recommended from this listener. To this day, they stand as landmark classic releases. This CD was extremely enjoyable for me, I was singing away to each song as they played. It gives you the warm and fuzzies inside, if you were growing up when it all came out. I think it is long overdue that Lynne puts together a comprehensive boxed set, one that shows how some of the songs developed with and without all of the orchestration. I certainly think it would be a fascinating thing to absorb for any music lover. While we wait for that, we can enjoy all of these wonderful tunes in gloriously remastered sound. Rating: 4.5/5 More about The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra: Track Listing: Mr. Blue Sky (5:02) / Evil Woman (4:11) / Don't Bring Me Down (4:03) / Sweet Talkin' Woman (3:47) / Shine A Little Love (4:11) / Turn To Stone (3:48) / The Diary Of Horace Wimp (4:16) / Confusion (3:41) / Hold On Tight (3:06) / Livin' Thing (3:31) / Telephone Line (4:39) / All Over The World (4:03) / Wild West Hero (4:40) / Showdown (4:11) / Ma-Ma-Ma Belle (3:37) / Xanadu (3:21) / Rockaria! (3:12) / Strange Magic (4:07) / Alright (3:10) / Rock And Roll Is King (3:07) Musicians: Includes: Jeff Lynne - guitars, keyboards, vocals Bev Bevan - percussion, vocals Michael D'Albuquerque - bass, vocals Mike Edwards - cello Wilfred Gibson - violin Mik Kaminski - violin Hugh McDowell - cello Richard Tandy - keyboards... Contact: Website: www.elomusic.com Note: will open new browser window Discography No Answer (1972) On The Third Day (1973) Electric Light Orchestra 2 (1973) Eldorado (1975) Face the Music (1975) Olé ELO (1976) A New World Record (1976) Out Of The Blue (1977) ELO's Greatest Hits (1979) Discovery (1979) Time (1981) Secret Messages (1983) Balance Of Power (1986) Afterglow (1990) (3-cd boxed set) ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1995) Strange Music: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra (1995) Flashback (2000) (3-cd boxed set) Zoom (2001) ELO 2: Lost Planet (2003) The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2003) ELO Classics (2003) Early Years (2004) ELO, Part II: Greatest Hits (2004) Collection: Face The Music/A New World Records/Discovery Critical Review 1970-1973 (2005) All Over The World: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra (2005)
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