But the prose is more banal than profound, for Lynne's writing during this period lacked the kind of eloquence and cleverness that has allowed message-driven albums such as Dark Side of the Moon and Quadrophenia to remain vital decades after their release. It would take one more year and another album for Lynne to realize that his band was better suited to more succinct pop hooks and fewer extended rock solos.ĮLO 2 also makes some awkward attempts to tackle Really Serious Issues: Modern life is rubbish ('In Old England Town'), being alone in the world without your mother is perhaps worse ('Momma') and being shipped off to war is worst of all ('Kuiama'). Jeff Lynne had musical chops that were more closely aligned with the Brit-pop sensibilities of the Kinks and the prog-pop of the Moody Blues than with either Yes or ELP, while his guitar work could not approach anything performed by Robert Fripp, Steve Howe or for that matter, David Gilmour. Adding the support of trained string players did not compensate for the deficiencies of the band's core rock quartet, whose modest talents paled in comparison to those of the progressive trailblazers of the day. Radio.)īut the music's lack of brevity was not enough to make it complex or progressive, and the lack of virtuosity evident in the performances and compositions is where this edition of ELO falls short. Lynne also attempted with this album to move the band toward harder rock, adding a bit more grit to his vocal while avoiding the Renaissance Faire Gone Wild and music hall diversions of the first record. The band's internal power struggles were now behind it, but the meanderings found on ELO 2 were an indication that Lynne's quest for a commercially viable musical style was not yet over.ĮLO 2 was released during the peak of the progressive rock era and is a reflection of those times, with its obligatory lengthy songs (all are 7-11 minutes each) and extended instrumental breaks. But with Roy Wood's departure from ELO, co-founder/guitarist/vocalist Jeff Lynne rebooted the group for its sophomore effort, assuming complete creative control as he replaced the oboes, bassoons, recorders and French horns with synthesizers and a bona fide string trio, a seven-piece format that ELO would retain as a live act throughout its commercial peak. The first record had featured a five-member ensemble with two bandleaders - Roy Wood, formerly of the Move, had delivered half of the band's material and lead vocals - and was marked by a plethora of woodwinds and brass that slogged alongside Wood's distinctive chugging amateur cello chords. BONUS FEATURES: Feature length documentary Mr Blue Sky The Story Of Jeff Lynne and ELO + Interviews from Hyde Park.Review Summary: Not quite ready for prime (or prog) time, ELO's second release has its moments but is hindered by lackluster playing, writing and productionĮLO 2 (or Electric Light Orchestra II as it was called in the US) can be fairly regarded as ELO's true debut album. Neil McCormick of the Telegraph noted how fifty thousand grown men and women sang along in joyous rapture to some of the greatest pop music ever heard. The Times called the show near perfect in their 5* review and the Evening Standard said that ELO still have the power to flick switches in their 4* review. The 50,000 tickets for the event had sold out in a matter of minutes and the fans sang along to hit after hit performed by Jeff Lynne and the band accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra. It was the first time in almost 30 years that the band had performed on a festival stage.

In September 2014, Jeff Lynne s ELO headlined BBC Radio 2 s Festival In A Day in London s famous Hyde Park. PopisThe Electric Light Orchestra, led by one of rock s most iconic songwriters and producers Jeff Lynne, are one of the most successful British bands of all time with global sales of over 50 million albums.

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