OUT OF THE BLUE

Well, Electric Light Orchestra is one of the few bands who really improved (both critically and popularly) when they dropped away from their prog roots. While there are still a few hints of prog here and there, they are only hints: this is prog pop at it's best, which is, unfortunately, a different species entirely. Still, this is a VERY solid outing, especially considering that we are talking about a double LP back in the days before the CD took over. I won't say that there is no filler at all, but there isn't much and it's of a very high calibre. Plenty of songs here should have received airplay but didn't, due to the album being packed with great material (Night in the City, Sweet is the Night and Birmingham Blues all jump to mind.)

So to sum this one up, it's a great album (probably ELO's best, although El Dorado comes close) and definitely worthy of 4 stars. Unfortunately, since there is hardly any prog on the album at all (the only meaningful exception might be The Whale, which sounds like something early Floyd might have done if they weren't perpetually depressed and paranoid, think Careful with that Party Favor, Eugene), this only rates 4 stars.

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