ELDORADO

Jeff Lynne discovered how to create good prog music on the third day. On the fourth day (or the fourth album, if you prefer) he started exploring how to make it popular. Not surprisingly, the recipe included less prog. Jeff followed this recipe faithfully for every succeeding ELO release, and prog quickly evaporated from the music.

But on Eldorado, the fourth ELO album, there still was a fair amount of prog in the mix and what else was added was usually of a pretty high quality as well. Let's take a look at the tracks.

El Dorado Overture/Finale -- As the firstt and last tracks are based on more or less the same idea, I'll cover them together. These are a short instrumental intro and outro, with some narration and sound effects in the intro. Not bad tracks in themselves, they bookend the album well and are short enough not to prove tiresome.

Can't Get It Out Of My Head -- My favorite ELO track. This one is not particularly progressive, but it is a lush ballad that is romantic in the classical sense. A great piece of music.

Boy Blue -- If Can't Get It Out Of My Head weren't my favorite ELO track, this one would probably be that. It's a stirring piece of progressive rock that never fails to bring chills to my spine, from the brash brass opening to the piano and string interludes to the catchy rock song parts.

Loredo Tornado -- This is the track that I actively dislike on the album. It has a laid-back, almost bluesy feel, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

Poor Boy -- A nice rocker that gets shown up by the later Illusions in G major.

Mister Kingdom -- Another boring one, driven by a monotonously pounding electric piano.

Nobody's Child -- A witty tune with a retro, vampish style (complete with muted trumpet.) Not the masterpiece of the album by any means, but a nice change of pace song that adds a fair amount of interest.

Illusions in G major -- Ok, a catchy pure rocker here, but a really really good one. My only complaint is that I have no idea what Jeff is singing about.

Eldorado -- I can't understand how this song missed out being included in their Greatest Hits compilation. It's in the same vein as Can't Get It Out Of My Head, nearly as good, and probably my fifth or sixth favorite ELO track.

This album is often referred to as a concept album. Of course the main reason for that is that Jeff Lynne told us that what it was. Orchestral interludes link the tracks together and themes of legends and heroes often pop up, but if you weren't told that it was a concept album, you might not notice.

Electric Light Orchestra has begun to drift away from prog, but they haven't drifted so far as of yet that they can't earn 4 stars for Eldorado.