GREATEST HITS

ELO was a favorite of mine in the mid '70's. My prog sensibilities may have not been fine tuned yet, but these guys were helping. I could see that there was more going on here than in your average pop song (Olivia Newton John), or even in good ol' rock (Foghat). I still like to listen to them now, and they will always have a special place in my heart. They were heavily influenced by The Beatles (Jeff Lynne has always wanted to be one), but they infused a symphonic aspect. Most people should be aware of ELO to some extent. They are classic rock staples, and recently have been featured in television ads.

With that said, I don't feel a need to dissect this compilation song by song. It is a good representation of their work during their salad days. It has some of their biggest hits, along with some lesser known gems. This isn't just a collection of hits. It's an overview of a band in their prime.

Now, when it comes to bands that I like, I don't like to spend my money on albums like this. I usually end up wanting to get the originals. This is even more the case in prog (or even prog related), as they tend to be concepts. However, if you are just feeling nostalgic for a few tunes, and collecting this band's albums holds no interest, this wouldn't be a bad purchase. In my opinion, the original studio albums are worth it. I would suggest starting with "A New World Record."

H.T. Riekels