ELO in PA? Gimme justice!

DallasBryan wrote: This is a silly discusssion, ELO was one of the founders of progressive rock in England. Period! And very good at it also! Its like arguing that Greenland is ice and Iceland is green. Originally they defined what was latter to be known as progressive rock, slightly on the pop side and psychedelic side originally, they were two steps from melodic west coast psychedelia and one step from the Beatles psychedelic stage and a flying leap away from Canterbury's mental handicaps!

A bit off topic, but my understanding is that Greenland is mostly ice, and that in fact if you could somehow remove all the ice that sits on top of Greenland's land, it would rise out of the ocean; that is, the ice is weighing it down.

And that is further reason to argue that ELO is a great prog band. Because if the ice didn't weigh Greenland down in the '60s, a sunami could have be generated, thereby wiping out the town of Surrey, which, as we know, was a hotbed of prog ideas and where Lynne incubated many of his prog concepts.

Thank you.

bluetailfly wrote: First, I want to thank you for supporting ELO's early works as prog/art rock and reviewing the early LPs, which I consider quality prog music that still stands up today. And in this case, I support the posting of the review, since it allows us to read and respond without having to hyperlink out and back again. And while I don't agree on all points, I understand where your coming from. BUT (you knew it was coming), what I don't see discussed at all is the concept of the LP itself. That is one of the crucial factors that makes it the art that it is. You do mention that it is a concept album, but don't go on to elaborate. It's like reviewing Sgt. Pepper without ever discussing the "band within a band" concept and how that gives context to the music. But as I said, thanks for reviewing it. I'm going to get around to it myself soon.

I'll be looking forward to it

Rightly so, I forget the concept just as I did also about On The Third Day, but I did not understand the one in that album.

I did not talk of the Eldorado concept because my outlook is to defend the "progressiveness" of ELO, because they are all too often under attack. The fact that it is a concept(and I mention it), gives one more argument towards ELO's progressiveness

At first I supported their inclusion, but when I saw how many people were against it, I thought about dropping the idea

Then a collab did introduce them and there was a flurry of threads howling at treason etc..

I thought the best way to defend ELO's cause would be to review them and I revived this thread (but I found none that were positive so I choose this one - look at the first posts as this was the better one)

Another solution was to create a new thread, but this would've taken away the spite of my reviews.

Just a general note (I put it in another thread too), but could members refrain from posting copies of their own reviews in the forum too. If people wish to read the review, they will do so in the reviews part of the site.

If you wish to seek occasional feedback on a specific review, post a link to it.

 OK, I remembered well this album given the twenty years lapse between two hearings

It did not really change my mind; if previous albums were prog rock, this one is fully symphonic and conceptual, but it is PROGRESSIVE POP. Still good though

Prog Related
(Studio Album, 1974)
Avg: 4.21/5
from 14 ratings

   So far, I have rated ELO a little over their own real value (giving them a half-star over what I believe they really deserve – except for the debut album), but with this album, usually regarded by a lot of progheads as their masterpiece: I feel I have to set the record straight! If most progheads look down unnecessarily on previous album, they generally tend to regard this one a bit too highly. Yes, it is fully symphonic and conceptual (and therefore progressive in its own right), but it is POP rather than ROCK (something previous album were not) and just for that ELO loses a bit of credential to this reviewer’s eyes.

But please do not let me be a party pooper as the songwriting on this album is still phenomenal - even though only written by Lynne himself, it must’ve been arranged by the whole group. With this album, Lynne actually veers away (finally some might say) from his Fab Four infatuation, but I feel this might be exactly where the weakness in this album lies. Although still plainly an ELO album and in itself a small tour de force, songwriting-wise it does not really resemble any other album of theirs. I think that my main gripe about this album is that the strings and full orchestras are over-used a tad (ton?) too much for my tastes. But some of the evident melodies of previous albums are lacking and even the hit Can’t Get It INTO My Head is not catchy for me.

Funnily enough, it is the album that most everyone is ready to laud to the skies, and I personally cannot help feeling that ELO just missed the holy grail by a few hairs had they been a bit less pretentious with this one. But nevertheless, this album should be the proof to dubitative progheads, that ELO has its own full place in the Archives.

DallasBryan wrote: Guess what, Journey's first two albums were Progressive Rock too! That will blow most peoples concept, but its true! Give them a listen, you'll be surprized. Basically Santana's band that made Caravanserai, Welcome and Santana 3, with less latino groove and NO STEVE PERRY!

Journey: 

You might even add their third album, Next to be proggish , but no quite like their first two, and then Perry happened, Ainsley Dunbar left, and things changed dramaticaly

Santana's 70's output (including his solo albums) until 79's Oneness included is awesome and definitely much worth the inclusion. However, we are in both case stuck because the owners want the full discographies in the database

I certainly would not rate ELO as the most controversial inclusion in the Archives and for me if groups like Queen, Roxy, Muse are added, there was no reasons why this group should not!!Soon or later I gather 10CC will be in also

These guys were prog (albeit a little light) until their New World Record /Out Of The Blue phase

and Eldorado is prog even if a little kitsch and borrowed. Jeff Lynne was always famous for his Beatles-influenced songwriting, so if Eldorado does sound like Ggt Pepper, this is no great surprise

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As for the Roll Over Beethoven with the added intro and outro, this does not make it prog since the body of the song is almost unchanged

ELO always a very rnR twist to them!!!! Check Ma ma ma Belle out, to get a load of it.

Nevertheless I intend to review them until Face The Music