Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Polls
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Should ELO be added to prog archives?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedShould ELO be added to prog archives?
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
Poll Question: Should ELO be added?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
13 [22.03%]
40 [67.80%]
6 [10.17%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted

Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 19557 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 17:26

Come on guys, the fact that they used some violins, cellos and other ussually classical instruments, doesn't make them progressive.

The musician not the instrument makes the music, give a mellotron to Michael Jackson and his music wouldn't change a bit towards progressive, of course I'm not comparing a good band as ELO with Wacko Jacko, it's only an example.

ELO was an eclectic band, they played Rock, POP and Disco music (Discovery is as Disco oriented as  the 70's Bee Gees) with classical instruments, and they were good on that, I really love A New World Record, but they never tried to play prog'.

You can play plain POP with an Orchestra and still will be POP (James Last or Ray Conniff as someone mentioned before), maybe even worst and turn to MUZAK but never prog'.

ELO never created anything different (Maybe in the first two albums, but still not so sure), they changed the way of playing mainstream, but that's all.

At least STYX  are really a good example of a band that tries to settle between mainstream and Prog', their arrangements are surely complex in SOME tracks, but ELO only played mainstream with orchestra.

If you ask me if they were good, I believe they were really good, but the did nothing risky enough to be considered Prog'. Not everything we like has to be prog' to be good.

Iván



Edited by ivan_2068
Back to Top
Garion81 View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: May 22 2004
Location: So Cal, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 4338 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 14:38
ELO? I don't think so.  Even though they used strings and some classical bits I think that was more of a novelty or gimmic than trying to draw you into something deeper. I think they were a very slick pop group.  I think the same way of Supertramp also.  I would almost put Ambrosia in the class but they did some progressive numbers as well as their hits.  Styx?  I have always debated this band in my mind. I do like a lot of their music but they stay on the fringe of progressive unlike their contemporaries like Kansas who took deep plunges. Deep Purple?  Yes.  Heavy Metal?  Yes, but they were the inovators of metal so they score points there.  They did the orchestra thing with John Lords composition.  Child in Time is a very progressive song. Not all the material for sure but enough to say they were early on.
Back to Top
Velvetclown View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 8548 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 14:23
ELO ?        NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 14:13

I agree with Richard. If they'd carried on the way Roy Wood had intended, they may have gone on to become a good prog band.

When they were formed, Wood/Lynne said that the intention was to carry on from where the Beatles left off with "Strawberry fields forever", so that gives a hint of the original intended direction.

Jeff Lynne initially kept on a similar path, and I'd argue that "Eldorado" was a good prog album, but after that they quickly went pop. If you look at the double album "Out of the blue", almost every track has the same simple verse/chorus structure.

They made great music, with a lot of symphonic input, but I wouldn't say they fit in here.
Back to Top
Petra View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: August 23 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 663 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 13:17

My first boyfreind was an ELO fan and i had to endure many nights listening to them .

I consider them Pop, but i can understand why they would now be thought of as Prog to some. Same can be said of Queen, Wizzard and many bands from the 70's

Don't hate me
I'm not special like you
Back to Top
Rooibos View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie


Joined: October 10 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 50 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 12:33

What is Gorp?

Styx are poppy. Elo are poppy. James last does alot of classical stuff but you would not say he was a classical performer.
All The World's A Stage
Back to Top
Dan Bobrowski View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5243 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 12:28

They added Styx? Grrrr...

There goes the argument...

 

ELO is PROG, Wooo Hoooo!
Back to Top
Carl floyd fan View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 176 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 12:13

than why is styx on prog archives? 

What about Chicago from 69-75?  thats prog.
Back to Top
Dan Bobrowski View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5243 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 11:59
I enjoy a lot of ELO music, but, like Styx, not really prog. More like gorp.
Back to Top
Man Erg View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: August 26 2004
Location: Isle of Lucy
Status: Offline
Points: 7456 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 05:39
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Very early on they were a Prog band but Jeff Lynne did pretty much the same for ELO as Phil Collins did for Genesis (ie turn them into pop bands).I don't want to see reviews of pop albums here so I've got to say NO.


I agree. On the Third Day was their watershed album.
After that they veered more toward symphonic pop/rock.
But overall they were a bit too gimmicky.
Back to Top
richardh View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28305 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 05:08
Very early on they were a Prog band but Jeff Lynne did pretty much the same for ELO as Phil Collins did for Genesis (ie turn them into pop bands).I don't want to see reviews of pop albums here so I've got to say NO.
Back to Top
Blacksword View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 01:54

Good point. I'm not aware of Warhorse, or Captain Beyond to be honest, so I'll take your word for it. Deep Purple??? They were blues/rock/metal etc, and not prog, I agree. Just because they had an organist

I guess my criteria for a band being prog would probably not be met by ELO, but by the same token niether by Atomic Rooster and Deep Purple.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
Back to Top
Carl floyd fan View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 176 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 01:43
well, IMO warhorse, captain beyond and some of birth control and some of atomic rooster is plain hard rock, but they are on here.  Granted I like those bands, but they have very little prog in them, especially captain beyond.  And if there is talk of adding deep purple (what next, sabbath?) than I wanna bring up ELO.  ELO is more legit. as much as I like deep purple, they are heavy metal.  ELO is symphonic an thus, is symphonic prog rock.
Back to Top
Blacksword View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 01:39
I'm not convinced. They were very original in some respects; obviously in their use of strings, and were clearly very talented. However, most ELO I've heard, which I admit is not an enormous amount, seems like rock n roll at the end of the day. Not prog IMO.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
Back to Top
Carl floyd fan View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 176 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 01:29
the third option is preaty much maybe, if you started off with a maybe but would like to change your mind, respond with a yes or no.
Back to Top
Carl floyd fan View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 09 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 176 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2004 at 01:28
Come on!  They are (symphonic) prog rock and you know it!  They are on all the other major prog websites I have visited.  Now this site is what I consider to be the biggest, despite the fact that ELO is missing.  They are a famous band and should be added!  Lets try and get Max's attention.  ELO!!!!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.184 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.