ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA [AKA: NO ANSWER]

The Electric Light Orchestra found much success in the seventies with their unique combination of pop and classical music, augmented by a dominant string section. Jeff Lynne soon became the driving force of the band, but ELO actually started as Lynne and Roy Wood's creation an offshoot of The Move (which was still in action at the time); the latter left soon after this debut.

Wood, who seems to be able to play every instrument available, and Lynne, share credits and singing here, while the strings are very raw, the cellos constantly chopping and hacking, giving the impression of string-laden lumberjacks, but they have quite a dramatic and fascinating presence, and it also helps that some of the material, particularly Wood's, is very melodious; his "Look At Me Now" and the wonderful instrumental "1st Movement" are two of ELO's best songs of all, while Lynne's opening "10538 Overture" is also a classic. However, it does have uneven moments - "Battle Of Marston Moor" works in places, but not as a whole, and the record loses its unique flavour a bit on side two, which is somewhat more perfunctionary, although Wood's concluding "Whisper In The Night" is quite lovely.

All the same, this is one of the more fascinating and revolutionary debuts around, and well worth pursuing, but from here on in, Lynne took control, and with a few more changes to come, found much fame with many successful releases, featuring a much more streamlined approach, and none sound quite like this.

4.0

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