FACE THE MUSIC

By 1975, the Electric Light Orchestra were becoming something of a musical paradox. Their melodic pop sensibilities, as can be heard on the catchy "Evil Woman" and the even catchier "Stange Magic", were coming to the forefront thanks to the talents of ELO frontman Jeff Lynne. Surprisingly, these pop songs are almost too easily reconciled with ELO's more ambitious musical endeaor, the instrumental "Fire On High". How can such ear candy coexist with such a dark overture? That is the eternal question of Face Music. While the rest of the album is largely forgettable, the ballad "One Summer Dream" does end the album in a pleasing way. However, it is the stalwarts "Fire On High", "Evil Woman", and "Strange Magic" which make Face the Music what it is, a good album in many respects but not really essential for the prog fan