CALLING AMERICA (SINGLE)

Balance of Power (1986) was to be ELO's final album until Jeff Lynne resurrected the band in 2001 for the album Zoom. The album was full of songs of lament over feeling burnt out over ELO and it's direction. It is important to realize that Jeff Lynne really never wrote a bad or awful song. In fact I think millions would agree he is one of the greatest songwriters ever. Calling America is a slice of Lynne's genius for finding pure pop tunes and delivering a big punch that really satisfies. This is the type of song that if it had more airplay back then might've cracked the top 10 in America. These were the days of the beginning of the end for classic rock due to MTV shutting down airplay and turning their backs on their bread and butter. It is such a sweet tune. So much fun with a great rhythm and chorus. The hooks are strong and the melody quite amazing. Very nice to listen to. Some of Lynne's songs are so sweet it's hard to listen to them over and over, like eating pure sugar, but the man is a genius, no doubt about it, and this song is very good. Four stars