A NEW WORLD RECORD

I really can't make much out of this album other than dubbing the term ''orchestra pop''. The tunes cover a basic gamut of a standard pop sound, but with some string players adding a bit of depth to the material. However, there's nary a moment that I really enjoy.

To be honest, the first four tracks are kind of a blur in my mind. It seems as if all of the songs come and go without making any lasting impact, a sign that I really don't understand what's going on music-wise. ''Rockaria!'' has this throwback 50's rock thing that annoys me coming from an album of the 70's, and the pseudo-title track attempts to scale great prog heights, but sounds only marginal to my ears.

Some of the catchier material here has had more lasting impact with me. ''So Fine'', ''Do Ya'' and ''Livin' Thing'' carry the best potential of ELO, showing that they can write above average pop material. Unfortunately, pop music in general has this hit-or-miss deal with me, and if it misses, it misses hard. The slow, ploddingness of ''Shangri-La'' is difficult to endure in one go, and ''Above the Clouds'' almost sounds like an off-day Beatles tune.

I'm sure there are plenty of ELO fans who will want to have a few words with me, but I'm not backing down on the rating. Much of the material has zilch in terms of true lasting power. As a pop album, I'd say it's decent, but if we're dealing with prog rock, then A NEW WORLD RECORD is pretty thin in that department.

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