A NEW WORLD RECORD

A New World Record basically abandoned all of ELO's progressive roots. It is a pop album from beginning to end. There isn't anything on it that closely resembles progressive rock. It's a combination of pop rock (Tightrope, Mission, So Fine, Livin' Thing), ballads (the silly Telephone Line, Above the Clouds, and the Beatlesque Shangri-La) and rock (Rockaria! and Do Ya).

I do have some fond memories of the album as I was introduced to it in the late 1970's as a child. Indeed, I like quite a few of the songs on A New World Record (Mission, for example) and it is one of ELO's most popular releases and one of their best sellers. Lynne's vocals and production have vastly improved, too. However, it isn't progressive rock and never will be. With that in mind, I can only recommend this to collectors and fans only and thus it deserves two stars. All others, please avoid. If you're interested in ELO's progressive works, start with ELO II or On the Third Day.