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Electric Light Orchestra - On the Third Day Audio CD

A fair review of the Electric Light Orchestra "On the Third Day" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Electric Light Orchestra reviews here, or go back to the Electric Light Orchestra tabs.

Electric Light Orchestra Band: Electric Light Orchestra
Title: On the Third Day
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Ocean Breakup/King of the Universe 2: Bluebird Is Dead 3: Oh No Not Susan 4: New World Rising/Ocean Breakup (Reprise) 5: Showdown 6: Daybreaker 7: Ma-Ma-Ma Belle 8: Dreaming of 4000 9: In the Hall of the Mountain King

My favorite ELO (and the best?)
I suppose whoever said that meant from Face The Music on, when they started to develop a more commerical sound. I remember back in 1984 listening in San Jose to the John Peel show on local community station radio KFJC and hearing him quote someone about ELO, saying something to the effect that they were a grand experiment that went horribly wrong.

I love ELO all the way up through Out of the Blue, but I can see what he meant. Their later stuff is something of a guilty pleasure. And with Discovery, I think they may have gone too far.

But this album is my favorite and I would vote it as their best. It's not slick or commercial at all; the sound is rough and raw, and it's powerful. "Showdown" is my favorite ELO song.


Orchestral grandeur, pure pop, and gritty rawk collide
On this, ELO's third album, the vision that Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne originally had for the fusion of classical strings/arrangements with rock and roll begans to really take shape. ON THE THIRD DAY is a thrill ride, a gutsy swing for the fences that connects on many levels. The groundwork for the band's masterpiece follow-up album, ELDORADO, is well-laid here, as strings and electronics blend smoothly, rather than being in conflict. Richard Tandy, the band's outstanding keyboardist, really comes into his own here. Mik Kaminski's violin work is also stellar. Jeff Lynne's vocals are in fine form, particularly on the Marvin Gaye-influenced hit song, "Showdown. " And how about the incredible guitar solo Jeff plays on that cut! Spiritual themes crop up throughout the album, particularly on "King of the Universe," "New World Rising" (a forerunner of "Mr. Blue Sky"), and the intense and visionary "Dreaming of 4000. " A jaw-rattling rocker, "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle," has become an all-time ELO concert favorite. If you ever wondered if strings could rock, check this one out. (Marc Bolan of T. Rex plays uncredited guitar here alongside of his buddy Jeff Lynne. ) And, two of ELO's best instrumentals are also here: "Daybreaker," a lively, superb synth-rock hit (#87 in BILLBOARD), and the epic "In the Hall of the Mountain King. " The first time I heard "In the Hall of the Mountain King," I flipped. I had never heard anything like it before. . . I don't know that I've ever heard anything like it since. For sheer drama, ON THE THIRD DAY ranks up there with anything ELO has ever produced. It's still a little uneven compared with some of their later work, but ELO was never more spirited than ON THE THIRD DAY. This CD holds up extremely well today, more than 30 years later.
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Dressing Gowns And Scary Clowns...
. . Have absolutely nothing to do with this album.
I'll let you guess from the title what number album this is (and from the review below mine). This would be a jump ahead for the ELO as they adopt the pop sound here, but then drop it for their next album, Eldorado before picking it up again (metaphorically- probably spelt wrong) for Face The Music.
This does not men I don't like this album, in fact by rating suggests the oposite, as it is a a very good effort. Some call this a forgotten masterpiece, and that is half right, it is generally forgotten, but not a masterpiece. A masterpiece I can happily sit through all the way over and over, and all though I could with some tracks, others I fear I would end up becoming very irratated with.
All the same, for you the buyer, if you're an ELO fan and are curious as to what this ones like, should not be dissapointed if you're into either early or latter ELO. If you want to try ELO this a fairly good example of what they are. Either way it's worth the asking price.
I hope I've been of service. . . Toodle Pipskie (Is that how you spell it?).


On The Third Album
I really do love the first 2 E. I would have to aggree with the other reviewers who say that Lynne's vision of what the group would eventually become starts to peak through the cracks here with this album. L. O. albums for different reasons but this album shows the most development of the first 3. You're absolutely deaf if you can't here the influence of the latter period Beatles here. I'm a sucker for those slow 4/4's with ascending melodies - LOL. The arrangements are dipped in equal parts Sgt. Pepper, White Album with a heaping helping of Abbey Road to much success. I love the way a lot of the tracks are segued together like a suite (ala the second side/half of Abbey Road). Also, this sounds best when listend to in its entireity as a complete work. Give it a try!.


My Favourite from ELO
Just a great album. . more raw than the following albums, all of which are also great. . . but this just has an energy and quirkiness that lends itself to me very well. Very Beatlesesque in parts, it was no wonder that John Lennon during this era (concerning the song Showdown specifically) called ELO "Son of Beatles" or something like that. . . not sure if that quite applies to their later albums as much (lets not forget that they are great, but ELO had definitely developed its own unique flavour by then, comparisons to the Beatles are strained at best). As is said in the title, my favourite ELO album. . . for now anyways!.


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