Audio CD review:
Electric Light Orchestra - Flashback

Electric Light Orchestra - Flashback

Band: Electric Light Orchestra Title: Flashback Rating: Release Date: 21 November, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: 10538 Overture 2: Showdown 3: Ma-Ma-Ma Belle 4: Mr. Radio 5: Roll Over Beethoven 6: Mama (New Edit) 7: One Summer Dream 8: Ilusions In G Major 9: Strange Magic 10: Eldorado Overture 11: Can't Get It Out Of My Head 12: Eldorado 13: Edlorado - Finale 14: Do Ya (Unedited Alternative Mix) 15: Mister Kingdom 16: Grieg's Piano Concerto In A Minor 17: Tightrope 18: Evil Woman 19: Livin' Thing 20: Mr. Blue Sky 21: Mission (A World Record) (Alternative Mix) 22: Turn To Stone 23: Telephone Line 24: Rockaria! 25: Starlight 26: It's Over 27: The Whale 28: Sweet Talkin' Woman 29: Big Wheels 30: Shangri-La 31: Nightrider 32: Tears In Your Life 33: Don't Bring Me Down 34: The Diary Of Horace Wimp 35: Twilight 36: Secret Messages 37: Take Me On And On 38: Shine A Little Love 39: Rock And Roll Is King 40: Last Train To London 41: Confusion 42: Getting To The Point 43: Hold On Tight 44: So Serious 45: Calling America 46: Four Little Diamonds 47: Great Balls Of Fire (Live) 48: Xanadu (New Version) 49: Indian Queen (Demo) 50: Love Changes All 51: After All 52: Helpless 53: Who's That?

Editoral Review Basically, E. Electric Light Orchestra are the quintessential fanboy (or fangirl) band; folks tend to either love or hate Jeff Lynne's far-reaching pop act, while critics tend to wrinkle their nose in disgust and dismiss their entire oeuvre save the obscure first album that Roy Wood plays on. L. O. are derided for writing all the Beatles songs that the Beatles never got around to writing in the first place, and then slapping sappy disco string arrangements on top. But at their best this ambitious ensemble--whose maxim is to try and cram as much sound and scope as possible into the conventional pop song--achieve a certain lumbering grace which is amazingly pleasurable. Sure, their songs are sappy and Lynne's lyrics campy, but Lynne is such a master that he transforms artifice into art; he's not the Beethoven of rock, he's its Jeff Koons. Moreover, Lynne is no mere retro futurist; he is fully capable of taking apart high-, low-, and middle-brow genres and recombining them in unexpected ways--in a manner that foreshadows pop music's direction in the 1990s. It's delightful to see this underrated group get a decent, career-spanning three-CD box set (digitally remastered, natch), with the requisite unreleased/alternate takes and elaborate color booklet with extensive liner notes. This music has aged remarkably well, like a fine can of soda pop. --Mike McGonigal .. You can see a complete list of all Electric Light Orchestra discography, or go back to the Electric Light Orchestra tabs