Greatest Hits Pop Music : All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO

All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO

£4.19

  1. Mr Blue Sky
  2. Evil Woman
  3. Don t Bring Me Down
  4. Sweet Talkin Woman
  5. Shine
  6. Turn To Stone
  7. The Diary Of Horace Wimp
  8. Confusion
  9. Hold On Tight
  10. Livin Thing
  11. Telephone Line
  12. All Over The World
  13. Wild West Hero
  14. Showdown
  15. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
  16. Xanadu
  17. Rockaria!
  18. Strange Magic
  19. Alright
  20. Rock and Roll Is King

The Electric Light Orchestra were one of the biggest and most successful bands of the late 1970s, producing a massive string of hit singles and albums that almost any other band would envy. Their works have been cited as influences by such hip acts as Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals. Their frontman and leader Jeff Lynne has been the producer of choice for people like Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and George Harrison. From Evil Woman, Don t Bring Me Down and Mr Blue Sky to Livin Thing and Hold On Tight, there are few duds amongst these 20 remastered tracks. ELO produced some of the biggest and best singles in rock & roll s history, and All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO is an excellent reintroduction to this great band. Hopefully, this also signals the beginning of a long-overdue revival and re-evaluation. --Robert Burrow

Ideal gift for family and friends - Great original under-rated band and song-writer, buy this if you re quite new to their unique sound and then splash out on the individual fantastic CDs, then try the Travelling Wilburys!

JEFF LYNNE - HE WANTED TO BE THE 70 s BEATLES - Much like comtemporaries ABBA the Electric Light Orchestra were often derided during their recording career as manufacturers of shallow, chart friendly pop. ELO supremo Jeff Lynne s obvious obsession with all things Fab Four related saw him cast as a desparate Beatles wanna-be with a beard, bad perm and sunglasses.Now though times have changed. Everyone from the Feeling to the Divine Comedy site the Brummie band as a massive influence and even the once harsh critics fawned over the recent re-release of Lynne s magnum opus Out Of The Blue.Even John Lennon was quoting as saying - if you want to hear what the Beatles would have sounded like if we d have stayed together then listen to ELO . There is much truth in this comment.Multi-instrumentalist Lynne certainly has a winning way with melodies and giant choruses, although his lyrics often took second place to feel of the song. Then, of course, there were the trademark three and four part harmonies, the often audacious baroque arrangements and the everything and the kitchen sink productions. He certainly wasn t afraid of using the studio to it s full potential ! Mr Blue Sky is still the bands greatest single, a sprawling, fractured song that is almost impossible to resist (especially on a fine day). Don t Bring Me Down was a rocking fuzzed up smash (on both sides of the pond), Evil Woman, All Over The World and the Olivia Newton John assisted Xanadu - fine pop hits all. They could even do ballads - Telephone Line & Strange Magic sound like blue prints for the Feeling s debut record.Sometimes ELO were guilty of being too smart and sacharine - The Diary Of Horace Wimp is either genius or dross, i still can t decide - and Wild West Hero is just plain nuts - but when they were good they were untouchable.ABBA are now the critics darlings - ELO won t be far behind - just wait for that original members reunion tour !!cw

Childhood Memories Bathed in Golden Light - I love ELO. They bring back memories of a very happy childhood in the 1970s and the power and beauty of the work still shines very strongly today. I find it very emotional listening to them having lost my mother very recently and Mr Blue Sky transports me back to a golden summer day in the late 70s with all the joys of being a boy-child with forests, bikes and love all around. Music is all about memories and glory and ELO provide both with abundance.

Original, magical, nostalgic - The fact that Mr Blue Sky is one of the most used TV ad and film songs, is indicative of what ELO do: theiy give you exactly what it says on the tin and they do it in a unique way that combines falsetto, electronic experimentation, Jeff Lynne and superb album covers. The Diary Of Horace Wimp is a stroke of genius: as far as I m aware there is no other song comparable to it in structure or tone. Telephone Line is simple and beautiful, and Wild West Hero an oddity but an immaculate and atmospheric one. If you ve never heard of Jeff Lynne or ELO, it s time you acquainted yourself, and I can think of no better way to start than this album.

Awesome band - I listened to this music as I was growing up...liked it then but probably never gave it too much consideration...busy climbing trees, riding bikes etc. Listening to it now though really brings home how awesome this band were...great writing, great delivery bringing us a living definition of timeless classics . Underrated? I don t think so... for me, and I guess many others, this music is part of an exclusive list of tracks that will always define a time and a place in our lives. If you re young and not heard it before just listen and have fun - I m sure thats all JL and the band were/are about.




All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO