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Amazon.com

ELO's fusion of Beatles-esque harmonies and melodic structure, coupled with their symphonic arrangements was just on the verge of wearing thin at the time they released Out of the Blue. To argue that the double album went platinum because of the band's live extravaganza to support it--the band performed inside a flying saucer--is a premise worthy of consideration. Song for song, Out of the Blue is not as strong as Face the Music, but it still has some of Jeff Lynne's finest compositions ever recorded. "Turn to Stone" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman" are almost downright giddy in their deliveries; the former opening with a string riff, the latter with a minor key violin line, before boasting a choral background accompaniment. "Mr. Blue Sky" and "The Whale" are almost too hokey, yet still managed to work. "Standin' in the Rain," "Big Wheels," and "Summer and Lightening" are more memorable. But in the end, power cello riffs can only take you so far. Stick with a "greatest hits" or "best of" collection in this case. --Steve Gdula

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Discs and Tracks

Disc 1
  1 - Turn to Stone
  2 - It's Over
  3 - Sweet Talkin' Woman
  4 - Across the Border
  5 - Night in the City
  6 - Starlight
  7 - Jungle
  8 - Believe Me Now
  9 - Steppin' Out
  10 - Standin' in The Rain
  11 - Big Wheels
  12 - Summer and Lightning
  13 - Mr. Blue Sky
  14 - Sweet Is the Night
  15 - The Whale
  16 - Birmingham Blues
  17 - Wild West Hero

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Astonishing!!        Rating:

This is with out a doubt the crowning jewel in the career of E.L.O. !! The whole album is absolutly amazing!! Try listening from track eight to track 15, over and over again and see if you can see what Jeff Lynne and the band are doing there, just awesome, absolutly awesome!! It's too bad E.L.O. did not follow up on `Out of the Blue' in a similar fashion on the next collection of songs in this amazing concept of a rock'n roll/classical band! If you haven't heard it, I challenage everyone to try it!!!

fine blending of orchestration and rock        Rating:

an excellent album of rock/pop music with classical overtones. the group's leader, jeff lynne, is an extremely talented individual with an extraordinary sense for fine pop melodies. the classical overtones are more mozart, than say, stravinsky or mahler. the orchestra is always moving forward, elegantly, to a satisfying resolution on each song. the songs themselves are almost all fine, but my one gripe would be that this was a two record set, thus a looong cd, and the tempos of the songs are all fairly similar (upbeat, but not really hard rocking), thus towards the end it does seem that some editing could have been used, and the whole thing made just a tad shorter. small complaint though. i highly recomment this album. wonderful stuff.

A GREAT CLASSIC        Rating:

This is such a great cd and one of ELO's finest achievements. I only rate A NEW WORLD RECORD and TIME slightly better. This is one of Lynne's masterpieces and such a great listen it is. My only complaint is that I wish there were more up-tempo songs than slow/mid-tempo ones, but oh well we all can't have our cake and eat it too! Anyway, if you don't have this cd in your collection/library, by all means, get this one. You won't be disappointed! Can't wait for the 30th Anniversary Edition cd to be released!
Highlights:"TURN TO STONE","SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN","STARLIGHT","JUNGLE","STANDIN' IN THE RAIN","MR BLUE SKY", and "SWEET IS THE NIGHT"

The peak of ELO's library!!        Rating:

ELO evolved for many years before this recording came out. They then hung around for several years after this one. In all of the earlier recordings you can hear all the pieces coming togerther. In the later ones, you can hear the group slowly disolving. Luckily this particular recording is of such high quality that ELO has left a great legacy for their fans and fans of progressive rock (used in its literal sense). Out Of The Blue initially was released on vinyl as a double album but has been condensed to a single CD for today's format. Jeff Lynne did a wonderful job putting together this futuristic sounding concept album. The whole band have their highlights on this recording. From Lynne's vocals and slick production skills to fantastic drums, keyboards and strings. If you are looking to get one ELO album to represent the best they had to offer, this is the one to get hold of.
Jeff Lynne produced several memorable recordings even after ELO broke up so his influence can be heard in several different ways (George Harrison, The Traveling Wilbury's, etc.).
Everyone's basic library should include this disc.

ELO's Very Best Album        Rating:

I really like ELO's unique style, and Out of the Blue is my absolute favorite. I get tired of listening to their other albums - composed mostly of songs that simply miss the mark, or consist of too much Top 40 jello. This album is their most dynamic and I never get tired of listening to it. The mix of songs is just right, with real zingers like "Turn to Stone" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman" flowing into others with a different twist. And living around Seattle, the juxtaposition of "Standing in the Rain," "Summer and Lighting," and "Mr. Blue Sky" is simply brilliant. Lacking a strong cup of joe, "Mr. Blue Sky" replaces a jolt of [...]e anyday. Crank it, baby! Awesome. "Steppin' Out" brings a touch of melancholy that is so unusual in popular music. Wow - nuance!? Amazing!

Ok, the Whale is a bit much - unless I'm in the mood, then it is the greatest. This is a wonderful album and deserves a re-issue. The Amazon review is totally wrong-o this time around.

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