"The Electric Light Orchestra" December 1971 UK Debut Album on Harvest
(As "No Answer" in the USA on United Artists Records)
Remastered with Bonus Tracks Inside "The Classic Albums Collection"
"...First Movement..."
Cheaper than a Waitrose
Christmas Pudding (though with maybe not as much Brandy) - this Sony/Legacy ELO
Box Set is like THE BYRDS and BILL WITHERS issues in this excellent series (see
reviews) - chock full of tasty musical raisins and alarmingly good value for
money.
Included is their Prog Rock
beginning – the self-titled debut on Harvest Records from December 1971 renamed
"No Answer" and issued May 1972 in the States on United Artists
(included in this Box set with its 2006 CD Remaster Bonus Tracks). Here are the
details and with no strings attached...
Released November 2011 -
"The Classic Albums Collection" is an 11CD Mini Box Set on Sony/Legacy
88697873262 (Barcode 886978732620) and breaks down as follows:
Disc 1 "The Electric
Light Orchestra" aka "No Answer" (59:38 minutes):
1. 10538 Overture [Side 1]
2. Look At Me Now
3. Nellie Takes Her Bow
4. The Battle Of Marston
Moor (July 2nd 1644)
5. First Movement (Jumping
Biz) [Side 2]
6. Mr. Radio
7. Manhattan Rumble (49th
Street Massacre)
8. Queen Of The Hours
9. Whisper In The Night
Tracks 1 to 9 are their
debut album "The Electric Light Orchestra" - released December 1971
in the UK on Harvest SHVL 797. It was released May 1972 in the USA as "No Answer"
on United Artists UAS 5573.
BONUS TRACKS:
10. Battle Of Marston Moor
(Take 1/Alternate Mix)
11. Nellie Takes Her Bow
(Alternate Mix)
12. Mr. Radio (Take 9)
13. 10538 Overture (Take
1/Alternate Mix)
2006 CD Remaster used
The clamshell box houses all
11 card-repro sleeves (1, 2 3, 7 and 8 are gatefolds) with a chunky 28-page
booklet sat atop that pieces together the reissue liner notes from 2001, 2003
and 2007. JOEL PALMACCIO at Sony Music mastered the set but it's using the
PETER MEW remasters and all the other quality engineers involved in the later
issues. The audio quality is great and as you can see from the detailed lists
provided - each album has retained their Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks.
The only thing conspicuous by their absence - are the large number of 7"
single edits and different mixes that are scattered through the Seventies
especially (they're mostly available on the "Very Best Of" 2CD set).
The booklet gives detailed
credits on each album - ROY WOOD and the ever-present JEFF LYNNE are on the
first two albums as is BEV BEVAN - while from the 3rd album onwards MICHAEL De
ALBUQUERQUE joins the ranks with LOUIS CLARK (the unsung member of the band)
providing String Arrangements for much of their classic albums.
Their Seventies output
splits into three distinct phases - the first Prog Rock Harvest Records period
- then into the more commercial Warner Brothers stretch - then finally into
Global recognition on their own Jet Records where they simply became known to
everyone as ELO. All the big chart hits are here (and more) -"10538
Overture", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Showdown",
"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle", "Evil Woman", "Strange Magic",
"Livin' Thing", "Rockaria!", "Telephone Line",
"Turn To Stone", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Wild West
Hero", "Sweet Talkin' Woman" "Shine A Little Love"'
"The Diary Of Horace Wimp", "Don't Bring Me Down" and
"Confusion/Last Train To London".
Fans of their fabulous Chuck
Berry cover "Roll Over Beethoven" may find the full 6:47 minutes of
the album version odd on the ears after hearing the (AWOL) single edit of 4:37
minutes for so long. That other superb rocker "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" is the
same - though at 3:57 to 3:21 minutes - the difference is less noticeable. What
is very noticeable is Peter Mew's fantastic remaster - these suckers rock.
Given how the band's sound
morphed as Jeff Lynne steered the group to huge global success in the mid to
late Seventies, their 1971 beginnings on Harvest Records (UK) is definitely an
acquired taste – acquired – but very satisfying. It opens with very Move-sounding
"10538 Overture" – the track given its full album reign of 5:30
minutes. Quite why someone didn't think to include the 4:04-minute single edit
is definitely a sloppy omission – but the track still thrills in 2019.
The
ghost of Eleanor Rigby and its string slashing opens "Look At Me Now"
– those vocals still deliberately back in the mix as the Roy Wood written song
goes for Baroque Rock and largely succeeds. Six minutes of "Nellie Takes
Her Bow" is a Jeff Lynne drama-fest about back stages and bands playing on
while Nellie has to go after the final curtain call (to become someone else
some place else) – those combined piano and string moments now clearer with the
Remaster. Roy Wood ends Side 1 on the album's most testing moment -
"Battle Of Marston Moor" – wretched souls marching for the king on a
tune that might have sent them running the other way.
The five-minute "Mr.
Radio" opens Side 2 in that Jeff Lynne signature way – his vocals sliding
in after a clever intro – a DJ thanked for airing a lover’s wish. Lynne follows
it with "Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)" – a song
so doomy and laden with discordant strings and pianos that it might indeed have
been used for a Hammer Horror movie to frighten punters back into their seats
and away from the ice-cream lady (I've always liked this weird almost silly
instrumental). Sending somehow that he’s gone too far – Lynne now gives us the
album's other (slightly) commercial moment - "Queen Of The Hours" – a
wind blowing away time song (who bought this!). It ends with Roy Wood's pretty "Whisper
In The Night" – his sung-on-the-side-of-the-room vocals sounding like a
plea and for me one of the album’s best moments.
For sure many will feel that
"The Electric Light Orchestra" (or "No Answer" as its known
in the USA) is a beginning – a curious and weird one too – but I've always
loved it for its bonkers feel and those moments of melodic brilliance that
would lead to so many more years on. In Old England Town for sure...
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