Classic Rock Bottom

ALBUM OF THE WEEK #2 ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - A NEW WORLD RECORD



Vital Statistics:

Released - 1976
Producer - Jeff Lynne
Label - Columbia
Chart Position - #5 Billboard
RIAA Certification - Platinum

Track Listing:

Side 1:

1. Tightrope
2. Telephone Line
3. Rockaria!
4. Mission (A New World Record)

Side 2:

1. So Fine
2. Livin' Thing
3. Above The Clouds
4. Do Ya
5. Shangri-La

This week's selection is the 1976 release from E.L.O. entitled A New World Record. This is a very fine album, top to bottom. The only song that doesn't do much for me is Above The Clouds. Everything else is really good. I'll concentrate on my favorites. Track 2, Telephone Line, is my all-time favorite E.L.O. song. I remember hearing it as a kid, and something about the singer's voice just captured me. He sounds so helpless. All he wants to do is talk to this person, but she won't answer the phone. I just love this song. I also think Rockaria! is very good. I love the operatic intro, which is also repeated in the song.

Mission (A New World Record) and So Fine are hidden gems. I'm sure you've heard Livin' Thing. It was a very popular song, and for good reason. Do Ya was also a decent hit. It's really a good song that was covered in the 80's by Ace Frehley. I believe ELO's version is a cover as well.  I'll include Ace's cover version here as a bonus tune. To me, other than Telephone Line, the jewell in this collection of music is Shangri-La. I bought this CD a few months ago, and had never heard this song. It is the most "gemmiest" of hidden gems. I really, really, really love this song. How does something this good go unnoticed? And if you listen, check out the shout out to The Beatles "Hey Jude" in the song. Simply amazing.

Another week, another album. You can buy this jewel on Amazon, brand new, for 8 bucks. That's a bargain, folks. I can think of no reason why you, yes you, shouldn't own this album.

Hidden Gems:

Tightrope
Rockaria!
Mission (A New World Record)
So Fine
Shangri-La

**Hint for next week - I've got a 2-fer (that means two for the price of 1 in the deep south) coming from Noah Drake (do you know who that is?)




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Kinda cool when the worst part of the band is what they play on radio! Then years later you discover them and think, why did I miss out on this? Check out 'Fire On High' from Face the Music... If you ever watched ABC's Wide World of Sports in 70's you 'll hear this intrumental and smile....
I actually heard Fire On High about 3 days ago on XM. That is a super cool acoustic riff. I'm getting ready to add some more ELO to my collection. Great band.
Wasn't "Discovery". I hang my head in shame. I have "Face The Music" on my latest batch of ride to work listenin' stuff, just because I was in the mood to listen to "Fire On High". How strange.
RJhog, "Do ya" is not really a cover since Jeff Lynne wrote it, although it was recorded by the MOVE when jeff was in the band. Thought that might help. Oh by the way ELO is one of my guilty pleasures.
Man, I gotta get my facts straight. Thanks for the info Christopher. JL was an excellent songwriter. Ace's cover was very decent, but nothing beats the original.
I used to have this one and yes for 60,s lovers this one is a must have. I will look in my collection and see if I HAVE IT also we collect records. We now have still at last count 900 and we do not have is a page big enough for a list. Maybe we can put together a buy sell and trade page. Then we can share what we have with the rest of the family. Tell us what you are looking for and we will do the same. Thanks Norma and Lee

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In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

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