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Track Listings
| 1. 10538 Overture |
| 2. Look At Me Now (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 3. Nellie Takes Her Bow (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 4. The Battle Of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644) (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 5. First Movement (Jumping Biz) (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 6. Mr Radio (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 7. Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre) (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 8. Queen Of The Hours (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 9. Whisper In The Night (2001 Digital Remaster) |
| 10. The Battle Of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644) (Take 1 Recorded 28/4/71) |
| 11. 10538 Overture (Take 1 Recorded 12/7/70) |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"Electric Light Orchestra" gives a glimpse into the collective madness of Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. Hurray for that, says I!
Not content with churning out hit singles as The Move and influenced by some of the Beatles classical work - Wood, Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan combine their pop sensibilities with almost frugal string and horn arrangements to produce this 1971 gem.
Wood's "Look At Me Now" and "Whisper In The Night" are almost revamped "Eleanor Rigbys". "First Movement" contains some very special acoustic guitar work from Wood, who was (and still is) very under-rated as a guitar player. His other track, "The Battle Of Marston Moor" is a very high-brow instrumental - dominated by french horn and wasp-ish cello - but you get the feeling Wood is playing this for laughs.
Jeff Lynne contributes the album's other five songs. Unlike Wood, you feel Lynne can't help writing a single. "Mr Radio" and "Queen Of The Hours" are lovely Lennonesque songs that owe a lot to the "White Album". However, the album's high point is Lynne's "10538 Overture" - built on a confident Abbey Road-era guitar riff - where both Lynne and Wood's combined talents show through. Roy as a multi-instrumentalist is just superb and Jeff's vocal and guitar work are clear and focused.
Both Lynne and Wood are musical geniuses and their stylistic approach to their work here shows. You are constantly suprised at their unbounded melodic turns, arrangements and imaginative production. And yet that real strength is also "ELO"'s biggest flaw and shame. Because no band was ever going to contain two egos as these. Wood knew this, and bailed out as "10538 Overture" hit the Top 10 in the summer of 1972, leaving a evermore confident Lynne, with Bevan, onto bigger things.
But ELO never really got much better than this. Or the Beatles for that matter. Brilliant stuff.
Not content with churning out hit singles as The Move and influenced by some of the Beatles classical work - Wood, Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan combine their pop sensibilities with almost frugal string and horn arrangements to produce this 1971 gem.
Wood's "Look At Me Now" and "Whisper In The Night" are almost revamped "Eleanor Rigbys". "First Movement" contains some very special acoustic guitar work from Wood, who was (and still is) very under-rated as a guitar player. His other track, "The Battle Of Marston Moor" is a very high-brow instrumental - dominated by french horn and wasp-ish cello - but you get the feeling Wood is playing this for laughs.
Jeff Lynne contributes the album's other five songs. Unlike Wood, you feel Lynne can't help writing a single. "Mr Radio" and "Queen Of The Hours" are lovely Lennonesque songs that owe a lot to the "White Album". However, the album's high point is Lynne's "10538 Overture" - built on a confident Abbey Road-era guitar riff - where both Lynne and Wood's combined talents show through. Roy as a multi-instrumentalist is just superb and Jeff's vocal and guitar work are clear and focused.
Both Lynne and Wood are musical geniuses and their stylistic approach to their work here shows. You are constantly suprised at their unbounded melodic turns, arrangements and imaginative production. And yet that real strength is also "ELO"'s biggest flaw and shame. Because no band was ever going to contain two egos as these. Wood knew this, and bailed out as "10538 Overture" hit the Top 10 in the summer of 1972, leaving a evermore confident Lynne, with Bevan, onto bigger things.
But ELO never really got much better than this. Or the Beatles for that matter. Brilliant stuff.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album was a bold experiment in the use of instruments more usually associated with the classics than a rock album,and as such should have a place in the collection of any discerning music fan.From the arresting opening of 10538 Overture the album takes you on an intriguing ride through haunting,strident and sometimes alarming sounds.There are interesting and poignant stories,too-'Nelly takes her bow 'and the eerily sad 'Mr.Radio'.Though the' Battle of Marston Moor' is grandly pretentious it just about works.'First Movement(Jumping Biz)'is a Classical Gas type track which makes non-players wish they could play guitar.A complete change of mood is afforded by 'Manhattan Rumble',its ghostly piano echoing a long-ago gangster massacre.With 'Whisper in the Night' the album has a fitting hymn-like finale after the preceding drama.This was the only ELO recording on which Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne collaberated although they were trying more experimental pop in the later Move albums.ELO went on to be a huge success with a popular,but for me, rather formulaic sound and Roy Wood went on a rather aimless path creating Wizzard,little more than a novelty band.I listen to this album and wonder what might have been.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
ELO have to be one of the most unfashionable bands ever, but their early period with Roy Wood was much more interesting.
Although pretentious and hippyish, this album is also very likeable due to the great tunes, and the typical early seventies experimental feel.
Fans of ELO will love this album for its obscureness, and non-fans should enjoy its originality and daringness.
Although pretentious and hippyish, this album is also very likeable due to the great tunes, and the typical early seventies experimental feel.
Fans of ELO will love this album for its obscureness, and non-fans should enjoy its originality and daringness.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Overrated ELO debut
I finally got this cd. As a ELO fan i.e. A New World Record & Face The Music, I was disappointed with with this album. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bring_back_the_60s
Fantastic underrated Experimental pop album - 09/10
I love this album, but can easily see why others do not: three full length instrumentals that one could describe as a tad plodding, and is not nearly as varied in sound as the move... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. J. M. White
utterly garbage (except for 10538)
How strange it is that my favourite ELO song is on my least favourite album, 10538 overture is a monster of a track, inspiring many other artists since it was recorded (Paul Weller... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. C. Clarke
King of the red hot cello!
There was me, thinking that ELO = Jeff Lynne = naff. But this album isn't ELO; it's the final incarnation of the Move - with strings. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Dog trainer (failed)
Excellent Sound Quality But Recommend Newer Release
Another high quality sound recording of ELO's first ever album. I bought this alongside a few others but one word of caution to the buyer is that there is a more up to date version... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Dusty925
Not The Finished Article
Apart from the wonderful 10538 Overture there is not much of note on here.
The whole 'rock band with strings' enterprise is still being experimented with on this recording. Read more
The whole 'rock band with strings' enterprise is still being experimented with on this recording. Read more
Published 23 months ago by pablo
Beware of the dog
Oh dear.
It was Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood's ambition to take up where the Beatles left off with I Am The Walrus, and the overall sound of this album certainly takes its... Read more
It was Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood's ambition to take up where the Beatles left off with I Am The Walrus, and the overall sound of this album certainly takes its... Read more
Published on 30 April 2010 by Fabriani
Cracking Debut
This is a very good debut album, contains snippets of brilliance essential in setting up their following outstanding albums such as 'Out Of The Blue' and 'A New World Record', to... Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2004 by "the_count_266"
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