- Mini-Disc (26 Nov 2001)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Epic
- ASIN: B00005KJNV
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,311,325 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Although Zoom marks ELO's first proper album for 15 years, it'd be unjust to accuse Jeff Lynne of resting on his laurels. After all, the ELO main man has been busier than most in that time, becoming a much sought-after producer for the likes of Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever and Into The Great Wide Open), George Harrison (Cloud Nine), Paul McCartney (Flaming Pie) and the Beatles themselves (he produced the reunion single "Free As A Bird" from their first Anthology). On Zoom, Lynne again demonstrates his unique knack for combining simple tunes and lyrics with grandiose, symphonic music, a formula that made ELO one of the biggest bands of the 1970s. Zoom lacks the thematic coherence that marked some of the band's best work (notably Out of the Blue, A New World Record, Eldorado and Time) and got ELO unfairly lumped in with the prog-rock crowd; instead, Lynne showcases his strengths as a composer of pop songs--after all, this is the man who wrote those 70s-rock staples "Living Thing", "Evil Woman" and "Don't Bring Me Down". On Zoom, his songs are a bit more introspective and personal, as well as slightly scaled down--the namesake "Orchestra" has become more of a string quartet. But with songs like the Beatles-esque "Ordinary Dream", the rocking "Easy Money" (with Ringo Starr on drums), the mellow "A Long Time Gone" (with George Harrison on slide guitar) and first single "Alright", it's a change that works. Let's just hope it doesn't take so long for the next ELO album to arrive. --Robert Burrow
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is an album which builds.
It opens with one of the more enigmatic lines in rock and follows up with a useful reminder that no-one writes middle-eights quite like Jeff Lynne. Then onto a more modern number with haunting lyrics and back to cracking sing-along-a-rock for the third track. But where is the meat of the album?
Track 4 changes the mood, and all of a sudden the listener is hooked. Can I hear 'Nowhere Man' somewhere in here? By track 5 you're deep in the Zone, and by Side 2 (yes, this CD really does feel like it has two sides) you want to see it through to the end... but I won't spoil the story. Put it on in your car, and make sure the journey is long enough to fit in the whole thing.
This is a virtuoso album, almost a homage to the entire history of rock.
And it gets inside your head. I think I know what Jeff is singing about... and I think you might too.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
All in all Zoom is a good album, but ELO it isn't. Yes the sound and style are there but it's as if Jeff has mixed the ingredients together in the wrong quantities, so "I can believe that it's not butter".
The strings are missing and there are only so many ways that Jeff can sing before you yearn for a different voice.
All this moaning aside there are some great tracks (Alright, Ordinary Dream)but there are some real old duffers too, Easy Money taking the prize in the fastest to reach for the skip to the next track button competition.
So here is a plee from a crumbly old (Eldorado, Face The Music) ELO fan. Can we get Relate in to sort out the differences between the original members of ELO so that we can have a slice of the real thing again.
All this said, if ELO do tour I will be there, as I was in Birmingham, all those years ago, for their last live performance, when they blew the Moody Blues off the stage.
Cheers.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Zoom carries on pretty much where Jeff Lynne left off with his solo album "Armchair Theatre" - but with a much lusher sense of production that gives it more of an ELO-feel. However, a quick peek at the production notes tells you this is pretty much a solo effort, despite the list of people thanked in the sleeve notes. As ever, Lynne can churn out a catchy song, and perhaps it's a sign of the talent of the man that you think "surely this has been composed before", before it's so hummable and instantly memorable.
It's easy to be snooty about such music, but crafting catchy pop songs that grab and keep your attention is no easy matter, although Jeff Lynne has been making it look easy for a long time now. Sadly, this album from 2001 is not only quite hard to track down - but is also (as far as I know) the most recently composed Lynne material. The Zoom tour never happened, and since this CD came out it's been only re-issues of old classics. Time for more!
It's easy to be snooty about such music, but crafting catchy pop songs that grab and keep your attention is no easy matter, although Jeff Lynne has been making it look easy for a long time now. Sadly, this album from 2001 is not only quite hard to track down - but is also (as far as I know) the most recently composed Lynne material. The Zoom tour never happened, and since this CD came out it's been only re-issues of old classics. Time for more!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
get this and enjoy
I bought this in Cherbourg, when it first came out. The excitement of a new album from a favourite artist was not misplaced, the songs and production are really top notch. Read more
Published 2 months ago by DP
the greatest rock composer ever!
This is not an album for those expecting that old ELO sound from the 70s and 80s but what you do get is mr lynn doing what he does best, making good music!
Published 7 months ago by beretta
Excellent album.
I'm just playing this album now having bought it several years ago, and am still just as impressed as I was when I bought it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by ant
Solo album
There are some fairly decent tracks here, but basically its not an ELO album, its a Jeff Lynne album.. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Pd Davies
Great Music, Shame About The Packaging
Despite the obvious lack of ELO members Jeff Lynne did it again. This is a great album, although, when I bought it from Amazon, the jewel case on the CD looked as though it had... Read more
Published on 20 May 2009 by Richard Oliff
Can't get it into my head
Course I was excited when this came out - I didn't need a sticker on the front to tell me it had been 15 years since the last ELO album - but I don't think I've played it more than... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2007 by will_de_beest
Awesome Album
The 70s for me was the decade of Bowie, Gabriel era Genesis, Roxy Music, Lou Reed and then Punk and New Wave - ELO were too grandiose and over the top musically for me. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2006 by mikeoconnor70
Nice, but it AINT ELO......
If you're looking for more of the classic ELO sound that has been missing from your life for the last 20 years, forget it. This is a Travelling Wilbury's album, end of story. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2006 by MrGeezer
Vintage ELO
It has been a long time coming, but is well worth the wait. I hesitated in buying the album, but now I have it I can't stop playing it. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2005 by James William Johnston
ZOOM REVIEW
Like so many other "ex" ELO fans I was initially reluctant to buy this new album,It seems unfashionable to admit liking ELO in these days of "Image" over substance, but then ELO... Read more
Published on 20 May 2004
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