Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue - 40th Anniversary Picture Disc
Much thanks Stereophile magazine for choosing me to win such a great lp!
This record has special meaning to me in that the 1978 Out Of The Blue tour was my first rock concert. Held at the Myriad Gardens in Oklahoma City, unfortunately it was a B show without the "inconvenient" spaceship, however the lazer light show was quite spectacular. Especially the blue beam shooting from far in the upper back of the arena making a small circle on Mik Kaminski's shiny violin before "Hall Of The Mountain King" (or possibly Hugh McDowell's cello solo before "Flight Of The Bumblebee"?). My sister Sherri had won tickets on the radio, yet mom would only let us go if she went with us. Seems we may have left a little early because of all the pot being passed around, we couldn't even see the other side of the arena through the smoke. That stuff always seems to ruin things.
I always thought ELO managed to orchestrate a much more powerful and enjoyable experience than the Beatles often obnoxious experimentation. Jeff Lynne's group rather, managed to marvelously meld the organic with the future.
My favorite tracks are the upbeat "Turn To Stone", which reminds me of the fact that I have so many fond memories of my youth; "Sweet Talkin' Woman", which seemed to end up a metaphor for much of my life and "Starlight", a rich smooth ballad about that dreamy unattainable lifeguard at the local pool, or the perfect one you fell asleep thinking about each night. This double LP has all the wonderful ELO elements, from doo-wop and harmonies to strings and futuristic keys.
Out of the blue, being so varied and full of wonderful music, is a great place to start for the new unfamiliar listener.
Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue - 40th Anniversary Picture Disc
Much thanks Stereophile magazine for choosing me to win such a great lp!
This record has special meaning to me in that the 1978 Out Of The Blue tour was my first rock concert. Held at the Myriad Gardens in Oklahoma City, unfortunately it was a B show without the "inconvenient" spaceship, however the lazer light show was quite spectacular. Especially the blue beam shooting from far in the upper back of the arena making a small circle on Mik Kaminski's shiny violin before "Hall Of The Mountain King" (or possibly Hugh McDowell's cello solo before "Flight Of The Bumblebee"?). My sister Sherri had won tickets on the radio, yet mom would only let us go if she went with us. Seems we may have left a little early because of all the pot being passed around, we couldn't even see the other side of the arena through the smoke. That stuff always seems to ruin things.
I always thought ELO managed to orchestrate a much more powerful and enjoyable experience than the Beatles often obnoxious experimentation. Jeff Lynne's group rather, managed to marvelously meld the organic with the future.
My favorite tracks are the upbeat "Turn To Stone", which reminds me of the fact that I have so many fond memories of my youth; "Sweet Talkin' Woman", which seemed to end up a metaphor for much of my life and "Starlight", a rich smooth ballad about that dreamy unattainable lifeguard at the local pool, or the perfect one you fell asleep thinking about each night. This double LP has all the wonderful ELO elements, from doo-wop and harmonies to strings and futuristic keys.
Out of the blue, being so varied and full of wonderful music, is a great place to start for the new unfamiliar listener.