ELO, Jeff Lynne’s band known for selling millions of albums with epic pop hits, returned in recent years with a pair of albums and world tours. They also finally earned a well-deserved place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But while most fans are familiar with iconic songs like “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Evil Woman”, the group actually has an early Prog background. Their early albums are highly experimental and feature impressive use of strings and orchestral arrangements, while Jeff Lynne’s songwriting still contained amazing melodies without being limited by 3-minute radio constraints. The band is now on the final tour of the US titled, “The Over and Out Tour.”
We look at some of the Prog Worthy moments from these albums.
10538 Overture (From The Electric Light Orchestra/No Answer – 1971) – The first song from the first album, this track has a great opening guitar riff that carries through a series of sections. While the original recording sounds really dated, newer live versions really come off well.
From The Sun To The World (Boogie No. 1) – (From ELO II – 1973) – A truly progressive moment from the group with a number of instrumental sections that keep the listener engaged.
Kuiama – (From ELO II – 1973) – ELO wrote an 11 minute song?? Indeed, and a killer exploration of their sound. It showed how the band was really finding its voice at that time.
Eldorado – (From Eldorado – 1974) – The final two tracks on their fantastic concept album are some of the more brilliant moments from this band. This entire album is simply outstanding and laid the groundwork for what was to come.
Fire On High – (Face the Music – 1975) – Here, the band started producing some major hits and began their move towards pop stardom, but there are still moments that recall their previous efforts like this opening number.
Standing in the Rain – (Out of the Blue – 1977) – This largely orchestral track is one of the more dramatic moments on the massive Out of the Blue album which featured some of their greatest songs. It has also been the opened for many of the band’s concerts.
Twilight – (Time – 1981) – By this point, the band had all but lost the “orchestra” part but this album about time travel is still very proggy, at least in concept, if not musically. But this opening track from the album remains one of their finest moments.
Secret Messages – (From Secret Message – 1983) – By the late ’70s and ’80s, the band had gone more pop than prog, but this title track from the 1983 album, has a great rock feel that any prog fan could appreciate.
