A New World Record by E.L.O.

A New World Record

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A New World Record

Reader Reviews
From the Electric Light Orchestra's inception from the ashes of the Move in 1970, bandleader Jeff Lynne's aim was to continue on the trail the Beatles had blazed, crafting pristine melodic pop against a backdrop of classical grandiloquence. Lofty ambitions, even for a talent of Mr. Lynne's magnitude. But on 1976's A New World Record ELO got as close as anybody ever has to picking up where the Fab Four left off - and that's the highest praise you can give them. On this, their sixth LP, ELO refined the increasingly commercial sound of Eldorado (1974) and Face the Music (1975) into a polished, super-accessible hit machine. Their recipe for success went something like this: A) Create an exciting, instantly memorable melody that would do the likes of Paul McCartney himself proud. B) Put lyrics to it and perform with bassist Kelly Groucutt's and drummer Bev Bevan's solid foundation, keyboardist Richard Tandy's spacey synthesizers, and Jeff Lynne's fluid guitar work and spine-tingling falsetto. C) Frost it with coat upon lustrous coat of fluttery vocal harmonies, overdubbed guitars and synths, and bombastic orchestral flourishes. D) Bake for 1 hour at 400 F, let cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy. This ingenious formula forms the groundwork upon which A New World Record is constructed. Not surprisingly, it produced three huge singles - the adrenaline-charged Do Ya, dynamic Livin' Thing, and crushingly bittersweet Telephone Line - but every last cut here could've been a hit. Don't be fooled into believing this stuff is formulaic or uninspired, however. Jeff Lynne, who wrote and arranged it all, is as imaginative as he is ambitious. His most impressive achievement is the fact that, despite its prominence, he doesn't allow the orchestra to overwhelm the songs. Rather, true to his aspirations, he turns it into an absolutely integral part of the whole. In doing so he makes Rockaria's overwrought blues-meets-opera sound almost effortless, lends the quasi-symphonic pretensions of Tightrope a sense of authenticity, and elevates the stunning closer Shangri-La to positively epic proportions, not to mention the rest. Quite an accomplishment, made all the more astonishing by the fact it could've gone so wrong. Granted, A New World Record was a product of its time - feathery falsettos; quasi-prog showboating; string-laden (what some might call) overproduction; and an irresistable, state-of-the-70s commercial aesthetic. But if it's to be taken as any indication, them's was the best of times...

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