Out Of The Blue

Udemærket album

Most songs sound the same

Entirely as expected from ELO.

I never really got into ELO - they always reminded me of a more orchestral, more synth-heavy, lower-energy, slightly cheesier version of Queen, and this album did nothing to change that opinion. Great harmonies, great production, but the whole thing kind of leaves me cold. There are some clever moments (like the strings quoting "Rhapsody in Blue" in "Birmingham Blues"). And someone clearly got a brand new vocoder and is eager to play with it. But overall, it's...fine. Favorite track: "Turn to Stone"

Special.

Pleasantly surprised with this. Very listenable and unique sounding. Listened repeatedly and the first album I will plan to return to that I didn’t already know.

Outstanding album

Majestic album. The Beatles combined with theatrics of Queen makes up for a very pleasant and great album. Of course, "Mr. Blue Sky" is a stand-out song, but so are the first three tracks of the album. Will definitely be revisiting this one. 9 / 10

hä jo epic

just pure joy

eu estou OBCECADA nesse!!!! é quase como se o PAUL MCCARTNEY fosse compositor do QUEEN e chamasse o DAFT PUNK pra produzir uma faixa ou outra. belo e moral!!!!

Sounds like Queen without the rock aspect

I understand why it’s important, but not my favorite.

Não me fascinou, não consegui acabar de ouvir

It may be a tad too long and a few songs maybe aren't the best, but I love ELO from this era and this is probably their best album.

Mr. Blue Sky is great, the rest of the album is okay

It never gets going. All a bit samey and slightly dreary feeling.

Eurgh… borderline unlistenable. Half a mark for ‘Believe Me Now’ because it was short and sounded a bit like Air…

Enjoyed this. Knew mr blue eyes but felt like there were other strong tracks. Probably will listen again.

Really liked it. Listened to it twice. Almost five stars but some of the songs didn’t really connect for me.

Genuinely so happy to finally hear a full ELO album. Sweet Talkin’ Woman was a highlight, but really there are several absolute bangers. Overall they make more sense as singles, though, and I can echo what others have said about the length and sameness as an album. It’s somewhere between 3.5-4 for me.

Asså jag vet inte vad jag ska säga om detta album, I was not feeling it alltså.. Det är dock ett ljud som är så unikt och igenkännbart att det är just ELO. Mr Blue Sky är ju en classic men resten av låtarna satt inget avtryckt för mig, kändes ganska meh. Kan uppskatta produktionen men bortsett från det så meh. 4.5/10

This album grew on me, they were like the groovy Beatles. In a good way!

Some of these songs are almost irresistible. Yet Jeff Lynne really overproduces and can overwhelm.

Need this in a coming of age movie. Some songs felt repetitive so i think it would work best in a playlist, 3/5

Peak. Such a fun album. No notes really. It's very repeatable. The 1st half is good, but the second half is a whole other vibe.

Sounds like a musical, like bunch of 80's high astronautes travelling randomly around funky space

I keep listening to it, but nothing from it really sticks. Has some real musical/acapella vibes that aren’t my favorite. Otherwise, some fun pop writing. I would guess Beatles-influenced.

Fun and funky

A bit too long. Would have been better with a few songs cut out

It suffered overall from being too long, a few of those songs could have been cut. A few of them sounded like The Beatles had stayed together into the 70s and had gotten better at their instruments. Nice production, I liked the vocoder, pretty cool. Almost Daft Punky at times with the vocoder. Cool vocoder. Jeff Lynne is more famous to me for never being in the same room as Mick Foley/Mankind than being a musician, but it was ok. Probably the 4th best Wilbury, but I'm not going to say who is lower on the ranking. Anyho... Wow, what an album. Cool vocoder though.

Que bonito, nunca lo había escuchado completo. Pero que bonito.

Meh

Album muito gostozinho de ouvir de fundo fazendo alguma coisa, gostei, mas nada de tão especial.

There is something about ELO that just rubs me up the wrong way. I think it is the combination of playfulness and overwroughtness. I don't mind playfulness, and I can sometimes tolerate music that is overwrought if I can feel the passion behind it. But the two things together? No. No. No There are snippets that were alright. 'Believe Me Now' almost felt sincere for eighty seconds. And I can enjoy the sillness of 'Mr Blue Sky' for its duration. But a double album of this stuff is way too much for me

För lång.

An excellent demonstration of phasers

You ever see that scene in Big Lebowski where the dude is in the taxi and says "I hate the fuckin' eales, man"? Well I hate fuckin' ELO, man. Ok now that that's out of my system.... What a strong collection of pop. At times it can feel a bit much. By the second track I feel bombarded by strings, bass and vocal harmonies. This continues for over an hour. I would classify this album as a "Fever Dream" album. Not necessarily a bad Fever Dream, but certainly not something that my subconscious would produce in a sober state. It's an unhealthy conglomerate of The Beatles, Moody Blues and Beach Boys with synth and sound effects poured in excess like syrup on a Denny's Super Slam Breakfast. 2.5 rounded up because I used the word "Strong collection". I will give them that, the album is strong (especially the second half) and the group is talented...for what it's worth...

I get it, but nothing is blowing my mind/that different from its time.

Impossible to feel bad when listening to this album!

Turn to Stone // Sweet Talkin’ Woman // Night in the City // Starlight // Steppin’ Out // Mr. Blue Sky //

No lo termine jaja.

Phenomenal album. Excellent listen. Such a perfect product of the time. A really unique sound overall and very enjoyable. Favorite tracks ended up being, "Steppin' Out" and of course "Mr Blue Sky."

Chill out Jeff. I like ELO. I like Jeff Lynn's optimistic embrace of the studio-as-an-instrument. I love an artist with a detailed vision and the self-organization to execute it. I've had this album for a long time, and while I respect what it represents, despite it's wins, I can't really stand to listen to the whole thing. It is wriggly and precocious. I'm worried that Jeff Lynn, despite looking squeaky clean, is secretly wiping boogers behind my stereo. Later albums, such as "Discovery" and "Time" show maturity with age, and Jeff Lynn finally finding restraint. "Out of the Blue" shoots out of the ether like an high schooler who's just tried recreational Adderall for the first time, and has discovered a newfound energy to realize all of their dreams within a single rattled afternoon. They've also basically just discovered meth. Jeff Lynn wrote all this material in three weeks and it shows. At best, Out of the Blue is highly cohesive. It demonstrates Jeff Lynn's artistic bazooka-like focus on working his Paul McCartney and 50s sock-hop Rock and Roll inspirations into futuristic studio-gauze hyperlayered caffeine trips. Every song is brimming with neon-bright vocal overdubs. The pulse is always energetic. The music is absolutely humming with electric energy. It is exhausting. "Turn to Stone" and "Mr. Blue Sky" are wonderful, catchy, and exuberant songs that I don't get of hearing. Even when many of the songs on the two LP album carry the same cleverness, sharpness of hooks, and studio tricks (I love vocoder!) I hit a solid drop-in-interest about half way through. I think it would happen earlier, but I'm gonna wait out until "Mr. Blue Sky" hits, no matter what. This has been a repetitive theme for me with this album since high school. On yesterday's listen, I did find a new joy in "The Whale". I had certainly only glossed over it in numerous past listens, out of fatigue, or a mind that can only wander after 1:30 of space-Cetacea ambient jamming. The following instrumental has an easy groove, with the only real dynamic movement being a turnaround built on a simple ascending chord modulation. The rising-energy theme of the rest of the album is rhymed here in a very tasteful way. I noticed in the Wikipedia for this album that a critic noted it as one of the worst moments on the album. I loved it. Jeff clears his blowhole while I catch my breath.

Amazin' At first I instantly just gave this 5 stars for the album is and will be amazing. I decided to reduce it to 4 though. Highlights were summer and lightning and mr. blue sky

Was very excited to see this pop up because I do just love ELO, *but* I have never listened to this full album, so there's new stuff here that I didn't have a preformed opinion on. ELO are just good fun, and I think this whole album fits that definition. Each track is an awesome blend of orchestra, synth, harpsichord, guitar, and (usually) electronic vocals. I can understand the vocals not being to everyone's taste, but they fit so well. I don't think there was a single track that I wasn't subconsciously either foot-tapping or head-bobbing along to. Pleased to say that I enjoyed every track, including all of the ones I had never heard before. Definitely gained a whole bunch of playlist submissions. Highlights: - Across The Border* - I mean, was that a mariachi band?! - Night In The City* - lots of different stuff going on in this one, even deeper layers than a lot of the others, somewhat darker tone. - Jungle* - really different vibe, yet somehow still very ELO. Just stands out as a really cool experiment. - Summer and Lightning* - Mr. Blue Sky - classic, obvious all time great - Birmingham Blues* - awesome vibe, great musically, loved it - Wild West Hero* - another quite different one. Incorporated some country aspects but also shifted about in terms of atmosphere a lot. Easy, no regrets, proud 5. * = Never heard the track before

having one generational song doesn't mean I need to listen to the whole album which mostly sounds like beta versions of that same song. the album was better for the last stretch after mr. blue sky but the entire long middle section was quite boring

Standouts: - Night in the City - woah experimentation The first song is exactly what I worry about with this album. I don't dislike it but it feels clean and textureless. There was actually a bit with some texture near the end but it was on the fade out?? He's got quite a nice voice so I don't understand why most of the time we are hearing this reverbed and overly clean version. It's by far the worst part of the album Overall it's fine. I wish it had some more experimentation with it's instruments, there are a few times where they actually did and I had to check I was on the same album because of how unbelievably safe this album plays. I need another coffee after over an hour of this though. I think the album art is actually a good representation of this album. Intentionally bright and tacky for no real purpose. 3 maybe a 2 for being too long - This isn't why I listen to music.

This was like if Liberace and Trent Reznor collabed on a prog rock album, but also did some homages to The Beatles. There’s a LOT of styles and musical choices to unpack in this album: classic rock, 60s groovy sounds, electronica, heavy synth, some nice vocal harmonies, orchestral elements, and some 80s Hall & Oates-esque soft rock thrown in there too. Quite an interesting (and at times fun) listen, but it wasn’t focused enough for me to warrant more than a 3/5

Okay art rock / experimental

2 70s double albums in a row (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was yesterdays, and quite superior to this). I dunno what it is, but I can’t show much love for this. Maybe it’s the endless falsetto, the overly intricate arrangements, or the orchestral flourishes that put me off, or the fact that it is 70-odd minutes long. Mr Blue Sky was undoubtedly a hit but the rest just doesn’t hit for me, aside from fleeting moments when a great tune cuts through.

Classic prog rock! I enjoy that most of the songs are like small bursts of inspiration, sometimes drawing from classsical motifs like Gershwin‘s „Rhapsody in Blue.“

hell yeah. i forget this band

This is pretty good. I added “Starlight” to my library.

Perfectly serviceable. Never listened to ELO intentionally before. Fun, easy, polished. Certainly a little Beatles-y at times.

Мне безумно понравилось звучание альбома, казалось бы многие треки на нем были мне известны, но вцелом он открылся по другому. Он наполнен множеством мелких деталей, прислушавшись к которым начинаешь любить этот альбом еще сильнее.

Enjoyable for prog rock. Still a bit expressive and languishing but better than a lot of other bits.

Erg goed album, geweldige hits, maar helaas toch een paar skips

album is too long and the best song was the only song I'd already heard 2 stars

potentially the most accurate band name ever obviously i love it, it’s cheesy and extra in the best way 4.5/5

ClSsico

Sehr gutes Album mit tollen Klassikern, hat n schönen Sound aber war mir für fünf Sterne dennoch nicht mitreißend genug

Schöne Mischung aus Orchestermusik und Rock. Fand die zweite Hälfte etwas schwächer, aber allgemein sehr gut anzuhören.

Richtig coole Sounds, war kurz davor 5 Sterne zu geben, aber trau mich nicht ganz.

A few weaker songs, but overall this was pretty fun and exceeded my expectations

Great album. Definitely can pick up on the Beatles influence. A little too long.

Another one that I am sure people love but it's not for me

I couldn’t listen to it in one sitting. The album is still good — it’s not just “Mr. Blue Sky”. “Sweet Is the Night” stood out the most.

Didn't enjoy this album as much as I thought I would but still has some solid tracks. Another band with a very distinct sound and some absolute classics

Great!!

A strong opening with Turn to Stone, ELO has an awesome and totally distinct sound. Sweet talking woman, a banger. Mr. Blue Sky? One of the most iconic songs ever. How could one dislike this album?

Top 10

Great upbeat album to have on while doing whatever and very nice transitions between songs

Jeff Lynne tha god

This is such a fun and well produced pop album. It’s so grand and glossy that it gives it this cinematic sense which I always enjoy. The use of strings, vocoders, and layered vocals really amp up the energy and shows how committed the band was to making the album as big as be, they committed fully. Yeah this was great.

I bought a copy of this on vinyl in 2006 for 98 cents. The second side of the second record was all warped. So I still get nervous when I hear "Sweet is the Night".

3.5

I have a strange childhood memory of some guy on rollerskates playing an electric cello? Anyway - big debt to the Beatles, but not as good of course

Favourite Songs: Starlight Jungle The Whale

the sound feels like a mix of other popular bands yet still not original enough, with the songs being pretty much the same. i tried to like it but i just couldn't plus mr. blue sky makes my ears bleed

Ripetitivo

I wasn’t a big fan but it was fun to reminisce. Nice to listen to.

Jeff Lynn is the 4th best Wilbury. 3.5 Stars.

Decent album but not a fan of ELO

Album No. 0131 on my list. I've been waiting for quite some time to listen to this. Electric Light Orchestra's "Out Of The Blue" was one of these albums that I assumed to be good, but just had never listened to in its entirety. I'm glad that changed actually, because it is indeed a pretty good album! I like the "orchestral" sound of this (for a lack of better words). It's really well produced and the instrumentation is on spot. A great pop album sound that certainly stood the test of time. Besides, there are many cool, catchy pop-rock songs on this album. A lot of Beatles vibes, but I mean - that's not a bad thing, right? I can't deny that the album does have its lengths and a somewhat more well-designed song selection would have even improved it, but the many good songs do make up for that in my opinion. I will add "Turn To Stone", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Mr. Blue Sky" (obviously), and "Sweet Is The Night" to my playlist, but I'm quite sure that I'll listen to many of the songs on this again. With time, this could really become a staple for me. Good stuff overall! 4/5 stars!

They were alright. I hadnt heard some of these songs. They are fine for background music

Stunning! Nearly 5 stars

It’s a lot of music and it’s brilliant. Not perfect but amazing just the same.

I'm so bored. So so bored. Every song is the same - I feel like Michelle Visage on Drag Race "we need more levels, you were at one level the whole time!". On the plus side maybe I'll fall asleep before this overly long album ends.

Masterpiece in album making just flows and shows off their style so well

I like it, but it's long and somewhat repetitive in sound. Almost feels like a musical at times! 3,5.

I listened to this an awful lot when my mate had the double album on sky blue vinyl back in the day and honestly, it hasn’t held up as much as I thought it would. The singles are the stand outs, but honestly I can take or leave it now.

I am confused as to how I missed this album, but it does not matter that much I guess. Maybe it just refreshed before it says it is supposed to and the current album is actually tomorrow's album. Either way, I am listening to the other one tomorrow. Track 1 of this album is pretty good, I have heard "Mr. Blue Sky" by this band before and I like it a lot. Track 2 is also pretty good, I think I like it more than track 1. Track 3 is also really good, I am liking this album a lot so far. It just sounds like they translated the joys of dopamine into music. I do not like track 4 as much, but it is still good. Track 5 is good. Track 6 is also pretty good, I feel like I do not have much to critique about this album. It is just a nice, easy listen. Track 7 was okay, definitely not one of my favorites but still good. Track 8 was short with little to no lyrics, but I still enjoyed it a lot. Track 9 is definitely my favorite song on the album so far. Honestly, I am exhausted today but I like this album a lot. Definitely 5 stars.

3/5 Instrumentação e produção interessantes. Porém, como outros álbuns da lista, possui umas duas músicas realmente memoráveis.

Already listened. Weak 7/10

This album really annoys me. I feel like I should like it but it's such 'fake happiness.' I just get the sense that they're trying to be all elated and happy but they're actually miserable as sin. Additionally just irritates me with the stupid synth voice. We get it, you discovered a way to make yourself sound like a robot. STOP IT! . Reminds me of a kid who has found the DJ button on a keyboard.

por lo menos 2 me gustan

me gusta pero hay alguna cosa rara así que no le doy 5 estrellas

Mr. Blue Sky is a classic

I love ELO. I love this album. Some of their greatest hits but also some album gems too. Incredible listen.

I loved it 10/10

Wow this was so good. Such an upbeat 70s sound.

no i absolutely love this album, songs are great, im actually speechless 🫨🫨

YES YES YES

this is some classic shit

Not awful- I put off listening to this for a month, mainly because of the album cover but it was actually not bad. I think in my head o confused these guys with Emerson lake and Palmer. Might actually listen again one day.

Kills me to give ELO a 2 but I think this is the most uninteresting of their albums

burring

Bo Nix's injury after the Broncos/Bills game.

Sounded pretty cool

Riktigt bra album!! Gillar verkligen ELO och denna känns som ett skolboksexempel på en platta från dem!

ELO's "Out of the Blue" is a monumental album. Not just in terms of its over an hour length, but in its dramatic, orchestral flourishes, and through its centrepiece the famed 'Concerto for a Rainy Day'. Yet above all it is a triumph of thematic fusion, melding rock and orchestra through falsettos, prominent synths, and strings to create the band's iconic sound. This album encapsulates it best.

Proper album, a moment in time that i didn't think I'd enjoy as much as i have. Topped off with Mr blue sky

This was a bit whimsical, but fun to listen to. I would honestly give it a 3.5 if possible, but I'm okay with a 4.

Pristine engineering, but sounds very like an homage to the Beatles to me. 10 years too early, or 10 years too late?

Snazzy

Honestly, not entirely for me. Some songs are incredibly nostalgic, and I'd say musically important, but I think I get too lost in the repetition of a lot of the songs, and the length of the album itself. Did love Starlight and Believe Me Now

Brilliant way to start off my journey! I sure hope the next album is just as good...

It's long, think it is interesting enough though throughout, production is excellent, songs are packed with lots of different things going on, and then you have some huge hits in there.

First listen; 3.5; This is an interesting album. Sounds very much like the Beatles in many songs. (Mr. Blue Sky has nearly the same piano riff as the second half of "A Day In The Life," and even has a little panting bit.) Also reminds me of the Beach Boys and even Pink Floyd in parts but with a much shinier sound. There's lots of catchy hooks here, but the songs do drag on. Aside from these catchy parts, some of the songs are just so schmaltzy. Favorite Tracks: Mr. Blue Eyes, The Whale

Super album, I didnt realise it would have so many songs im familiar with.

Hmm, ikkje dumt

Actually a solid album top to bottom

This feels massive in a way I can’t ignore. The layering is almost orchestral, with strings, harmonies, and synths all stacked in a way that feels carefully constructed rather than just decorative. It’s very polished, sometimes almost too clean, but the ambition carries it. A lot of these songs feel bigger than they should, like they’re reaching toward something more expansive than standard pop structures. It doesn’t have weight in a heavy sense, but the scale and arrangement give it a kind of depth I keep coming back to.

Decent but nothing really memorable ? Aside from Mr. Blue Sky which is an eternal banger lol.

My only impression of this album was “Mr. Blue Sky” from Guardians of The Galaxy and it did not disappoint! I saved every track, I will definitely get more into their discography, 5 stars ⭐️

3 It sux

Decent exposure

Fun beats and unique sounds.

Phew, at some point I introduced my younger brother, with whom I had to share a room, to this band. He became a fan. Since then, as it was his stereo system, I had to listen to all the band's albums that my brother could afford over and over again. It haunted me even in my sleep. In the meantime, I immediately turned off the music whenever any of their songs were played. I've become a little more lenient now. Nevertheless, I still find the overall sound too saccharine. 3/5

j'ai adoré, vraiment super moment

7.5/10

Great album

Классный, жизнерадостный альбом. Ощущение, как будто наблюдаешь за всеми яркими и позитивными моментами главного героя какого-то фильма.

This album I have heard before, and of course it contains the famous Mr Blue Sky. I guess ELO picked up the baton dropped by the collapse of the Beatles, but leavened with mid-70s disco & prog rock (which, after all, is the continuation by other means of Abbey Road). Feelgood music for singalongs and driving. It'd be churlish to dislike, but overall it's a bit too much even for me - and I like pompous white rock music - a bit sickly sweet.

Not my favorite from ELO , but still bangs.

Good stuff 4/5

What a great album. Just fun. Super production. Shades of the Beatles, shades of Heros and Villians Beach Boys, 70’s orchestral, tight, so much to like. It almost tips too orchestral or classical for my liking but enough balance and restraint to keep it out of that relm. Another great Brum band.

I love this record. This is one where I heard it a lot as a kid because my parents liked ELO and it still holds up now that I'm an adult.

This was sick. Kind of reminded me of a more spacey experimental Queen with a touch of Pink Floyd. Cool synths and keys, fun poppy melodies. I enjoyed this thoroughly!

Lynne is the spiritual successor to Brian Wilson as the maestro of progressive pop. Lush arrangements with a solid rock backbeat. Some 70s cliches like vocoder effects but overall solid.

Good album! Like more of their other works but this is good!

eh its fvine im not a big fan idk what else to say sorry

For mr. blue sky alone this album slaps. But each song is great and I have saved many songs. I am very glad to have listened to the rest of the album, which I normally wouldn't have done, but they knocked it out of the park.

4/5 Each song is a delight. Literally each. I had some expectations for this album and they were met. I loved feeling like an astronaut while listening to this. Definitely loved this experience and would willingly go through it again.

It's amazing!!!

9/10 !!!! Deep Space Disco. Starlord on the dancefloor. MUSIC UFO.

Liked the classics but the fillers were a bit samey.

The hits were hits for good reason! Incredibly well crafted. I will always be grateful to Lynne for his contributions to Full Moon Fever, Into the Great Wide Open, and the Wilburys (glad he reused the opening Summer and Lightning acoustic part to start End of the Line). And...he had much better songwriters to produce in those cases.

Oh good, more 70's space rock

medio q la primera canción m sorprendió ?!?!?!?! pense q x el nombre iba a ser algún tema de Musica Contemporánea De la Época Victoriana (capaz q lo dije mal) PERO NO?? les doy mis kudos al primer tema turn of stone 10/10 !!! las otras canciones todavía no las escuché pero cuando m consiga auris las escucho

This album is like in every soundtrack in the eighties. It’s not bad but I don’t want to listen to an entire album of it.

hell yeah ♡: Sweet Talkin’ Woman, Latitude 88 North

It was fine. Nothing ear catchingly good, nothing that made me skip tracks, forgotten an hour after finishing.

Pretty solid! Saved a few to my liked songs.

so good. every song was just great and it felt like really fun to listen to. i just enjoyed every song and it stayed entertaining while still being over an hour long. i can't choose favorites because it was just so solid all around. 10/10

It’s a great feel good album. A double album is never easy to keep someone engaged, most actually drag for me personally. This however, has all the engagement I needed need to listen to the 100 minutes of ELO. (just) I like how this still has still kept its rock n roll sounds even though there’s a clear push for something a bit more commercial. Many artists lose their character, and especially by the time of their seventh album. I love the little breakdowns ELO do, one that specifically caught my attention was the breakdown in ‘Sweet Talkin’ Woman’, it’s so small and subtle but it’s 100% my favourite part of the track. It’s at about 3:15. I love the big dramatic segments in most of the songs, either the fast paced keyboards & piano, or the sound of Jim Keltners fast paced drumming to build tension in an outstanding display of music technical ability, especially them unmistakable high hat drum patterns. All the strings also play on point. Plenty of sing a long tracks. It’s a decent record, the hits are killer and the filler is alright music at the end of the day. I enjoyed the prog elements. It is however a little bit middle of the road for me, nothing that’s going to make me message my friends saying “check this out”, with the exception of ‘Mr Blue Sky’ which everyone has heard a million times before. Favourite tracks: ‘Turn to Stone’, ‘Sweet Talkin’ Woman’, ‘Night in the City’, ‘Mr Blue Sky’, ‘The Whale’.

صراحة استمتعت و انا اسمعه😄 (توقعت يكون اسوء)، ممكن ما رح اسمع هالنوع من الاغاني بالعادة بس استانست عليه، بس الشيء الوحيد الي ازعجني اني كنت امل منه بسرعه )): اخذ مني وقت طويلللل يبي لي اتعود على الوضع

I LOVE ELO!! it doesn't sound like the Beatles you guys are crazy. I love the orchestral instruments included throughout, and it's beautifully complex. I could listen to this album over and over.

Love the first song!

Loveeeee

The first half of the album was setting up the story, though I didn’t find it to be remarkable. I’ve never been a huge fan of the layered vocals ELO uses. Once the song ‘Jungle’ comes in, the tone of the album complete changed. The instruments become more layered and the songs become heavier. I believe it was standin’ in the rain that made me question whether this album came out before or after The Wall. I can really see where the inspiration came from. It’s also very much Tommy by The Who in the way there’s almost back and forth conversations occurring whilst the song is being sung. It was a good album, but a slow pace to start. 3.5/5

fiquei com sono

3.5

I enjoy the sound, it's unique! But the only songs that I really enjoyed / that stood out to me were Turn to Stone and Sweet Talkin' Woman.

Très bon! Grosses influ beatles, floyd etc… mais singulier à la fois. 3.5+/5

Turn to Stone - 5/5 It's Over - 5/5 Sweet Talkin' Woman - 4.5/5 Across the Border - 4/5 Night in the City - 3/5 Starlight - 3.5/5 Jungle - 5/5 Believe Me Now - 2/5 Steppin' Out - 3/5 Standin' in the Rain - 4/5 Big Wheels - 3.5/5 Summer and Lightning - 3.5/5 Mr. Blue Sky - 5/5 Sweet Is the Night - 4/5 The Whale - 2/5 Birmingham Blues - 4/5 Wild West Hero - 4.5/5 Latitude 88 North - 4/5

pretty good!

I knew this album was good but damn. Easy 5 stars.

Out of the Blue is undeniably well made. The melodies are big, the harmonies are stacked just right, and Jeff Lynne’s studio craft is on full display. It’s polished, confident, and easy to enjoy in the moment. I get why this album was such a hit. But it never quite feels like a game changer to me. A lot of what ELO does here feels adjacent to things the Beatles and Beach Boys were already doing, and often with more emotional weirdness or harmonic bite. Even “Mr. Blue Sky,” as fun as it is, lands as Beatles-lite rather than something truly singular. I respect the ambition and the execution, and Lynne gets some goodwill for his broader musical legacy, but not enough to push this into top-tier territory for me. This is a solid, pleasant listen, not a destination record. Good to know, glad I heard it, but probably not something I’ll return to. A high three feels right: competent, enjoyable, and well crafted, but stopping short of essential.

I went into this expecting it to be a too-long, cheesy prog album that inexplicably shoehorns Mr Blue Sky into the mix I liked it far, far more than I thought I would or wanted to. It’s like Queen and The Wall-era Floyd got together, listened to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway for hours and attempted to make a more ambitious and less insane epic concept rock opera of their own. Somehow, don’t ask me how, it just bloody works. It’s totally overblown and it IS too long and bordering on ludicrous but I loved it and smashed my way through it three or four times this week. AND it also inexplicably shoehorns Mr Blue Sky into the mix. It’s one of the most shamelessly fun records I’ve heard in this challenge.

"Turn to Stone" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman" are two of my favorite ELO songs. "Big Wheels" and "Birmingham Blues" were a nice discovery. The rest is good if unremarkable.

10/10

Feels like Queen and the Beatles had a baby.

holy peak. amazing album. so joyous and luscious. favourite track might be jungle or the whale, but they’re all really good. this album reminds me of phantom island by king gizzard but only better

Groovy and fun and nostalgic for me since mum and dad used to listen to ELO a lot when I was a kid. Highlights: Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Across the Border, Steppin' Out, Mr Blue Sky (obvs)

Mr Blue Sky always makes me want to cry cause of that one soul music episode

Listening to this was enough for me to realize I haven't listened to enough ELO.

If I had listened to this in one go through I bet I’d comfortably give it a three. But I knew going in that I’d being doing myself a service to break this into like three different chunks. Would be irritating if it was an hour of this very same-y wall of sound

I’ll give the run time a break since it’s a double album. Good stuff, shame this is the only ELO album on the list.

En realidad me gustaría ponerle 3.5 estrellas en un album muy bueno, me agrada esta combinación de las música electrónica con los sonidos tipicos de la época, la primera canción del albúm es mi favorita y definitivamente es un album que volvería a escuchar de vez en cuando aún si no tiendo a escuchar mucho este tipo de género.

fav: across the border, sweet talking woman, mr blue sky

loved the more powerful songs very much, found the less funky ones a bit boring

This was such an interesting album to listen. I just only knew one song from it tho but i liked the vibes overall.

This was the first album I listened to on this journey and I enjoyed it. I do not know much about music but I liked the vibes. Would listen again and get more into it.

Got bored with it

Album starts strong but slowly fades. Mr. Blue Sky was the lone highlight of the back half for me. If you cut the run time in half by pick the best 8 songs it would probably be a high 3 star low 4. Favs- Turn to Stone, Mr Blue Sky Worst- Jungle, Standin’ in the Rain

Prachtig. Klinkt typisch ELO. Hele herkenbare sound, helemaal in thema. Mr. Blue Sky is natuurlijk wel een pareltje dat erop staat

plenty of iconic songs - thank you guardians vol 1 🙌 probably only a handful of weaker songs, otherwise one my of my favourite entries so far of this album a day journey :D

3.5+

5/10

No me lo he terminado pero tiene potencial

Unique and recognisable production

Layered synthy sunshiney haze, reminds me of Freddie Mercury and also floating in the sky

"Out of the Blue" by Electric Light Orchestra explores themes of love and perseverance, emphasizing the importance of truly finding yourself and your place in the world. The Space-y nature of the instrumentation in the album contrasts with the very grounded and real lyrics, providing harmony between the Earth and the Sky in the simplest of ways. Repeated motifs in the choral voices, mentions of the sky, and the robot voice give this album its signature charm, which listeners can expect from the biggest song on the album, “Mr. Blue Sky.” I find the back half of the album to be especially amazing, and it is the main portion that carries the entire album. Highly recommend this album, especially if you love “Mr. Blue Sky” and if you want to hear the song in the context of the album.

iconic album for a reason! many good songs

if the bee gees were good

This sounds even better than I remember from the last time I fell into the ELO rabbit hole. 4.5

Automatic 5! One of my all-time favorites!

Once you hear the resemblance between ELO and pre-disco Bee Gees you can't unhear it, but that just adds to its appeal. Brilliant, if a little bloated.

good shit

Fun and pretty! I like the dreamy melodies and the catchy songs and the sweet lyrics.

Nice. Amazing.

meh

When people say dad rock this is what I think of. And I'm 41.

Un album cu un sunet foarte bun pentru perioada lui,totusi mult prea lung ,dar aparitia instrumentelor clasice este un boost.

Fav: The Whale Least Fav: Jungle The Whale was the standout song to me, Mr Blue Sky is perfect but I’ve heard it so often, plus I prefer feeling like I’m floating in space

Out of the Blue begon voor mij met lichte scepsis, maar verraste me positief door de sterke melodieën, grooves en elektronische accenten. De uptempo nummers voelen energiek en speels, met af en toe een bijna disco-achtige drive, terwijl de meer theatrale en bombastische momenten wisselend voor mij werkten. Het is een lang en veelzijdig album dat soms wat veel wordt, maar met duidelijke hoogtepunten en een mooi gekozen, verhalende afsluiter. Geen album dat ik actief blijf opzetten, maar wel één dat onverwacht nostalgische gevoelens opriep en goed paste bij een reflectieve oudejaarsdag.

So good and iconic but not really my taste as an entire album

This was so easy to listen to - I will definitely put it in the rotation from now on! I was also surprised how many of the songs were actually familiar.

Knowing Turn to Stone and Mr. Blue Sky prior to this full listen through definitely altered how I processed this project (as I find the former excellent and the latter more annoying as the years go on). It is a very eclectic and strange project that has some incredible highs and legendary track runs, but also sadly some points where I feel it drags and delivers what is not ELO’s magnificence and creativity they are so often regarded with.

Favorite record of all time. Side 3 is a masterpiece

Hell. I remember this being released. ELO have been virtually forgotten about, but "Out Of The Blue" is a cracking good album.

Joyful rock with a bunch of falsetto harmonies. I have never listened to a full ELO-album before, but I should propably do that more. I enjoyed this a lot. The album could maybe be a little bit shorter, though. 17 songs and 1m10mins is a little over the top. Favourite songs: Turn To Stone, Mr Blue Sky and It’s Over.

gute Laune Album

I feel like if you don’t immediately start tapping your feet or humming the melody to “Mr. Blue Sky” you need to be checked for a pulse. An endlessly catchy song. Lots of other great tracks on the album. Just a great pop/rock album from the 70’s. 7/10 Favorite Tracks- “Jungle” “Summer and Lightning” “Mr. Blue Sky”

YES Have you ever found yourself wondering: What would it have sounded like if the Beatles kept making music together in the 70s? This album is the answer.

Orchestral, 70's Beatlesque goodness from Jeff Lynne and company. I had really only heard the greatest hits from these guys, had never heard this whole album before. Beyond "Turn to Stone" and "Sweet Talking Woman," there are some really good songs here. It has my favorite ELO song, "Mr. Blue Sky," and the whole thing is cinematic and reminiscent of McCartney in the best ways. We probably didn't need "The Whale" and there's an argument to be made that it didn't have to be a double album. But it was super fun to listen to this one.

Love me some ELO. For some white guys from England who are famous for blending classical music and classic rock, they could be funky as hell - the way they use strings sometimes is closer to disco than classical. I could see a lot of the stuff on here making great hip hop samples even. This one is so long that it's bound to have a couple duds, but it's still so good. Some fantastic deep cuts too, I especially loved Sweet Is the Night. Jeff Lynne deserves more credit than I think he gets for his innovation and his vocal skills. Not quite the five stars I'd give A New World Record, but not far off

4?

As a fan of ELO I will say that this album is great and worth listening to... though it's a big uneven with it's length and there are better ELO albums that could have been included in this list instead.

First real listen to ELO. Really enjoyed this. Could release it today and still do well. Bit of a Queen sound. Very fun and easy.

Very uneven album. Some excellent songs (Sweet talkin' woman), some dreadful ones (Stepping Out) and too many that start off strong but then drift away into jazzy, pre-electronica nothingness.

Some good moments on this album and very good production - they clearly got a 72 track mixer for xmas.

Some good tracks. Some self-indulgent ones. A bit too long, but better than some albums here!

Reviewing from a rammed aircoach in Baltic -2 Dublin which has probably influenced the score abit here but outside of a few stand out tracks “Birmingham Blues, Jungle and Sweet is the night” I found this is pretty tedious, over long and vocally poor. A light 2

MEU DEUS 1H10MIN FAVS(top 3): turn to stone, steppin' out, standin' in the rain mençoes honrosas: it's over, jungle, big wheels, mr. blue sky, sweet is the night, thw whale, wild west hero compraria o vinil: NAO aiiiiiiii é o album com aquela musica classica de video com varios takes ao som da batida KKKKKKKKK, n reconheci até começar a ouvir... q tudo. enfim, album bem legal, musicas bem divertidinhas; outro album daqui q o final ficou mais legal q o começo (dnv nao q o começo seja ruim) nota final: 4/5

Varios temazos

Took two listens but I ended up really enjoying this one. 3.5

A perfect Christmas Day listen. If not on Christmas Day it would be a very different rating

It's a great example of good use of the recording studio techniques available back then. Then the cowbell in "Night in the City" brings us back to Earth. I like the synthesizer sounds, too.

Fun, but in small doses. Favorite songs: Big Wheels, Mr. Blue Sky, Turn to Stone

This album was released exactly ten years before Caroline was born! Forgot how good “Turn to Stone” and “Mr. Blue Sky are”. Liked some of the other songs too but the album felt a little long.

Amazing

ELO is definitely one of a kind, sounding like nothing else and never replicated so far as I know. Thick production, almost like intentionally overproduced or something. I don't know how motherfuckers in the 70s did all the shit they did. I like ELO. They're fun.

Jeff Lynne’s magnum opus. Great songwriting, instrumentation, production and mixing/mastering. It’s also enough ELO for me for the next year or two.

Good. Would listen to while cleaning.

spoko spoko Mr. Blue Sky miałam już polubione

Surprised I loved this as much as I did bc I don't rly listen to stuff like this

Maybe weirdly, I think of ELO as British Van Halen. Both are very talented musicians producing very palatable sub-genres of rock, and both are fun. If you don't believe me, ask Dr. Who. This is something original, quality, and fun. Influence 4. Hits 4. Intangibles 4. I like fun 4.

Intro fire.

Everyone loves a bit of ELO, and surely their best known and greatest song Mr Blue Sky is here on this 70 minute epic. The production is stunning, with piano, strings and Jeff Lynn's falsetto giving you a whirlwind experience. It's not at all punk or new-wave or anything like that, which is probably why they were quite coolly received around this time. If anything there's more of a nod to disco at times. And whereas a lot of British 70s multi-instrumentalists were sounding like the Beatles, it would usually be in the McCartney mould, whilst elements of this are much more Lennonesque. Turn to Stone and Steppin' Out are highlights and the variety here is quite something. It's an ambitious album and they pull it off but to me not quite the full 5 stars. Giving it a 4 for now, but will listen again and if 3 or 4 more songs penetrate me then I'll upgrade it. Oh, and did I mention it's got Mr Blue Sky on it, one of the best songs ever written.

have not listened before this was gaggy and i wasn’t rlly expecting to like it as much as i did fav - the whale

You know it was ok, but I'm not going to remember a single song off it

Out of the Blue - E.L.O (1977) Issue - Spotify 1) Turn to Stone - 4.5 2) It's Over - 4 3) Sweet Talkin' Woman - 4.5 4) Across the Border - 4 5) Night in the City - 4 6) Starlight - 3.5 7) Jungle - 4 8) Belive Me Now - 2.5 9) Steppin' Out - 4 10) Standin' in the Rain - 4 11) Big Wheels - 3.5 12) Summer and Lightining - 3.5 13) Mr Blue Sky - 5 14) Sweet is the Night - 4 15) The Whale - 3.5 16) Brimingham Blues - 3 17) Wild West Hero - 3

ELO is one of my favorites to listen to and this album was great. Harmonies are phenomenal and you get two 10/10 tracks with Turn To Stone and Mr. Blue Sky. Overall, great ELO album with awesome synths, percussion, and guitars. Prob a 8/10.

Lots going on with this one but overall enjoyable

Pop rock gold

Before listening i am slightly familiar with this album, Mr. blue sky comes to mind and i enjoy that song from time to time and the album art is familiar. Initial reaction is that it feels similar in energy to Mr. blue sky, an otherworldly, explorative, explosion. It does give off the vibes that it belongs in the background of a movie maybe because it is hard to hear what they are saying. It knows what it is though and i appreciate that. 1/4 in- I'm a little bored sorry. Starlight is cool. Believe me now feels like the climax of the movie lol. Standin' in the rain is a vibe. Mr. blue sky is still great. (Generally i need to listen to music more than once to enjoy it fully so i will be bias towards songs I've heard before.) I'm getting bored towards the end. It definitely feels ahead of its time probably 20-30 years, not really for me though. 6/10 this is a personal rating, i know its objectively better than a 6. i don't know if other people see these so just in case lol. (I have bad taste and get bored quickly)

Very fun and very Beatles-esque, I liked it a lot but it was probably like 30 minutes too long for me to listen all in one sitting. I'd steal the songs on it for playlists most likely. I also own this on vinyl so it's neat finally listening to it for real.

I like it but man it’s A LOT.

I enjoyed most of this album. There were really no surprises as the songs were what I've heard on the radio and come to expect from this group. One thing I really liked was that the songs were different enough to not get bored with this album but definitely held together by the vocals and the sound which identified this group. Best song: "Mr. Blue Sky" and the worst song: "The Whale".

WTF was that?

Ugh

Loved that one. It was very funky fresh and the beats and just the overall structure of the song kept me on my feet.

Iconic and a terrific album. Maybe a bit bloated with filler tracks, but it's hard to cut any of them. The hits are fantastic and the rest of the album has that classic ELO sound.

10/10

Classic album with some of the best classic rock tunes ever. This album is what made ELO coined as “The Future Beatles”.

It was fun enough but I found nothing extremely exciting about it to be honest. It was pretty ok.

One of dad's favourites, incredibly familiar with this one, and for good reason. it's a great album! I've even got this one on CD already. Happy to be reminded of it and give it a full listen through.

Live album not my favorite but still a very nice album!

This album sounds like the glee club discovered a vocoder and decided to crash orchestra rehearsal. Admirably high energy levels. Also indulgent and overly long. I would classify this album with other albums where the hit single was sufficient and I didn't benefit from listening to the rest.

First album I had heard before. Mr blue sky just gets stuck in my head. But i think the album is too long.

Miiisteeer Bluueee Skyyyyy-ayyyy

Liking the album so far.

I want to say its a groovy album. That really places a time stamp of the 70's

i think i'm biased because i grew up with mr blue sky and sweet talking woman (thank u dad) but also this is so fun from start to finish. will be listening a lot!

i like it, probs not my cup of tea exactly faves: sweet talkin' woman and mr. blue sky

Couple clear highlights on here, like the opener and obviously Mr. Blue Sky, but overall it's just alright.

Okay alt rock but I really thought it was going to be electronic.

Not bad.

Rozumiem wpływ, jaki ta muzyka wywarła na późniejszych twórców. To pomost między progr rockiem lat 70, a bardziej popowo i elektronicznie nastawioną muzykę lat 80. Czuję, że mieli bardzo duży wpływ chociażby na Queen. Druha część otwarcia "Standin' In the Rain" brzmiało jak skrzyżowania otwarcia "Flasha Gordona" i jeszcze jednego utworu, chyba "One Vision". Ale jakoś nie wciągnęła mnie ta muzyka. To dobra rzecz, ale przechodzi przez moją świadomość bez śladu. Takie 3,5.

I had listened to previous songs on this album before hand. Overall i really liked the album, definitely going to listen again. 4/5

Beaucoup plus sympa que la veille, Appel pour emprunt plus premières visites. Emprunt relativement gros possible, bonne nouvelle. Electric light orchestra sympa.

This was a pleasant surprise. Most tracks provided some sort of element that was new and fun to listen to (mostly instrumental). You can hear Queen and The Beatles everywhere. Honorable mention to Jungle, it was definitely an outlier but very cool. Fav Tracks: Mr. Blue Sky > Sweet is the Night > Turn To Stone Current Fav Album: Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra (#9/1089)

I’m not sure what has ever possessed an artist to record and release a double album. It really is just a bit much. Knowing that Mr. Blue Sky was on this record, I felt like I was anticipating it constantly, especially with recurring motifs which popped up early in the record. Usually I enjoy things like this; musical clues scattered throughout a record to encourage front-to-back listening, but by the time Mr. Blue Sky came around, I was sick to the back teeth of the noises, the dense instrumentation, and (in my opinion) the poorly-placed (in the mix) vocals, not to mention to generally poor backing vocals which manage to find their own way of treading all over everything after every second word. I wanted to enjoy this, but I will probably not listen again.

Fun fun fun! Breezed through this

Pleasantly surprised. Never really rated ELO. Now I do.

This was a discovery. I had never had the chance to listen to ELO (not even Mr Blue Sky!) and I actually enjoyed it a lot. Most of the songs are a lot of fun and arrangements and orchestration are awesome. Sweet Talkin' Woman and Across the Border (with its mariachi trumpets) are the highlights in my opinion. Certainly a bit too baroque for my taste and quite long but surprisingly never boring!

This is a strong 3 stars for me bust since this was a double album (which I loathe) it was docked a star.

Outstanding album. Has a couple of their classics in Mr Blue Sky and Sweet 🦜 Ng Woman, and the album is high quality from beginning to end. Jungle, Turn to Stone and Standin' in the rain are my picks.

2.75 little too long

pop rock where every song sounds like it was deliberately crafted to appeal to the largest possible demographic. that makes it hard to really love or hate it. i do like Turn to Stone though and Mr. Blue Sky is definitely a song that deserved to be their most popular one. (2.5)

This was an long album of okay and then Mr. Blue Sky.

Really good album, interesting combination of electric music and rock. Mr. Blue Sky and Sweet Talkin' Woman are such good songs.

To some extent all these songs do sound like Mr. Blue Sky and Don't Bring Me Down, neither of which are on this album, but everything is listenable and cheerful. It sort of reminds me of painters who would paint the same painting again and again. Not high art, but enjoyable, although the songs and album are a bit too long.

Strip away the horrible, excessive overlaid vocals and the vocoder; you'd have some pretty catchy songs. But, otherwise this is just pretentious. Way to go, Jeff Lynne, you probably inspired punk rock music. A long slog of overdone music. This isn't picking up where the Beatles left off, it's just mental. I really didn't enjoy this. 1 star.

This album is like the friendly gentleman who lives next door in a movie. He always his his own life in perfect order, he maintains a friendly and positive demeanour at all times, and he is always there to lend an ear to the main characters problems. What a guy.

Was it for me? No. Was it was too long? Yes. But Was it fun? At first and at some points. It was hard not to enjoy it at times and you could hear the Beatles influences at times. But at other times so much waffle and over the topnoss

All a bit samey, but decent.

Wall to wall bangers

Pretty good

Not my usual thing but great tunes - class album

Some bangers in there, great album

This album contains one of the best songs ever created, Mr Blue Sky. The rest is also fab but not of the same calibre.

Tremendous feel good album. Used to play this one when I wanted to boost a low mood when I was at Uni. Great.

Many well known bangers and all the others were great too 8/10

Love a bit of ELO. Heard this before and expected to love it. But, while it’s very good and has some absolute bangers, it’s weaker than the sum of its parts.

It's between a 3 and a 4. More a 3.

Felicific