Out Of The Blue

It's great

very good, liked them to start with and this album increased my awareness of their styles.

I’m not as into progressive rock but this was interesting to listen to.

Incredibly solid album, right up my alley. There’s something I’m trying to put my finger on with this. A lot of the albums I’ve liked during this project will have a few songs that I really groove with, but will also bore me a lot at some other point. Vs ELO here, who held my attention and gave me a really good time the whole way through an entire double album-length of stuff… but at least on first listen, there wasn’t any particular song that yanked me in. A slower burn. Any case, liked it a lot.

Don't have this and mainly knew the hits from this one. Very enjoyable as expected when I saw it come up.

Хороший альбом

This was a great listen… first time properly listing to ELO. Some amazing melodies and harmonies.

i got a Beatles/queen vibes from this whole album. overall pretty good album

pop rock no espaço

I was surprised by how much I liked it. I've heard of "ELO" but never listened on purpose. A couple of tracks were familiar. My least favorite thing is the "spacey" synth stuff, but there's a pretty good mix of sounds going on. The vocal style might be a little fatiguing, but it's consistent and ties everything together.

I was never really been a fan of ELO's synthesized sound and some of the production Jeff Lynne did for other artists, but they produced enough good songs to make me feel nostalgic every time I hear them. Each of their early albums had a few songs worth listening to and definitely Out Of The Blue is the most fulfilling. They had quite a bit of radio play during this time and they were popular enough I felt I didn't need to buy the record (if that makes sense?). The best songs are super catchy and I've heard Mr. Blue Sky more in the past couple of years than ever before. It must have appeared on some movie soundtracks or TV shows or something, anyways it's a great song!

I really enjoyed this album and their unique sound mixed with classic rock! I ended up knowing more songs than I realized too

Hall and Oates meets Queen meets the Beatles. I really enjoyed this entire album, easy listen with interesting melodies and the orchestral instrumentation is great.

A la disco, yet ahead of it's time. Cover is apt, felt like a space shuttle tour soundtrack. Loved it.

Absolutely love this album!! I was always obsessed with Mr Blue Sky, but never listened to the entire album and happy to be introduced to some absolute TUNES what a happy and exciting vibe. Loved the influences from the Beatles and I can see what they mean by trying to carry on from where I am the walrus left off. Love it! Some songs were a bit filler-y for me so it's lost one star.

I love it! Really fun, a mixture of different moods/sounds all coming together, had a good time listening to this :) from the name and the picture I expected something really different though

By 1977, rock's ballooning excess had been well and truly pierced by the tight and gritty authenticity of punk. For some, ELO represented all that had gone too far in rock, from their orchestra section to their live shows beginning with the band emerging from a spaceship. Yet despite all the criticism, there is something very direct and unfussy about Jeff Lynne's songwriting. It's absolutely unadulterated pop, taking obvious influence from The Beatles and other pre 70's popular music while picking up other cues from disco. I've always been a huge fan of ELO and all they stand for: bombastic arrangements, sugary sweet melodies, beautiful harmonies and falsetto, and an unashamed love of pop music. "Out of the Blue" has this in spades: beginning with the propulsive energy of "Turn to Stone", and mingling sunshine pop with aching ballads, it's one irresistible melody after another in a perfect fusion of synths and strings. Most of the songs in the album's first half are very good and then have one little touch- a middle eight or instrumental hook- to elevate them into "great". The rapid fire vocal section in "Turn to Stone". The "doo-doo" backing vocals in "Sweet Talkin' Woman". The blast of horns in "Across the Border". The fake-out coda in "Stepping Out". And then just when the album might be running out of steam, we're treated to side 3's "Concerto for a Rainy Day." This sequence of songs is pure magic and much greater than the sum of its parts. "Big Wheels" is underwhelming on its own, but the tracks around it lift it into the top tier. "Summer and Lightning" and, of course, "Mr Blue Sky" are blissful and need no further explanation. I hope they'll stay with me for the rest of my life. However, no matter how effusive I can be about this album at its best, the fact remains that it's 70 minutes and doesn't quite stick the landing. Everything about rock's excess can be held against it, and it starts to feel its runtime by the home stretch. "Birmingham Blues" is a hokey throwaway. "The Whale" is too unfocused, the closest the album comes to muzak. Even "Starlight", earlier on, is plodding and unessential. I hate to mark it down because there's so much I love about "Out of he Blue", but it has to be said that there's clearly a five star album nestled within it. The decision to set it as a double album in Lynne's burst of inspiration is admirable, but ultimately brings the quality down. Had some of the lesser tracks been dispensed of, it would be an all-time classic. Instead, I'll settle for "A New World Record", which is tighter and even more fun than this one. Oh, by the way, "Jungle" has never not made me smile. One of the most delightful recordings ever produced.

Yep, what an album, even today in 2022 it still sounds modern and good, which is more than can be said for a lot of music that was produced back then.

Felt a little corny/70s disco at first but really enjoyed this overall. While the early songs were very similar - albeit solid - much more variety later in this extended album with touches of disco, blues, progressive, old-tyme etc. Good lead vocals and I got used to the falsetto backup vocals. It’s over, jungle, sweet talon woman, stepping out Beatles, ST, PF, BGs, bowie, Dylan sounds 3.7

The Whale bangs in the whip

Big Bangers. The use of full orchestra sound and voices is magical. Operatic even. An album that packs a punch while still being really fun to listen to.

An album made even more outstanding when one considers its lead architect can't even read sheet music. Jeff Lynne fires on all cylinders with this LP, interlacing stacked vocal melodies on top of horns, organ, guitar, bass, and countless other multitracks to form a carefully crafted wall of sound that defies any genre label one might want to put on it.

feel good music meets prog rock

Classic rock is classic. Mr Blue Sky is such a lovely song.

Awesome album, lots of various music styles incorporated into a final rock product. Classics as well as some other songs that stretch the genre in a cool way!

I've always liked ELO but don't own any of their albums or know which songs come from which albums. It's hard for me to put a finger on what this album is - it's slightly more synthy than what I remember them for (I only recognized Turn to Stone and Sweet Talkin Woman). They always had synth, but a little more rock edge in other tunes. Night in the City still has more of that edge. It also has some spacey, dream pop motifs - which after reading up was apparently where they were going with their whole style? I guess them and Badfinger both, in trying to be a new age Beatles sound (which I kind of hear, but not always). I think bonus points for the double album and the running theme throughout which gave it an almost prog rock feel, but with progressions combined across not within songs - e.g., Side 3 from Standin in the Rain to Big Wheels to Summer and Lightning to the big finish in Mr. Blue Sky. I liked it, but it also made me question what it is that I call classic rock. It also made me realize that these guys (well, Jeff Lynne mainly) probably opened the door for crappy pop rock - they did it well but the imitators not so much.

elo combines my 2 favorite genres rock and classical. there are a lot of my favorite elo songs on this album.

my god this album art is just fantastic. i'm starting this rating at 4 stars just because of that, let's see if the music keeps it there. Yea it was pretty good all around, I'm keeping it at 4!

Super fun listen! Many many good songs, but WOW is Mr. Blue Sky just an incredible feat of music. Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Summer and Lightning, just to names a few others. The incorporation of strings and backing vocals really makes the songs on this thing so different from typical 70s pop rock. 8/10

ELO is a solid band to get me in a happier mood or feeling more energized...I might not have a clue what they are talking about half the time, but the vibe is solid

Another album that rocked during high school days…. Many great tracks on this album….

Love theses guys; Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin & Starlight are great oldies. Thanks Mr Blue Sky😊

This was an absolutely classic album. Along with the cover and time frame, this felt right up there with Boston's albums. I wouldn't directly compare them beyond that but I really enjoyed this. My favorite was Mr. Blue Sky but the rest all felt like the classic rock I know and love that helps close this week out on a better note.

Really dug this one. It feels extremely cinematic, like a rock opera with the pretense that saddles so many rock operas (looking at you, Tommy). It's maybe not narrative the way others are, but so many songs on here feel like they could be pivotal scenes in a story, or end credits in a movie. I've heard some ELO before, but barely anything from here and I think they killed this. Really vibrant rock, a bit refined but doesn't lose the sauce. Days like this make me glad to be doing this list and finding things that I may have otherwise continued to go without. I won't be counting ELO out after this. Favorite tracks: Mr. Blue Sky, Jungle, Steppin' Out, Summer and Lightning, Sweet is the Night, Across the Border. Album art: Gorgeous picture here, I've never even seen this before. Alex compared it to a Journey cover, and I can see that. Excellent colors, seriously great job matching the feel of the album. Talk about a sleeper hit. 4.5/5

elo!!!!! so iconic!!!! kinda love the musical motifs that recur throughout the entire album--a rock orchestra to be certain. 4/4 for concept; last star is missing only because i'm not sure how willing i'd be to re-listen/re-visit any specific songs outside of the context of the whole album

So much joy in this album. It was a fun, buoyant listen.

Pretty good album. I've always thought ELO doesn't get enough recognition, but this was the first time I've listened to a full album

Full of bangers.

Good album - will return for another listen

Good

I dont know how i've never heard of this album, while having known most of the songs in that album

Holy fuck how did I not come across this album

Great orchestral pop rock, simple arragements that have aged well though. (8/10) FT: Turn To Stone, Mr. Blue Sky, Sweet Talkin' Woman

This is the album they became ELO rather than the Electric Light Orchestra. The voyage from pioneers to settlers was complete. The craft is evident with some great songs.

4.5

Pop-rock setentero. Está bien.

ELO has established themselves prior with albums such as Eldorado and A New World Record. Leaning heavy into the string arrangements made them one of the most notable "Symphonic Rock" bands . Hell, there's even a "conerto" on this album! It's always been their wheelhouse, of course, but Out of the Blue was the most ambitious ELO album at the time of it's release, being a double album and having their most popular singles ever. Being a symphonic rock album, it's naturally going to be very theatrical by nature. This usually isn't my style but ELO sells it so well that I can't not love it. However, the album's tracklist length hinders the total product as a lot of the songs on the first half sail right by me. I love Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, and Jungle, but the rest didn't stick with me as much. This then brings us to the second half which kicks off with the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" and I'm 100% enamored with what this album does. Just a fantastic display of musical prowess. Wow! The last few songs are a nice way to close the album, especially The Whale. Overall a wonderful experience that I'm sure I'll love even more with repeat listens. Based and GOATed

In 1977, I was listening to The Clash, The Sex Pistols and Sabbath. ELO wasn't even something I was remotely interested in. But 45-years later, and several listens over the years, it's grown on me. It's a lot of fun to listen to. Except Mr Bluesky. I'm so, so tired of that song.

Not exactly my thing but a lot better than I had thought. Very much like the post-Beatles Beatles releases from the anthology series

Mr Blue Sky such a timeless classic.

It sounded to me a lot like a queen album, and I wonder how much cross influence there was there.

немного в стиле куин, супер аранжировки, гармонии, максимально интересно, старый звук 70-ых

I enjoyed this album.

despite of being aware of the band since like forever and of course being a fan of Mr Blue Sky, I had never listened to this record, a very very nice surprice, I think I may buy it!

Enjoyable the whole way through. Put me in a good mood. Sweet Talkin woman and Mr blue sky highlights for me

ELO has a rather unique style. Whenever they come up on the radio they annoy me more often than not. But as an album I will return to them in the future.

Love the musical vibes.

Way too long and some songs feel like fillers, but overall a classic and a good album

Maybe it's because the site happened to give it to me on a perfect day for it (clear mid-70s skies following a storm that caused a shitload of flooding), but I really enjoyed Out of the Blue's spacey, grandiose sound. The impeccable instrumentation works beautifully off of Jeff Lynne's voice, producing euphoric highs that resemble a top-tier prog rock band with more strings and less noodling. It's a double album, so it inevitably runs into a handful of tracks that feel more like filler, but it's still tighter than you would expect a 70-minute double LP to be. Hell, I went into this knowing I wasn't the biggest fan of Mr. Blue Sky, but it works really well as the finale of side 3's weird little weather-themed suite. Great stuff all around. Key Tracks: Turn to Stone, Night in the City, Big Wheels

For about a year they ruled the world. A string of singles from this album (including the sublime Wild west hero) meant it was impossible to go anywhere without hearing ELO playing. Places me forever in Coventry shopping precinct.

Good time.

Overall pretty good

L. 7/30 - 8/1 Immaculately and meticulously crafted. Grand Rock music. Standout Tracks: Turn to Stone, It's Over, Night in the City, Jungle, Big Wheels, Summer and Lightning, Mr. Blue Sky, The Whale

This is a cool album. Don't know if it's "good" but it is definitely cool. The harmonizing is something else. "Turn to Stone", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Sweet Is the Night", and, of course, "Mr. Blue Sky" are the standouts but there aren't really any duds.

Really good

Good, need to listen again

Really liked the general vibe of the album. Have listened to ELO before so kinda knew what to expect but also wasn't disappointed. Really like Turn To Stone and Mr Blue Sky, nothing else really stood out to me.

At least 3 stand outs.

Who could dislike ELO? Who is not happy listening to this music? Well, probably many people for some valid reasons, but I’m not one of them. I love how the strings are used on this record. Not overdone, just the right amount coming in at just the right time. Every track is magic. I love it. Favourite track: C’mon. “Mr. Blue Sky”

I used to know this for Mr. Blue Sky alone, but wow have I been missing out. This album isnt slept on, not every album is talked about for decades, but this one deserves it. Favorites : Turn to Stone, Birmingham Blues, Sweet is the night. Overall 7/10

Love ELO. Such an unmistakable sound.

Catchy pop rock. Can't go wrong with a bit of ELO

Good songs in addition to Mr Blue Sky, would listen

Damn I need to listen to more ELO. This is like a softcore Beatles. This is good. Four stars.

A classic. Full of great tracks.

I like ELO and generally enjoyed the album

Easy-listening music, straight out of the 70's. I really liked hearing an entire orchestra of music in this album.

Has some huge songs on it that are really good, but it sort of felt samey some of the time, and let me down

Bunt und spaßig?

Hell yea

You are in for a ride with ELO, an album that is almost 80 minutes long, and it has its moments. So what I think first of is a mix between some Beatles-esque songs with Queen harmonizing set to take place in space in the late '70s. You have probably heard some part of Mr Blue Sky, and it is a really fun and happy song in its whole length. Listen to this and feel yourself get filled with joy and happiness.

ELO struck gold with this album, and as a result kept the art motif for any subsequent efforts. Boasting several of their most recognizable singles this album flows from one track to the next.

Some great Beatlesque pop. Well known hit singles and THAT side 3 weather sequence concluding with the gilt edged Mr Blue Sky. Pretty good, but a little long.

This was fun, although the style admittedly wore me out after a whole album. Way too much perky for too long. It really does lift you a bit though. Mr Blue Sky is a fun quirky song.

I love ELO, I would’ve cut a few songs but also it sounds so good it’s hard to complain

Well this was a pleasant bloody surprise this Wednesday morning. Borrows hugely from the best bits of the Beatles. Grand, Flawlessly produced, and timelessly catchy. Its 5 or 6 tracks too long which is a shame as there is an absolute masterpiece 11 or 12 song album in there somewhere. 4/5

goood shit

I wrote a long and detailed review, but it got eaten somehow...Anyways, Out Of The Blue is a fantastic double album that has maybe 1 track worth skipping. There's a lot of technical (for the time) feats in this whole experience, and lyrics that reaffirm ELO's embrace of said technology. Side 3 is known as Concerto for a Rainy Day, and should be listened to in its entirety, right up to the special message at the end just for LP listeners.

Good classic but my fav is TIME

it was ok, groovy

I like my rock like I like my shaft... Soft...

i discovered this record a while back and it has become a classic in my library. the tunes they have produced are great pieces of rock. giving it a 4 but for me its probably a 4.3/5

Discazo, tiene una buena combinación de rolas movidas y otras más tranquis, de repente se escucha un buen sintetizador que podría sonar como precursor de algunas tendencias electronicas.

Very nice

First time listening to this entire album. I’ve always been impressed by Jeff Lynne simply because he was the one person in the Traveling Wilburys whom I had never heard of. Once I learned about ELO it still seemed like he was the non-famous one in a group of super famous singers. It totally makes sense though after listening to this record; this absolutely sounds like the kind of record other musicians would admire. I’ll have to listen to it way more than once to even begin to digest it all, but it was good going down.

4.5 | Un álbum que disfruté bastante y, aunque conocía canciones sueltas de ELO me sorprendió de muy buena manera escuchar todo un disco. Desde que arranca se siente ese rock retrofuturista (retro al menos ya para hoy en día) setentero que me gusta mucho. Es alegre, te amarra y emociona. Me da un sonido y me hace imaginar mucho esa estética que tenía la ciencia ficción antes de Alien y Star Wars… esa ciencia ficción y cosas del espacio más… inocentes en la que todo era limpio y todos se vestían con batas por alguna razón; es una estética que hoy en día se siente muy tonta quizá para muchos, pero me recuerda demasiadas películas de mi infancia. Música muy eléctrica con coros, cuerdas, letras pegajosas y que se sienten tremendamente británicas. Música divertida. Se siente como un rock sinfónico exagerado, quizá cursi pero muy agradable y termina sintiéndose como una verdadera joya de rock pop. Turn to Stone, It’s Over y Sweet Talking Woman son excelentes y todo ese grupo de canciones que termina con Mr. Blue Sky hacen un conjunto maravilloso y una subida y bajada de emociones muy bien realizada. Tiene un par de canciones lentas, algunas bien algunas que sobran un poco y la última parte después de Mr. Blue Sky es un poco desigual en calidad, algo instrumental que medio sobra, pero todo el álbum es muy agradable. Quizá es un poco largo, no se si funcionaría mejor como un disco normal y no un álbum doble; hay suficientes canciones buenas que no cabrían en un solo disco pero también siento que no hay tanto material como para llenar bien el álbum doble y termina con un poco de relleno.

Love ELO

Rock und synth mix pretty good especially Mr blue sky and turn to stone Paar Songs sind mir zu repetetive

Primero lo primero, amo las cuerdas utilizadas durante todo el disco. Los efectos grabados de lluvia y otros instrumentos por sí solos están bien, pero la combinación crea música por demás disfrutable. No me encantan los coritos a la mitad de las frases y seguro Daft Punk cuando escucharon a ELO dijeron "vamos a hacer música". Un disco muy agradable que experimenta con sonidos sin dejar de ser fácil de consumir. Una chulada. Songs: Night in the City, Across the Border, Believe Me Now, I'm Steppin' Out, Mr Blue Sky, Sweet is the Night

false

It’s so ambitious and largely successful. He’s a very worthy Wilbury.

It's an album in the spirit of 70's. I didn't quite like the first couple of tracks with lots of electronic/synth background, but the album finds its pace as it moves on. Favorite tracks: * Summer and Lightning * Sweet is the Night

I didn't listen to the whole thing, but it has some iconic songs on it so thumbs up.

pretty funny pretty nice pretty pretty

Voy a presentarles La Orquesta de La Luz Oye esta Rica Salsa Nuestro ambiente musical ♬ Ahh no, esta es la OTRA Orquesta de La Luz XD ------ No estoy seguro de cómo catalogar este estilo musical, quizá "Rock-Pop-Sinfónico", pero el álbum me recuerda muchísimo a Queen. Imagino perfectamente a Freddie cantando 'It's Over', 'Standin' in the rain' o 'Mr. Blue Sky'. Algo que también me agradó mucho fueron canciones como 'Jungle', que está instrumentada como una jungla, 'Across the Border' con sus trompetas de mariachi o 'Whale' que pues... es una ballena. El disco tiene algo de 'progresivo' o 'conceptual' que me resulto muy interesante. Por último, este álbum rompió mi estereotipo de que ELO era un grupo de música disco. Escuché todo el disco quizá unas 4 veces y seguro lo escucharía de nuevo.

Was gonna do 3 but mr blue sky boosted it

MR BLUE SKY ... but seriously easy listening

Energetic, epic synth, a bit cheesy feeling with the backing vocals but that's just not to my taste.

It's ELO in their prime. Disco stylings mixed into classic rock that doesn't tire even in 17 songs.

4 stars cause they got better albums IMO, but definitely a classic. ELO is really good in general

Not as great as discovery

A great decade album. Mr Blue Sky is fantastic

OH FUCC YEAH how did i ever wait this long to listen to this

Brings back memories.

Quite liked this one! A lot of the songs sounded similar to one another, but the album was energetic and put me in a good mood, so I'll let that slide.

A spacious, kaleidoscopic romp towards the highest of highs, Out of the Blue stands tall as the culmination of everything Jeff Lynne had been working up to with ELO. An embrace and rebuke of what was around them, ELO not only turn up the ambition but turn the page of what was before in acknowledgement of what was bound to be new. Favorites: Turn to Stone, It's Over, Night in the City, Starlight, Jungle, Steppin' Out, Standing in the Rain, Mr. Blue Sky, Sweet is the Light, Wild West Hero.

fun 70s vibe, probably not something i will be listening to very often, happy, has a groove/disco feel in some of the songs, knew mr. blue sky before listening, fav song probably turn to stone or night in the city

Totally get the appeal, just not fully for me. At least it gave us the Nerf Herder cover of Mr. Blue Sky.

This is very jaunty. The band name is a good name for how they sound. Somewhat Ace & Queen-esque (I guess a different card name would also suit). Highlights: 'Summer and Lightning' (I suspect because I've heard it before, although I'm not sure why since it doesn't seem to be a single or in any TV shows?), 'Mr. Blue Sky' (also heard this one before, but so has everyone)

I really had high expectations because I’m a big fan of queen. But this kinda missed the mark. It wasn’t bad, it just lacked uniqueness and was far too long. I guess I expected to hear more different sounds but throughout the middle of the album I got kinda lulled to sleep. I really wanted to love this ELO album

Fun and quirky. A little long

Except for when it reaches the high of Mr Blue Sky it doesn’t reach close to the high of Mr Blue Sky.

Starlight is a standout musically. Weird album, very 70's, cross between disco, symphonic prog, Queen, and the Beatles. A bit self-indulgent.

Ima par poznatih i dobrih stvari, ostale su samo okej.

This is why we need half stars. This is a solid four-star album, reduced to three and a half by virtue of being too long, so it would fall into the 3.5 category. However, it ends up with three because even someone like me, who grew up hearing these songs on the radio and whose entire musical taste is predicated on side-long 'concertos for rock group' simply finds this too much. If it had come out a couple of years earlier, and I had saved up and bought it in 1975, I'd probably consider it one of the foundational albums of my young life, but it didn't, and I don't, which is a bit sad, but here we are. But I will admit that I'm strongly tempted to give it four on the strength of 'Mr Blue Sky' alone, which is a genuine work of genius and almost redeems the entire overblown Concerto part. Sigh. Next.

Ehh

Pretty good

Not bad

Queen but more electronic

This album started off relatively strong, but petered out quickly.

A couple fun songs but listening to an entire ELO album is a bit much

There are some great tracks here, shit I will happily sing along to. But an hour and 15 minutes of ELO is too much, too much for me.

I would have bet the house that this was the product of some heavy drug usage, but apparently Jeff was a pretty stable guy. Based, but in a Cringe way

Chipper! I can't tell if they're british or just happy in 1977

I kinda thought it was gonna be more like Mr Blue Sky but a lot of it was more forgettable than I thought it’d be I’m pretty sure that 88 north song has the same chord progression as “creep” by Radiohead

Sweet talking woman is great. So bittersweet.

I was convinced It's A Livin Thing was on here. It isn't. Is this album a bit long? Yeah, maybe. Is Mr Blue Sky still a good song. Yeah, I think so. 3.5/5

First Jethro Tull, now ELO, this list is making me less cool but I don't mind. This album is nuts but I enjoyed the absurdity of it all. I also finally figured out who the final Wilbury is and that alone gives this an extra point. It had plagued me for 3 decades.

2.5, this cheesy 70s AM rock just isn’t my sound. It’s so blah and soulless. But, ELO are still the best of that bunch at least, and there’s a few good tracks here.

Pink Floyd / Queen / Beatles mash up.

I went from this is okay, but too long and soft. Then by the end ELO had won me over. Really nice sounding album.

I’m not a huge fan of rock music from the ‘70s… (I wish I was!), so I had preconceived notions going into this. But I’m enjoying “Turn to Stone.” I hear influences from disco (which I do like!) unless I’m just making that up. “It’s Over” was chilling and anxiety inducing, not in a bad way. Yeah, this is pretty good. Nice ‘70s sound with distinct beats and tones that match the lyrics of each song.

Sounds kinda the same and only 1 hut

Nice but kind of repetitive

so looooong but what i've heard thus far is a solid 3

Es copado pero como que toda esa onda espacial no me termina de comprar. Lo volvería a escuchar? No

when everything is extra, nothing is

There's a few really good songs, but it's way over-produced for my taste. I agree with one review I read that called it "sterile."

3.5

Det er noe kjedelig ved ELO. Det er blankpolert, konstruert med pinsett og målebånd, og egentlig for soft til å kalles rock. Mulig det er lettere å forstå seg på bandet om man tenker på dem primært som progressive pop heller enn symphonic rock? Fra før har jeg hørt mye på to låter (Living Thing etter Boogie Nights og Mr. Blue Sky sikkert pga. Guardians of the Galaxy), men har aldri vært interessert i å oppsøke et helt album. Og da jeg så at dette var et dobbeltalbum fikk jeg nesten hakeslepp. Hvorfor? Det var faktisk ikke så tungt å komme seg igjennom, men det høres nesten alltid ut som om Mr. Blue Sky er i ferd med å komme på banen. Det er i stor grad en one trick pony. Til tross for at det burde vært et enkeltalbum, og til tross for at jeg ikke har sagt så mye pent om ELO, så kommer det seg akkurat gjennom nåløyet. Det er tidvis gøy musikk -- åpningssporet kan best beskrives som en mix av ABBA og Queen -- og de gjør på en måte greia si bra. Burde jeg være mer kynisk mot å lage radiovennlig prog? Kanskje. Men inntil videre så får de bestått på popmusikkeksamen.

I don't really know ELO other than Mr. Big Sky (which conveniently is on this record) but I've always enjoyed the song. I gotta be honest... it doesn't really click with me. It feels like very generic 70's pop rock. Maybe this is what set that template up, but while enjoyable, nothing is really standing out to me as something to keep coming back to or as genre-defining.

Came in expecting this to be awful; it wasn’t, so that’s a start. That said, the most direct Beatles rip-offs really grate (‘Jungle’? Ouch), and while there are a couple of genre-busting, polyphonic bangers, plus Mr Blue Sky, it’ll only be those I come back to.

Not bad

off bat, the cover is completely ugly. looks like Ai which is weird because it's from the seventies. Maybe my brother would like this. I don't really like string instruments that much. And all of it is kind of bland and forgettable and yeah it's kind of jaunty but it's nothing special to me. In fact, I think the only reason I like Mr Blue Sky is because it's been played to death around me. It's all decent. Ok i changed my mind i think some of it is very cool like i'm in outer space. Still dont think this is my favorite music but it's enjoyable. I liked Sweet Talkin' woman, Jungle, Steppin Out, The Whale... some of it is very similar to like video game music or something which makes it feel kind of nostalgic and safe but at the same time exciting!

muito clara a influência dos beatles, talvez por isso me pareceu familiar desde o começo. gostei bastante, gostei das letras. mas parece ter 1h20, um pouco repetitivo.

turn to stone - highkey giving beetles mixed with queen icl idk what they're saying but wtv we ball fast tempo is fun prolly won't listen to this again violin is nice the little fast rap thing after the bridge isn't my favorite some instrumentals feel overpowering like theres too much going on we get it you turn to stone overall 3/10 It's over - nice instrumentals always love an orchestra sounds like a choir love the orchestra they're amazing orchestra + guitar = peak glad its not as loud and overpowering as turn to stone love the (relative) simplicity wish more was happening vocally still wouldn't listen to this again, too many men this song is like a minute too long im bored hurry tf up longest 15s of my life overall 5/10 Sweet talkin' woman - yay violin these little falsetto ad libs are so strange why do they sound like that anything in parentheses is throwing me off why is it so strangely high pitched love the instrumentals 3 songs in and im already sick and tired of this album just saying words atp why does it slow down at the end of EVERY song be original overall 5/10 basic alt pop song Across the Border - why is there a train flute is giving western but also bollywood nvm theres a fiddle thats western asf yay synth ok yay this is fun this sounds like knock off queen but its fine queen w/ synths ig fun song not bad still too long yay less repetition of the same damn thing i hear that pizzicato i hear violins but no other orchestral strings ts pmo this was fun still wouldn't listen again overall 5/10 Night in the City - ooh unique instrumentals strange ahh synths yay violin ELECTRIC GUITAR??? please these lyrics are out of sync (spotify sucks) yay finally something other than one lyric over and over again is that a hospital monitor?? im deeply confused by these instrumentals finally some lower strings i hear a cello i think either that or violin on the g string this orchestral line sounds like smth i've played either way still like a minute too long overall 8/10 starlight - ok synths ig nice change of pace nvm these vocals are weirding me out sounds vaguely pervy this album is too damn long i like this one its pretty good nothing stand out about it but that probably for the best once again prolly never listening to this again overall 7/10 jungle - interesting synths giving aliens giving the x files WHAT are those sounds why are we legit in a jungle hello yay strings are still here only thing keeping me listening storytelling again yippee love the instrumentals i like this one still wouldn't play it but i would listen if someone else did interesting ending overall 9/10 believe me now - holy peak no voices yay instrumentals love violins yayayyyayay best song on the album 9.6/10 steppin' out - i cant do this why is this album so long lyrics are out of sync again i don't like these instrumentals strings come to save the day once again yay guitar i deeply dislike the vocals on this im about to fall asleep skipping the rest of this i can't do this anymore nothing new being said for last 2 minutes ending is nice tho seems like it should be an end of album song idk 5/10 only for the strings standin in the rain - maybe its my attention span but why are these songs SO DAMN LONG what in the ever loving fuck is that voice its not my attention span im just bored yay strings again what is that ghostly sound it sounds like a tesla im so bored this ones kinda better ig best part of this is my friend texting me abt her ex in the middle of it if i can take coherent notes its a mid album there are no extremes here hello haunted mansion one of the better ones overall 7/10 big wheels - yay transition i just counted why are there 17 freaking songs ok yay love a ballad generic ass ballad tho son im crine (from boredom) just talking to talk ig skipping around entire song sounds the same at least there were still strings 4/10 not awful will never listen again summer and lighting - yay transition again love the sounds i can't do this anymore this is probably helping my critical thinking skills but it feels like my brain is turning to mush every single song is 1-2 minutes too long id be less pissed if they were shorter i can listen to long songs just not if they sound the exact same maybe i'm just being a hater idk there is too much happening yet not enough help what are these instrumentals i mean ig bro yay violin im not gonna remember a single thing from this album let alone this song i have such a bad headache now overall 5/10 mr blue sky - who doesn't know this song anyway ts pmo we had to play this in orchestra i don't like this song i had the most boring bassline known to man nasally ass vocals shut up now breathy asf stop this its actually not that bad i just have beef with playing it but also no reason for this to be over 4 minutes long 6/10 would've been higher if not for orchestra sweet is the night - yay instrumentals are good vocals throwing me off as usual storytelling but saying nothing sound a mess or stan sombr me asf: i would rather listen to experimental bjork and kate bush at least it has substance 5/10 definition of mid The whale - interesting start purely instrumental holy peak cool synths what is that wailing in the background tho why is this so long how the fuck are there still 2 songs after this im so tired ok yay strings and drums finally only half of this is actually listenable why is this so long there is no need skipping around once again because i am bored out of my skull 7/10 birmingham blues - good lord i can't listen to this album anymore ok yay i like this opening instrumental i just know the vocals will pmo they haven't yet but i feel it so deeply in my bones actually this isn't that bad i feel like im gonna eat my words kinda giving elvis (idk ive listened to like 2 of his songs) it could be worse WHY is everything so damn long skipping the guitar solo idgaf this could be cut down by a full minute and a half and nothing would change overall 9/10 just too damn long wild west hero - what is this honky tonk ass beat ok piano ig ok this isn't too bad storytelling yay ELECTRIC GUITAR + honky tonk piano?? i mean ig bro i hear strings hooray vocals kinda eat down here pretty good could be shorter 9/10 overall notes: i understand that this was probably (i was -33 when this came out so i don't actually know) experimental and groundbreaking when it came out but now it just sounds like knock off queen mixed with the beetles every song sounds unoriginal now and is too damn long not every song on this album needed to be here strange strange instrumentals instrumentals were all over the place only constant were strings eating down (im biased i play violin and string bass) i'm never listening to this again final score 6.39/10 ~ 3.19/5

Partially known. ELO is a good time.

Rest of the album is enjoyable but Mr Blue Sky is the clear number 1 cut on this album, what else do you want me to say

Ok

Pretty groovy

Not touching me much.

Ganz ok. Gibt mir so Retro Future Vibes. Ich schwanke zwischen 2,5 und 3 Sternen

better than the beatles but still shit

not my type

it's okay I guess. it's kinda long.

This was enjoyable, but obviously a bit dated. Some really good songs, but also some stuff that's a bit silly.

Fun album, bit repetitive but nice songs

Mr Blue sky is a classic

More bangers than downers but a little long

Feel-good bop after bop!

Quite cinematic

I’ve always heard ELO as a punchline, and I’ve never really listened before. Turns out the joke’s on me. I really enjoyed it. I was gonna give it a 4, but if I’m taking a point away from Stevie for being too long, I got to here too.

I wasn't sure I was going to have the patience for this. I was worried it would be an album full of Bohemian Rhapsodies. And it was, in a way, but I loved it more than I thought I would. First half was a banger. By the second half it was getting a bit grating. Mr. Bluesky was on HEAVY rotation throughout my childhood.

Never loved them that much

Great song writing here but it’s too long an album to truly enjoy in one sitting which is a shame.

No doubt this band has talent and wrote some great music. This album lacks their memorable hits but definitely a testimony to how talented they were

Mr Blue Sky, Steppin’ Out and a few others are highlights. The problem is the length of the album. Songs that work okay on their own as filler, but at this length they destroy the album experience. The last few songs are the weakest A lot of nice early opera rock, and influences from Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys still make this a unique, special mix.

I'll allow it. Jeff Lynne ruined Tom Petty though...

Solid album - what you would expect from ELO. Easy listening with very nice string arrangements, some great songs and of course the legendary Mr. Blue Sky. I will be reading up on Jeff Lynne thanks to this album. 3.5/5

Out of the Beatles

Man, they ought to give a Nobel Prize to whoever can make the first double album that actually warrants being a double album. I’ve yet to hear one. Dylan came close with Blonde on Blonde but I don’t think it’s quite there. This one started off so promising. Jeff Lynne’s got an ear for harmony like few who’ve come since the Beatles and isn’t afraid to let the disco influence shine. By the middle of the infectious “Sweet Talkin’ Women” I thought he might pull it off. But, coincidentally, around the time when a single album would just about be wrapping up, it starts to drag. And drag. Even “Mr. Blue Sky”, which you can’t help but nod your head to, can’t save the second half from its repetitive, Supertramp-throwaway 70s indulgence. It’s just a style that doesn’t lend itself well to filler tracks. Good try.

I didn’t grow up listening to ELO like I did Beatles and Queen. Bits of this record sound Beatlesque, with the (sometimes out of tune) strings and the crazy tempo changes, while others, like the harmonizing and even some guitar parts, are reminiscent of Queen. But of course, they are their own. Love “Turn to Stone” and of course “Mr Blue Sky,” an uptempo, fun little song. The album sags in places, which is to be expected from a double album, but overall it’s really good

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 for 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.

Beatles/queen vibes.

First listen

Great but way too long. But I liked it more than other double records.

Dig. I always thought of these guys as too pop-y back in the day. Now that my horizons have broadened, I’m in. Good times. Also set a new record for the kids asking “Is this the Beatles?” from the backseat. New record for when the answer was no anyway. 3 & 1/2!

Joyous, upbeat, beatlesque record that ran wild with outer space themes. A great record to play on a road trip with older family members to remind them of how amazing music was back in the 70's compared to today. Personally, there are 3 great songs worth coming back to. The end of the record falls a little flat and drags on a bit too much. The album could have ended on the instrumental track rather than include two more songs. All in all, a great reminder of the staying power of melodies (Mr. Blue Sky is still 10/10).

No, you don't need to listen to this before you die. A nice listen but nothing to love, apart from Mr Blue Sky and similar sounding but slightly worse songs.

Знаю про ELO, але раніше не чув. Виглядає цікаво.

Enjoyed the most of this, should have been a 40min album

primer álbum!! Ya había visto este álbum sin más nunca lo había escuchado no le tenía mucha fe, no se si me llego a encantar del todo.

Overall, high energy fun, but a bit too synth heavy for me. It’s more small doses of ELO for me to appreciate them. “Starlight” and “Jungle” worked for me. Possibly because “Jungle” is silly whimsy.

Very smooth. Didn't hate anything, but it all kind of blends together. Great background music while doing other stuff.

great orchestral music a generational pull

Closing in on the pinnacle, or is the rot setting in? By this album, ELO is well on its way to becoming just a vehicle for the expression of Jeff Lynne’s artistic vision rather than a true band. There is some beautiful pop music here, but the album is certainly self-indulgent and overlong. Would have been a very solid single album. I can’t believe this was chosen in place of “A New World Record” for this exercise.

too prog for the town of blues, too blues for prog city, i feel that trying to reconcile these two currents makes part of the essence of both a bit diluted an extensive collection of hits; towards the second half it starts to get moodier and more orchestral, and I think that's when it works best

Listening to this feels like listening to an 80s classic rock band that have been forced to play eccentric, over-dramatic pop rock. There’s a great deal on this album that is well-written, interesting & dynamic, without mentioning the undoubtedly memorable hits. Overall though the production, tone & delivery of the tracks feel over the top for me, as if I’m listening to a theatre play soundtrack.

La verdad no me provoco más

I had a decent time with this. Nothing super outstanding to me but it was enjoyable. Definitely overstayed its welcome though. Could've been 20 or 30 minutes shorter.

어우 듣기 좋아. Mr. Blue sky라는 매우 익숙한 곡 포함.

Great singles.

I like 'em, But find that I can only take so much, and this album pushes the limit. Had to stop, and come back to finish. But I do like their style, just not all at once.

Pleasantly surprised it wasn't just Mr Blue Sky. Some great songs in here. Too long though

Hey it’s that one song!

Jag vill ju gilla detta för det är uppenbarligen fruktansvärt bra låtskriveri och produktion. Samtidigt känns det som resultatet av att man frågat AI om att skapa ett ”70-talsalbum”. På ett sätt är väl det bara ett bevis på dess genialitet. 6/10 (med vissa riktiga höjdpunkter)

Jeg kunne ret godt lide den her. Glam-rock-ish Supertramp-stil.

Context is key and I must declare this was a staple of my childhood, dad being a big fan. It’s a ludicrous record in so many ways - I remember poring over the wild list of instruments they used to make it. Corny and overblown, another one that is too long for its own good, but damn good fun all the same.

mehhh I didn’t like it that much

A handful of bangers here.

Decent, enjoyable, melodic synth pop. Couple of really good tunes on it, but it can get a bit “samey”. Still, I enjoyed it!

*I had high expectations for this because I had heard of it, knew Mr. Blue Sky, but never dived deeper. *After fighting through its bloated 70 minute run time, I hear some Beatles inspiration and realize that I would have been on the side of the punk movement fighting against this maximalist music of the times. *Might be the most overrated album I've heard so far in this project

me gusta de fondo, me da vibes de clasicos de la 100

I had low expectations of this, based on ELO’s chart-toppers ("Evil Woman"). First half, I felt confirmed that it was too light for my taste, I didn’t like the strings (like disco pop). But then, a couple of songs in succession grew on me - I liked the rich arrangements, syrupy harmony vocals, sweet synthesisers as well as the string section. So I felt more positive about the album by the time it finished. There’s a couple of songs I’m happy to put into playlists. I rate this album on its fit with my personal taste - as I have no sense it merits particular respect for historic significance. So I’ll say it’s Okay, 6/10.

This feels like the type of music Punk was rebelling against, rather than Prog rock. It's all fine and there are a lot of familiar songs on here, but ELO often feels kind of soulless. It's Pop, but the type of Pop music that seems to take itself too seriously. Either be a Pop album or a 4 side long piece with a side long rainy day concerto, both doesn't relaly work. Everything here is fine and I can't say I really disliked any moment, but I'm never really moved by any particular ELO song.

Not bad. But a little hard to listen to

Flotte høydepunkt! Men lengden her pressa litt på tålmodigheta

3.5

This one reminds me, of an afternoon in fall, an oldie but definitely an album worth listening to.

Some good tunes but nothing to make me rush back

Uma mistura de Queen com Supertramp. Disco longo, duplo. Divertido, embora os vocais agudos cansem com o tempo, como acontece com Supertramp, Bee Gees etc.

I always wondered why Mr blue sky was the only song I knew on this record. Maybe because it's so bloated and over indulgent

They do have orchestra in their name so I guess that should excuse some of the excess. I can’t help but hear Queen in many of these as well. Still, while enjoyable it is a bit long. Was it a little ELO joke that “It’s Over” was only the second track?

There are few good songs on here. I feel this LP is over rated lacking in the musicality vein of previous efforts. It's too long for one thing. Some songs should of been left off and just release a single LP.

#017. Familiar with the singles Turn to Stone, It’s over and ofcourse Mr.Blue Sky but never listened to this album in full. It’s well crafted for sure. But the vocoder usage is getting a bit too much and resembles the auto-tune abuse of current days. Very beatlesque which lots of strings. It’s not something to add to my rotation or to put on my vinyl wish list. So I keep it with ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fine

Ik hou hier van, 3.5 waar ik niet een 4 kan zeggen.

Na wat voelde als anderhalf uur ging ik toch maar even kijken naar de tracklist, want Mr Blue Sky was nog niet langs gekomen en ik moest toch ondertussen wel vrijwel aan het eind van de plaat zitten??? Welnee: Out Of The Blue duurt 70 minuten en voelt als 170 minuten. Wat een slog. Een soort spacey proto-Queen-eenheidsworst. Echt retesaai. Ik ga voor Mr Blue Sky alleen 3 sterren geven, maar dat is gul van me.

Not th best but some great stuff here from Jeff. They write catchy pop inspired songs with nice melodies a little safe but still enjoyable

There are some great arena rock tracks on this album. The biggest downside is the length of the album is a bit too long for me.

Some real bangers but also some slow bits that just don't rock as hard.

Fun.

Good album. About the half the album is a miss for me though. Couple of hits, others are ok.

Late 70s rock.

Cool, the Mr. Blue Sky album. I was actually just about to listen to this one - it's in my list of long-as-fuck albums that I'm currently assembling pre-written reviews for. The Electric Light Orchestra name rings a bell, though that might just be because of my familiarity with Mr. Blue Sky. These guys are an upbeat, Beatles-esque prog rock band, if I'm not mistaken. I'm unsure as to whether they can go the hour-ten distance, though I'm curious to check out this album nonetheless. Here goes. Yeah, not bad. I'm sure there's plenty out there, but this is the first time I've listened to a prog rock album with a prominent Beatles influence, so there's still a bit of a novelty to hearing this album. I enjoyed my time with this, though I did kind of roll over and lose interest during the final stretch - that runtime is pretty intense. I can't wait until all of the albums on my project are under an hour in length. Anyways, the songwriting of this album is its strongest asset. The vocals follow a smooth, rolling, rockabilly style which works quite well and never loses its lustre. That isn't to say this album plays it safe, however. There's plenty of variety in the tone and mood of this music, with the vocals adjusting themselves to the changes accordingly. Most notable in the instrumental department of this album are the synths, which have a sound that is right up my alley. I'm a big fan of the soft, smoothed-out, futuristic sound. They sound a good deal like the ones on A Wizard, A True Star. Equally adept are the rough, grunting guitars which underscore the vocal performances. They have a great, jumpy sound which keeps the music lively and engaging. It's difficult to say much else about the instruments of this album as they're always changing, though I also favoured the strings and pianos. Overall, I was favourable to this album, though the runtime is a little demanding for some upbeat, easy-listening pop rock. I am keen to give it a second chance sometime in the future, however. There's "Mr. Blue Sky". They really kept me waiting on it, though far be it from me to complain. It's great - one of those songs which are impossible to dislike. The jumpy bass guitar underscoring the music carries it far, along with those iconic clanging sounds. Equally adept is the songwriting, which is fantastic. I'm a big fan of the rolling style that the vocals have along with how they complement the established sound. If I am to complain, I think the song loses its focus down the middle and towards the end, though it comes to a solid finish with those nice strings, which also works in the context of the song. Overall, a very solid tune. Book time. "...does not contain much filler". The first three tracks of this album are considered to be among Electronic Light Orchestra's best by the curator of this album. Released at the height of disco's popularity, which made it a bit of a black sheep. Was a massive success and launched an ambitious tour supporting this album. Wikipedia says this album has sold ten million copies in its lifetime, was written in its entirety in three and a half weeks and had five successful singles. Critics were receptive to it, though it was by no means a knockout with them. The album landed the top ten in ten of the eleven countries where it charted, with most placing in the top five. It made the year-end charts in a handful of countries, where it performed very well. It was notably the 18th best-selling album in the US, the 17th best-selling album in Germany, the 15th best-selling album in the Netherlands, the 11th best-selling album in Australia and the 7th best-selling album in the UK, all for 1978. ELO don't appear to have been much of a smash with the critics, so I guess this is the listmakers throwing a bone to the masses once again. I'm favourable to this pick, and one album seems about right for an artist of this standing. I cosign this inclusion.

Disco Beatles. Starts out well but gets a bit tiresome over the course pf the record.

Overlong. Should have been a single LP.

Too long omg

Ok, just ok.

Hmm...ELO definitely had their moment in the late 70s, but I don't know how influential they actually ended up being. Also, my tolerance for double albums is very limited. This is pretty much a straight pop/easy listening album. It's overall a very pleasant listen, with pleasing vocals and orchestral backing. The harmonies really improve the album's overblown pop songs so that they sound ready-made for radio. Jeff Lynne clearly knows how to write hooky, catchy hit songs and would perhaps have been well served by a career as a label songwriter. However, he chose to perform his compositions and created ELO, and today I listen to this album. The lyrics are fairly generic pop fare, which isn't surprising as that's the whole album's sound. However, I see no reason that this needed to be a double album. It's not like an hour of easy listening 70s music would really entertain me rather than drag. Most of the songs don't really impact me that much, a result of being as inoffensive as possible. This is a fine example of 70s pop, but it's not really anything more than that. This album is ranked #4 of 27 albums for 1977. Other 1977 albums rated by me: Rumours(1/27)-5 The Stranger(3/27)-4 "Heroes"(5/27)-3 Lust for Life(6/27)-4 Talking Heads '77(8/27)-4 Marquee Moon(11/27)-4 Aja(12/27)-3 Zombie(13/27)-4 Bat Out of Hell(15/27)-4 My Aim Is True(16/27)-2 The Idiot(18/27)-3

Me recuerda un poco a queen

Great production, just an okay record with a couple strong songs. Most of the album is a little meh but some solid pop tracks on Concerto for a Rainy Day

ELO Gotta admire the workrate. 17 tracks written in little over a fortnight and then recorded in only two months. And it kinda shows cos this double album would have made a great single album. Two much filler detracts from the killer. McCartney had Lennon to remind him that life has sharp edges, whereas I imagine Lynne was surrounded by those that nodded, smiled and rubbed his ego. Don't get me wrong - Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Wild West Hero and the Concerto for a Rainy Day foursome (!) are all bangers. But some of the stuff inbetween sounds like ideas being crowbarred together and should have hit the cutting room floor. Sweet is the Night? Nope, I don't need a sugary Dylan. The Whale? Erm...why? Birmingham Blues? A leaden footed plodder. Starlight? zzzzzzzzz Shame as the highs are great but the lows are just missing any point. Best Track - Mr Blue Sky. When Lynnes song is strong enough to carry the ambition Worst Track - The Whale. Was this just a concension to the keyboard player or something? 7/10

They’re such a great band. Very long on the instrumentals!

Класно. Спочатку не зовсім подобалось, але в другій частині альбом все ж зміг зачепити. Хороший симфонічний рок. Оцінка: середня-висока 7

Dynamic sounds but the album is too long.

Fun Record. Love Mr blue sky and pretty great sound / vocals

I remember once reading somewhere, completely out of pocket, that ELO is surprising super popular across US prisons. You have to order these clear plastic tapes in via a special magazine and yeah, they're huge apparently. I feel like I appreciate ELO more than I like them. There's little flashes of brilliance throughout the whole album, but it's a whole package that looks better than it tastes to me. It's a very impressive five-course Michelin-star meal and I'd still rather eat McDonalds. Some of the more experimental electronic sounds stand out at least (see: The Whale), amongst what is some very good but otherwise standard rock. Mr. Blue Sky hits crazy hard though. Fav tracks: Night In The City, Standin' In The Rain, Mr. Blue Sky, The Whale

This was a whole journey ... I might have to revisit to better appreciate.

Found a couple of new songs to add, and I can never be mad at my goat Mr Blue Sky😌

The instrumental pre-chorus of Across the Border 🤰 MR BLUE SKYYY. Its always unfortunate to listen to album a disgustingly famous song is on just for the rest of the album to be let down. This is definitely not the case for Out of the Blue. Plenty of other tracks on this album are even better.

Good but too long

Some good tracks but they easily could've shaved half an hour off this

Long, tellement long... Et surtout c'est peut être mes conditions d'écoute mais l'album sonne étrangement plat? En fait il y a tellement de choses qui blast à fond dans mes oreilles que le mix est presque saturé, et rares sont les morceaux ou j'arrive à disserner des éléments musicaux. Ca reste bien en vrai, mais pfiouuuu c'est presque trop stimulant

generally I liked ELO, but this album is too uninspired mush

Kind of all over the place -- obviously there are some neat things going on here, especially for 1977. Electric Light Orchestra is the perfect name for this band: synth-heavy, happy-go-lucky, and squeezing quirky instrumentation where it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. We could do a lot worse here. ELO gets a big, toothy, cheeseball grin and three pats on the head. Fave tracks: - Turn to Stone - It's Over - Sweet Talkin' Woman - Across the Border - Night in the City - Steppin' Out - Summer and Lightning - Mr. Blue Sky - Sweet Is the Night - The Whale

mr. blue sky is the best. the rest blends together, but it isn't bad at any point

listened previously

This isn't the ELO I want to hear.

Does what it says on the album. ELO are cheesy fun. Almost have to wear flairs to listen to it. Oh the 70s. The big three hits are great. The rest are like an electric sounding orchestra of light pop-rock. Came from nowhere, this album.

6.5/10 Favoritas: #1: Big Wheels (10/10) #2: Steppin' Out (9/10) #3: Starligth (7/10) No es un álbum que escucharía de nuevo. Pero sin duda estas 3 canciones son hermosas y no me arrepiento de haberlas conocido. Cada canción del álbum tenia algo hermosos e interesante. A pesar de que no todas gustaran o afueran de mi interés. El álbum en general te da de que hablar y analizar. Sin duda no es un álbum del montón.

Mr. blue sky가 이 사람 노래인줄 몰랐다. 전체적으로 신남. 다시 돌리지는 않을 듯. 3/17

bueno, pero no fue mi favorito

Good, very much Queen vibes. Mr Bluesky is not the best track on this definitely

3,5 -

Always found it a bit odd how well regarded ELO are off what seems to be one song. Never heard anything but Mr blue sky, which I've heard a million times. Thought the first song was really good and gave me hope it would stay the same level but it didn't really. Was a bit souly at times I thought and while it does generally have the blue sky sound after track 1 it doesn't really live up to it. I like the vocal harmonies and there was some enjoyable guitar work but it wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped. 3.5

Think I'm aware that this album is fairly highly regarded, don't think I've heard it before though..... It does feel "big", and I did enjoy it, but I wanted more. Mr blue sky is obviously petty iconic. I liked a few others too. Ultimately I don't think I'll be back. It was pretty good though 3.5

Wow ... this was unexpected but welcome. The other reviews are right that it's a long album, but it's interesting. I hear some things that suggest vocal cross-pollination with Freddie Mercury to me. Mr. Brightside is the only one I'd known before but overall it's a good listen even if it tends towards background music at points.

well executed but not my cup of tea

Très Queen. Pas négatif en soi. C’est ok

Mayyyybe a relisten here or there, but prob not

It sounds like the 70s I didn't mind listening to it. Nothing really stood out, though

Easy listening, sounds of the 70s. Nothing especially memorable, nothing especially offensive.

Helt ok, varte litt lenge og ikke av det mer spennende jeg har hørt av gammel rock. Men helt kurant mens jeg jobber.

It was pretty repetitive and I was thinking of rating it 2 stars but then Mr Blue Sky came on. That's a great song.

I like blue sky, as most do, but overall not my genre

just avg, mr blue sky is the best on this thing

another just ok entry -- I wouldn't turn it off, but I'm not putting it in my library either.

All those old songs when I was at school, ELO, Mr Blue Sky stand out song

Pretty cool album. Very anthemic and like grand you know. Definitely sounds like their band name. Turn To Stone and Jungle were my standouts. 6.4/10.

I bet this hit hard on speakers as tall as I am and a bitchin hi-fi

Is it normal to hate and love something, in equal proportion? Like I hate this style for how cheesy it is. But it’s so unapologetically cheesy, that I have to respect it. Also, it’s hard to hate on something that’s mostly jolly, earnest and naive.

The first half was dreadful. I have a low tolerance for maximalist pop. The second half is pretty good, as it mellows out a bit and minds its own business.

Favorite track(s): Turn to Stone, It's Over, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Big Wheels, Mr. Blue Sky

Queen, Steely Dan, Elton John, and then there was ELO. This album has some classic rock beauty in it, but also holds some tracks that made me glad it was done. Honestly, it was a mixed bag for me.

6,5. No és mi estilo. Algunas me recuerdan a Queen. La canción mítica mola mucho.

It’s pretty much what I expected from ELO. Each individual song is fine (and I like Mr Bluesky), but a whole, long, album of falsetto electro-wizardry is a bit much to take.

Like a millionaire shortbread, sandwiched in to a cream doughnut. And then Jeff said, “make it a foot long!!!!” It’s hard not to like it. But it is a lot. It really makes you appreciate the Beatles skill of knowing exactly when to stop.

Not baaad, rollete así chulo. Solo conocia mr bright sky y podria decir que alguna otra me ha gustado más, no se cual tho.

Feels like a more symphonic Beatles. Looong, suits when you really could listen to an album for the experience. Unfortunately it's something for background music for me these days.

Listened to this while leaving Aosta.

Couple hits but I wanted to like it more than i did

This was better than expected. Kind of reminds me of Journey or Boston.

A classic rock experience that feels right over home plate. ELO didn’t reach the heights that other classic rock bands did but the product was consistent and fun.

I love Mr. Blue Sky, and the rest of the album was good but didnt quite live up to that level. I could see this being played again for me but it's not an immediate return

Kind of crazy that the one example of this group on this list is this overblown double album! I like some of their songs and their approach to music but is there not a regular two sided album that’s worth putting on this list? This was a bit of a tough and tiring listen. Some of the blatant Beatles-ness was not that cool and the disco rock thing was a bit rough to take in. But I do enjoy some of this so I just can’t give them only two stars.

About a year ago, I made the mistake of taking out the ELO box set from the library. Put the music into iTunes, played some ELO in the car, trying to deep dive and find those hidden gems I love to find. Didn't work. I absolutely lost interest in ELO and realized they were really just a band with a few good songs and some staying power. This double album only reinforces that. Good songs here include Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, and Mr. Blue Sky. The rest? Meh. And Mr. Blue Sky is good but really overplayed right now. My 2 cents... Jeff Lynne would also go on to influence 2 other musical projects, Traveling Wilburys and Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever. Both great.

had some elements I really liked, but wasn't like a complete stand out album to me.

Decent classic rock. Space sounds were dated.

I don’t have to listen to tell you I loved this album…when I was 10 😁 Now, I have great nostalgia for the band, but this is not their best album. There are 17 songs on 2 discs, and 6 of them are absolute gems, the other 11, not so much. But those 6, man. Mr Blue Sky? Sweet Talkin' Woman? Turn to Stone? I still love those tunes.