Out Of The Blue

I love every song. Even the fillers. Big Jeff's a legend

a gargatuan album that i'm shocked was not included in the original list...essential band. orchestral rock at it's finest.

As if Paul McCartney, pink Floyd and Elton John had a baby. Except it’s really ugly and came out upside down Not good.

Well _someone_ likes The Beatles, don't they?

This is like if the Beatles were around in the late 70s. I don't like the Beatles

i can’t even remember if i finished this tbh it really went on too long

I had a visceral negative reaction to this. There's something about expertly produced and brilliantly executed music that completely lacks personality or soul that makes me question whether I even like music. I don't generally agree with cliches like "punk killed prog" and "grunge killed hair metal" as I don't think music trends work like that in reality - people just need black-and-white narratives to make sense of all the mess. But if punk needed to murder something in Britain in 1977, it's whatever this album is.

Nearly reached the lofty heights of 2, but just wore on me towards the end. Sorry.

Lovely bit of prog from Brum.

This one I know very well. Some of my favorite ELO songs are on here. And there are some truly magical music on here. There is also a fair amount of indulgent stuff on here that seems tedious. This should have been a single album. Then it would have a been a five star album for me. Instead I have to give it four. Turn to Stone and Mr. Blue Sky are amazing. I always liked Standing in the Rain and The Whale has aged really well. The Jungle is really cool.

Best

Turn to Stone - 4.5/5 It's Over - 4/5 Sweet Talkin' Woman - 4/5 Across the Border - 4.5/5 Night in the City - 4/5 Starlight - 3.5/5 Jungle - 3.5/5 Believe Me Now - 3.5/5 Steppin' Out - 4/5 Standin' in the Rain - 4/5 Big Wheels - 4/5 Summer and Lightning - 4/5 Mr. Blue Sky - 5/5 Sweet Is the Night - 4/5 The Whale - 4/5 Birmingham Blues - 4/5 Wild West Hero - 4/5 If the Beatles had enough staying power to last into the late 70s, then they probably would have found the synthesizer and did whatever Jeff Lynne did here. It's a pretty fun album to go through, as I had only heard of Mr. Blue Sky like everyone else, and that's the clear standout despite the rest of the album also being pretty good. A double album might be pushing it, but luckily I didn't find the whole thing to be boring. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Mr. Blue Sky, Turn to Stone, Across the Border

The singles are classic but it does plod on a bit outside of them.

If this was 30% shorter it would be really goood

I had only heard Mr. Blue Sky before and I often think it's a Beatles song at the start. Great song! Oh wait is has an extra minute of instrumental at the end of it I hadn't noticed before. Banger. The rest of the album was good. Highlights: 1. Turn to Stone. Could be released today and be a hit. 3. Sweet Talkin' Woman 13. Mr. Blue Sky. Banger (see above) 15 The Whale. Trippy man All songs are quite listenable. Will mostly likely listen to this album again. Added to library.

What a fun fucking album. The obvious stand-out is Mr. Blue Sky, but there are so many other interesting songs here. Still, not perfect. It's a bit too long for my taste.

Some iconic songs. Seemed longer than necessary.

This is just great fun for me, lots of really engaging and uplifting songs that you'd have to be a fair curmudgeon to not enjoy. ELO have a bit of a halfway between ABBA and Queen vibe for me which granted is probably not the typical cup of tea for everyone but is surely enjoyable for most!

Wrong of me to think this would be an instrumental band. some pretty cool space jams, some were Bowie esque and very of its time which is enjoyable to listen to. starlight, mr. blue sky(had no idea they sang this!!)

Some lore: I was a Casey Neistat fan as a middle/high schooler. He had a song in one of his videos which was a remix of Telephone line by ELO. I was in my Pink Floyd era, so this resonated with me fr. This album is good. Has some bangers, has some duds but most importantly, it’s just got some average joe songs. Favs: Mr blue sky, it’s over, big wheels, sweet talkin woman

Album should have ended after Mr Blue Sky but I enjoyed so many parts of it

Exhausting. 70 minutes of swinging for the fences. some undeniable bangers, though.

It's fine got some hits but too long - sure the average rating here is 4 or above lol

10/10!

If Mr. Blue Sky doesn't bring a smile to your face, I think you'd have to be dead inside. Sort of prog-rock-lite, it's mostly bluesy rock and roll with added classical-isms. Lavish production and orchestration, and some deceptively complex Beatle-esque composition. Full of catchy hooks and lots of vocoders. Sounds a bit Alan Partridge / Jeremy Clarkson these days, but Sweet Talkin' Woman and Mr. Blue Sky are peak pop music, up there with the greatest.

pretty good

Well crafted and lovely

I’m surprised I liked this so much! Feel good music that blends a little yacht rock with psychedelic funk. Fun!

Look…this is a really good record, but it’s a double album and double albums always seem to fall into a self made trap of hubris. This as I said, is a really good double album, which could have been an immaculate single album. Nothing struck me as bad, but even high quality catchy filler, is still filler. Jeff Lynne is a genius and this showcases that expertly.

Although sensational and powerful, just not for me

This music brings nostalgia vibes...

Too fucking much tbh. It’s pretty brilliant in spots but there is too much of it. I was exhausted already by the time “Mr Blue Sky” rolled around. Honestly, just listen to that song. You’ll get the gist.

This is tough one for me. Truly a landmark album, and ELO deserves its fame and accomplishments. But I just can't stand the double tracking of Jeff's vocals, especially the high octave backing vocals. Plus the string orchestration hasn't stood the test of time. Mr. Blue Sky might be the most annoying song ever.

my father loved the band. fav song: last train to london. did not listen to this. gonna catch back

Herrefred her var det mye bangers! Dette var helt enormt. Hadde kun hørt "Mr. Blue Sky" fra tidligere, så dette kom som et deilig overraskelsesmoment. Også overraskende bra løpemusikk, overraskende om ikke Sondre også gir en høy karakter her.

Er jo noen bangere fra disse. Ventet derfor på slagerne som skulle komme på rekke og rad ut av det blå her. Dessverre mye mid syns jeg. "Mr. Blue sky" er et lyspunkt på himmelen, men han hadde trengte en "Ms. Blue sky" også :(

Sterk firer her. Gøy album.

Liker dette. Mr. Blue Sky er konge. For meg er dette klink 4

Bra musikk!

Big fan of ELO and Jeff Lynne. This album is great, however it would be better if it were like 30 minutes shorter. Feels bloated. Still love the music… just felt like “come on, end already.”

Beautiful

Love the who. I never actually listened to this before, I'm glad I now have.

Pretty good

I’ve become weirdly obsessed with this one. The baroque, lushly arranged orchestral pop is second only to the Beach Boys in its richness but it’s also more expansive and theatrical. So much modern music I love clearly comes from this tradition, which is itself a sort of remix of 60s/70s pop rock sounds into something grander.

Reminds me of me da, he loved ELO. This isn't what I normally go for but it hit me in the right mood at the right time! It's inconsistent and kinda strange in places but it just worked for me today

Did not enjoy. I don't like what this record is trying to do, I find it grating.

Good pop album.

this was a really long ride

where are we? space? the jungle?

This album reminded me that I'm picky about vocals. Backgrounded the entire thing, though, so it wasn't terrible.

It's got great songs and strong concepts throughout the whole album. The genius is undeniable.

Happy pop/rock!

Now That's What I Call Music

Track By Track Turn To Stone - I first became aware of this when I happened upon the second season of Josh Turner’s (& Kelly’s), project ‘Among Friends’, where in the first episode did a fantastic acoustic cover of this. It’s such a fun song and I loved it pretty much instantly. Liking the airplane swooshing/swooping noise on this original and the driving bass, drums and synths. Awesome chorus. Great, great song. Ends similarly to A Day In The Life. Can hear the Beatles influence already! It’s Over - Starting with almost teasing that orchestral but of Mr. Blue Sky I know so well. This is a nice number, keeping with the maximalist theme. Nice harmonies. Sweet Talkin’ Woman - The intro here reminds me of Bach or something, but modernised with the synthesisers (think that Wendy Carlos album). It’s a great mix and very ELO. Song isn’t a big stand out but great moments still in it (like the break towards the end) and good solid pop. Across the Border - Great tune. So much drama and flair in this music. Orchestrally and chord changes-wise. Lots of fun this one! Night in the City - Very night ambience in the beginning. Big chords, almost like this could be part of a musical. Nice structure, goes to a lot of places. Satisfying to the ears, as a lot of this is. Starlight - This is a cool change of pace. I do like these kinds of songs - can’t think what they’re called now! Just grooving along with those chord changes, love it! It’s part of a canon of these slower numbers. I’m here for it! Jungle - Ambience again for the opening. Sensing a theme here! Great opening chords. Into it. Good use of percussion and general ambient jungly sounds. Believe Me Now - A slower one, almost an interlude-type one. Like orchestral, stadium-adjacent. Steppin’ Out - It’s like an end credits or pensive bit in a movie. I recognise the chorus actually. Felt quite poignant as I’m moving house soon and it’s also like a transition song. Standin’ in the Rain - This is also a transition track, very musical-ly! Gloriously lush strings and synths. Reminds me a bit of the pomp of Queen. Big Wheels - Great segue from the previous track. A lovely ballad. Leaning into that electric orchestral stuff (aha that’s why they’re called that!!). Very epic. Summer and Lightning - Great, as well. These are a strong run of songs. Feeling nice and cheerful when listening to this. Proper ‘70s synths happening in the background. Synth bass break in the second half is killer! Great tune. Mr. Blue Sky - Wow. I just had a massive smile on my face the whole time. What a classic. No notes, really. I always found that but after the main song to be strange but now it makes sense in the context of the album. So much fun. Absolute tune. Also finishes with ‘please turn me over’. Never knew that. Think that’s referring to the record but not sure. Sweet Is The Night - Approaching the end of the album now. It’s got a bit of an outro feel. Really into the vibe by this point. Swaying. The Whale - Futuristic (& space) vibes for sure. I could imagine the cover photo’s ship docking to this. Great swells and swirls from all of the instruments. Another interlude of sorts. Birmingham Blues - It’s a little bit T-Rex, but glam-ified and crosses with McCartney/The Beatles. Quite decent. Wild West Hero - A great closer to this rather epic album. From the honky-tonk beginning and bluesy middle to the orchestral, musical vibe of the rest of it, it fits the theme very well. Overall Review: Space opera! Particularly get the vibes from the album cover. Not really space, but there is that feel throughout - those lush epic strings and synths and electric vocal effects. I listened to this in the afternoon with sun coming in through the windows. A great setting for it. Really great, feel-good stuff. Open, epic, spacious, fun. I haven’t heard their other stuff but this is stellar, even though I may not return to every song. A quality record in this genre. 4.3/5 Favourite Songs: Turn To Stone, Starlight, Big Wheels, Summer and Lightning, Mr. Blue Sky

A consistently fun and grande experience kept me engaged for the entire length despite how long it is. Aside from a couple questionable songs this was a very enjoyable time.

It's okay. I liked the overall vibe and sound, though they do sound like every band in the 70's. A little derivative. Also, it's kind of got one speed and it's very long

It was fine. A little better than fine.

This was a stellar album, nearly every song was immensely enjoyable and fun and it had so many different flavors during its expansive run time. It also contains nearly every one of the bands most earwormy songs in my opinion. This was a super entertaining album.

Glorious Neon-soaked Outer Space Xanadu Melodies and Drive-In Restaurant Musical arrangements

I've always seen ELO categorizes as a pop band, but I think it's hard to dispute the strong rock and roll roots of the music. Jeff Lynne is a musical genius, and this is one of his best works. I was a huge fan of ELO as a child, and unlike some of the music I listened to in those days (cough..cough...KISS...cough...cough), ELO holds up and I enjoy listening to it today as much as I did back then.

Add to collection

guardians of the galaxy i dedicate this one to you

Good? But goes back & forth between epic & corny. Eventually wears out its welcome.

Very fun

Surprenant j’ai bien aimé le mélange de rock avec des instruments d’orchestre à l’origine classique

good

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.

Fun album, lots to listen to as it is very long. With that, so much of it felt like it blended together. Didn't leave me with any songs that I was specifically attached to. I'd be happy to listen again, but I don't see myself looking through a playlist to find any of these songs. Fave: Wild West Hero Rating: 7.0/10

Here is an album which is in our collection. It’s been a while since I listened to it in its entirety (40 yrs?). Listening to it now I’m hearing some similarities to the Beatles (Jeff Lynne stated he was influenced by them). It’s a double album so there is a lot of variety in the tracks. The concept of overlaying the rock music onto orchestral background is great.

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)

The Queen before the Queen

Number: 279 Familiarity: Extremely (5) Rating: 4 Before: ======= Oh wow, another potential 5. I had this album in high school and listened to it a lot back then. I don't think every single song will be a 5 like yesterday's selection (Violent Femmes), but overall there is a decent chance I'll rate it a 5, but looking over the track list I think a 4 is more likely. Let's find out. After : ======= So, not a 5 but it is a solid 4 for me. I had 4 @ 5, 7 @ 5, and 4 @ 3. It's a bit long. If one were to remove the lower ranked songs and make it a standard 40 minute album, it would be nearly a 5 for me.

305. ok

Mr Blue Sky will forever be a 10/10

downright joyful music. instant bad mood lifter. 4/5.

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.

3.5/5 but I’d round up to four. It’s a bit cheesy me but it’s still fun. It’s absolutely soaked in the ol Jeff Lynne production and you have to like that to appreciate this album. The songs are all good, performances are memorable, but it’s not a favorite of mine.

Classic—-like Sunshine in a bottle. Their sound is so original and mixed and produced extremely well. Jeff Lynne’s voice is the stamp; defines them. Genius writing, catchy and fun.

Fun. Upbeat

buen ritmo

forever associated with baby groot

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

Quite surprised this came out in the 70s. Must have been groundbreaking. Sadly today I am not as moved by this as those before me.

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

jungle and universe at the same time, feel like back in 80s, wtf

Feels good man

Opgewekt begin van de week

Echt heeel leuk en afwisselend

Love this album!

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.

Love this album, I had it back in my school days a long time ago now🥹

Yllättävä levy. Semmosta helppoa kuunneltavaa jossa oli progeilua mukana. Jäi hyvä maku.

Suhteellisen perus seisari progerokkia/-poppia, mutta oikein hyvää sellaista kuitenki. Samantapaseen kategoriaan ku muutki vastaavat, mielellään kuunteli, saattaa mennä lisäkuunteluun/katselmointiin mitä muuta löytyy ELOlta tarjota.

Very fun

Its like, really good

Ehh

Pretty good