Electric Light Orchestra Elo II CD

Electric Light Orchestra: Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, Moog synthesizer); Richard Tandy (guitar, piano, Moog synthesizer); Wilf Gibson (violin); Mike Edwards, Colin Walker (cello); Mike Alberquerque (bass); Bev Bevan (drums).
Recorded at AIR Studios, London, England.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Full performer name: Electric Light Orchestra Part II.
Electric Light Orchetra Part II: Pete Haycock (vocals, guitar, bass); Eric Troyer (vocals, keyboards); Neil Lockwood (vocals); Bev Bevan (drums, percussion, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Mik Kaminski (violin).
Recorded at The Mill Studios, Cookham, England; Angel Studios, London, England; Rich Bitch Studios, Birmingham, England; Fanfare Studios, Golden, Colorado; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California.
Electric Light Orchestra: Bev Bevan, Mik Kaminski, Louis Clark, Kelly Groucutt, Eric Troyer, Phil Bates.
Electric Light Orchestra/Electric Light Orchestra, Part II: Wilfrid Wilson Gibson (violin); Richard Tandy (Moog synthesizer); Michael d'Albuquerque (bass guitar); Colin Walker, Jeff Lynne, Mike Edwards , Roy Wood, Bev Bevan.
Personnel: Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, harmonium); Richard Tandy (guitar, piano, harmonium); Wilfred Gibson (violin); Colin Walker, Mike Edwards , Roy Wood (cello); Bev Bevan (drums, percussion).
Liner Note Author: Jeff Lynne.
Recording information: Air Studios, London, England (05/1972-10/1972); Philips Studios (05/1972-10/1972).
Cut during the fall of 1972, Electric Light Orchestra II was where Jeff Lynne started rebuilding the sound of Electric Light Orchestra following the departure of Roy Wood from the original lineup. It was as personal an effort as Lynne had ever made in music, showcasing his work as singer, songwriter, guitarist, sometime synthesizer player, and producer, and it is more focused than its predecessor but also retains some of the earlier album's lean textures. Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan, bassist Mike D'Albuquerque, and keyboardist Richard Tandy comprise the core of the band, with two cellists and a violinist sawing away around them. There were holes in their sound that made the group seem somewhat ragged, as on the pounding "In Old England Town (Boogie #2)"; Lynne's singing would also have to develop, and some of the material also showed the need of an editor. On the other hand, "From the Sun to the World (Boogie #1)" was a succinct progressive rock workout, and "Kuiama" was a decent showcase for the different sides of the group that worked about as well as any 11-minute progressive rock track of the period. But the very fact that the group's cover of "Roll Over Beethoven" was the hit off of this album also showed how far Lynne had to go as a songwriter -- there's nothing else here one-half as good as that as a song, and the fact that the band attacked it like a buzzsaw made it one of the most bracing pieces of progressive rock to make the charts. As a patchwork job, the album holds up well, and it and the single did go a long way toward getting them the beginnings of an audience in America. ~ Bruce Eder
Electric Light Orchestra without Jeff Lynne likens unto a day without sunshine. But this even-more-anonymous ensemble injects so much calculated charisma into the popcorn here that all is forgiven. Behind these replicated string flourishes and fey-Beatlisms remains sturdy songcraft. Getting past the fact that this disc spouts third-generation fluff and depending on how you take to mimicry or cover bands, "Honest Men," "Every Night," and "Heart of Hearts" imitate the band's glory daze to the point of enjoyability. Out of the blue, ELO II even takes a crack at "Kiss Me Red," a roguish non-hit composed by the authors of "Like a Virgin" that Cheap Trick attempted on the wire-crossing Doctor. So, one knows what to expect from this bubblegum machine: not "Sweet Talking Woman" nor "Confusion" or "Twilight," but a decent fabrication of a begone fab era. And while lynchpin Lynne pursuesEntertainment Weekly (8/9/91) - "..a highly enjoyable record..." - Rating: B
Mojo (Publisher) (10/99, p.128) - "...[Jeff] Lynne opted to make the band more cod-orchestral and proto-prog, but it remained rough-arsed stuff, with rather dank and cramped arrangements....there's plenty of charm and exuberance in these 5 ambitious tracks..."