Electric Light Orchestra A New World Record - Expanded Edition CD

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 Sci fi rock
I cannot say enough good things about this album. Without any shadow of a doubt, Jeff Lynne was a visionary and this album was to mark the first of his 'flying saucer albums'. The first track begins with the sounds of a starship opening; it just sends the listener's imagination on a journey! "A New World Record" can boast the perfect mix of rock instruments with orchestral ensemble, and the vocal arrangements (together with full choir) make this album a tour de force that cannot be matched in scope by any other artiste. What Jeff Lynne has done is mixed rock, orchestra, baroque and elements of science fiction together - and he's done so without the album sounding overcrowded, mixed-up or confused. Instead, "A New world Record" has classic hits such as "Telephone line" and "Living thing" (which are still popular today, 32 years later), and there's also great rock n roll (check out "Rockaria!" and Do ya"; the latter was covered by rocker Ace Frehely of Kiss, but even he couldn't do it as well as Jeff Lynne and co). Added to this are Lynne's masterful lyrics; the man was more of a poet than Bob Dylan! On "Mission (A world record)", Lynne provides a poignant observation of the human condition from the perspective of an alien visitation to Earth and sings: “There's a building on a corner, in a city, in a land, On a place they call the planet Earth, My orders are to sit here and watch the world go by, From the mission of the sacred heart. Watching all the days roll by. Who are you and who am I?” Fantastic stuff! And then the album closes with "Shangri-la", which is possibly one of the most tender songs ever written, with an ending that sends shivers down one's spine (the band fade out and then fade back in again with the orchestra whirling around in an omniscient cadence, accompanied by haunting choral arrangements and tear-jerking lyrics). All in all this really is a phenomenal album, absolutely phenomenal!!!
Submitted by James Richardson (Elizabeth, South Australia)
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