Balance of Power [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

E.L.O. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 20, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000LE0TGK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,022 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Heaven Only Knows

2. So Serious

3. Getting to the Point

4. Secret Lives

5. Is It Alright

6. Sorrow About to Fall

7. Without Someone

8. Calling America

9. Endless Lies

10. Send It

11. Heaven Only Knows [Alternate Version][*]

12. In for the Kill [*]

13. Secret Lives [Alternate Take][*]

14. Sorrow About to Fall [Alternate][Alternate Take][*]

15. Caught in a Trap [*]

16. Destination Unknown [*]

Editorial Reviews

ELO's infectious hooks were tinged with melancholy on this 1986 Epic LP, their last one. They flirted with the Top 40 with this release, and the song Calling America gave Lynne and company another big hit (#18); here's the complete album plus unissued alternate mixes, B-sides and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where was this in 1986?!, March 1, 2007

By 

Steven C. Schalk (New Orleans, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Balance of Power (Audio CD)

I missed the ELO boat by a good 15 years or so, having been born in 1987, but I've been listening to Jeff & Co. forever since my father's a huge fan. I've always thought Balance of Power was the weakest album of the bunch (I did like just about everything from "Heaven Only Knows" through "Sorrow About to Fall." Not so much "Endless Lies" and "Send It.") but Sony's really managed to come through and give Balance of Power the shot of adrenaline it's needed the last 21 years.

The packaging itself would be enough for me to grab it[...]. Unlike the picture featured here with a faded, almost orange cover, the Jewel Case has a brilliant Tornado Red (akin to my former '98 VW Jetta) booklet with a plethora of archived goodness. The CD itself has a rather sharp looking blue theme that contrasts really well with the red case.

The original 10 tracks at last have the power befitting of ELO, albeit minus the strings. The bonus tracks are really what make this album a winner. "Opening"/"Heaven Only Knows (Alternate Take)" are up there as possibly one of the best 4 minutes of music Jeff's ever written. I can't imagine why this was dropped in favor of the 1986 cut of HOK (always liked it anyway). "In For the Kill" and "Caught in a Trap" sound fantastic, but could very easily be an alternate set of lyrics set to the same music; more or less the same sound but both great pieces in their own right. The alternate mixes of "Secret Lives" and "Sorrow About to Fall" absolutely top their 1986 counterparts, hands down. And finally there's a CD with "Destination Unknown" that isn't a bloody compilation album (even though we've got all of them anyhow).

This Remastered Edition brings it to the table then proceeds to liquefy your mind in the fantastic way only ELO can do and smokes a cigarette afterwards. It's worth every cent of the cover price. [...]

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Final ELO album before "Zoom", March 21, 2007

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Balance of Power (Audio CD)

Jeff Lynne had wanted to quit recording albums under the ELO name for some time. He felt that the formula for ELO was limiting his abilities as a songwriter/producer. He stepped forward with a fine final album. "Balance of Power" has a handful of terrific songs including the great "Calling America". This exapnded edition features alternate mixes of "Heaven Only Knows" with a introduction (put on as a separate track)that was missing from the final album and "Secret Lives"(an alternate take) that are better than the final released versions in my opinion. "Sorrow About to Fall" is an alternate mix of the album track.


We also get two sublime b-sides "Destination Unknown" and "Caught in a Trap". The songs were previous released on the first ELO boxed set but rightfully regain their place next to the stronger tracks on this next-to-last ELO album. When Lynne would return as ELO only Richard Tandy would play on "Zoom". Here the band is a trio of Lynne, long time drummer Bev Bevan (who also was a member of the Move with Lynne and the only member on every album by ELO except "Zoom")and long-time collaborator Richard Tandy playing keyboards and sythesizer strings. Lynne plays both guitar and bass.

Although the production and use of electronic drums date the album, they add a charm to the album. While this is far from my favorite ELO album, Lynne's best qualities as a songwriter--a strong sense of melody, creative arrangements and production touches dominate the album.

You can also hear the influence of Steve Winwood's "Arc of A Diver" and "Back in the High Life Again" with Richard Tandy playing a sythesizer with a similar sound to Winwood's on the popular singles from those albums.

I'd give "Balance of Power" 3 1/2 stars with the addition of the alternate mixes/versions and the inclusion of the two fine B-sides.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not one of the great ELO albums, August 25, 2007

By 

Rick Holly "Rick Holly" (Lafayette, NJ. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balance of Power (Audio CD)

I am glad that this CD is out. I remember how badly this album was slammed when it came out. I know in reading comments by Jeff Lynne over the years that this album was pretty much an "end the contract" type of album that he needed to do when he wanted to cease recording as ELO.It's not nearly as bad as the critics reviewed it at the time. While I wouldn't recommend it to someone as an introduction to ELO's catalogue, I think every ELO fan should have it.
I wonder about some of the ratings I see here. If this is a five star album, what is "ELDORADO","OUT OF THE BLUE" or "DISCOVERY". I would rate those ELO albums as five star albums. If those are five's, I can only give this album a three.