Customer Reviews

Moment Of Truth

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I think that the true ELO lies somewhere between the new Jeff Lynne ELO's `Zoom'and ELO part 2's `Moment Of Truth'. Those of you that think that all of ELO is nothing but Jeff Lynne please hear me out. It is true that Jeff Lynne is ELO. It is also true that former ELO members Bev Bevan, Kelly Groucutt and Mik Kaminski are also ELO. Jeff Lynne may be the songwriter and producer of all the classic ELO songs, and he may be more of the spirit of ELO at times, but the songs on `Zoom' seem to be missing something musically that was always present on previous ELO releases, and that is big production and incredible musicianship of all involved in the recording. Since Jeff plays nearly everything on `Zoom' it tends to sound one-sided from time to time. Jeff's musicianship is outstanding, but he is no master of every instrument that he plays. Don't get me wrong, `Zoom' is a great CD, but so is `Moment Of Truth'. If you are able to put both CD's in your player and play them on shuffle mode, or better yet, take the time to methodically mix them together, you will find that you have one hell of an ELO recording. The musicianship and orchestration on `Moment Of Truth' is absolutely incredible. It's better than the first ELO part 2 CD and the songs themselves are fantastic. Old ELO fans must get over the fact that it is not Jeff Lynne's voice on the ELO part 2 songs, as vocals for most fans have historically been most band's biggest defining factor. On `Zoom', it is easier to imagine that you are listening to more of a genuine ELO release because of Jeff's incredible vocals and outstanding songwriting, but it the lacks hugeness and overall power of ELO with all members present. In all fairness, `Zoom' doesn't seem that it was ever intended to sound like old ELO, because it sounds quite a bit stripped down musically. In fact, it sounds quite a bit like Jeff's outstanding `Armchair Theatre' in many ways, and not too many ELO fans consider that to be an ELO release. I highly recommend both `Zoom' and `Moment Of Truth' to all of you fans of ELO, old and new. I think you'll find them both together to be the true continuation of our much loved ELO.

As a long time ELO fan, I thought this cd certainly possessed the novel ELO sound even without Jeff. The orchetral movements are outstanding and the best from ANY prior ELO output. The songs range in style and content, and at one point I thought I was listening to Lynard Skynard singing about a "whiskey woman." There are a number of tracks that are solid ELO reminescent of the Out of The Blue era. No regrets in the purchase. All said, it does not match the creativity and soulful brilliance of "A New World Record."

I wasn't sure what this group would sound like without Jeff Lynne, but I'm glad I took the chance. This album sounds a lot like the original ELO a la "Face the Music" and "Out of the Blue." When I heard 'Don't Wanna' I could have sworn Lynne was still writing for them. The orchestral arrangements are melodic and beautiful, the songs blend rock and classical with intelligent lyrics, and the whole thing is satisfying to listen to. Definitely recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album as there are some really excellent moments on this disc. Plenty of variety with both Eric Troyer and Phil Bates contributing some great songs. 'Power Of A Million Lights' may sound similar to 'Tears For Fears' in the chorus and like Lionel Ritchie in the opening few bars -- but hey!, all bands have a penchant for 'borrowing' a little from here and there -- Jeff Lynne was no exception. 'Whiskey Girls' is a superb rocking tune with a nice change for the chorus -- very catchy. 'The Fox' by Kelly Groucutt is a nice addition to the album and definetly warrants inclusion. Some nice orchestal tracks with Sir Lou Clark help ELO Part Two revive some of their orchestral roots. Probably the best song on the album has to be 'One More Tommorrow' by Phil Bates,Bev Bevan and Mik Kaminski. If ELO Part 2 release a greatest hits disc then this song will almost certainly take centre stage - a masterpiece. 'So Glad You Said Goodbye' has a really good chorus with a nice Counter-melody - another brilliant song.

Don't expect the orginial ELO vibe to be present as you will be disapointed, instead, enjoy this new version of ELO at their best. Buy It Tommorrow!

I WAS AFRAID TO PURCHASE THIS C.D. BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THAT ANYTHING COULD COMPARE TO THE SOUND OF THE ORIGINAL E.L.O., BUT I TOOK A CHANCE ON THIS ONE. WHAT A SURPRISE! EVEN THOUGH JEFF LYNNE'S VOCALS ARE GONE, THIS GROUP SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE THE EARLY E.L.O. WHEN THEY WERE HEAVY INTO ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS. THE MUSIC IS JUST SO ENJOYABLE TO LISTEN TO. AFTER ELDORADO, THIS IS MY MOST LISTENED TO C.D. THIS C.D. IS A MUST FOR ANY E.L.O. FANS.

MOMENT OF TRUTH is an improvement over ELO Part Two's first CD, and it contains several outstanding tracks. The personnel here make a stronger case for this project being associated with The Electric Light Orchestra, though, sadly, anything without Jeff Lynne is just not ELO. The orchestral interludes included are a nice thread, and reminiscent of the ELO classic ELDORADO. Sir Louis Clark's involvement, as well as that of Kelly Groucutt and Mik Kaminski and Bev Bevan help to beef up the sound and the quality here. Eric Troyer proves himself a fine tunesmith and vocalist, and Phil Bates provides a suitably rough "rawk" element. Things kick off strong with the "Overture" and into the first single, "Breakin' Down the Walls," which has an excellent cascading chorus. Troyer's "Power of a Million Lights" would have fit in nicely on any of the classic mid-period ELO albums with a great melody and spine-tingling arrangement. "One More Tomorrow" is a lovely, big ballad that hits all the high notes. So far, so good. However, "Don't Wanna" is a slight step down, a rather trite rocker followed by the less-than-memorable "Voices." Groucutt presents a lovely tale with "The Fox," a fine narrative of high drama that again recalls ELDORADO. Another strong cut is "Love or Money," a gutsy ballad. I really love "Blue Violin," but wish it were fleshed out into a full song; instead, it slips by all too quickly. Sadly, the band takes a major stumble with the utterly stupid "Whiskey Girls," which trots out an amazing number of bad rock n' roll cliches, lyrically and musically. Groucutt comes to the rescue with "Twist of the Knife," a melodic mid-tempo piece and the band ramps up the energy for "So Glad You Said Goodbye," which is not remarkable, but is at least passable. Overall, this could have been a much stronger CD had "Whiskey Girls" been axed and "Blue Violin" expanded. As it stands, there is a lot to like about it and I suppose I would actually give it 3.5 stars. Just be prepared to skip a couple of cuts.

I have been a fan of ELO for a long time. When i saw Moment of Truth on the shelf I was curious so i picked it up. After a couple listens, it easily grew to become one of my favorite CD's of all time. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I saw ELO part II live in concert on three separate occasions before they stopped touring.

While Jeff Lynne is not a part of this compilation or ELO Part II, the albumn stands on it's own with songs like Breaking Down the Walls, and Power of a Million Lights the latter of which is very reminiscent of some of the better harmonized tunes of the ELO of the 70's.

Eric Troyer really proves himself in this particular CD, and if you even remotely like Moment of Truth then I would recommend you make your way to... and pick up a copy of the lastest endeavor by "The Orchestra - ELO II" entitled "No Rewind". Eric Troyer's song writing capability has achieved new ground in No Rewind, and many of the tracks are heavily laden with Mik Kaminski's violin talents. While I give Moment of Truth a 5-Star rating and deservedly so, the new compilation for 2002, No Rewind, gets a 6.

Peace

this is everybit as good as any elo album. Obviously Jeff Lynn's great song writing has rubbed off on Bevan and co. I only liked 2 songs really well on the previous album ELO pt II (honest men and for the love of a women) and 2 more were very good and the rest were mediacore. But on this, their second album there is really only one song I don't like, there are 5 awsome standouts and the rest are very good.

I would rank this album about 4th overall ELO and ELO related albums after 'Out of the blue', 'Zoom' and 'Earthrise' - Tandy & Morgan.

The first ELO Part 2 album was more of an assortment of hits and misses than an album. Well, none of the songs were "hits" in the sense of making the top 100, but the album spawned a number of fan favorites, and in the end it didn't matter that critics and the record buying public never caught on to it. Some of the songs may have been pure filler, but then not every song Jeff Lynne ever wrote for ELO was a masterpiece.

Ironically, "Moment of Truth" is more cohesive even while the songs vary stylistically. There is a definite flow to this album, which is remarkable considering there were at least 5 different songwriters. I for one am happy that the band took a chance by taking the group in a new direction, but there are those who would have rather seen them stick to writing Lynne soundalike songs.

I would have to agree with a previous reviewer that the orchestral interludes may be one of the highlights, even if that wasn't the band's intention. "Breakin' Down the Walls" & "One More Tomorrow", both written by Phil Bates, are solid and enduring, while Kelly Groucutt's "The Fox" is a stunning departure from the usual ELO thematic fare. Groucutt also penned "Twist of the Knife", a nice enough tune, but it may leave some wondering what it's doing here. On the down side, Eric Troyer, having written top notch songs for the first album, disappoints here. His "Power of a Million Lights" is acceptable, if somewhat bland, but "Don't Wanna" has him trying to come across as a hard rocker, something his voice isn't suited for. By and large the rest of the songs aren't bad, they're just not all that memorable.

Whatever you do, please don't judge this band solely by their studio albums. Their live shows breathed new life into Lynne's classic songs long after his original recordings wore themselves out on the airwaves. If you can't find any bootlegs, 1995's "One Night" Double CD set is fairly representative, even though there was some editing/overdubbing done. ELO Part 2 live was not to be missed, and be sure to catch Orchestra (which is just the same band minus founder Bev Bevan) if they ever come to your area.

If you can think of the relationship betwwen Jeff Lynne and ELO this way, the rest of what follows may make more sense: one is a creative genius, the other is an instrument he used so effectively and for so long that it's difficult ever afterward to separate them in our thinking.

But try! Listen to this album, and DON'T think Jeff Lynne. Listen for the instrument itself, not the player...because, apart from Lynne and Richard Tandy, this instrument is the core of the classic ELO lineup. It is a revelation to hear the band separately and independently, and to understand for the first time how essential their contribution was to the classic ELO sound.

Louis Clark leads off Moments with an orchestral overture. While Tandy and Lynne certainly contributed harmonic and rythmic ideas to the old ELO orchestrations, it was clearly Clark's understanding of the timbre of the string instruments (up there with Tchaikovsky and Bartok, in my opinion) that melded the band and orchestra into parts of the same unit. He exercises that same skill throughout this album, both backing up individual songs and providing three instrumental interludes within the CD plus an "Underture" to close it.

The first vocal, "Breakin' Down the Walls," is every bit ELO in sound and yet owes nothing to Jeff Lynne in theme or execution. (Some think Phil Bates may have borrowed a bit from Tear for Fears, but I believe it may actually have been the same source they tended to borrow from. If anything, think Beatles here.)

On "Power of a Million Lights," you can be forgiven for thinking of Jeff a little. This one does seem to have been more consciously intended as a 'real' ELO song, which naturally invites comparison. From that point of view, it doesn't quite match up to the glory days--but if you can avoid thinking Jeff, it's a lot stronger song than some have given it credit for.

One of the best songs on the album is "The Fox." Who knew Kelly Groucutt had such a fine example of art rock in him? There's a certain risk involved in something like this; it could have come out maudlin or strained. But the band plunges right in with an earnestness that really does the song justice!

"Blue Violin" is a pleasant Groucutt and Mik Kaminski collaboration, though on much of the album Kaminski's chosen violin doesn't lend itself to the kind of fireworks one normally expects. Still, it was great to hear him again.

The only songs on the album I really didn't care for are "Don't Wanna," which is just too heavy-metallish to fit in, and "So Glad You Said Goodbye," which tries too hard to make its point. I'm still undecided on "Whiskey Girls" and "Twist of the Knife," but am trying to keep an open mind.

Even my least favorite songs still have two things going for them: impeccable playing, and the powerful harmonies of the backing vocals. The latter is a generally under-appreciated quality of the classic ELO sound. On this album, the backing vocals really come to the fore in many of the choruses. Think of the ensemble singing of Kansas, Yes, and the Beach Boys a capella, combined. That amazing set of voices in the background truly made a lot of the classic songs come alive, and they do so here as well.

Technically speaking, I wish their producer had understood the value of dynamic range in the orchestral parts better. Management-ly speaking, I wish their record company had bothered to promote the group better. (After the bad taste the first album left me with, I wasn't paying attention and missed out on ELO Pt. II at their probable peak. Wish I could have heard them live with Bev Bevan still at the drum kit.)

And from the Department of Wish Fulfillment Dreams, I just can't help but wonder what this same lineup would sound like with Roy Wood's voice in the lead. Oh well...can't have everything.