Customer Reviews

No Answer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thus began ELO...a vision...two Birmingham, England buddies, Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, wanted to "pick up where the Beatles left off on 'Strawberry Fields' and 'I Am the Walrus.'" Roy was the leader of the amazingly popular band, The Move, while Jeff was the leader of an up-and-coming group called Idle Race. When personnel problems created an opening in The Move, Roy invited Jeff to join he and drummer Bev Bevan. Jeff consented, provided that he and Roy could work on their side "orchestra rock" project. In 1971, the Electric Light Orchestra was birthed out of The Move with a lumbering single called "10538 Overture," which quickly ascended the charts in England. Little did they know then that the accompanying album, NO ANSWER, would be the herald of one of rock and roll's most enduring success stories. "10538" is essentially a Move single, and as such is wonderfully quirky, melodic, and somewhat disturbing. "Look At Me Now" is a very nice Roy Wood ballad, with an interesting arrangement and instrumental curios. "Nellie Takes Her Bow" sounds like Jeff Lynne gone vaudeville, and is very effective, though overly long. The martial instrumental break might have fit better in the following cut..."The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644). The "Battle" cut earns ELO points for trying, but is not, at the end of the day, extraordinarily listenable. Wood's "1st Movement" on the other hand, is a wonderful pastiche of guitar and string quartet, not unlike "Classical Gas." "Mr. Radio" is very evocative and well-written, and highlights Jeff's great talent for pathos, even at an early age. It's perhaps the closest thing to the later ELO sound on this album. "Manhattan Rumble (49th St. Massacre)" is a fine Jeff Lynne piano instrumental that indeed rumbles along like some eerie 1930s mob film. "Queen of the Hours" is another nice Lynne ballad, thrown a bit by the jarring string intro, though it does remind one of the Beatles circa 1968. "Whisper in the Night" is sweet and stirring. Basically, it's Roy, a guitar, and a few strings, and a prayer. It's a nice benediction for this album. I would love to start a campaign for Roy and Jeff to do more work together. Until then, I'll give this CD and all of my Move stuff some more spins. If you're expecting the polished power pop of A NEW WORLD RECORD or OUT OF THE BLUE, you'll be surprised and maybe disappointed. But, if you approach this CD with an open mind, and a little patience, you'll find it to be ultimately a richly rewarding experience.

This is one of those records that has a sound all its own. I've never heard anything else that really sounds like this. It's probably mostly due to Roy Wood's cello playing which is, well.....interesting. The album was recorded at about the same time as the Move's last LP MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY, and certainly some songs from this project could have ended up on that album, especially "10,538 Overture" and "Look at Me Now" (both great), and vice-versa. The best tracks are the aforementioned "Overture" and "Look.." as well as Jeff Lynne's "Queen of the Hours" and "Mr. Radio" and Wood's "First Movement" (a "Classical Gas" sound-alike but still great) and "Whiper in the Night."

This is a definite must-have for MOVE fans, but only the most ardent ELO fanse are likely to fully appreciate it.

After all these years, this is STILL one of the strangest albums I've ever heard. ELO's debut was actually the 3rd collaboration between Move leader Roy Wood and Idle Race frontman Jeff Lynne, and with the possible exception of LOOKING ON (their first) may be the most bizarre-sounding ELO ever got. Until I'd heard everything Wood & Lynne had done before it (and the "evolution" of the music styles) I couldn't imagine where it had "come from". Lots to get into here! "10538 Overture" is the closest they came to living up to their ambition to "pick up where 'I Am The Walrus' left off". "Look At Me Now" seems a tribute to "Eleanor Rigby" while "Nellie Takes Her Bow" is a complex piece combining ballet with a durge-like excerpt of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". British history gets a look-into with "The Battle Of Marston Moor" (nobody ever SAID music couldn't be educational!). And notoriously, "First Movement (Jumpin' Biz)", one of my faves, borrows the sound & style of Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" while tacking on a MUCH better melody! With so much wild experimentation going on, Lynne's "Queen Of the Hours" and Wood's gentle "Whisper In The Night" sound almost "normal" by comparison. Hard to believe these are the same 3 guys (with drummer Bev Bevan) who 6 months later did "California Man" and "Do Ya" before going their separate ways!

It began as a vision...two Birmingham, England buddies, Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, wanted to "pick up where the Beatles left off on 'Strawberry Fields' and 'I Am the Walrus.'" Roy was the leader of the amazingly popular band, The Move, while Jeff was the leader of an up-and-coming group called Idle Race. When personnel problems created an opening in The Move, Roy invited Jeff to join he and drummer Bev Bevan. Jeff consented, provided that he and Roy could work on their side "orchestra rock" project. In 1971, the Electric Light Orchestra was birthed out of The Move with a lumbering single called "10538 Overture," which quickly ascended the charts in England. Little did they know then that the accompanying album, NO ANSWER, would be the herald of one of rock and roll's most enduring success stories. "10538" is essentially a Move single, and as such is wonderfully quirky, melodic, and somewhat disturbing. "Look At Me Now" is a very nice Roy Wood ballad, with an interesting arrangement and instrumental curios. "Nellie Takes Her Bow" sounds like Jeff Lynne gone vaudeville, and is very effective, though overly long. The martial instrumental break might have fit better in the following cut..."The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644). The "Battle" cut earns ELO points for trying, but is not, at the end of the day, extraordinarily listenable. Wood's "1st Movement" on the other hand, is a wonderful pastiche of guitar and string quartet, not unlike "Classical Gas." "Mr. Radio" is very evocative and well-written, and highlights Jeff's great talent for pathos, even at an early age. It's perhaps the closest thing to the later ELO sound on this album. "Manhattan Rumble (49th St. Massacre)" is a fine Jeff Lynne piano instrumental that indeed rumbles along like some eerie 1930s mob film. "Queen of the Hours" is another nice Lynne ballad, thrown a bit by the jarring string intro, though it does remind one of the Beatles circa 1968. "Whisper in the Night" is sweet and stirring. Basically, it's Roy, a guitar, and a few strings, and a prayer. It's a nice benediction for this album. I would love to start a campaign for Roy and Jeff to do more work together. Until then, I'll give this CD and all of my Move stuff some more spins.

this is a fine beginning. who would have guessed that e.l.o would eventually become one of the world's biggest groups? the battle of marston moor is frightfully pretentious and wholly alien to the rest of the unpretentious wood's repertoire.it is the only real blight on this solid disc.lynne's tracks are very beatles influenced and quite impressive, if not up to the standard of his excellent pre-move band the idle race.wood's look at me now and whisper in the night are very somber , whisper in the night in particular is a beautifully sad hymn. bev bevan is in fine form as always, especially on lynne's fine track entitled nellie takes her bow. 10538 overture flat out rocks and is an excellent beatles like number that is probably the heaviest thing on the album: great guitar on the cut, and some great cello from wood and french horn as well. queen of the hours features strong vocals from lynne.the instrumentals are also superb, manhattan rumble is an excellent track that sounds like something out of a thirties gangster flick. overall this is a very impressive fusion of classical music with early 70's rock , too bad lynne and wood didn't stick together. i guess there was too much talent in the band.

In many ways, this is my favorite ELO album. I don't consider it the BEST, mind you, but I do love the risky, experimental nature of it. For instance, "10538 Overture" really connects, despite it's lumbering, at points out of time, rumbling rhythm. The rough strings and horns highlight a great melody and compelling story. Other great songs here include the lovely lilt of "Mr. Radio," the urgency of "Look at Me Now," two cracking instrumentals ("1st Movement" and "Manhattan Rumble") and the gorgeous "Whisper in the Night." There's never a dull moment here, even when the band slips around a bit walking on their high wire. This is not the ELO of 1975-1980, a sleek pop hitmaking machine. This is more akin to The Move muscially and sonically(actually, it really IS The Move) under a new name. On "No Answer," Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, and Bev Bevan lay the groundwork for what would become an amazing decade for all three...albeit in different directions.

i'm rather a fan of 70s glam and i can absorb vintage prog in conservative doses. the first ELO record is a strange mix of the two and it caught my ear immediately the other day when a couple of dandified clerks at my local video store cranked it up.

i heard the first cut, "overture 10258" once a while ago and i always wondered who it was. it's a pretty shocking track. it sounds like a lost beatles cut from "magical mystery tour" gone completely wrong. a majestic pop melody is there and a dense layering of exotic instrumentation is there, but the voice sounds mechanical, as if someone tried to program a robot to croon and emote a rock song. then you listen to the drummer, and while he's basically on time, he sounds a little clumsy and lethargic, and then you hear to the string arrangment, which sounds abrasive and not entirely unlike humpback mating calls. however, because i like wierd s*** i was pretty excited by this track. the strange appeal of it is undeniable.

so when the two video store dandies put on this cut i ran to the desk to find out who was responsible for producing this masterpiece/trainwreck. it turns out it was ELO from their debut album. WOW! i've enjoyed some of the move's music and i appreciate (though not without a wee bit of irony) ELO's decadent pop concept rock, but this was some pretty wacko vintage ELO that i'd never known about and it seems that it is generally obscured by what came before and what came after.

i went out and got the album immediately and i've been listening to it often. i must say that it is about 47% laughable, 50% gorgeous 70s rock, and 3% something totally ineffable. i enjoy that this is the same ELO as on the "xanadu" soundtrack doing this awkward and dissonant string quartet prog pop, but it simply cannot to be listened to all through in any seriousness. i don't think it is possible to ever understand what could motivate someone to write some of these arrangements. i don't think drugs is the whole story, because even the strongest drugs could not inspire someone to have a belligerent sounding string quartet highlighting the melody to "god rest ye merry gentlmen" during the instrumental middle section of a dramatic elton john-esque power ballad, which is exactly what happens on the third track. it sounds like elton john gone "autistic avant garde" and collaborating with anton webern's worst student from "serialism 101."

the whole album runs on in this clunky way. the "magical mystery tour" elements never blend effectively with the avant garde marching band type element and the result is charmingly abrasive. this makes for a curious listen. put this on at a party to make your guests confused, concerned or bummed out.

"No Answer" is the original and best ELO album. Roy's aim to continue where "I am the Walrus" left off was achieved. The blend of deep cello and violin with electric guitar and drums produces one of the most original albums in pop history. Although this album is best known for "10538 Overture", most of the other songs on it are also very original and entertaining, one of my favourites is "Battle of Marston Moor". This album should certainly be in any serious ELO fan's collection.

This one is their first and best but for its' sequal.
Yes it was ahead of it's time in concept (classical rock) but it sounds as though it was made in the 17th century. Now, that isn't a slur on the recording, but the voices (especially on The Battle of Marston Moore) are really creepy and give me images of pouring rain, muddy fields, castles etc. It's the fist album to put mental images in my mind since Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Rick Wakeman (admittedly recorded afterwards but I heard it before). There are so many great instrumentles here that I wont list them. Pretty much every song is great. Not perhaps (as another review stated) for the latter, pop ELO loving fans but if classical rock tickles your fancy get this. (If you are into latter ELO and want to be able to appreciate this, my advice is work your way back from Eldorado-that way you have a better chance.
I hope I've given valid advice... Toodle Pipskie (is that how you spell it?)

I saw a guy above me under the title "I hate to do this guys" say that this is a bad album and don't buy it. I say don't listen to him! Listen to me and the other 4 star users. Sure, this album is very unique and ahead of it's time, but that's what ELO has always done. It's also a very good start for ELO. Personally, I thought it was going to be a lot worse than this. I WAS WRONG! BUY THIS ALBUM! It's got everything you could want. It's got great hits like "10538 Overture" and "Mr. Radio."
And great instrumentals such as "Battle of Marston Moore [July 2nd 1964]","Manhattan Rumble (42nd Street Massacre)" and "1st Movement" which are great instrumentals by the way, and we all know how good ELO is with instrumentals such as "Eldorado Overture (on the "Eldorado" cd). But i'm not going to go to far into another album. If you are just now starting to get into ELO. First of all, WISE DECISION! BUY IT!