Customer Reviews

Secret Messages

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

SECRET MESSAGES was originally slated to be a double album. That didn't happen; it was released in 1983 as a single album. As it stands, it's a very concise pop statement free of filler and loaded with killer hooks. Jeff Lynne, the "guiding light" behind ELO, is rightfully regarded as a genius when it comes to his production wizardry...and certainly, SECRET MESSAGES is a brilliant marriage of studio sheen with lively, superb musicianship. However, Jeff rarely gets the credit he deserves as a lyricist. On SECRET MESSAGES, Jeff paints vivid word pictures that ring true time after time. The title track is one of those vintage ELO performances; intricate wordplay, tight harmonies, memorable melody. A sense of loneliness and loss pervades such songs as "Bluebird," "Take Me On," "Stranger" (which is somewhat reminiscent of Al Stewart), and the beautifully delicate "Letter from Spain." All of these are so radio-friendly that I cannot understand why they weren't big hits. ("Letter" was used to promote the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.) "Loser Gone Wild" is quirky and took some time to grow on me...but I love it now (especially the barking dog bits). (Please excuse all the brackets.) "Danger Ahead" is a great rocker; another incredible melody and hook. This track reminds me a bit of Cheap Trick; it's no secret that the guys in Cheap Trick are big Move and ELO fans. Then, there's "Rock and Roll is King," which hit #19 on the pop charts. It still resonates, thanks to a timeless rock arrangement and feel-good lyric. Mik Kaminski makes a welcome return on that track with a sizzling violin solo. "Four Little Diamonds" is a gem of a track in the "Don't Bring Me Down" mode. This tongue-in-cheek tale of love gone wrong features one of Jeff's better vocal performances. ELO's sales faded during the 1980's, due in large part to the prevailing "hair band" ethic of the day. But many of those heavy metal "artists" have come and gone, leaving behind a sad legacy of bad albums, worse videos, and totally embarrasing spandex. On the other hand, ELO's music has endured and grown in stature, thanks to the vision and gifts of Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Kelly Groucutt, Richard Tandy (and the Professor and Mary Ann). (Sorry.) You've heard the brilliant OUT OF THE BLUE, but don't miss a sleeper like SECRET MESSAGES...and for the price that Amazon.com is offering, you'd be silly not to order it right now

It's obvious that a lot of people were a little taken aback by the strongly disco inflectedDiscovery and the heavy electronic glossiness of Time. This was that albums follow up and you couldn't be in denial:it was 1983 and a lot of the synthesizer arrangements and production gloss that were ELO's trademark in the 70's were now par for the course. One of the things that have always helped ELO along,even though they are one of the more critically underappreciated rock bands is the fact that....well they have in many ways one of the most exciting pop/rock sounds to come along since The Beatles. Jeff Lynne always had the very good sense,knowing his music was considered to be prog rock to rely not on long winded instrumental solos and arrangements and rather on inventing melody and having the arrangements built on those. Most prog rock bands were already beginning to go in this direction in the early 80's anyway so ELO didn't have much to concern themselves with musically but keep writing great tunes. Of course there are three very basic rock n roll songs here the same as with any ELO album such a "Four Little Diamonds","Danger Ahead" and the hit "Rock & Roll Is King". All of these songs are good and catchy and all that but they all xerox the big hits from their previous few albbums. Much more interesting of the uptempo tunes are the title track,"Loser Gone Wild" and "Train Of Gold" which all owe more to new wave electro than progressive rock and pull off the concept with gusto. But these aren't exactly Duran Duran-they all manage to still be distinctively ELO. More intricate songs that take time to develop (always my personel favorite type of song anyway) such a "Blue Bird","Take Me On And On" and the beautiful,stripped down electronica of "Letter From Spain" are super examples how a band like this developed artistically when the tempo wasn't quite as fixed and drummer Bev Bevan,used to using a lot of fills in his sound rises to occasion with a lot of understatement here,to the point of sometimes barely playing at all. Some fans of ELO's mid to late 70's sound or classic rock fans in general might find this album possessed of more lightness of playing and delicate melodies (even on many of the faster songs) than they're used to but this is definately one of those ELO albums that is more than worth giving a chance if it doesn't instantly grab you.

This is one of those albums I've liked ever since it was first released on vinyl back in '83. I never could understand why it wasn't more popular. The band decides to have some fun with all of those groups who were going around claiming that there were "secret hidden backward messages" on certain rock albums. Unfortunately, this mental instability also lead to things like record burnings and ELO was one of the groups targeted. The album starts with the fun and upbeat title song. Loser Gone Wild has a very surrealist sound to it. Bluebird is the band in classic ELO mode. Take Me On And On is a great ballad. Time After Time is okay but really isn't a standout for me much like Letter From Spain and Train Of Gold. Four Little Diamonds is a classic ELO rock song with a driving beat and cool lyrics. Stranger is a nice upbeat ballad while Danger Ahead and Rock And Roll is King takes us back to rock and roll mode. The three bonus cuts are made up of two single b-sides and an unreleased version of Endless Lies which would turn up rearraged on Balance of Power. I like this version on here better No Way Out is good but the instrumental After All is better. The only real complaint is: this was originally planned as a two record set and I wish, rather than dribbling some of the unreleased stuff out on the box sets, they could've put it all out on here as bonus tracks.

este es el album mas debil de la banda dentro de los 80's. debio haber sido un album doble como originalmente se penso para poder rescatarlo de la abulia. "stranger" es el mejor tema del disco sin lugar a dudas. prescindible.

This album kind of got me through my senior year of high school, but that isn't why I think it's important. Jeff Lynne solely become ELO at this point and he also found the sweet spot as a producer and singer. This was the 80s -- tons of reverb, the beginning of pitch changing, and all kinds of unnatural stuff was happening in recording studios. Lynne took it a little backwards: lots of Queen-type layering but without the other-worldly effects.

The Willburys sound was born in this album. I am still not sure how he got that overly processed-yet-dry sound that is the Jeff Lynne trademark, but it really seems to have begun with "Secret Messages."

Give a real listen to "Rock 'n' Roll Is King." The shifting effects in this song coupled with the more than competent songwriting still holds up (and rightly embarrasses) the Pro-Tools fueled efforts of today.

Rick Rubin and Jeff Lynne have done as much for the sound of what we hear today as anyone, and this CD is a good source for understanding why...but forget all that "importance" crap...there are just a lot of cool songs to listen to.

When i got this album in 1983 ELO'S popularity was on the down, to bad because this cd has everything that made ELO great in 1970's. "Secret Messages" begins the cd with a should of been hit excellent guitar rock. "Time after Time" about the bomb going off cool sounds by the master Jeff Lynne. The chugging rocker "Four Little Diamonds" #86 in 1983 what a tragedy. "Rock 'n' Roll is King" #19 in 1983 is the only song that gets any string treatment with a solo by Mik Kaminski. Jeff did a wonderful job on this disc he said looking back his heart really was'nt into it, but thankfully we have this recording for it is a truly great piece of art.

As a big ELO fan I was very disappointed by the soundquality on this CD. I have the original vinyl and there's definitely something wrong with the sound quality on this CD. In the left channel the audio is dropping out from time to time, especially on passages where the soundlevel is low, like in the intro of the title track.

Compared to the remastered version of "Secret messages" included on the "Flashback" box-set this album is a major disappointment for all fans of ELO and good sound quality.

Better to wait for a remastered version, if there'll be one.

Here is the Electric Light Orchestra's swan song. While Lynne did a good job of creating some memorable songs, by this time he had really started to miss the mark as to what fans truly wanted from him. Now the lead guitarist, and front runner of the Electric Light Orchestra had started using ELO as the actual name of the band, and was cutting even more corners, as well as group members. No longer interested in the band's persona, or legacy, J. Lynne had decided to be an "artist" rather than a writer of music for the E.L.O.. He was tired of the same old thing and wanted to "grow" and "evolve" his vision for the band. This meant, of course, that the music would change. This release has the Lynne touch, musically, but it lacks, completely, the depth, and beauty of an orchestral influence. You will be hard pressed to hear any symphonic instruments at all, as this was the continuation of Jeff's "forget the cellos, we have synthesizers" attitude. He actually took on the jobs of many of the other members, and became the group itself. I gave this recording 3 stars because, as I said earlier, the writing, and the voice of Lynne were still working fairly well, and his talent does come through, but the rest of the band, for the most part, was no longer there, and the sound shows it. Worth the buy, but as Discovery showed, the E.L.O. was moving into a more plastic neighborhood.

I agree with reviewers of this and other ELO CDs that this is one of the most uderappreciated bands of all time. This CD is superb, with exquisite slow stuff - Time After Time and Take Me On and On - and musical rock that still gives me chills - Four Little Diamonds and Rock 'n Roll is King. If you like early ELO, you will love this CD.

'Odd' is a word I'd use to describe most of E.L.O.'s music. That shouldn't turn you off from this band's imaginitive and inspired musicianship and songwriting, though. 'Secret Messages' ranks with the best of E.L.O.'s earlier efforts (I was a little dissappointed with the albums 'Discovery' and 'Time' mostly because I was wondering where the 'orchestra' went). I've always found this album interesting despite the fact that the strings are gone, with the exception of the fine Kaminsky violin solo at the end of the album. There isn't a weak track on the album. Jeff Lynn and the boys did a fine job.