Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
incredible CD!, August 27, 2001
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.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moment of Class, March 19, 2000
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!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
As good as the first ELO Part 2 album, but different, August 14, 2001
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.
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