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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Move morphs into orchestral vision, November 18, 2004
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.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still one of the oddest records I've ever heard, August 31, 2001
By A Customer
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.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A strange trip mixing the Baroque with Progressive Rock, February 4, 2000
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!
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