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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my desert island discs, September 8, 1999
It's far to say that Jeff Lynne picked up where the Beatles left off sans the ability to play any type of music. 1976's A New World Record showcases once again that Jeff Lynne is THE most overlooked singer / songwriter / producer / musician in the history of recorded music. E.L.O's trademark of scoring an orchestra to perfectly written rock songs is showcased no better than on this album. I grew up on this album as my father was quite fond of it for many years. One of the most dark, trippy and wonderful pieces of music can be found in the bridge section of "Mission." "And all the stars above, rain icy fingers down on me." True beauty, true genius. This is an unmatched masterpiece from Jeff Lynne and co. Give yourself a treat and purchase this gorgeous, flawless album.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ELO's best ever? It gets my vote!, November 18, 2004
What more could one want in a pop/rock album... except perhaps more songs? Many (including ELO's guiding light himself, Jeff Lynne) count OUT OF THE BLUE as ELO's brightest moment. And while there's no arguing the brilliance of that long-play release, may I make a case for A NEW WORLD RECORD? "Tightrope" is sheer brilliance; a seemless melding of orchestral grandeur with driving rock and roll. "Rockaria!" is a thrill a second, over-the-top romp. "Mission (A World Record)" is sad, chilling, and profound, and oh so lovely. Perhaps you've heard of "Telephone Line," one of ELO's biggest singles, which wraps bitter loneliness in a sweet candy coating. "So Fine" is a quirky, bright, danceable confection. The classic "Livin' Thing," another huge hit, is the textbook definition of pure pop, and "Do Ya" is one of the great rockers of the 1970s. "Above the Clouds" is simply sublime, a heavenly slice of balladry that wafts in and out all too quickly. Then, there is the gorgeous and majestic closer, "Shangri La," which is absolutely heartbreaking and haunting. Overall, A NEW WORLD RECORD is the perfect art pop/rock album that sits quite high indeed in the realm of stellar 70s releases. You don't want to miss it.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Want It So Fine, November 24, 2005
From the Electric Light Orchestra's inception from the ashes of the Move in 1970, bandleader Jeff Lynne's aim was to continue on the trail the Beatles had blazed, crafting pristine melodic pop against a backdrop of classical grandiloquence. Lofty ambitions, even for a talent of Mr. Lynne's magnitude. But on 1976's A New World Record ELO got as close as anybody ever has to picking up where the Fab Four left off - and that's the highest praise you can give them.
On this, their sixth LP, ELO refined the increasingly commercial sound of Eldorado (1974) and Face the Music (1975) into a polished, super-accessible hit machine. Their recipe for success went something like this: A) Create an exciting, instantly memorable melody that would do the likes of Paul McCartney himself proud. B) Put lyrics to it and perform with bassist Kelly Groucutt's and drummer Bev Bevan's solid foundation, keyboardist Richard Tandy's spacey synthesizers, and Jeff Lynne's fluid guitar work and spine-tingling falsetto. C) Frost it with coat upon lustrous coat of fluttery vocal harmonies, overdubbed guitars and synths, and bombastic orchestral flourishes. D) Bake for 1 hour at 400 F, let cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy.
This ingenious formula forms the groundwork upon which A New World Record is constructed. Not surprisingly, it produced three huge singles - the adrenaline-charged Do Ya, dynamic Livin' Thing, and crushingly bittersweet Telephone Line - but every last cut here could've been a hit. Don't be fooled into believing this stuff is formulaic or uninspired, however. Jeff Lynne, who wrote and arranged it all, is as imaginative as he is ambitious. His most impressive achievement is the fact that, despite its prominence, he doesn't allow the orchestra to overwhelm the songs. Rather, true to his aspirations, he turns it into an absolutely integral part of the whole. In doing so he makes Rockaria's overwrought blues-meets-opera sound almost effortless, lends the quasi-symphonic pretensions of Tightrope a sense of authenticity, and elevates the stunning closer Shangri-La to positively epic proportions, not to mention the rest. Quite an accomplishment, made all the more astonishing by the fact it could've gone so wrong.
Granted, A New World Record was a product of its time - feathery falsettos; quasi-prog showboating; string-laden (what some might call) overproduction; and an irresistable, state-of-the-70s commercial aesthetic. But if it's to be taken as any indication, them's was the best of times...
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