Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Living in the modern world, November 19, 2004
It has been noted repeatedly here that BALANCE OF POWER is ELO sans the orchestra. As such, it is both a document of its times (the mid-80s) and somewhat weaker for it. "There's a sorrow about to fall," Jeff Lynne ominously intones on this 1986 album. And he was correct...this was the last Electric Light Orchestra album on which Lynne has appeared until 2001's superb ZOOM. Lyrically, BALANCE OF POWER anticipates the break-up, and reflects ELO's declining commercial fortunes: "Can it really be so serious/To be all broken up and delirious/I guess we've really been out of touch/But can it really be so serious?" Lynne asks on the sharp, new-wavey "So Serious" (a classic, must hear track). In ELO's best 80s ballad, "Getting to the Point," Jeff seems sadly resigned: "All I can do is watch it burn, burn, burn." The saxophone may be startling to some ELO purists, but it's a fantastic piece of work all the same and suits the track perfectly. "Without Someone" is another lonely, lovely ballad about loss. "Heaven Only Knows" and "Secret Lives" are upbeat pop numbers, and "Endless Lies" is fairly adventurous musically. "Send It" is a great fast-paced country song with some vintage Jeff Lynne production touches. The biggest hit here, and definitely a classic pop standard, is "Calling America," which is essentially keyboard based with a nice guitar solo. The harmonies are very sweet indeed on this cut, and if it is destined to be ELO's "TOP 40" swansong, then it's a nice one to go out on. The album itself inexplicably stalled at #49 on BILLBOARD's album charts. Perhaps it was "out of touch" with the prevailing "hair band" ethic of the day (remember Bon Jovi, Warrant, Cinderella, Poison, et al?). Forget the chart numbers...this is a very well done pop album that's still "music to my ears." Take it for what it is; if you are looking for the big orchestral sound, it's not here. But if you want smart, concise, well-crafted pop gems, this CD has what you are looking for.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Getting To The Point, February 4, 2004
After 15 years it was time for E.L.O. to move on and so in early 1986 E.L.O. released their very last album. In my opinion E.L.O. is a very under-rated group and Balance of Power is a very under-rated album. Although this album might miss the great orchestra sound like on Out Of The Blue, as a popalbum it simply is great and far more personal than previous E.L.O. albums.Heaven Only Knows is a nice opener for the album. This track lets the listener know what they can expect from the album... popmusic.
So Serious is a very nice song though, perhaps a bit short. It was released as a single in some countries.
Getting To The Point would actually be a great opening track or a great closing track for this album. With lyrics about the breaking up of the band it was released as the final E.L.O. single.
Secret Lives is one of my personal favourites from this album. It has a nice beat and clever lyrics.
Is It Alright almost sounds like reggae, but it isn't of course, this is E.L.O. remember? Nice tune, this time the arrangement works and fits the album.
Sorrow About To Fall is perhaps the only real weak song on the album. It has never been a favourite of mine. It sounds bland and boring.
Without Someone is the best track on the album... A great haunting melody and superb lyrics. It never became a single, which is a shame.
Calling America is the most commercial sounding song on the album and it isn't suprising that this became the first single. reaching the US Top 20 and the UK Top 30 in 1986.
Endless Lies is Jeff Lynne trying to be Roy Orbison.An early version of this song is available on the re-mastered version of Secret Messages.
Send It isn't a great song, it's not awful, but it's not a great closing track for the final album of one of the greatest groups in the world. There were some other songs recorded for this album. Destination Unknown, A Matter Of Fact and Caught In A Trap would have all fitted on this great, almost forgotten album of an almost forgotten group...
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Synthesisers take the place of orchestra but it still works., August 18, 2003
Balance of Power is for me the least ELO album since Eldorado, but still it deserves a place among the good works of my favourite bands. The starting Heaven Only Knows is a cracking and enthusiastic pop song with a strong rythm and loads of backing vocals. 'So Serious' adds a fresh and new mood in the yet varied repertoire from ELO. 'Getting to the Point' is a very predictable ballad but still gets a beautiful feel and goes in crescendo to a climax. 'Secret Lives' is a curious reggae-caribbean like, insolit song into the history of the band and if silly, it's still funny. 'Is It Alright', for me the best song of the album, is a very strange song but filled with inspiration and originality.The B side starts with a good song, 'Sorrow About to Fall'. Then, another highlight appears in the form of a great ballad called 'Without Someone', I think maybe the one song in the album closest to the band's past style. 'Calling America' is a very light-hearted and upbeat song, sounds really funny and modern. 'Endless Lies' is a masterpiece in itself, really one of the most original ELO has ever done, a very strange song like it was made of a lot of little song because the mood changes constantly. It is sang by a very eloquent Jeff Lynne that addoptes a lot of different attitudes speaking to a woman that lied and cheated him. The last track, 'Send It', is one of the worst songs ELO have ever done, it's a try of something like a synthesised rock and roll song, but it makes you feel as if what the lyrics say was real, that "the dream has gone". But the overall feel of this album, if not a masterpiece as other earlier works, is a very fresh, joyful and funny record full of variety and with a couple of highlights from this outstanding band.
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