Zoom

E.L.O.

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 2001)
• Original Release Date: June 12, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005KG66
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,251 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Alright

2. Moment In Paradise

3. State Of Mind

4. Just For Love

5. Stranger On A Quiet Street

6. In My Own Time

7. Easy Money

8. It Really Doesn't Matter

9. Ordinary Dream

10. A Long Time Gone

11. Melting In The Sun

12. All She Wanted

13. Lonesome Lullaby

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Classic E.L.O. music has always been stuck in its own retro-futuristic time warp of recombinant pop. Inside that image of E.L.O.'s spaceship (here updated without the 8-track docking bay), one imagines a ye olde discotheque stuffed with Beatles mannequins and powered by pump organ synthesizers. The genius of Jeff Lynne is to fuse kindergarten rock & roll, ultra-Liverpudlian choruses, and faux-symphonic instrumentation with a pop that's both sappy and supple. With only a few duff tracks, this timeless, invigorating disc is a rocking, left-field surprise. Talk about a comeback--Zoom is nothing short of a revelation for fans of this critically underappreciated group. Lynne sings on the opening cut, "Alright," that "You've got to hold onto something that you believe / Hold onto something that makes you feel alright," and the entire album bears this out with grace and wit. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice surprise from Jeff Lynne and gang, June 12, 2001

By	Derek Arnold "music lover" (Collingswood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Zoom, ELO's first studio album since Balance of Power some 15 years ago, is a fun and rock and rollicking return. The new version of the ELO spaceship contains elements of both old school ELO and some modern dashes, such as they are with the musical style of Lynne, a huge fan of retro, 50's based rock and roll. Throw in some dashes of Beatles influence (helped by former Fabs George Harrison and Ringo Starr) on songs like "Just For Love" (try to avoid the John Lennon, "Across the Universe" influence), and of course some Traveling Wilburys touches, especially on "Easy Money," a hard-up rocker kind of like "Four Little Diamonds," off of ELO's "Secret Messages," and the album comes across as a nice listen. In fact, Lynne's preferred musical style better fits his lyrics, which were never really all that complicated; they're a way to help guide you to the melodies, which were always (and no exception here) very strong. But that's not to say that the album is predictable, either. There are little wrinkles throughout that make a close listen rewarded: the use of strings seem more tied to establishing melody instead of just supporting it, the little hints of past ELO songs ("Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" in "All She Wanted," the afore mentioned "Four Little Diamonds" in "Easy Money," and tap dancing, straight out of "Jungle", for "In My Own Time,"), and the last song, called "Lonesome Melody," which is a rocker despite the song title. One last thing: for those who hated ELO in their earlier days, 1) the sound of this album feels much more accessible than ELO's style perhaps 20 years ago, and 2) Lynne has largely changed the use of the strings, using them to create melody and using guitars to establish support, which makes for a much more solid sounding set of songs. Highly recommended, with strong songs throughout, plus some nice surprises as well!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They're back! Er...Jeff's back! Em...no, no, ELO is back!, June 12, 2001

By	Earl Green (theLogBook.com) - See all my reviews

The subject header of this review is as far as I care to go into the fan debate over whether an album by Jeff Lynne, alone in a studio or with a handful of guest collaborators, constitutes an ELO album. I'd daresay yes. Sure, ELO Part II had more of the original band members, and often sported a full string section. This newfangled ELO more often than not features *no* strings, but what it does have that the other fellows didn't - as admirable and enjoyable as their efforts were - is Jeff Lynne's unmistakable ability to craft a pop song. "State Of Mind" and "Moment In Paradise" alone would be worth the price of the album (and it's suicidal not to be using either of the above as the launch single). Other highlights include "Alright," "Doesn't Really Matter At All," "Melting In The Sun" and especially "Long Time Gone," whose harmonies evoke memories of Queen at the pinnacle of their abilities. And yes, there are strings on some songs as well. Overall, an outstanding return of the original ELO sound that I fell in love with back in 1977. It's the songs themselves, not the size of the orchestra, where the true soul of ELO lies.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars zoom, June 12, 2001

By	james f murphy jr (millbury, ma United States) - See all my reviews

After fifteen years Jeff Lynne has resurrected one of pop/rock music's most innovative groups. To those familar with the "Lynne-Sound" you hear an album that reflects all of what makes Lynne the musically genius that he is. To those new to the band, one finds what has been missing from the world of contemporary music, a smart, balanced, enjoyable pop album for people over thirty. In the wake of the Beatles "One" album young fans who found the Beatles for the first time will find "Zoom" very much to their liking.