Well I thought I would start the new year on a happy note by reviewing a lively old album by a lively(ish) old group - The Electric Light Orchestra (or, as their friends and fans know them, ELO).

Was it a Christmas present? No folks, I actually went out and bought this myself. Make of that what you will! It was a mere case of, I had a version of their Greatest Hits on vinyl (or an LP to those of us who remember them), but I decided I ought to listen to these guys on a piece of modern equipment - namely a CD!

*** A Little Background Information on the Band ***
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The Electric Light Orchestra was formed over 35 years ago by lead singer Jeff Lynne. Their popularity soared between 1974 and 1981 in which time they amassed 28 hit singles in the UK. The band split in 1986 and Jeff Lynne went on to join George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison to form The Travelling Wilburys.

*** Album Tracks ***
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When I originally looked at the tracks on this album, I didn't recognise a lot of them. However, once the album is played in full, it is surprising how many of the songs do sound familiar

"Mr Blue Sky" is one of my favourites on the album. Everyone will recognise the "du du du du du du du du sun is shining in the sky…." No matter how hard I try not to sing along with it when driving, I just can't help it. (Just watch the suspicious expressions on other drivers' faces at the traffic lights when you are nodding to "du du du du du du du du…."), It is one of those tunes that just get stuck in your head.

"Evil Woman" starts with a soft drum roll and Jeff Lynne claiming 'you made a fool of me'. With his 70's hairstyle at the time of recording this track, he managed that all on his own! However, this is a great song all the same.

"Don't Bring Me Down" starts with a good strong drumbeat and then the electric guitars kick in and we're away! This is a good track which really shows off Jeff Lynne's wide vocal range, and there are times when he can give Barry Gibb a run for his money. This song could almost have been recorded by Status Quo - very typical of their style of music.

"Sweet Talkin' Woman" is my favourite on the album. A really good singalongy which everybody knows. For anyone who has never heard this - where you been?

"Shine A Little Love" is definitely one I had never heard of until I played it - and then it call came flooding back! Very 70's disco sound, and again, a great track.

"Turn To Stone" has a bit of a quaint feel to it. Anyone listening to this track for the first time could be forgiven for thinking this is a Sweet song. Well, I suppose it is quite sweet at times, but quite unusually, the verses to the track are fairly loud, and then the chorus is sung fairly quietly. Strange way of doing it but it works.

"The Diary of Horace Wimp" is another one I had never heard of. But my god, what a resemblance to The Beatles. A bit of a cross between I am the Walrus and Strawberry Fields. Once you get used to it, this is quite a catchy tune but not as widely recognisable as some of the other tracks on the album.

"Confusion" - well, it confused me! In my opinion, this is not really typical of ELO music. Very melodic and a little slow. Not the usual upbeat style that the band are renowned for.

"Hold on Tight" (to you dreams….) - remember it now? Not really one of my favourites. It's a little too cheesy for my liking but hey - a little cheese can go a long way when it's hidden amongst some good tunes!

"Livin' Thing" brings us back to atypical ELO music. Some good hard drum beats starts the track off. This is not a very outstanding song in my mind, but if you are already an ELO fan, then you will enjoy this.

"Telephone Line" starts off very oddly! The sound of someone dialling out. Then a ringtone. No one answers (she obviously had her answering machine switched off on that day!) Jeff Lynne talking down an empty phone line "Hello, how are you, have you been alright…." and so on. There is a hint of the doo-wa's on this track but it's still a good song.

"All Over The World" sounds like it was recorded live with lots of crowd noise. A very uptempo song with toe-tapping potential!

"Wild West Hero" is another favourite of mine. A little on the slow side which may not appeal to some, but Jeff Lynne's vocals open the song with, yes you guessed it, 'I wish I was a wild west hero' which make this a classic ELO song.

"Showdown" is one track that I must admit I am still not too familiar with. As to whether I like it or not, the jury is still out. I would just say that it could be anyone singing it as it doesn't really have the upbeat ELO sound that they are renowned for.

"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" - well I thought I was listening to the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar when this started up. A little bit too heavy and not to my taste but if you fancy a bit of head shaking and strutting your platforms, this is one for you!

"Xanadu" threw me into a state of panic when I saw it on the album. I instantly got a picture in my head of Oliver Newton-John in leotard and sweatbands jumping, bumping and grinding about all over the place (now guys, calm down!) This was in fact the title track to the film and was actually an ELO/Oliver Newton-John duet.

"Rockaria" treats us to a little rock opera opening - and then it all kicks off with the guitars and heavy drum beats. I am not too keen on this track and I usually just skip it - but then that's just my opinion.

"Strange Magic" has a nice slow opener with Jeff Lynne's dulcet tones. A very calm piece of music after the previous few tracks. A little haunting for ELO, but another one of my favourites.

"Alright" is what I call 'swingy' music - you know the kind of thing, a sort of slow drawl of a beat. It's not really one you would want to sing along to (well I didn't but I suppose some might!).

"Rock-N-Roll is King", the final track on the album, sounds just like it is intended to - a 60's mix of rock'n'roll, jive and bopping. Made me tired just listening to it, but a great song to end on.

*** Any Extra Tracks on the Album? ***
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No. What you see is what you get. A Total of 20 tracks but no extras such as hidden tracks, unreleased tracks and so on.

*** Album Cover and Presentation ***
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Very bright and colourful is the best way to describe the album cover. The album itself is called "All Over The World" and the cover depicts a brightly lit red, yellow and blue spaceship/Frisbee speeding all over the world. A very typical style associated with ELO albums.

Inside the CD case, there is a pull-out booklet setting out the track list. In addition to the track list, there is an eight page message written by Jeff Lynne, together with accompanying photographs of previous concerts and band line-ups.

*** So would I recommend this album? ***
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Yes, most definitely. My personal favourites on this album have to be Mr Blue Sky, Evil Woman, Don't Bring me Down, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Telephone Line, Wild West Hero and Livin' Thing. This is probably because these were some of ELO's biggest hits, had the most airplay, and therefore are the most familiar. But as I mentioned earlier, there will be a lot of tracks on the album that are not instantly recognisable, and I would recommend you have a listen before writing the album off because so many of them will sound familiar once you hear them.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

Carol x