Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Label: Legacy Recordings
Released: 1976
Rating: 5/5
“A New World Record” is the triumphant album with which the legendary British art rock institution Electric Light Orchestra finally won over the rest of the music-savvy world, which until then had still been eyeing the fast-rising symphonic giant with some reservations. With it, ELO scored a huge success outside the US too, where they were already enjoying a reputation as one of the most popular bands of the day, and, maybe most importantly – with it they finally broke through on home turf, where people had stubbornly kept them at arm’s length until then. That was over now, and ELO became one of the commercially most successful bands around (the album smashed chart records and went platinum) and one of the most spectacular live attractions of the time, selling out big arenas.
Of course, all of that would have meant nothing if ELO hadn’t also stepped up artistically on “A New World Record” and created some of their finest work on it, work that places it among the best releases of their career. The charismatic frontman, singer, guitarist and producer Jeff Lynne, the man behind nearly everything ELO ever did, was tossing off classic after classic like it was nothing, and was reportedly surprised himself by the ultimate success of the album and its singles. “A New World Record” delivered a heap of evergreen pop rock hit singles like “Telephone Line”, “Rockaria!”, “Livin’ Thing” and “Do Ya”, which still find their way onto radio stations around the world and have forever lodged themselves in the hearts of all rock connoisseurs.
Stylistically, in their unique musical blend, which mostly rested on a balance between symphonic prog rock and pop rock, ELO noticeably tipped the scales in favor of the latter. The album stands out for its many superb melodic rock creations, marked by grand orchestral arrangements built on the band’s trademark interplay between strings and keyboards, plus Lynne’s guitar and vocal brilliance coming straight out of the genuine The Beatles school. The two cellists, violinist Mik Kaminski and the superb keyboardist Richard Tandy created some of the best orchestral arrangements in the band’s story here and wove them wonderfully into the melodic/pop rock skeleton of most of the songs. To be honest, ELO were always noticeably better at crafting shorter, melodic, pop rock-leaning pieces (which usually became hits) than at making complex symphonic prog rock, and this album was a logical evolutionary step forward. The album is also famous for being the first to feature their trademark and logo, a colorful flying saucer. All of this added an even bigger dose of romance and mysticism to the band and carried them among the superpowers of the then newborn arena/pomp rock.
The album opens with the masterpiece “Tightrope”, without a doubt one of the best things in the band’s story. This legendary composition is packed with dramatic, slightly gloomy orchestral arrangements in its intro before tipping over into a bouncy, melodic rock number. That part features a witty guitar riff and Lynne’s charming vocal performance with some fairly high notes (by his standards). Orchestral drama and female choir harmonies alternate now and then, and they add a great deal to the grandeur and breadth of the composition. The best sign of how beloved this song is? Since its release it has never been missing from their live shows. Next comes the Beatles-inspired mega hit “Telephone Line”, a wonderful blend of romance and nostalgia in true ELO fashion. Some interesting occasional keyboard effects add to its slightly mystical touch. Its structure is perfectly simple, but terribly catchy. The melodic chorus has Lynne’s heart-wrenching singing and superb backing vocal harmonies that blend unbelievably nicely with the magical orchestral arrangements. ELO were always masters of romantic pathos, and this one is still one of the best showcases of that talent.
“Rockaria!”, another big hit, opens with the operatic female vocals of Mary Thomas before tipping over into a bouncy rock ‘n’ roller. This excellent track once again demonstrates the band’s incredible ability to combine different musical styles, as it’s a unique mix of blues, opera, glam rock and po(m)p rock. “Mission (A World Record)”, seasoned with a mysterious atmosphere, has a melancholic intro. At that moment you can even think of some art rock/metal conspiracy-mongers like Blue Oyster Cult. Then it tips over into the grandeur of splendid orchestral arrangements, with the strings in the lead, flowing beautifully together with Lynne’s versatile vocals (in some registers he channels John Lennon again) and Bevan’s decisive drum fills. The closing vocal harmonies and pompous arrangements are especially enchanting. This is the track that probably thrills fans of their symphonic prog rock side the most on the album. Of a completely different nature, which makes for a very good contrast, is the bouncy yet surprisingly experimental “So Fine”, another one of the best pieces on the album. It has an almost-disco beat (which would find far greater expression on their later releases), a fun “ula-ula-ula-la” chorus, as well as an excellent experimental instrumental break in the middle, based on African drums and electronic percussion. Gradually, more and more instruments join the track, building up the atmosphere until the moment the vocals kick back in.
After an abrupt ending, it flows straight into the superb “Livin’ Thing”, yet another evergreen mega hit, featuring romantic, gorgeous melodies over a flow of dramatic vocal harmonies and mighty orchestral arrangements. Excellent violin passages give it a noticeable Middle Eastern flavor. This is another one of the best things in the band’s story, one that still stuns today with its melodic brilliance, and one of the key songs at the birth of pomp rock. The ballad-leaning “Above The Clouds” also has a noticeable Beatles flavor, through a romantic melody built on seductive vocal harmonies, very good orchestral arrangements and plenty of effects on Tandy’s mini moog. The spirited rocker “Do Ya”, which dates back to Lynne’s previous band The Move, is another one of the evergreen ELO hits. It’s marked by burning guitar riffs, Lynne’s raspy vocals, which sound a little American here, a bouncy rhythm and witty string arrangements. Its erotic chorus and Californian vibe reveal why it became such a hit.
The album wraps up in gorgeous style with the beautiful ballad “Shangri-La” (the Tibetan name for paradise), which once again conjures up that seductive romanticism the band could always summon with remarkable ease. Lynne’s melodramatic singing, with extra vocal harmonies, is accompanied by dreamy orchestral arrangements and some interesting mini moog effects, and you can clearly hear the mellotron too, which they used brilliantly to create the effect of a bigger orchestra. Worth mentioning is also “Surender”, an excellent pop rocker and a single from 2006, which dates from the time this album was made but was only finished 30 years later and came out on the reissue of this album as one of its bonus tracks. “Surender” was available for download on the internet for a long time and even made it onto the UK chart as the first ELO song since 1986.
“A New World Record” is one of two or three major masterpieces in ELO’s story, and it will obviously keep thrilling people for ages and ages with the distinctive magic of its individual compositions and excellent production, courtesy of the incredibly ambitious and talented music master and perfectionist Jeff Lynne, who realized his long-held dream with this album and managed to turn his band into much more than just some kind of orchestral Beatles. The album is without a single misguided idea and belongs among those that are a must-buy for every serious music connoisseur. ELO carried their period of greatest success on with undiminished momentum and by the end of the 70s were among the most successful pop rock acts of the time. What followed was the phenomenal “Out Of The Blue” (1977), an album most fans consider their greatest masterpiece, and one that would only cement the incredible success of this one.
Lineup
Jeff Lynne – vocals, lead, rhythm and slide guitar, percussion, piano
Bev Bevan – drums, mini moog drums, percussion, backing vocals
Richard Tandy – piano, mini moog, micro moog, polyphonic keyboards, electric guitar, clavinet, grand piano, mellotron, percussion, backing vocals
Kelly Groucutt – bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Mik Kaminski – violin
Hugh McDowell – cello
Melvyn Gale – cello
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Mary Thomas – operatic backing vocals
Patti Quatro – backing vocals
Louis Clark – orchestral arrangements
Production
Jeff Lynne
Track list
1. Tightrope (5:04)
2. Telephone Line (4:37)
3. Rockaria! (3:13)
4. Mission (A World Record) (4:25)
5. So Fine (3:55)
6. Livin’ Thing (3:31)
7. Above The Clouds (2:17)
8. Do Ya’ (3:44)
9. Shangri-la (5:33)
Album length: 36:19
