Record Reviews

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA ~ THE CLASSIC ALBUMS COLLECTION SONY 886978732620 (Barcode: 886978732620) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 - 1986 Released: 2011 This brilliant Box Set presents all eleven classic albums recorded by the Electric Light OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a. k. a. ELO), one of Britain´s most eclectic and sophisticated Pop / Rock / Prog ensembles. The group was formed about 1970 by three members of the legendary group The MoveFind albums by this artist: vocalist / keyboardist / composer Jeff LynneFind albums by this artist, vocalist / multi-instrumentalist / composer Roy WoodFind albums by this artist and drummer Bev BevanFind albums by this artist, developed around the original idea of a "Rock group with strings", but nobody anticipated the incredible body of work and international success the group was headed for. Wood left after the first two albums, but Lynne continued to lead the group and compose some amazing music for it for over fifteen years. In retrospect the band invented a plethora of new approaches to Popular music, adding elements from Classical, Rock and Jazz, spiced with typical British humor and fruitful imagination, as well as musical excellence. Even when the group achieved commercial success, their music never compromised the standards of excellence. Remastered, with many bonus tracks, mini-sleeved and reasonably priced, this Box Set is a must to people who know how to savor their music!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 11 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

	MOVE ~ LOOKING ON REPERTOIRE 4692 ~ UK ~ Classic Rock 3rd and last album from 1970, which contains more of the group`s delicious creations. After Move disbanded, the key members created the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Wizzard, two great groups which continued their legacy. Remastered and with bonus tracks.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MOVE ~ MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY EMI 330260 ~ UK ~ Classic Rock 4th and last album (recorded 1971) by one of the most interesting UK rock groups. The band did not mean to record this album and it was recorded only to fulfill the contractual obligation (as happened in very many cases). It was in fact recorded in parallel to the next venture, for which they were headed (lead by Jeff Lynne) – the Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO). Intended or not, this was in many respects the best and most complex album thy created. Lacking any chart hits, the album concentrates on subtle compositions and as usual a lot of the typical zany humor they always used as a tool to emphasize the message. The music includes elements of Psychedelica, jazz, and rock, all intermixed wonderfully. This remains an essential album for all Move fans and fans of the later work by Roy Wood.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

	MOVE ~ MOVE REPERTOIRE 4690 ~ UK ~ Classic Rock 1st album from 1969 by this great UK band, considered by many as masters of the psychedelic genre. Although Move produced catchy pop tines for singles, the album contains many much more sophisticated tracks and presents the group in the proper historical perspective. Remastered and with bonus tracks.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MOVE ~ OMNIBUS – THE 60S SINGLES AS AND BS EDSEL 616 (Barcode: 740155161620) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1970 Released: 1999 This is a superb collection of the singles released by The MoveFind albums by this artist – one of Britain´s best and most important Pop / Rock / proto-Prog bands ever. All these singles were penned by the genius musical leader of the band Roy WoodFind albums by this artist, who not only wrote brilliant music, but also had a wonderful (and zany) sense of humor. The Move´s singles charted in UK and all over the world, but beyond the popularity their music remains overtly brilliant with the passage of time. Each and every one of these gems is a superb example of perfect songwriting, production and performance. Absolutely everlasting music and a beautiful piece of music history! A must!

CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

	MOVE ~ SHAZAM REPERTOIRE 4691 ~ UK ~ Classic Rock 2nd album from 1970. More development, especially in the composition skills of the leaders Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, who turned out to be key figures in the UK rock in years to come. Remastered and with bonus tracks.
	CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ROY WOOD ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES PARLOPHONE 825646213290 (Barcode: 825646213290) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1971 - 1979 Released: 2014 This Box Set collects five albums involving British multi-instrumentalist / composer / bandleader Roy WoodFind albums by this artist, one of the most colorful characters of the Rock scene in the 1960s / 1970s. They include the last album by the seminal group The MoveFind albums by this artist, the first album by the group Electric Light OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. ELOFind albums by this artist), which coexisted simultaneously with The Move in a "split personality" havoc with the same band members (Wood, Jeff LynneFind albums by this artist and Bev BevanFind albums by this artist) being in both groups, two solo albums by Wood and one album by Wood´s next group WizzardFind albums by this artist, spanning the period between 1971 and 1979. This selection is quite bizarre and misses the point by a mile, with the Move and ELO albums completely out of place in this Box Set. Wood recorded four solo albums, three albums with Wizzard and one with the Wizzo BandFind albums by this artist; some of these could have easily fit the bill to be included here replacing the Move and ELO albums. One we ignore the actual albums selection, the music included here is truly superb and pays tribute to one of British Rock´s greatest talents. Wood had a completely unique approach to Rock, which displayed elements of drama, theatrical expressiveness, satire and cabaret like presentation, all of which was eons ahead of its time. Forty years after it was recorded this music still sounds wonderfully weird and completely different from anything else. Wood´s ability to play almost every instrument he could lay his hands on is also pretty amazing. Overall this Box Set is a great opportunity to revisit some great music, for those of us who lived while it was happening and to discover it by those born too late to enjoy it in real time. Hopefully another Box Set will complete the Wood legacy properly. In the meantime enjoy this iconic zany / brilliant piece of Rock history. Highly recommended! Side Note: The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label and the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases have been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend