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Electric Light Orchestra
On The Third Day
This is probably ELO's most schizophrenic album, leaping from the use of the F
word in Oh No, Not Susan to the lyrics of Dreaming Of 4000, which
don't know if they're trying to be an environmental protest or some kind of
vague Christian rock. ELO singer/guitarist/songwriter Jeff Lynne has since commented that he doesn't know
what he could have been thinking, and I have to agree with him there. But there
are several good things about this album. The instrumental overture, Ocean
Breakup, is as driving and ominous as King of the Universe is...well,
just plain weird. New World Rising sounds like an embryonic Mr. Blue
Sky in the making - same subject, and a very similar sound - and Bluebird
Is Dead, in spite of the lyrics, sounds like something the Beatles might
have turned out had they lasted past 1970. All in all, it's a very strange and
uneven album. I've grown to like most of it, though there are still songs that
I rarely go back and listen to. And I still don't know what Jeff Lynne
could have been thinking...
- Ocean Breakup / King of the Universe (4:06)
- Bluebird is Dead (4:22)
- Oh No, Not Susan (3:28)
- New World Rising / Ocean Breakup Reprise (4:04)
- Showdown (4:09)
- Daybreaker (3:50)
- Ma-Ma-Ma Belle (3:52)
- Dreaming of 4000 (5:02)
- In the Hall of the Mountain King (6:33)
Released by: Jet
Release date: 1973
Total running time: 39:26
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