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Electric Light Orchestra
Live At Winterland 1976
This classic
concert recording, only recently given its own CD release, certainly humbles
me a bit. Some time back, in my review of ELO Part II's One
Night live
album, I asserted my belief that the original ELO - limited by the number of
musicians and the technology available to them at the time - could never hold
a candle to ELO Part II on stage. Now, after hearing this concert recording
from the early stages of ELO's superstardom - well over a year before
Out Of The Blue
was released, and not long after the album containing Strange Magic
and Evil Woman debuted - I have to admit that this isn't necessarily true.
Jeff Lynne and company seemed to be in tune and
in the spirit for a great
performance at this 1976 gig, and since it falls so early in the band's
career, it highlights some of their best early material, including a medley
of several tunes from 1974's excellent Eldorado album. Material from
the very first album also appears here, something that would fall by the wayside
in only a couple of years as crowds began to request nothing but recent hits;
10538 Overture is combined with the Move's Do Ya (remember, this concert
took place before Do Ya resurfaced on A New World Record) for a hard rock
medley. Fire on High, Poker and Nightrider - all from what was, at the
time, ELO's most recent album - are also handled wonderfully on stage. I did
notice that bassist/backup singer Kelly Groucutt took the lead with the
vocals a number of times, something that he didn't get to do again until the
band broke up and reformed.
So I suppose I have to retract my earlier statement about the original ELO
on stage. The band's enthusiasm for their material here easily outshines any
technological limitations that could have hindered anyone's enjoyment of the
music, and it's a must-have for any serious ELO fans.
- Fire On High (5:28)
- Poker (4:02)
- Nightrider (4:37)
- Showdown (4:43)
- Eldorado Suite (13:14)
- Strange Magic (5:07)
- Medley: 10538 Overture / Do Ya (5:27)
- Evil Woman (4:39)
- Ma-Ma-Ma Belle (6:37)
- Roll Over Beethoven (6:38)
Released by: Eagle / Edel
Release date: 1998
Total running time: 60:34
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