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Electric Light Orchestra Part Two
ELO's Greatest Hits Live with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra
"Well," I thought, "that's nice, it's in the bargain bin."
Then I did a slight double-take. "What? This is new, and it's already in
the bargain bin." This meant trouble. The fading remnants of my favorite
band were fading really fast if their new release, even though it is a live
album, was entering the music store shelves at rock-bottom. And I found out why
(that's the great thing about bargains, eh?). This is, at best, an excessively
mediocre live album. Years later, in 1996, I saw ELO Part II perform live when
they made a stop in my home town of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and I discovered that
ELO Part II does a kick-ass live show, just not on this album. Perhaps the
improvement in their live repertoire is that they've expanded their selection of
post-ELO originals, which are better suited to their live performance needs
because they know what they're capable of on stage. This album is comprised
entirely - with the singular exception of Thousand Eyes - of classic ELO
songs which people have come to know with a full string section. The Moscow
Symphony can deliver the goods most of the time, but even they have their off
nights, as can be heard when somebody hits an outrageously, painfully flat note
in the Beethoven intro to Roll Over Beethoven. I think as ELO Part II
expands their repertoire of original tunes, their live show will only get better
and better, as the new songs are tailored to the new group's strengths. In
fact, I keep hearing about a new live album called One
Night which has yet to make it to the States, and I'd love to hear it,
because, even though this album fell seriously flat, ELO Part II really brings
the house down live.
- Overture (2:26)
- Turn To Stone (3:51)
- Evil Woman (4:20)
- Showdown (5:08)
- Livin' Thing (4:04)
- Hold On Tight (2:58)
- Thousand Eyes (4:28)
- Can't Get It Out Of My Head (6:46)
- Telephone Line (5:04)
- Roll Over Beethoven (6:05)
Released by: Scotti Bros.
Release date: 1992
Total running time: 45:10
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