Love Jeff Lynne's voice; you can hear the Beatles influence. So glad you are hearing and appreciating the great music from back then, when I was young. Great reaction and comments.
@@davemitchell6990 And honestly being in the 60's and 70's I love this music ...knew we were creating something bigger than ourselves......now seeing what we created and having it appreciated makes all the struggles like Honey.
@Coastal Co Because Black folk reinvented the English language for our own expression.....The word Dope meaning great has been around in the hood and songs since the 90's...Bruh.......where are you from?
Vinz! How’s things with you and the Gatekeeper? 😉 But yeah, Mr. Blue Sky is almost jarringly joyful given the contrast with reality right now... and a favorite of our household teenagers.
I have long felt incredibly lucky to have grown up when I did. I was 16 in 1977. It was truly a unique time for music. It was a time before the corporate masters put their fingers into everything and made it all so fucking insipid as to be unlistenable. Imagine a high school party in 1978 or 79 with a couple of hundred kids there singing at the top of their lungs ... ELO or Styx or Led Zepplin or Queen or AC/DC or too many other great bands to keep listing. I know that music is important to every generation and that we all glom onto what we were hearing at that age. But to have been at that age, when THIS sort of music was around is and forever will be special. No disrespect to the 80s or 90s and beyond but most of their music was just bleh ... sure there were quite a few great bands in those times and I love lots from those periods but NOTHING COMPARES to the sheer amount of greatness that we had in the 70s. So so so many GREAT bands and GREAT songs. We were so lucky.
I was also born in 1961 and truer words were never spoken. I respect the 60's music, I give credit to the 80's for trying but the 70's were so eclectic, diverse and universal that we were bathed in talent from them.
Hey, Donald - me, too - when I was in HS, my best friend and I were totally obsessed with Queen -- but being in midwest, most of the kids in our class thought that we were "weird" and this group Queen.. well, also just weird... when Robyn & I got to see them in Kalamazoo, MI (long story, we almost "ran away" but her Mom relented and went with us) -- anyway, I guess I'm just rambling to say - Yep, I'm just about you... I turned 60 in August 2020 - so... (I can't help but say, though -- that all those dumb-ass kids in HS who mocked us for liking Queen... totally missed the bus.. and probably some have seen the "Bohemian Rhapsody" movie.. or if not, have certainly experienced the fact that Queen songs from forty-f'in years ago are still pretty popular... ) -lol
Yes, they were GREAT bands & GREAT songs! Have to laugh at your description of a hundred kids singing so loud! We did the same! lol Lots of air guitars & air drums going on too! lol The neighbors were SO happy! NOT! lol My first concert was Led Zeppelin, at 15yrs old! SO FUN! Back then, if a band was feeling good, they just kept playing, as Zeppelin did the night I saw them. NO cell phones etc, we just EMBRACED the moment & had fun enjoying the music! I remember people were handing Robert Plant bottles of wine, and other lets say,smokable things! lol It was just like a big huge party! They played about an hour & a half OVER the time they were supposed to, & we were thrilled! lol Had a lot of explaining to our parents when we got home though! :)
*~ You're right, Chod ~ the time and dedication spent in writing, composing, crafting, practicing, rehearsing, mastering, producing, performing...the degree of focused work, energy and diligence ~ (Many famous musicians / performers have voiced how they are always working with very little time off). Appreciate your channel ~!!! ~ BEST ~*
ELO is very special, for sure! My gosh back then there were lots of outstanding bands! Steely Dan, Bob Segar, Fleetwood Mac, Lynard Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart just to name a few!!! Lol "All over the world" Is such a great one by ELO. I absolutely love your channel! You Appreciating so much the music we have always loved is such a pleasure to see! 😊❤🍀
You are spot on! This is music! This is great music, composed by great writers played by great musicians! Seventies is the greatest decade in popular music history!
Jeff Lynne is a living legend. Writes the songs, puts together the arrangements, produces the albums. Produces for other artists and still sings so amazingly well in his 70’s.
Those of us who were truly fortunate enough to enjoy this music when it was first produced, appreciate seeing you and your generation discovering and enjoying this music. Thanks for bringing me back to the music that I have held on to for so long.
Chod, you'll love their "Living Thing", "Do Ya" and "Strange Magic"!! Edit- Funny you mentioned Blood, Sweat & Tears. Great band, if you love horns try their "Spinning Wheel"
Yes! This is one of ELO's very best. Jeff Lynne was a genius at crafting great pop songs. He knows how to combine the elements of song structure, melody, harmonies, hooks and then give it the perfect production. ELO is right up there with the Bee Gees. Check out Rockaria, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Boy Blue and Poker for some more great ELO.
I will never get tired of listening to this song and there is so much music out there to discover still. I love everything about this song, orchestration, theme, the vocals especially Jeff Lynne's and was great to see your smiling appreciation of it :-)
I absolutely love ELO. Their music is so unique that it deserves its own category because no one sounds like them at all !! There are so many to recommend like “ Mr Blue Sky”, “ Rock N Roll is King”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Livin Thing”, “Shine a Little Love”, “Showdown”, “Do Ya”, “ Can’t get it out of my Head”....I could keep going ....I saw them in concert a few years back and it was one of the best concerts I have ever been to....
What you said about the work these artists put in, how we should thank them for the music they put into the world that people still listen to and get joy from today, all these years later, art that lasts for a reason -- I felt that, man. So true. Thank you for saying it, and yes -- thank you to all these phenomenal musicians and amazing artists/bands for the gifts they gave (and continue to give) to us.
We were lucky to grow up in the 60's, 70's and 80's with such amazing music! Thanks, Chod, for letting us re-experience the first time we all heard SRV, Zeppelin, YES, Janis Joplin, the Carpenters, AC/DC, ELO...seeing your facial expressions, you get it! Makes me sad to hear young kids say they've never heard of these artists or their music, because they are really missing out! As a reactor, you're doing a valuable thing by putting this out there, and I hope others are getting turned on to the magic of that era of music through your channel. Keep going!
Thanks for doing this. I listened to SO much ELO. A few notes and the whole song comes back into my brain. I second the requests for “Mr Blue Sky”. It’s plain happy. Like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
You don’t know what it means to me and other Baby Boomers to see young people appreciate the music that meant everything to us. I saw ELO in concert way back in the day and I wore those vinyl records out. Thank you, Chod, for your serious and thoughtful approach!
The reason you are rapidly becoming my favorite music reactor is because of the genuine appreciation and respect you show to the musicians from our childhood and adolescence! It is obvious you are a musician and that you have great love for great music - it shines through with your every reaction! You did ask for reaction suggestions, so here are a few for you! From ELO look for Mr. Blue Sky and Roll Over Beethoven! American Woman from the Guess Who, Psycho Killer off of Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads, Someday Never Comes from CCR and Winds of Change from The Scorpions! Rock on - we are lucky to have your reactions!!
The Diary of Horace wimp! Everyone forgets about this one 😊Telephone line is my most favourite one of E.L.O songs ! .So many others .Do ya ,Rockaria, Sweet is the night, Sweet talking woman,Living thing,Last train to London, confusion are just a few more !!😊
Thinking back, Music was always playing. Whether working on cars, engines, sports practices, playing frisbee, we did live it. But I am hearing it in a more appreciative way now. 👍⭐️😎Great Channel ! If you were around back then, you’d be hanging with us !
Elo's A new world's recoding is a pretty great album from start to finish. I noticed your facial expressions and appreciate the love you have for new music.
Great choice, and always nice to hear how the music from years ago is appreciated. Growing up in the 70s I didn't appreciate some of the bands, such as ELO, as I was into more of the "rock" music at the time. Gradually (and especially since listening 'with new ears' to various reactors on TH-cam), I have developed huge appreciation and amazement for the artists of the period. Kudos!
So much music I remember hearing when out with friends on the weekend away from school. The concerts we enjoyed. The passion, raw talent, und versatility hearing Rock music legends playing most every known musical instrument that can be imagined und telling a story worthy to be remembered. So many different forms of Rock music I grew up listening will always cause me to LOVE it so. Such passion und love for music the artists exhibited then will possibly never exist again. :-)
ELO has always been a favorite of mine and I am heartened to see the reactions of the people hearing it for the first time...bringing a sense of shared nostalgic euphoria as we (who 'know' the song) anticipate your reactions to the song being reviewed -- And Lynne's ability to 'orchestrate' Telephone Line is no exception :) I love it! The reactions I have reviewed on this song, though, seem to focus more on ELO's many other talents (e.g. their 'sound'). One person described the song as "joyful," which to me, with this song, misses the intent of the song, especially in its structure in my opinion. Lynne expertly develops tone and mood that is reminiscent of Greek plays. I haven't seen a full discussion of the lyrics in this song, so I thought I'd throw in my personal take/analysis/argument that the lyrics in this song and how Lynne composed and expertly captured that heart-wrenching cathartic moment: the universal theme of irrational anguish and despair we, the Audience, may have experienced in a "bad break-up"-- especially if you were the one who "didn't want to let go." Some, like this character, would rather live in the "twilight" of what was, than face the reality of loss, hence--as long as the phone keeps ringing, there's a chance...which would be Tragic in these respects. So, in my opinion, the song is actually a very poignant 'ballad' about a universal theme: heartbreak...at its most critical moment. And yes, 'I've been there, too.' Like a play, the song's story is composed into parts (or Acts 2? or 3?) with a Speaker/Lynne and a Chorus (the women in the background lyrics). Like a Greek play, the Chorus/women vocals insert their opinions/predictions, etc. about what the Speaker/Lynne is doing (they are the voice of Reason that we don't want to listen to). Act I: Exposition: Past?: Pre-answering machine era. Payphone? Speaker: Unknown person on a telephone with an 'Operator' attempting a call to his or her partner--who isn't answering. Break up established. (Desperate: Denial Stage). The Chorus (the Speaker's attempt Reason but the Speaker has chosen Irrationality. (Caesura) The "Doo-Wop" ditty provides "comedic relief" to the Audience and defends the Speaker's rationale because admitting it's over will only bring on more "dark nights" Act II: The Speaker begins to acknowledge that the relationship is over (as the Chorus tries to console again). But the allure of blind hope is too strong and 'safe' to leave and the Speaker elects to stay in the limbo of "twilight." (Caesura) End: Cliffhanger? Will they pick up the phone??? Ironic tragedy: Denial vs. Acceptance
ELO _is_ Jeff Lynne. You will have to listen to: * his earliest work with the Idle Race in the late sixties (Yes! He's from just about the same time period as the Beatles!), * his work with the huge mid sixties-early seventies band The Move (my recommendations would be songs like What? and Open Up Said The World At The Door), which evolved into * early ELO (Kuiama, 10538 Overture), and then * "classic" ELO, where you have to hear at least a song or two from every album between 1972 and 1986, and _don't_ miss the three 80es albums, especially Time, which, like Eldorado and Out Of The Blue, really has to be heard beginning-to-end, * Jeff's "solo" albums, beginning with the album Armchair Theatre, also Long Wave, * his work with George Harrison (do Got My Mind Set On You), which lead to the * supergroup Traveling Wilburys (You have done them, do more!), and to * the finishing of two Beatles songs by Lennon, and - finally! - to his work in this century, starting with the album * Zoom (pick any song at random, all great, all horribly underrated and underappreciated), and then - gasp - the most recent Jeff Lynne's ELO albums: * Alone In The Universe and * From Out Of Nowhere. When you have listened to all of that, you will be utterly flabbergasted, overwhelmed and mind blown to near-insanity, and begin to understand just how incredibly talented, varied and versatile Jeff Lynne and his music is. No vocabulary of any language has adequate superlatives to describe his genius. One could listen to only JL music for a lifetime, and never feel the need for any other music. I hope I don't sound too much like a fan...
A perfect example of why the 70's were the best for so many of us. Listen to song live from Wembley. It would be from a couple years ago and it sounds the same or better. Amazing. I loved watching the fans in that video too.
I’m a big ELO fan I love all their music! I am also a huge fan of The Alan Parsons Project! If you like Pink Floyd please check out The Alan Parsons Project. Alan engineered the Darkside Of The Moon album. They are best known song is Sirius/ Eye In The Sky. I would also recommend I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You, Breakdown, Don’t Answer Me and Time.🤗
Very well said! Love your appreciation! Jeff Lynne/ELO has/have made some of the most beautiful, and also creatively interesting music of all time. A few other suggestions if i may. So Fine, which has a very cool jazz break in the middle. Secret Messages, which was a fun push back against ridiculous accusations of Satanic messaging (ludicrous lol) Sweet is the Night, a gorgeous tune. When i Was a Boy, a recent tune from Jeff which is unbelievably heartwarming! Thanks for your impassioned efforts! 💕
In 1996, the remaining members of the Beatles (Paul, George & Ringo) picked Jeff Lynn (ELO's lead singer) to produce two songs for the documentary called The Beatles, an 11 part documentary. They picked Jeff because, of all the artists who came after the Beatles broke up, they believed Jeff's band, ELO, captured the spirit of the Beatles in their music more than any other musical act. They released both songs as singles. One of them, called Free As A Bird became the 21st #1 hit for the group in the USA in 1997, 27 years after they broke up! They used an old original recording of John Lennon for the lead vocals which was given to them by John's widow, Yoko Ono. It came from John's personal recordings from his home recording studio! The second release, Real Love, also with John on lead vocals, just missed the top 20 on the chart and became the last chart record listed under the Beatles.
@WILBURN REACTIONS I do appreciate your comments as a fellow musician! Growing up as a kid in the late 70's & early 80's we were blessed to have such great music back then and we always thought that this would last. Sadly there isn't anybody like them today. How impressive are they? John Lennon loved the group !
Hi Chod, the Bands from way back were as a whole Craftsmen, like other Trades Plumbers, Carpenters, Electricians, they had done their Apprenticeships, hours practicing with their Instruments and honing song writing an arranging, plus their were some very talented Producers and Studio Engineers, unlike today with most things being done with a click of a mouse.
Nice tribute you have gave artists. In the case of ELO, it helps when you have a genius like Jeff Lynne at the helm. The next song on your list should be Mr. Blue Sky.
Jeff Lynne's ELO - Telephone Line (Live at Wembley Stadium it is just magic. Do you know who Mr blue sky is? In this song the USA dial tone sound effect was used and not the UK one.
These guys made MUSIC because they didn't have computers that made it for them. They didn't have machines that made up for not so great voices. That's why us older folks are on the internet searching out these memories. Thanks to people like you reacting to the music, younger people are discovering their music. That's why 50 years later, Jeff Lynne's ELO can sell out arenas all over Europe and the US playing these treasures.
Jeff Lynne is a genius. He has produced many other artists over the years and was a member if the "Super Group" The Travelling Willburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison (Beatles) and Roy Orbison who has one of the most soothing (yet strong) voices I've heard.
I saw them in New Haven, CT when they were doing their FLYING SAUCER TOUR, they had an actual half of a saucer, but unfortunately it wouldn't fit in the Colosseum. It didn't stop making it one of the best concerts I ever saw!!
The very first LP record I bought was ELO's Out Of The Blue double album. I was 15 years old at the time, skinny, wearing glasses (as I do now) and looked docile. Two older guys picked on me as I walked back to my bike. But right then, I was county under-16 mile, 1,500m and cross-country champion, I boxed featherweight and was 3rd kyu (brown belt in Shotokan) in Wado Ryu Karate. And I had been bullied since primary school (UK for kindergarten), and was used to sticking up for myself. I put the precious album behind me. I flicked the cackling acolyte hard on the nose first (you'd be surprised how effective that it, but it's almost like pepper spray) and swiftly kicked him hard in the nuts. He was out of the picture. So I turned to the "tough guy" who didn't look quite so confident now his acolyte was writhing on the floor in agony. He swung a right at me, but I swayed to the right and launched a short, fast (front lunge punch) to the angle of his jaw. He dropped like a bag of rocks, his eyes rolling up. I sighed, picked up my precious album, undamaged, walked to my bike and rode home. Thankfully, once I hit 25, idiots stopped picking on me as I stopped being a skinny runner and worked on upper body strength as well as lower body strength. I do sometimes get in some fights (when I think a bigger kid is bullying a smaller kid), but they don't last long, because I'm now fully confident in myself. Thank you, ELO, you gave me full self-confidence!
I wonder if Jeff is watching these reactions, he'd be happy to hear your comments. Just in case thank you very much Mr. Lynne for providing such a great soundtrack for our lives!
I remember when a phone call is ALL you had to reach out… NO TEXT!!! Would sit next to the phone in the kitchen waiting to ring!! This song is sad 😭 It brought back memories. I cried. Thank you!
Speaking of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", you might want to check out that band some day too. They did do a few great hits, like "Lucrecia McEvil", "Spinning Wheel", "Hide De Ho" and several others. That was a band that had it's own particular sound you would likely enjoy listening to.
There's not a duff track on 'A New World Record' - wore out the cassette back in the day. A quick search tells me that very few have reacted to the album closer, 'Shangri-La'. It has kind of the same feel as 'Telephone Line' but the end will send shivers down your spine.
All the music you're listening to and 'gathering' in your head is how you will become one of those people who can write/play/incorporate all these very different/disparate elements and create something new yourself. You're teaching yourself language--musical phrasing and terminology--learning how to listen. Your mind will just start throwing those things out to you sometimes now. An idea--a little 'blurb' of sound or pitch. Let yourself grab that opportunity and play around with it. JUST have fun at the beginning, when you're discovering and getting the sounds and the technique under your belt. Improvise a bit, on any idea that pops up in your head. And I'll tell you the truth--if you can get some kind of keyboard instrument, you can learn the basics in under 20 mins. Really 'fancy' playing will take work, but the basics are way more accessible than you think. I have the piano sheet music to this tune but had never played it until a couple months ago, and it's actually just a handful of pretty straightforward chords. You could play this on the piano for your wife--let her hear it that way, in addition to the recording. I'm very serious--as a drummer who's played in ensembles, a good amount of the basic work is already done. I don't teach anymore but i miss it, and i'm doing crap-all-else with my life presently--but if it's something you have a 'secret hope' to be able to do, I could make a short video showing you the basics. I need to get my brain active anyway, and you've shared a lot of your time with your viewers. It would be fun to be able to give something back, to repay you in a sense, and give you help on your goals. If you're happy, you give your best content, so it's a win for everybody :)
@Wilburn Reactions.......... (a perspective): There's no real secret to the kind of music created by songwriters artists and performers in that short window of the 1970's. It was very simple, they borrowed from musical styles and genres that had gone before from every genre including classical and traditional ethnic folk, blues and reggae, jazz, big band swing and pop, to country and soul. Artists reinvented older styles, incorporated and improvised on them. Then they amped them in most cases. It was always rooted in the familiar but with a new beat or form. They 'reacted' as YOU react to a sound you haven't heard before that exited their personal taste. The very real risk was that the competition to survive was fierce so the music had to come first. Many many groups failed and only the few hardy ones survived and thrived. That is the canon of the '70's. Much of the music of the '70's was a response or a reaction to the changing times and rarely if ever about self esteem or narcissistic self indulgence. It was both inward looking and outward but 8 times out of 10, something you could dance to with your girlfriend. To be brutally honest the art form has become a self promotional, naval gazing celebrity hype fest and it's not that '70's musicians didn't look to fame but they knew and honed their craft, they collaborated and created purely for the music and their fans. Apart from a few rebirths and improvisations here and there over the past 4 decades, much of that early 'borrowing' was disavowed and or completely rejected as a means of music making. Socialogically, the '70's musicians and songwriters loved the old cats that broke ground before them. The 'cult of youth' of the past 40 years has no such love. Theirs is built on their own limited vocabulary and the music suffered as a consequence in my view. Led Zep are basically a folk/blues/R&B band...Deep Purple incorporated improvised phrases by Bach and other classical music sounds into their music. Neil Young borrowed heavily from Ned Miller and Hank Williams and ELO from early 60's skiffle, 50's bebop and later Beatles psychedelic sounds. When music is about celebrity, (as it has been for over 20years) the music takes a back seat. Sampling is just copying and lazy as well. To me that is why musical creation is just another victim of dumbing down, sadly, like our education system, even though the occasional artist creates something new, they are and have been few and far between. I can't help but think the process is deliberate as more and more artists (and whole communities in general) take the easy road of conformity.
Love this song, ELO sounds even better live, amazing light shows. Please check out Tedeschi, Trucks band (MIDNIGHT IN HARLEM ) OR Joe Bonamassa, (I'LL PLAY THE BLUES FOR YOU ) ORGANS, HORNS, VOCALS . Thanks Chod
People didn't have phones glued to them everywhere. Then, it was bad when you couldn't talk to family or friends everywhere you went. It was also good because you couldn't talk to family or friends everywhere you went.
Not sure what other ELO songs you've reacted to- but Showdown, Rockaria, Fire on High, Evil Woman are favorites. You should also check out Jeff Lynne , Tom Petty and Prince singing at the Rock and ROll Hall of Fame induction of George Harrison. Their version of WHile My Guitar Gently Weeps is AMAZING!
Love Jeff Lynne's voice; you can hear the Beatles influence. So glad you are hearing and appreciating the great music from back then, when I was young. Great reaction and comments.
A lot of people and critics said that ELO was what the Beatles would have sounded like in the 70s (the decade they rose to prominence).
Strange Magic, Can't Get it Out of My Head, Evil Woman, Mr. Blue Sky, Livin' Thing
In a class of their own......ELO are Dope!!!! Jeff Lynn the leader and composer is a Genius!!! "Mr Blue Sky" by ELO is a masterpiece.
Well put, ELO are indeed in a class of their own. Incredible music!
@@davemitchell6990 And honestly being in the 60's and 70's I love this music ...knew we were creating something bigger than ourselves......now seeing what we created and having it appreciated makes all the struggles like Honey.
@Coastal Co That what "Dope" means "Great" What are you from the 14th century //// Keep Up with the Times!!!!
@Coastal Co Because Black folk reinvented the English language for our own expression.....The word Dope meaning great has been around in the hood and songs since the 90's...Bruh.......where are you from?
Oh yeah Yello why would they had it going on they had it going on they did they did I love the Traveling Wilburys 2
The 70's was totally the finest era for Rock-n-Roll and R&B.
Mr. Blue Sky by ELO is almost impossible to listen to while sitting still with a straight face. It’s such an upbeat and fun song.
The bass riff carries you right down the happy path, don't it? 😁
Vinz! How’s things with you and the Gatekeeper? 😉
But yeah, Mr. Blue Sky is almost jarringly joyful given the contrast with reality right now... and a favorite of our household teenagers.
FACTS. 👍🏻
Our daughter and now son-in-law walked into their wedding reception to Mr. blue Sky. It was a great pick. Elo s awesome. Love jeff Lynne.
I have long felt incredibly lucky to have grown up when I did. I was 16 in 1977. It was truly a unique time for music. It was a time before the corporate masters put their fingers into everything and made it all so fucking insipid as to be unlistenable. Imagine a high school party in 1978 or 79 with a couple of hundred kids there singing at the top of their lungs ... ELO or Styx or Led Zepplin or Queen or AC/DC or too many other great bands to keep listing. I know that music is important to every generation and that we all glom onto what we were hearing at that age. But to have been at that age, when THIS sort of music was around is and forever will be special. No disrespect to the 80s or 90s and beyond but most of their music was just bleh ... sure there were quite a few great bands in those times and I love lots from those periods but NOTHING COMPARES to the sheer amount of greatness that we had in the 70s. So so so many GREAT bands and GREAT songs. We were so lucky.
No disrespect to your opinion but 80's music was not "bleh" ! As for the 90's???? I agree!...Hee Hee!
I was also born in 1961 and truer words were never spoken. I respect the 60's music, I give credit to the 80's for trying but the 70's were so eclectic, diverse and universal that we were bathed in talent from them.
Hey, Donald - me, too - when I was in HS, my best friend and I were totally obsessed with Queen -- but being in midwest, most of the kids in our class thought that we were "weird" and this group Queen.. well, also just weird... when Robyn & I got to see them in Kalamazoo, MI (long story, we almost "ran away" but her Mom relented and went with us) -- anyway, I guess I'm just rambling to say - Yep, I'm just about you... I turned 60 in August 2020 - so... (I can't help but say, though -- that all those dumb-ass kids in HS who mocked us for liking Queen... totally missed the bus.. and probably some have seen the "Bohemian Rhapsody" movie.. or if not, have certainly experienced the fact that Queen songs from forty-f'in years ago are still pretty popular... ) -lol
Yes, they were GREAT bands & GREAT songs! Have to laugh at your description of a hundred kids singing so loud! We did the same! lol Lots of air guitars & air drums going on too! lol The neighbors were SO happy! NOT! lol My first concert was Led Zeppelin, at 15yrs old! SO FUN! Back then, if a band was feeling good, they just kept playing, as Zeppelin did the night I saw them. NO cell phones etc, we just EMBRACED the moment & had fun enjoying the music! I remember people were handing Robert Plant bottles of wine, and other lets say,smokable things! lol It was just like a big huge party! They played about an hour & a half OVER the time they were supposed to, & we were thrilled! lol Had a lot of explaining to our parents when we got home though! :)
That whole album is amazing!
*~ You're right, Chod ~ the time and dedication spent in writing, composing, crafting, practicing, rehearsing, mastering, producing, performing...the degree of focused work, energy and diligence ~
(Many famous musicians / performers have voiced how they are always working with very little time off). Appreciate your channel ~!!! ~ BEST ~*
ELO is very special, for sure! My gosh back then there were lots of outstanding bands! Steely Dan, Bob Segar, Fleetwood Mac, Lynard Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart just to name a few!!! Lol "All over the world" Is such a great one by ELO. I absolutely love your channel! You Appreciating so much the music we have always loved is such a pleasure to see! 😊❤🍀
You are spot on! This is music! This is great music, composed by great writers played by great musicians! Seventies is the greatest decade in popular music history!
"Seventies is the greatest decade in popular music history!"...Martin, you got that right!!!
Jeff Lynne is a living legend. Writes the songs, puts together the arrangements, produces the albums. Produces for other artists and still sings so amazingly well in his 70’s.
If you havent done it yet, youd love ELOs "Evil Woman, its a GREAT song! Thx for the music/ reactions!
Jeff Lynn, Bev Bevin, and Roy Wood and the rest of ELO would appreciate you loving their work! React to ELO’s “10538 Overture” the remastered.
Evil Woman and Mr. Blue Sky are two great ELO songs.
Those of us who were truly fortunate enough to enjoy this music when it was first produced, appreciate seeing you and your generation discovering and enjoying this music. Thanks for bringing me back to the music that I have held on to for so long.
Great analysis Chod! You need to hear these three - “Livin Thing”, “showdown”, and “Last Train to London.” All show additional depth to their music
Well done Wilburn, a time to speak and a time to listen.
Chod, you'll love their "Living Thing", "Do Ya" and "Strange Magic"!! Edit- Funny you mentioned Blood, Sweat & Tears. Great band, if you love horns try their "Spinning Wheel"
Absolutely love this song, ELO has always been one of my favorite bands. Ur so funny. ✌
Yes! This is one of ELO's very best. Jeff Lynne was a genius at crafting great pop songs. He knows how to combine the elements of song structure, melody, harmonies, hooks and then give it the perfect production. ELO is right up there with the Bee Gees. Check out Rockaria, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Boy Blue and Poker for some more great ELO.
The first song I heard from them was "Sweet Talking Woman", my sister had the 45 and the color was purple and not the standard color.
I will never get tired of listening to this song and there is so much music out there to discover still. I love everything about this song, orchestration, theme, the vocals especially Jeff Lynne's and was great to see your smiling appreciation of it :-)
good for you man, you are reacting to some quality sounds, and Elo are a quality band.
I absolutely love ELO. Their music is so unique that it deserves its own category because no one sounds like them at all !! There are so many to recommend like “ Mr Blue Sky”, “ Rock N Roll is King”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Livin Thing”, “Shine a Little Love”, “Showdown”, “Do Ya”, “ Can’t get it out of my Head”....I could keep going ....I saw them in concert a few years back and it was one of the best concerts I have ever been to....
What you said about the work these artists put in, how we should thank them for the music they put into the world that people still listen to and get joy from today, all these years later, art that lasts for a reason -- I felt that, man. So true. Thank you for saying it, and yes -- thank you to all these phenomenal musicians and amazing artists/bands for the gifts they gave (and continue to give) to us.
We were lucky to grow up in the 60's, 70's and 80's with such amazing music! Thanks, Chod, for letting us re-experience the first time we all heard SRV, Zeppelin, YES, Janis Joplin, the Carpenters, AC/DC, ELO...seeing your facial expressions, you get it! Makes me sad to hear young kids say they've never heard of these artists or their music, because they are really missing out! As a reactor, you're doing a valuable thing by putting this out there, and I hope others are getting turned on to the magic of that era of music through your channel. Keep going!
Musicians did work harder back in those days, in fine-crafting a sound and a vibe that reflected the mood of the day. I remember those exciting times.
It is a Humbling experience for All of us!!! To know the hours of creativity.....just blows all of our minds!!!!! It just does!!!!
IMO one if the most beautiful rock love songs ever.
Thanks for doing this. I listened to SO much ELO. A few notes and the whole song comes back into my brain.
I second the requests for “Mr Blue Sky”. It’s plain happy. Like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
You don’t know what it means to me and other Baby Boomers to see young people appreciate the music that meant everything to us. I saw ELO in concert way back in the day and I wore those vinyl records out. Thank you, Chod, for your serious and thoughtful approach!
The last 50 or so years of digging in the past for musical gems is a worthwhile adventure.
Last 60+ years has gems - can't forget the 50s and 60s.
The reason you are rapidly becoming my favorite music reactor is because of the genuine appreciation and respect you show to the musicians from our childhood and adolescence! It is obvious you are a musician and that you have great love for great music - it shines through with your every reaction! You did ask for reaction suggestions, so here are a few for you! From ELO look for Mr. Blue Sky and Roll Over Beethoven! American Woman from the Guess Who, Psycho Killer off of Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads, Someday Never Comes from CCR and Winds of Change from The Scorpions! Rock on - we are lucky to have your reactions!!
My favorite band, ever. More, more, more!
This one, live at Wemberly Stadium is the BOMB....BOOM
The Diary of Horace wimp! Everyone forgets about this one 😊Telephone line is my most favourite one of E.L.O songs ! .So many others .Do ya ,Rockaria, Sweet is the night, Sweet talking woman,Living thing,Last train to London, confusion are just a few more !!😊
Thinking back, Music was always playing. Whether working on cars, engines, sports practices, playing frisbee, we did live it. But I am hearing it in a more appreciative way now. 👍⭐️😎Great Channel ! If you were around back then, you’d be hanging with us !
Elo's A new world's recoding is a pretty great album from start to finish. I noticed your facial expressions and appreciate the love you have for new music.
Great choice, and always nice to hear how the music from years ago is appreciated. Growing up in the 70s I didn't appreciate some of the bands, such as ELO, as I was into more of the "rock" music at the time. Gradually (and especially since listening 'with new ears' to various reactors on TH-cam), I have developed huge appreciation and amazement for the artists of the period. Kudos!
Go back to their album "On the Third Day" and listen to "Showdown" - it is one of the songs that shows you another different element. Great song.
The best version is live at Wembley.
Chod… you must see them live. I’ve been to hundreds of concerts and they were easily in my top 3. INCREDIBLE!
Another great song from this album is "So Fine." I remember having this on 8-track and riding around listening to it in my car.
Good choice. More ELO please. Rockaria maybe.
It's just perfect, happy music. I used to play this for my kids who were born in the late 80s mid 90s... they would stop fussing and sing. Love em.
ELO were magical. Like nothing before or since.
So much music I remember hearing when out with friends on the weekend away from school.
The concerts we enjoyed. The passion, raw talent, und versatility hearing Rock music legends
playing most every known musical instrument that can be imagined und telling a story worthy
to be remembered. So many different forms of Rock music I grew up listening will always
cause me to LOVE it so.
Such passion und love for music the artists exhibited then will possibly never exist again. :-)
ELO has always been a favorite of mine and I am heartened to see the reactions of the people hearing it for the first time...bringing a sense of shared nostalgic euphoria as we (who 'know' the song) anticipate your reactions to the song being reviewed -- And Lynne's ability to 'orchestrate' Telephone Line is no exception :) I love it!
The reactions I have reviewed on this song, though, seem to focus more on ELO's many other talents (e.g. their 'sound'). One person described the song as "joyful," which to me, with this song, misses the intent of the song, especially in its structure in my opinion. Lynne expertly develops tone and mood that is reminiscent of Greek plays.
I haven't seen a full discussion of the lyrics in this song, so I thought I'd throw in my personal take/analysis/argument that the lyrics in this song and how Lynne composed and expertly captured that heart-wrenching cathartic moment: the universal theme of irrational anguish and despair we, the Audience, may have experienced in a "bad break-up"-- especially if you were the one who "didn't want to let go." Some, like this character, would rather live in the "twilight" of what was, than face the reality of loss, hence--as long as the phone keeps ringing, there's a chance...which would be Tragic in these respects.
So, in my opinion, the song is actually a very poignant 'ballad' about a universal theme: heartbreak...at its most critical moment. And yes, 'I've been there, too.'
Like a play, the song's story is composed into parts (or Acts 2? or 3?) with a Speaker/Lynne and a Chorus (the women in the background lyrics). Like a Greek play, the Chorus/women vocals insert their opinions/predictions, etc. about what the Speaker/Lynne is doing (they are the voice of Reason that we don't want to listen to).
Act I: Exposition: Past?: Pre-answering machine era. Payphone? Speaker: Unknown person on a telephone with an 'Operator' attempting a call to his or her partner--who isn't answering. Break up established. (Desperate: Denial Stage). The Chorus (the Speaker's attempt Reason but the Speaker has chosen Irrationality.
(Caesura) The "Doo-Wop" ditty provides "comedic relief" to the Audience and defends the Speaker's rationale because admitting it's over will only bring on more "dark nights"
Act II: The Speaker begins to acknowledge that the relationship is over (as the Chorus tries to console again). But the allure of blind hope is too strong and 'safe' to leave and the Speaker elects to stay in the limbo of "twilight." (Caesura) End: Cliffhanger? Will they pick up the phone??? Ironic tragedy: Denial vs. Acceptance
Thanks for reviewing this song! ELO was an awesome band from the seventies/eighties!
Mr. Blue Sky
ELO _is_ Jeff Lynne. You will have to listen to:
* his earliest work with the Idle Race in the late sixties (Yes! He's from just about the same time period as the Beatles!),
* his work with the huge mid sixties-early seventies band The Move (my recommendations would be songs like What? and Open Up Said The World At The Door), which evolved into
* early ELO (Kuiama, 10538 Overture), and then
* "classic" ELO, where you have to hear at least a song or two from every album between 1972 and 1986, and _don't_ miss the three 80es albums, especially Time, which, like Eldorado and Out Of The Blue, really has to be heard beginning-to-end,
* Jeff's "solo" albums, beginning with the album Armchair Theatre, also Long Wave,
* his work with George Harrison (do Got My Mind Set On You), which lead to the
* supergroup Traveling Wilburys (You have done them, do more!), and to
* the finishing of two Beatles songs by Lennon, and - finally! - to his work in this century, starting with the album
* Zoom (pick any song at random, all great, all horribly underrated and underappreciated), and then - gasp - the most recent Jeff Lynne's ELO albums:
* Alone In The Universe and
* From Out Of Nowhere.
When you have listened to all of that, you will be utterly flabbergasted, overwhelmed and mind blown to near-insanity, and begin to understand just how incredibly talented, varied and versatile Jeff Lynne and his music is. No vocabulary of any language has adequate superlatives to describe his genius. One could listen to only JL music for a lifetime, and never feel the need for any other music.
I hope I don't sound too much like a fan...
This whole album is incredible
Fell in love with this BAND back in highschool . Thanx man for taking me back there 😁
6.30 in and i know you love it... look at that smile ! First time watching your reaction. Listen to 'Across The Border', no-one else has !!
Zone of my favorite E.L.O. Songs which I used to sing along with back in the day!
A perfect example of why the 70's were the best for so many of us. Listen to song live from Wembley. It would be from a couple years ago and it sounds the same or better. Amazing. I loved watching the fans in that video too.
I’m a big ELO fan I love all their music! I am also a huge fan of The Alan Parsons Project! If you like Pink Floyd please check out The Alan Parsons Project. Alan engineered the Darkside Of The Moon album. They are best known song is Sirius/ Eye In The Sky. I would also recommend I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You, Breakdown, Don’t Answer Me and Time.🤗
Very well said! Love your appreciation! Jeff Lynne/ELO has/have made some of the most beautiful, and also creatively interesting music of all time. A few other suggestions if i may.
So Fine, which has a very cool jazz break in the middle.
Secret Messages, which was a fun push back against ridiculous accusations of Satanic messaging (ludicrous lol)
Sweet is the Night, a gorgeous tune.
When i Was a Boy, a recent tune from Jeff which is unbelievably heartwarming!
Thanks for your impassioned efforts! 💕
In 1996, the remaining members of the Beatles (Paul, George & Ringo) picked Jeff Lynn (ELO's lead singer) to produce two songs for the documentary called The Beatles, an 11 part documentary. They picked Jeff because, of all the artists who came after the Beatles broke up, they believed Jeff's band, ELO, captured the spirit of the Beatles in their music more than any other musical act. They released both songs as singles. One of them, called Free As A Bird became the 21st #1 hit for the group in the USA in 1997, 27 years after they broke up! They used an old original recording of John Lennon for the lead vocals which was given to them by John's widow, Yoko Ono. It came from John's personal recordings from his home recording studio! The second release, Real Love, also with John on lead vocals, just missed the top 20 on the chart and became the last chart record listed under the Beatles.
Well that and they he was a great music producer.
@WILBURN REACTIONS I do appreciate your comments as a fellow musician! Growing up as a kid in the late 70's & early 80's we were blessed to have such great music back then and we always thought that this would last. Sadly there isn't anybody like them today. How impressive are they? John Lennon loved the group !
Nicely stated. It's easy to tell that you are a true music lover. We appreciate that.
DO YA by ELO! It’s their banger, IMHO.
Fire On High is a must.
Absolutely
Hi Chod, the Bands from way back were as a whole Craftsmen, like other Trades Plumbers, Carpenters, Electricians, they had done their Apprenticeships, hours practicing with their Instruments and honing song writing an arranging, plus their were some very talented Producers and Studio Engineers, unlike today with most things being done with a click of a mouse.
Next should be mr blue sky then roll over Beethoven then Horace wimp ! Love that SMILE !
Nice tribute you have gave artists. In the case of ELO, it helps when you have a genius like Jeff Lynne at the helm. The next song on your list should be Mr. Blue Sky.
Jeff Lynne's ELO - Telephone Line (Live at Wembley Stadium it is just magic. Do you know who Mr blue sky is? In this song the USA dial tone sound effect was used and not the UK one.
Not the dial tone, but the ringing tone.
@@retiretravelexplore Too true.
Your reaction is great. Now you know how blessed we are... Awesome job my friend
ELO is definitely in my top 5 bands.
Brings me back to my youth. Thanks for enjoying.
These guys made MUSIC because they didn't have computers that made it for them. They didn't have machines that made up for not so great voices. That's why us older folks are on the internet searching out these memories. Thanks to people like you reacting to the music, younger people are discovering their music. That's why 50 years later, Jeff Lynne's ELO can sell out arenas all over Europe and the US playing these treasures.
We loved it, it was the best time in music!!
Jeff Lynne is a genius. He has produced many other artists over the years and was a member if the "Super Group" The Travelling Willburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison (Beatles) and Roy Orbison who has one of the most soothing (yet strong) voices I've heard.
great job for coming to the club enjoy your self good luck on your journey
I saw them in New Haven, CT when they were doing their FLYING SAUCER TOUR, they had an actual half of a saucer, but unfortunately it wouldn't fit in the Colosseum. It didn't stop making it one of the best concerts I ever saw!!
The very first LP record I bought was ELO's Out Of The Blue double album. I was 15 years old at the time, skinny, wearing glasses (as I do now) and looked docile. Two older guys picked on me as I walked back to my bike. But right then, I was county under-16 mile, 1,500m and cross-country champion, I boxed featherweight and was 3rd kyu (brown belt in Shotokan) in Wado Ryu Karate. And I had been bullied since primary school (UK for kindergarten), and was used to sticking up for myself.
I put the precious album behind me. I flicked the cackling acolyte hard on the nose first (you'd be surprised how effective that it, but it's almost like pepper spray) and swiftly kicked him hard in the nuts. He was out of the picture.
So I turned to the "tough guy" who didn't look quite so confident now his acolyte was writhing on the floor in agony. He swung a right at me, but I swayed to the right and launched a short, fast (front lunge punch) to the angle of his jaw. He dropped like a bag of rocks, his eyes rolling up. I sighed, picked up my precious album, undamaged, walked to my bike and rode home.
Thankfully, once I hit 25, idiots stopped picking on me as I stopped being a skinny runner and worked on upper body strength as well as lower body strength. I do sometimes get in some fights (when I think a bigger kid is bullying a smaller kid), but they don't last long, because I'm now fully confident in myself. Thank you, ELO, you gave me full self-confidence!
My favorite album when I was in 7th grade. Listen to Rockaria
You should react to Mr Blue Sky it’s such a fun song
Always loved ELO, this album is a masterpiece!
What a lovely thing to say, "now I gotta play this song for my wife".
I wonder if Jeff is watching these reactions, he'd be happy to hear your comments. Just in case thank you very much Mr. Lynne for providing such a great soundtrack for our lives!
I remember when a phone call is ALL you had to reach out… NO TEXT!!!
Would sit next to the phone in the kitchen waiting to ring!!
This song is sad 😭
It brought back memories.
I cried.
Thank you!
The live version at Wembley stadium is the best.
I remember when this song come out in 1976, and they still do it great.
Speaking of "Blood, Sweat and Tears", you might want to check out that band some day too. They did do a few great hits, like "Lucrecia McEvil", "Spinning Wheel", "Hide De Ho" and several others. That was a band that had it's own particular sound you would likely enjoy listening to.
My favorite band of all time….yeah I mean that. Of all time. They had it all.
Fire on High
Wilburn, you are correct the time and effort was incredible. Unfortunately today the artists don't have the same fortitude.
There's not a duff track on 'A New World Record' - wore out the cassette back in the day. A quick search tells me that very few have reacted to the album closer, 'Shangri-La'. It has kind of the same feel as 'Telephone Line' but the end will send shivers down your spine.
All the music you're listening to and 'gathering' in your head is how you will become one of those people who can write/play/incorporate all these very different/disparate elements and create something new yourself. You're teaching yourself language--musical phrasing and terminology--learning how to listen. Your mind will just start throwing those things out to you sometimes now. An idea--a little 'blurb' of sound or pitch. Let yourself grab that opportunity and play around with it. JUST have fun at the beginning, when you're discovering and getting the sounds and the technique under your belt. Improvise a bit, on any idea that pops up in your head.
And I'll tell you the truth--if you can get some kind of keyboard instrument, you can learn the basics in under 20 mins. Really 'fancy' playing will take work, but the basics are way more accessible than you think.
I have the piano sheet music to this tune but had never played it until a couple months ago, and it's actually just a handful of pretty straightforward chords. You could play this on the piano for your wife--let her hear it that way, in addition to the recording.
I'm very serious--as a drummer who's played in ensembles, a good amount of the basic work is already done.
I don't teach anymore but i miss it, and i'm doing crap-all-else with my life presently--but if it's something you have a 'secret hope' to be able to do, I could make a short video showing you the basics. I need to get my brain active anyway, and you've shared a lot of your time with your viewers. It would be fun to be able to give something back, to repay you in a sense, and give you help on your goals. If you're happy, you give your best content, so it's a win for everybody :)
@Wilburn Reactions.......... (a perspective): There's no real secret to the kind of music created by songwriters artists and performers in that short window of the 1970's. It was very simple, they borrowed from musical styles and genres that had gone before from every genre including classical and traditional ethnic folk, blues and reggae, jazz, big band swing and pop, to country and soul. Artists reinvented older styles, incorporated and improvised on them. Then they amped them in most cases.
It was always rooted in the familiar but with a new beat or form. They 'reacted' as YOU react to a sound you haven't heard before that exited their personal taste. The very real risk was that the competition to survive was fierce so the music had to come first. Many many groups failed and only the few hardy ones survived and thrived. That is the canon of the '70's.
Much of the music of the '70's was a response or a reaction to the changing times and rarely if ever about self esteem or narcissistic self indulgence. It was both inward looking and outward but 8 times out of 10, something you could dance to with your girlfriend. To be brutally honest the art form has become a self promotional, naval gazing celebrity hype fest and it's not that '70's musicians didn't look to fame but they knew and honed their craft, they collaborated and created purely for the music and their fans.
Apart from a few rebirths and improvisations here and there over the past 4 decades, much of that early 'borrowing' was disavowed and or completely rejected as a means of music making.
Socialogically, the '70's musicians and songwriters loved the old cats that broke ground before them. The 'cult of youth' of the past 40 years has no such love. Theirs is built on their own limited vocabulary and the music suffered as a consequence in my view.
Led Zep are basically a folk/blues/R&B band...Deep Purple incorporated improvised phrases by Bach and other classical music sounds into their music. Neil Young borrowed heavily from Ned Miller and Hank Williams and ELO from early 60's skiffle, 50's bebop and later Beatles psychedelic sounds.
When music is about celebrity, (as it has been for over 20years) the music takes a back seat. Sampling is just copying and lazy as well. To me that is why musical creation is just another victim of dumbing down, sadly, like our education system, even though the occasional artist creates something new, they are and have been few and far between. I can't help but think the process is deliberate as more and more artists (and whole communities in general) take the easy road of conformity.
Love this song, always reminds me of billy madison though 😂😂
You nailed it. Great reviews. Keep up the great work
Stange Magic!
Love this song, ELO sounds even better live, amazing light shows. Please check out Tedeschi, Trucks band (MIDNIGHT IN HARLEM ) OR Joe Bonamassa, (I'LL PLAY THE BLUES FOR YOU ) ORGANS, HORNS, VOCALS . Thanks Chod
Thank you Wilburn.
Your appreciation is a real gift!!
People didn't have phones glued to them everywhere. Then, it was bad when you couldn't talk to family or friends everywhere you went. It was also good because you couldn't talk to family or friends everywhere you went.
Not sure what other ELO songs you've reacted to- but Showdown, Rockaria, Fire on High, Evil Woman are favorites. You should also check out Jeff Lynne , Tom Petty and Prince singing at the Rock and ROll Hall of Fame induction of George Harrison. Their version of WHile My Guitar Gently Weeps is AMAZING!
Try their "Standing in the Rain" for a real eye-opener.
Lead singer Jeff Lynn is still doing it and we'll. One of the best voices then and now.