Electric Light Orchestra: On The Third Day (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Electric Light Orchestra On The Third Day (Remastered + Expanded) (1973)
On The Third Day (Remastered + Expanded)\n\nOriginally Released December 1973\nCD Edition Released January 1987 and June 1989.\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released September 12, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Expanded) Electric Light Orchestra's third album showed a marked advancement, with a fuller, more cohesive sound from the band as a whole and major improvements in Jeff Lynne's singing and songwriting. This is where the band took on its familiar sound, Lynne's voice suddenly showing an attractive expressiveness reminiscent of John Lennon in his early solo years, and also sporting a convincing white British soulful quality that was utterly lacking earlier. The group also plugged the holes that made its work seem so close to being ragged on those earlier records. "Showdown" and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (the latter featuring Marc Bolan on double lead guitar with Lynne) became AM radio fixtures while "Daybreaker" became a concert opener for the group and, along with "In the Hall of the Mountain King," kept the group's FM/art rock credentials in order. \n\n[ELO's third album -- now sporting its original U.K. cover image -- arrived in its remastered, audiophile version with a rich, subtle sound that captures not only the depth of the original master but also its finest nuances, so that you can practically hear the bowing on the strings for "Bluebird Is Dead," and the opening "Ocean Breakup" is loud enough to annoy your neighbors without much trouble or a big volume boost. And even the familiar AM radio material such as "Showdown," "Daybreaker," and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" get new life pumped into them with the presentation here -- what one really appreciates on this new edition is finally hearing the master presented full out, the way it was done in the studio originally. Lynne was immensely proud of what he and the band -- which went through some important personnel changes in the midst of recording this album -- accomplished, and one can now fully understand his reaction. This was progressive rock, but with a distinctly rock & roll edge and also elements of pop-soul that wasn't quite like anything else coming out of either the prog rock or soul fields as they existed then; indeed, it's easy to hear now in these tapes something of a spirit close to Lynne's Birmingham roots, coupled with the experimentation he picked up under the influence of the Beatles' records. He didn't have a Paul McCartney or a George Harrison, or even a George Martin to play off of and augment what he was doing, but as a one-man creative operation, the results are still impressive, and the outtakes only enhance the listening. The early versions of "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (titled "Auntie"), the alternate mix of "Dreaming of 4000" (designated "Mambo"), plus the previously unissued "Evereyone's Born to Die" -- which somehow makes this reviewer think of mid-'60s Bob Dylan amid its over-produced prog rock attributes -- and "Interludes" all let you in on different aspects of the creative process at work behind this album. The extensive annotation fills in the holes between it all in a very satisfying fashion.] -- Bruce Eder \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: ELO's sound came together here, hooked around rocked-up classics and Jeff Lynne's guitar. -- Bruce Eder\n\nCD Connection Review:\nIn some ways, 1973's ON THE THIRD DAY is the first "true" ELO album. Though co-founder Roy Wood had left the band to form the more experimental Wizzard after the first album, his influence was still all over 1972's ELO II, especially on the orchestrated cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." ON THE THIRD DAY, however, is pure Jeff Lynne, the first album completely devoted to his soon-to-be enormously successful blend of psychedelic-era Beatles and 19th-century classical music. The pristinely recorded results are ultra-melodic and incredibly lush, with ballads like "Bluebird Is Dead" and rockers like the hits "Showdown" and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle." The recurrent "Ocean Breakup" theme foreshadows the concerto-like elements of ELO's next record, ELDORADO, while the group's rockish rearrangement of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is the group's final attempt at Emerson, Lake & Palmer-like classical-rock fusion. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nUS re-release finally appears, September 26, 2006\nReviewer: Wayne Klein "wtdk" (Fairfield, CA United States)\nAlthough not quite up to the level of ELO's next album "El Dorado" "On the Third Day" proved to a huge jump forward for the band. When Roy Wood jumped ship from the band during the recording of the second album "ELO II" Jeff Lynne suddenly found himself the sole writing member of the band. The second album while quite good (and featuring their hit "Roll Over Beethoveen")featured long elaborate songs but it's clear that Lynne hadn't found his voice as a songwriter for the band quite yet. "On The Third Day" manages to integrate the long tracks with shorter rockers in a nice balance. \n\nWith "On the Third Day" he came back with his strongest batch of songs yet. There's still strong elements of prog here with songs such as "Ocean Break Up/King of the Universe" but there's also elements of Lynne's prowess as a pop songwriter on the R&B influenced "Showdown", the hard rocking "Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle" and a couple of solid ballads as well. The true find here though is the second song Lynne recorded with glitter rock star Marc Bolan on guitar (Bolan also appears on guitar for "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" and "Dreaming of 4000" with Bolan playing in unison with Lynne on lead for "Belle"). "Everyone's Born To Die" would have fit perfectly on the original album and is a terrific song. I'm surprised it took so long for it to finally appear on CD. We also get early versions of "Ma-Ma'Ma Belle" (two of them)the previously unreleased atmospheric "Interludes" and "Mambo" an alternate mix of "Dreaming of 4000" put together for this set. \n\nAs with the previous releases we get both brief contemporary humorous comments from Lynne ("for some people this album is a little obscure...for others more obscure")and comments from the time the album was released. There's also the usual photos and we get the original UK album cover finally restored to its rightful place (replacing Richard Avedon's bellybutton photo which is included on the inside cover), memorabilia photos and complete credits for the CD. A top notch remaster/re-release "On the Third Day" was worth the wait. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n"Do You Have John Lennon in a Can?", September 18, 2006\nReviewer: Thomas D. Ryan "American Hit Network" (New York)\nAmerican fans of Electric Light Orchestra might not even recognize this re-released album by its cover (I didn't), which now features the original English cover art instead of the black and white photograph that adorned the original American release. Those same fans ought to recognize the album's content, though. As the title implies, "On the Third Day" is E.L.O.'s third album, and the first to break the band open in America. It also begs the question, "Did Jeff Lynne have some type of megalomaniacal God complex?" The title speaks for itself, while the cover shows Lynne's head hovering above the earth like some type of omnipotent being, Add a song called "(I am) King of the Universe" into the mix and you have the makings for a few years of good therapy. \nThe real question, though, is where Lynne gets his chutzpah. In my opinion, "On the Third Day" sounds like canned John Lennon, both literally and figuratively. In the figurative sense, Jeff Lynne writes as though he's picking up the ball that Lennon allegedly dropped. Literally speaking, the production values suggest Lennon's "Mind Games," with too much compression. Lennon himself liked E.L.O., though, and I can understand why. He recognizes the gimmickry (backwards guitar, orchestration and synthesizer blends, not to mention the Beatle-esque chord changes on virtually everything) as something he originated, so it probably comforted him at a time when his own creativity was scattershot. In 1974, Lennon appeared on WNEW-FM to play a few songs and to promote his album "Walls and Bridges." Spinning songs with DJ Dennis Elsis, Lennon played "Showdown" from "On the Third Day," calling it a combination of Lou Christie's "Lightning Strikes" and Marvin Gaye's "Heard It through the Grapevine". He was being honest, and kind. Today, it sounds like a Danger Mouse mash-up of Gaye, Christie, and the Beatles - sort of a "Motown Mystery Tour." \nThere are plenty of other borrowed themes as well, but it works both ways. The full title for "Bluebird Is Dead" should have been "McCartney's 'Bluebird' Is Dead but Lennon's 'Strawberry Fields' Is Still Alive and Well." Elsewhere, Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" sounds like it provided aural inspiration for "Dreaming of 4000," while in reverse, the miserably insipid disco tune "Everlasting Love" (remember Carl Carlton?) seems lifted wholesale from "Daybreaker." Rod Stewart might also have some explaining to do. "Hot Legs" borrows generously from "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle," or maybe it's fodder for Foreigner's "Hot Blooded"? Damn, this is confusing... \nRegardless of who's zoomin' who, the album itself has an internal logic that helps it survive thirty some-odd years after its creation. The song structures and production techniques provide plenty of evidence that Jeff Lynne had a vision. Is he "King of the Universe"? I think not, but for a while, he was king of the turf that he leased from John Lennon. B+ Tom Ryan\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOrchestral grandeur, pure pop, and gritty "rawk" collide, September 14, 2006\nReviewer: Dr. Emil Shuffhausen (Central Gulf Coast)\nHERE IS THE NEWS \n\nEpic/Legacy continues its superb re-mastering/re-release program with the brilliant catalog of The Electric Light Orchestra by releasing 1973's ON THE THIRD DAY. The sonics here are spectacular; the graphics are much-improved; the liner notes by Jeff Lynne and ELO archivist extraordinnaire, Rob Caiger, are interesting; the bonus music is revelatory. \n\nON THE THIRD DAY is a thrill ride, a gutsy swing for the fences that connects on many levels. On this, ELO's third album, the vision that founders Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne originally had for the fusion of classical strings/arrangements with rock and roll begans to really take shape (though Wood had already departed midway through ELO's second album). The groundwork for the band's masterpiece follow-up album, ELDORADO, is well-laid here, as strings and electronics blend smoothly, rather than being in conflict. \n\nRichard Tandy, ELO's outstanding keyboardist, really comes into his own here. Mik Kaminski's violin work is also stellar. Jeff Lynne's vocals are in fine form, and Bev Bevan's drumming is primal and sublime--all at once. Michael de Albequerque, who was ELO's bassist/backing vocalist from ELO II through ELDORADO, also features prominently, contributing a robust sound. \n\nTHE SONGS \n\nOverall, the themes of Creation, life, and death are played out, particularly during the first half of the album. This is ELO's most "spiritually seeking" work, and appropriately, one of it's most experimental and progressive musical ventures as well. Here is a look at the songs: \n\nThe album opens with the intense drama of the instrumental "Ocean Breakup," which becomes a recurring theme...with skittering strings and droning synths, it is heavy and portentious, heralding the coming of "King of the Universe," a solemn-yet-hopeful hymn that starts as a ballad and builds into a crescendo of crashing drums and blaring symphonic blasts. \n\n"Bluebird Is Dead" is a ringer for a REVOLVER-era Beatles tune; Lynne's voice sometimes bears an uncanny resemblance to John Lennon's. Though it's a ballad, it packs a wallop with it's emotionally intense lyrics, vocals, and violin heroics...not to mention a backward guitar solo that pleasingly blows the mind. \n\nThe next track is a commentary on the pointlessness of ennui--a cynical look at jadedness, if you will: "Oh No Not Susan" is performed almost haphazardly as Jeff weezes his way through the sad lyrics. He mocks the song's title character and her attitude, casually spitting out a spontaneous f-bomb (the only recorded instance in the ELO catalog)--meant, presumably, not to be vulgar, but to display "Susan's" apathy and arrogance. \n\nThings pick up dramatically with the poppy, optimistic "New World Rising" which has some very stellar interplay between Tandy's keyboards and the string section. Lyrically, the song is a strong forerunner to ELO's later smash hit, "Mr. Blue Sky," and the arrangement here forecasts that as well. It's much more "proggy" though, with some pretty daring, spectacular playing, which then segues into the instrumental "Ocean Breakup (Reprise)," which brings the opening song cycle to a close. \n\nSo far, things are holding together strongly thematically--but, hold the phones, here comes...ELO doing Motown! With "Showdown," ELO steps right into Marvin Gaye territory with a funky, soulful original tune that invaded the pop charts and proved that when Jeff Lynne said "boogie," he wasn't just being facetious. It's a brilliant tune--one of the best ones the band has ever done, with Lynne's vocals strongly recalling "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," while de Albequerque's snaky bass lines, Bevan's rhythmic percussive artistry, and those smoldering strings laying down a hot foundation for a tale of love gone wrong. In the midst of it all, Jeff Lynne plucks an amazing guitar solo that stings and bites and leaves a mark...it's as bluesy and soulful as anything Stevie Ray Vaughn or Eric Clapton or BB King ever played. After hearing this track, John Lennon pronounced ELO the "son of the Beatles." \n\nAs great as "Showdown" is, it is somewhat of an anomaly among the rest of the tracks. With "Daybreaker," ELO moves back into the prog-pop arena with one of it's signature instrumental workouts--a thrilling synth/strings duel that is underlaid with some hot guitar and a propulsive chugging rhythm. \n\nNothing in ELO's earlier catalog would prepare you for the heavy riffage of the next song, "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle," which rattles the jaw and is liable to produce tappage in your toes or stompage in your feet. Lynne's close friend, Marc Bolan (of T Rex), plays uncredited guitar here, as he and Lynne tear through the notes like twin chainsaws--and the ELO string section matches the heaviness with some heavy sawing of it's own. You'd have to go back in Lynne's career to The Move with "Brontosaurus" to find anything quite so raucous, but even that classic tune doesn't swing with the pizazz of this one. \n\n"Dreaming of 4000" is solidly related to the earlier tunes from ON THE THIRD DAY, with it's spiritual theme, visionary lyrics, experimental prog arrangement, and daring, dexterous playing by all parties involved. Violinist Kaminski proves himself a worthy successor to maestro Wilf Gibson with his breathtaking bow work near the end of the song. \n\nAnd then there was "In the Hall of the Mountain King," a faithful-yet-fresh reworking of Grieg's classical masterpiece. The first time I heard ELO's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," I flipped. I had never heard anything like it before...I don't know that I've ever heard anything like it since. This instrumental epic lumbers like a locomotive, slowly picking up steam before it becomes a frenzy of orchestral fury, highlighted by Kaminski's almost gypsy-like violin theatrics which strongly recall The Who's "Baba O'Reilly" at points. Sonically and in mood, this ranks somewhere between "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Fire On High" in the ELO canon. In short, it never ceases to thrill and amaze. \n\nBONUS SONGS \n\nThe early versions of "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" and "Dreaming of 4000" are interesting to hear, but the main draw is the Lynne/Bolan piece, "Everyone's Born to Die" which combines the soulfulness of "Showdown" with the spirituality of "Dreaming of 4000" in a buzzing, Beatlesque ballad. It's an amazingly gripping song, which would have fit perfectly on the album in its original release, but makes a very, very welcome bonus here. The "Interludes" are a collection of the little bits of musical whimsy that connect many of the songs throughout, giving the album at least a loose thematic cohesion. \n\nAs mentioned before, the album graphics are restored to their original vision (goodbye to the Richard Avedon "bellybutton" cover) and the liner notes are highly enjoyable and informative. Special thanks to archivist Rob Caiger, Face the Music webmaster Ken Greenwell, and ELO Communications Queen/super fan Lynn Hoskins for all they did to make this historic and vital project possible. \n\nRECOMMENDATION \n\nFor sheer drama, ON THE THIRD DAY tops virtually anything ELO has ever produced. It's still a little uneven compared with some of their later work, but ELO was never more spirited than this daring album. Intense, brooding, longing, explosive, and visionary, it holds up extremely well today, more than 30 years later. \n\nIf all you know of ELO are the band's radio pop hits, you really need to check out ON THE THIRD DAY to see the soul, the seeking, the groundbreaking artistry and the courage that underlies all that the band has ever done. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe third try is a charm for E.L.O., September 29, 2005\nReviewer: Darth Kommissar (Las Vegas, NV (USA))\nINTRODUCTION: \nThe Electric Light Orchestra was one of the finest classic rock bands in all the land. Jeff Lynne's ability to combine pop rock and classical music stylings were nothing short of excellent, as his band demonstrated many a time. However, the beginning of the career for Lynne's band was a bit turbulent. Following the departure of co-frontman Roy Wood, Lynne was left on his own as the only frontman. He now had to find his own musical voice. His first album without Wood, while an excellent album, showed that Lynne still had a ways to go before finding a sound all his own. In 1973, E.L.O. released their third album, the appropriately-titled On The Third Day. Does Lynne find the group's voice here, or does the identity crisis continue? Keep reading, and find out! \n\nOVERVIEW: \nElectric Light Orchestra released On The Third Day in 1973. The album was produced by Jeff Lynne, and features the tracks Ocean Breakup, King Of The Universe, Bluebird Is Dead, Oh No Not Susan, New World Rising, Ocean Breakup Reprise, Showdown, Daybreaker, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle, Dreaming Of Four Thousand, and In The Hall Of The Mountain King. \n\nREVIEW: \nThey say the third time around is the charm. For Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra, that age-old saying is certainly true. It's on this album that Jeff Lynne really began to create a musical sound all his own for E.L.O. Similar to the Lynne/Wood sound of the old days, but at the same time totally and uniquely Lynne. Nine tracks grace the group's third effort, and not surprisingly, they are all excellent. Let's take a look at each of them. \n\n-SIDE A- \n\n-Ocean Breakup/King Of The Universe: This two-piece medley starts off the album, and rather excellently as usual. The Ocean Breakup piece which starts the album as a whole has that Baroque-flavored sound the Roy Wood incarnation of E.L.O. was known for. It does a great job getting things started. The latter of the two pieces in this medley, King Of The Universe, is a melodic pop tune featuring orchestral arrangements and the occasional electronic sound. It is very similar to 10358 Overture, the song that kicked off the band's debut, and that's a GOOD thing. \n\n-Bluebird Is Dead: This tune is melodic, Beatles-esque pop, but with the electronic touches thanks to keyboards and synthesizers, it's uniquely E.L.O. An entertaining number from start to finish. \n\n-Oh No Not Susan - Here we have a slow and melodic ballad of sorts. Well, as close as E.L.O. gets to doing what could be considered a ballad. Not surprisingly, the song flat out rocks. Jeff Lynne's voice is very well catered to slower, softer songs, and it shows here. An excellent tune that shows off the band's widely diverse side. \n\n-New World Rising/Ocean Breakup: As the title of the latter piece may have implied, this seems like a retread of the album's opening piece, but at the same time, it does manage to remain fresh all the way through. With new elements as well as all the best from the piece being "reprised", this is another solid tune. \n\n-Showdown: This is one of the two big hits the album spawned. With some of the finest violin and bass the band ever used, this song takes on a soul-influenced sound, which is very distinctly seventies. You've gotta love E.L.O. for all their little experiments, of which this is no exception. \n\n-SIDE B- \n\n-Daybreaker: This tune is an instrumental, and what an instrumental it is! The first twenty-five seconds make for a nice intro, and then the tune combines classic E.L.O. orchestration with what might be the best electronic-style sound arrangement they ever did. You've gotta hear this gem to appreciate it. Too bad it's so underrated. \n\n-Ma-Ma-Ma Belle: This is straight-up classic-style rock. Marc Bolan of T. Rex played guitar on this song (although he is uncredited in the album's liner notes.) The song became one of the band's most popular, and it's not hard to see why. \n\n-Dreaming Of Four Thousand: Essentially, this song brings together everything else the album does well - and brings it together in the finest ways imaginable. Straight-up rock, orchestral arrangement, electronic sounds from keyboards and synthesizers - this song has it all, and tons of musical diversity, as well. Everything you could ever want from E.L.O., this song has it. \n\n-In The Hall Of The Mountain King: Just when you thought E.L.O. couldn't do anything else on this album, what do they do? They serve up the DEFINITIVE version of this classical Edward Grieg piece. Words can't do this one justice. A better version of this tune never existed before this, hasn't existed since, and never will exist. The band did such a good job on this piece, it's a shame they didn't cover more classical music standards and work their magic on them. Oh, well. \n\nOVERALL: \nThis album RULES. Jeff Lynne is a musical mastermind, and if you need solid proof of that claim, look no further than this album. Though probably not the best place for newbies to the group, tried and true fans WILL NOT be disappointed with this album. Final verdict? If you're at all a fan of the group, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! \n\nEDITION NOTES: \nThis album was only released on CD once in America. And personally, I think the album could benefit from remastering and reissuing. The sound quality isn't terrible, but it could use some boosting. Likewise, it seems to be fading off store shelves, so reissuing treatment is really needed. Too bad it isn't likely to happen soon...\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nI hate to drag down the average customer review, but...., July 18, 2002\nReviewer: A music fan\nLet's face it, this is a nice little transitional record for ELO. It obviously has some high points. For instance, "Showdown" is the first really good ELO single, and "Dreaming of 4000" is just great. Also, "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" rocks and it is certainly a good song, even if it is somewhat derivative (of a Mott the Hoople song, I can't remember the name of it, though). \nThe first side suite is solid, but it pales when compared to what Lynne would accomplish on ELDORADO or even on the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" from OUT OF THE BLUE. "Bluebird is Dead" probably the best song from the suite. \n\nSo, over-all, this is a good, but not great record. But, hey, it was released only about 10 months after ELO II. Jeff and the boys would really hit their stride on the next album.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\non the third day is a great album, April 3, 2000\nReviewer: Stewart Stewson (denmark,ks.)\nThis is the 3rd release for E.L.O. . Jeff Lynne was just coming off ELO2 without friend Roy Wood and with this release it showed that he was doing just fine. The disc starts out with a conceptual work of "Ocean Breakup"/"King of the Universe" to the lovely "Bluebird is Dead", "Oh No Not Susan" if you listen really close you can here Jeff Lynne drop the F-bomb. The concept ends with "New World Rising"/"Ocean Breakup Reprise", this song resembles The Beatles one of Jeff's biggest influences. The big hit off this disc was the r&b sounding "Showdown" #53 in 1974. Side 2 begins with the minor hit #87 "Daybreaker" a great instrumental with some fine snyth playing from Richard Tandy. "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" should have been a top 10 hit but radio was'nt ready for this jarring rock song, great slide guitar by Jeff and tremendous cello work by Hugh McDowell and Mike Edwards. "Dreaming of 4000" is a great song, I heard this song on many a rock-religious radio shows in 1974. The cd finishes with ELO's own arrangment of "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" it starts out with spooky strings and great drumming by Bev Bevan, in the middle Mik Kaminski shines for about a 50 second violin solo. As a whole this disc flows with excellence. P.S. If you love early ELO try and find "B.B.C. Live" a 2 cd set worth having it has a lot of great stuff on it!\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJeff Lynne brings it all together!, February 8, 2000\nReviewer: Henry R. Kujawa ("The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ))\nIt would seem everything Jeff Lynne was trying to accomplish when he & Roy Wood concocted ELO finally came together on this album. Rock & classical instruments blend seamlessly, and Lynne's song are an even mix of uplifting and depressing. (Anyone ever notice how many sad songs Lynne has done over the years?) The first 4 tracks meld together with instrumental bridges to form one extended piece, "Ocean Breakup" (not unlike the later "Concerto For A Rainy Day") which describes 4 phases of a romantic break-up thru excitement, sadness & finally optimism. "Showdown" is sheer DRAMA, and one of most powerful mid-tempo songs ELO ever did. "Daybreaker" is a glorious instro, while "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" is a ROCKER which proves loud guitars & a string section can work together better than almost anything they ever recorded. "Dreaming Of 4000" makes a perfect climax as it seems to combine the styles of the rest of the album in one song! After covering Chuck Berry on ELO II, Lynne goes the other way and does a take on Grieg's "In The Hall Of The Mountain King". MAGNIFICENT! This must be a popular piece, as I've also seen it done by such diverse bands as Lawrence Welk, Rick Wakeman and local surf band The Mysterons! At this point, both Lynne & Wood were enjoying separate successes; but ELO's was only warming up!\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nVision of rock/classic fusion comes to fruition., March 27, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nOn this, ELO's third album, the vision that Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne originally had for the fusion of classical strings/arrangements with rock and roll begans to really take shape. The groundwork for the band's masterpiece follow-up album, ELDORADO, is well-laid here, as strings and electronics blend smoothly, rather than being in conflict. Richard Tandy, the band's outstanding keyboardist, really comes into his own here. Mik Kaminski's violin work is also stellar. Jeff Lynne's vocals are in fine form, particularly on the Marvin Gaye-influenced hit song, "Showdown." And how about the incredible guitar solo Jeff plays on that cut! Spiritual themes crop up throughout the album, particularly on "King of the Universe," "New World Rising" (a forerunner of "Mr. Blue Sky"), and "Dreaming of 4000." A jaw-rattling rocker, "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle," has become an all-time ELO concert favorite. If you ever wondered if strings could rock, check this one out. And, two of ELO's best instrumentals are also here: "Daybreaker," a lively, superb synth-rock hit (#87 in BILLBOARD), and the epic "In the Hall of the Mountain King." The first time I heard "In the Hall of the Mountain King," I flipped. I had never heard anything like it before...I don't know that I've ever heard anything like it since. For sheer drama, ON THE THIRD DAY ranks up there with anything ELO has ever produced. It's still a little uneven compared with some of their later work, but ELO was never more spirited than ON THE THIRD DAY.\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nElectric Light Orchestra: Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar); Mik Kaminski (violin); Mike Edwards (cello); Richard Tandy (piano, Moog synthesizers); Michael De Albuquerque (bass); Bev Bevan (drums).\n\nIn some ways, 1973's ON THE THIRD DAY is the first "true" ELO album. Though co-founder Roy Wood had left the band to form the more experimental Wizzard after the first album, his influence was still all over 1972's ELO II, especially on the orchestrated cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." ON THE THIRD DAY, however, is pure Jeff Lynne, the first album completely devoted to his soon-to-be enormously successful blend of psychedelic-era Beatles and 19th-century classical music. The pristinely recorded results are ultra-melodic and incredibly lush, with ballads like "Bluebird Is Dead" and rockers like the hits "Showdown" and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle." The recurrent "Ocean Breakup" theme foreshadows the concerto-like elements of ELO's next record, ELDORADO, while the group's rockish rearrangement of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is the group's final attempt at Emerson, Lake & Palmer-like classical-rock fusion.
This rock cd contains 14 tracks and runs 57min 36sec.
Freedb: bb0d7e0e
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