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Here are just a few of the fun facts to be picked up from the inner-sleeve credits on Out of the Blue, ELO's double-LP set: Jeff Lynne's Marshall amps are custom-made be Tony Frank; all ELO road cases are made by Anvil; no less than fourteen utilized in the creation of this work; engineer Mack "slaved over a hot mixer for 1127 hours." Here's my favorite, though: Bev Bevan uses Slingerland "Bev Bevan" drumsticks. One could say that ELO is more than a bit smitten with itself.
One could say it, and one would be right, though self-absorption is not any grounds for attacking a rock band; it's almost impossible to think of a band or an artist that isn't mainly ego. When one crosses over into self-indulgence, however, it's a different story completely. I didn't read the credits until after I had waded through the four sides of this totally uninteresting and horrifyingly sterile package. What I heard was a meticulously produced and performed set of songs, with subtle nods to the Beach Boys ("Across the Border" has a melodic passage identical to "Heroes & Villains"), the Bee Gees ("Starlight" and "Steppin' Out" both feature Jeff Lynne as Robin Gibb) and, of course, the Beatles (clearly Lynne's biggest influence). And without any noticeable passion or emotion. All method and no madness: perfectly hollow and bland rock Muzak. Solos are virtually nonexistent, which makes perfect sense because an individual statement by any one instrument would set the ELO ship jaggedly off course by injecting some heart into the proceedings. Group commander Jeff Lynne obviously is consumed by his vision of the totality of the ELO sound, floating slowly through the void.
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- Billy Altman, Rolling Stone, 1/12/78.
Bonus Reviews!
This versatile group's first double pocket LP with 17 cuts all tracked at Munich's Musicland Studios may be its quintessential statement. While the music is certainly an extension of its well identified fusion of rock and amplified classical elements it manages to go one step beyond without being overproduced. All kinds of special effects such as echo and delay devices and the speech altering Vocoder are employed in the mix of high energy rockers and lush, ethereal ballads which make it a truly spectacular, multi-track extravaganza. Mind boggling possibilities for both AM and FM programming. Best cuts: "Turn To Stone," "It's Over," "Night In The City," "Jungle," "Sweet Is The Night," "Wild West Hero," "Standin' In The Rain," "Summer And Lightning."
- Billboard, 1977.
Reputed to have taken well over a thousand hours to mix, Out of the Blue represents the pinnacle of high-production "orchestral/art rock." Four of the songs here even go to make up a complete rock "concerto." ELO went through many personnel changes but always had a mainstay of classically trained players through the 'seventies who helped provide the incisive string presence required by mainman Jeff Lynne behind many of his compositions. The sound throughout is a many stranded web of multitracked voices and sound effects while rock and classical instruments jostle for room -- Compact Disc is suited to sorting out the strands and layers of the complex sound picture. A graininess is sometimes evident from CD, no doubt due to the original pushing contemporary recording and noise reduction techniques to the limit.
Originally released as a double-LP set, Out of the Blue has turned up as a single CD offering full use of the Compact Disc's extended playing time. This is one of the longest playing rock CDs that is neither a compilation or CD special and shows that the medium can offer high value -- given the willingness on the part of the record companies.
- David Prakel, Rock 'n' Roll on Compact Disc, 1987.
An over-produced, overwrought piece of pop fluff masquerading as something important. * * *
- Bruce Eder, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.
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