Guest
For their fifth album, Face the Music, which came out in September 1975, Electric Light Orchestra changed things up quite a bit. Band members were replaced, a new recording studio was chosen and, most importantly, the focus was put squarely on the songs as opposed to being a symphonic concept piece like its predecessor, 1974’s Eldorado. Yet the way Face the Music begins is certainly misleading, with the minute-and-a-half intro of “Fire on High” containing everything from a chanting church choir performing Handel’s “Messiah” to a backward message courtesy of drummer Bev Bevan, who declares, “The music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back.“ Along with similar uses of the technique sprinkled throughout Face the Music, these reversed snippets were clearly a shot at allegations that Eldorado's title track included backward Satanic messages. It’s no secret that the biggest influence on ELO frontman Jeff Lynne was the Beatles. He created the group with the purpose of filling the void left in the wake of the 1970 breakup of the Fab Four. But Lynne went in the opposite direction of his idols; he initially focused on the experimental elements the Beatles tried out on their later albums and then built a collection of songs that made for a more streamlined work deeper into the band’s career. “Fire on High,” despite a prog opening, quickly blossoms into a driving and sprawling shot of brilliance with frenetic acoustic and soaring electric guitars coupled with Bevan’s phenomenal drumming, which was featured more prominently in the mix this time. To open the record with something so distinct and insurmountable wasn’t so much a sign of things to come as it was an indication of the zigs and zags Face the Music makes during its 36 minutes. “Evil Woman” became ELO’s biggest hit to date, not-so-coincidentally referencing the Beatles’ “Fixing a Hole” in its first verse; “Strange Magic” -- a ballad that crept into the Top 20 -- followed. Among Face the Music's hidden gems is the third single, which didn't chart: the driving “Nightrider,” sung partially by new bassist Kelly Groutcutt, who would take lead on “Down Home Town” and “Poker.” And then there's closer “One Summer Dream,” which features uncredited backing vocals by girl-group songwriter Ellie Greenwich, and is the album's most Beatlesque cut, with production hinting at the work Lynne did with the new Beatles tracks “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” from the Anthology releases in the '90s. Jeff Lynne has handpicked Dhani Harrison, the son of his old friend George Harrison, to serve as the opening act on all dates on Lynne's ELO North American tour this summer. The two collaborated on the production of George's final album, 2002's Brainwashed, which was finished after the former Beatle's death the year before. He constructed the record from notes George had written. Lynne first worked with George in the '80s, first on his Cloud Nine comeback LP and then on the records they made in the Traveling Wilburys. Lynne and Dhani have previously shared stages at the Concert for George and at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where they performed a version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps“ that's best remembered for Prince's fiery closing solo. The upcoming 20-show tour by Jeff Lynne's ELO, which was announced last October, will begin June 20 at the Honda Center in Anaheim and conclude on Aug. 1 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The trek follows a smaller one Lynne made last summer -- the first time he had toured the U.S. in more than 30 years. Side one 1. Fire On High (5:30) 2. Waterfall (4:27) 3. Evil Woman (4:19) 4. Nightrider (4:23) Side two 5. Poker (3:31) 6. Strange Magic (4:29) (Lynne, Groucutt) 7. Down Home Town (3:54) 8. One Summer Dream (5:47) Bonus tracks on 2006 remaster: 9. Fire On High Intro (3:23) (early alternate mix)* 10. Evil Woman (4:00) (stripped down mix)* 11. Strange Magic (3:27) (US single edit) 12. Waterfall (4:15) (instrumental mix)* * Previously unreleased Line-up/Musicians - Jeff Lynne/lead & backing vocals, guitar, string arrangements, producer - Richard Tandy/piano, Moog, guitar, clavinet, string arrangements - Melvyn Gale/cello - Hugh McDowell/cello - Mik Kaminski/violin - Kelly Groucutt/bass, lead & backing vocals - Bev Bevan/drums, percussion, backing vocals With: - Louis Clark/string arrangements & conductor - “Brian's feet“/Brian's footsteps - Ellie Greenwich/uncredited vocals - Susan Collins/uncredited vocals - Nancy O'Neill/uncredited vocals - Margaret Raymond/uncredited vocals Releases information Artwork: Fred Valentine (photo) LP United Artists Records UA-LA546-G (1975, US) CD Epic - 982 648 2 (1991, UK ) CD Jet Records - ZK 57184 (1993, US) CD Legacy - 82796 94278 2 (2006, US) Remastered with 4 bonus tracks
