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Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Title: Eldorado
Released: 1974.09.15
Label: Jet Records
Time: 38:42
Producer(s): Jeff Lynne
Appears with: Traveling Wilburys, Jeff Lynne
Category: Pop/rock
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Purchase date:  2001.04.21
Price in €: 10,99
Web address: www.elo.biz











 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Eldorado Overture (J.Lynne) - 2:12
[2] Can't Get It Out of My Head (J.Lynne) - 4:22
[3] Boy Blue (J.Lynne) - 5:17
[4] Laredo Tornado (J.Lynne) - 5:25
[5] Poor Boy (The Greenwood) (J.Lynne) - 2:56
[6] Mister Kingdom (J.Lynne) - 5:34
[7] Nobody's Child (J.Lynne) - 3:40
[8] Illusions in G Major (J.Lynne) - 2:36
[9] Eldorado (J.Lynne) - 5:20
[10] Eldorado Finale (J.Lynne) - 1:20

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


JEFF LYNNE - Guitar, Vocals, Moog, Backing Vocals, Arrangements
BEV BEVAN - Drums and Percussion
RICHARD TANDY - Piano, Moog, Guitar, Backing Vocals
MICHAEL DE ALBUQUERQUE - Bass
MIKE EDWARDS - Cello
HUGH MCDOWELL - Cello
MIK KAMINSKI - Violin

LOUIS CLARK - Orchestra conducted, Arrangements
RICHARD TANDY - Arrangements
PETER FORD-ROBERTSON - Prologue Spoken

DICK PLANT - Recording Engineer
MIKE PELA - Assistant Engineer
JOHN KEHE - Album Design
JOHN WILLIAMS - Art Direction
NORMAN SEEFF - Photographer

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1990 CD Jet ZK-35526
1990 CD Jet 35526
1990 CS Jet PZT-35526
1975 LP United Artists 339
1995 CD Jet 25526
1993 CD DCC 1041
1993 CD DCC 1041

Recorded at De Lane Lea Studios, London



This is the album where Jeff Lynne finally found the sound he'd wanted since co-founding ELO three years earlier. Up to this point, most of the group's music had been self-contained — Lynne, Richard Tandy, et al. providing whatever was needed, vocally or instrumentally, even if it meant overdubbing their work layer upon layer. Lynne saw the limitations of this process, however, and opted for the presence of an orchestra — it was only 30 pieces, but the result was a much richer musical palette than the group had ever had to work with, and their most ambitious and successful record up to that time. Indeed, Eldorado was strongly reminiscent in some ways of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not that it could ever have the same impact or be as distinctive, but it had its feet planted in so many richly melodic and varied musical traditions, yet made it all work in a rock context, that it did recall the Beatles classic. It was a very romantic work, especially on the opening "Eldorado Overture," which was steeped in a wistful 1920s/1930s notion of popular fantasy (embodied in movies and novels like James Hilton's Lost Horizon and Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge) about disillusioned seekers. It boasted Lynne's best single up to that time, "Can't Get It out of My Head," which most radio listeners could never get out of their respective heads, either. The integration of the orchestra would become even more thorough on future albums, but Eldorado was notable for mixing the band and orchestra (and a choir) in ways that did no violence to the best elements of both. The album has appeared on CD twice as of early 2001, from Sony Music, and from DCC in a gold-plated audiophile CD, with significantly better sound.

Bruce Eder - All-Music Guide



The Electric Light Orchestra has sometimes swamped itself in grandiose conceptions, and Eldorado (A Symphony) sounds like a prime opportunity to do it again. But thanks to strong original songs, Eldorado emerges as something of a triumph for the group. ELO has its own amplified string section and is augmented here by full orchestra and chorus. The orchestral interludes are not oppressive (except for the pompous prologue), and generally range from mildly pleasant to merely irrelevant. The heavy strings and choral backings, though not to my personal taste, serve as effective filters, enhancing the dreamlike atmosphere of composer Jeff Lynne's story line. The concept here is an updated "Miniver Cheevy" of sorts about your workaday dreamer longing for the stuff of legend. The tracks alternately depict Lynne's '74 Cheevy striving to escape his mundane existence, and dreaming heroic dreams. Nothing profound, but excellent grist for a strong suite of songs. Here Lynne shines -- the eight individual tracks represent the strongest, most varied set yet recorded by ELO. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" is an immediate favorite, vaguely suggestive of the Kinks, with a lush, irresistibly pretty melody. Other standouts include "Illusions in G Major," a skillful, power-packed Fifties-style rocker with intriguing lyrics; "Poor Boy," a robber ballad cleverly employing an uncanny John Wesley Harding soundalike vocal. "Mister Kingdom" pleasantly evokes the Beatles' "Across the Universe"; "Boy Blue" is an enjoyable, extremely simple rock number; and "Eldorado," though embarrasingly rotund in spots, is a tuneful Bee Gees-like ballad. As a concept album Eldorado is lyrically effective and thankfully not overbearing. The symphonic aspects sometimes get out of hand, but generally work well enough. And as for the rest, Eldorado is the most successful Electric Light Orchestra album to date.

Ken Barnes - Rolling Stone, 1-2-75.



Ah yes, the concept album. The sure sign that a band has its trip together, that all conflicts have been resolved and that only the highest artistic achievements will be released to those sensitive and perceptive enough to enjoy them. Erk erk. Which is to say that if you'll swallow that, you're either Linda Lovelace or Ron Ziegler. Also to say that yes indeed, Eldorado is another of the dreaded species, a Symphony with a real Orchestra. But how dreaded can it be, for ELO's fearless leader, Jeff Lynne, is first and foremost a master of pop; the classical nature of the band has, in the past, been of secondary importance. Surely he wouldn't reject previous glories for a new sound, all pomp and no stomp, would he? Nope, but he really hasn't learned how to integrate them yet, either. The humorous, belly-button, oranged cello part of ELO exists side-by-side with the pseudo-profound verse and the oh-so-sincere vocals. Thus we get lines speaking of "the universal dreamer" and eternal life along with the delightfully ludicrous boast, "I have fought in the holiest wars/I have smashed some of the holiest jaws." It's like Lynne occasionally likes to puncture his pretensions but it makes you wonder which came first, the pin or the balloon. The underlying concept for the album comes straight from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow": the main character spends most of his time either daydreaming or wishing he could. His fantasies are the usual ones -- Robin Hood, Lancelot, the Old West -- and they function to allow him to escape his "corridors of endless gloom." A bit overdone, you might say, but that's mainly because the lyric sheet calls so much attention to the words. Using a little selective perception, you can ignore any of that and just enjoy Eldorado as a fine collection of skillfully orchestrated pop tunes. And yes, the orchestrations are pretty amazing. Arrangements are credited to Lynne, keyboard player Richard Tandy, and conductor Louis Clark and the orchestral parts work mainly as extensions of the band; chugging cellos, swirling violins, and brass fanfares are the order of the day. The distance between group and orchestra which usually mars team-ups of this nature doesn't occur on Eldorado. As you might have guessed, the album is heavy on ballads; Lynne displays a feel for melody in songs like "Mister Kingdom" and "Eldorado" that would make a Bee Gee blush in envy. On the other hand, he continues to ration his rock 'n' roll as if it were a scarce, precious commodidty. Only "Illusions in G Major," in which the main character tells his analyst "It's all good entertainment and it doesn't cost a penny," really rocks out; "Poor Boy" and "Boy Blue" are both catchy, upbeat pop numbers but they ain't rock'n'roll. I guess it all comes down (as it usually does) to accepting the music for what it is. If the idea of hearing ELO embellish its songs with tastily-done orchestrations appeals to you, then Eldorado may end up being one of your favorite albums. If, however, you'd prefer some extensions of "Do Ya," well, maybe next time.

Michael Davis - Phonograph Record, 11-74.
 

 L y r i c s


ELDORADO OVERTURE

The dreamer, the unwoken fool,
In dreams, no pain will kiss the brow.
The love of ages fills the head.
The days that linger there in prey of emptiness,
Of burned out dreams.
The minutes calling through the years.
The universal dreamer rises up above his earthly burden.
Journey to the dead of night.
High on a hill in Eldorado


CAN´T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD

Midnight, on the water,
I saw, the ocean´s daughter,
Walking on a wave´s chicane,
Staring as she called my name.

CHORUS
And I can´t get it out of my head,
No I can´t get it out of my head.
Now my old world is gone for dead,
´Cos I can´t get it out of my head.

Breakdown, on the shoreline,
Can´t move, it´s an ebbtide,
Morning don´t get here tonight,
Searching for her silver light.

CHORUS
And I can´t get it out of my head,
No I can´t get it out of my head.
Now my old world is gone for dead,
´Cos I can´t get it out of my head.

Bank job, in the city,
Robin Hood and William Tell and Ivanhoe and Lancelot,
They don´t envy me,
Sitting til the sun goes down,
In dreams the world keeps going round and round.

CHORUS
And I can´t get it out of my head,
No I can´t get it out of my head.
Now my old world is gone for dead,
´Cos I can´t get it out of my head.

And I can´t get it out of my head,
No I can´t get it out of my head.
Now my old world is gone for dead,
´Cos I can´t get it out of my head.


BOY BLUE

Hey Boy Blue, can´t you hear all the noise.
It´s for you, all the town´s waiting there.
Let us go, there´s a show like you ain´t seen before.

Weclome home, where you been all these years,
Look around, all the crowd is in tears,
It´s so good to see you in the streets of your town

CHORUS
Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.

Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.

I´ve seen bold knights, dropping down like flies,
I´ve seen kings, rolling in the mire,
I´ve seen God, point the finger of doom to our foes.

I have fought in the holiest wars,
I have smashed, some of the holiest jaws.
I´ve been jailed, been impaled, and been dragged through the world.

One thing, I have learned through these years,
Is that no man, should be stricken with fear.
It should be that he walks with no care in the world.

So my friends, who are gathered today,
Hear this clear, for I´ll not further say,
That no man, shall cause me to take up arms again.

Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.

Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.
Hey Boy Blue is back.


LAREDO TORNADO

Summer days, where did you go,
You´ve let me down so bad,
Clouds fill the sky,
Gone is the dream
My happy hunting ground.
Wild buffalo played and I never saw a rainy day.
But it looks like summer days ain´t coming back.

March April May, June and July,
You took me for a fall.
Big chief he lie,
Cold wind blows cool, so cold to make you die.
Mountain breeze, ocean bay and I never saw a rainy day.
But it looks like them summer days ain´t comming back.

CHORUS
Laredo Tornado,
Adios amigos.

What can you do, when your dream world is gone.
And your friends and lovers too.

West Winter Street under the ground,
The air that makes you choke,
Towers of concrete, hellish go-round,
Were there when I awoke.
City sky, pouring down with rain
That can never hope to ease the pain.
And it looks like summer days ain´t coming back.

CHORUS
Laredo Tornado
Adios amigos.

Laredo Tornado
Adios amigos.


POOR BOY (THE GREENWOOD)

Me I´m just a poor boy,
From across the far southland,
And I´ve traveled many days
To reach this place to make my stand,
I fell in with a merry band,
And drank away the hours.

CHORUS
Rollin´ on, I´ve been rollin´ on,
And my head is high, from the battle won,
Laid down my life for the Greenwood.

The city boys, and the country boys,
They come from miles around,
To defy their king and country,
Save the poor folks from the hand,
Of the thieving dukes and abbotts,
And the gentry of the land.

CHORUS
Rollin´ on, I´ve been rollin´ on,
And my head is high, from the battle won,
Laid down my life for the Greenwood.

Sweet Maid Marion,
Don´t you do me no wrong,
Stay on the right side,
The Greenwood is your home,
The dancing girls and the open fires,
The wine that flows like water.

CHORUS
Rollin´ on, I´ve been rollin´ on,
And my head is high, from the battle won,
Laid down my life for the Greenwood.


MISTER KINGDOM

Daylight comes to those who live
But those who die they never see the sun come
Shining through their window pane they pass away.

Silly girl to be a fool, you didn´t play the golden rule,
´Cos once you´re through with one world,
There´s another waiting there.

CHORUS
Help me such a lonely soul,
In dreams to leave behind the world.
Mr. Kingdom help me please, to find the rainbow´s end.

Looking from this empty room,
The corridors of endless gloom go crawling through the night,
To meet the dawn that´s on its way.

Oh to sleep, per-chance to dream,
To live again those joyous scenes,
The laughter and the follies that are locked inside my head.

CHORUS
Help me such a lonely soul,
In dreams to leave behind the world.
Mr. Kingdom help me please, to find the rainbow´s end.

I can dream of flying high,
Above the city´s cares and never be afraid of anyone
´Cos there ain´t no one there.

CHORUS
Help me such a lonely soul,
In dreams to leave behind the world.
Mr. Kingdom help me please, to find the rainbow´s end.

Help me such a lonely soul,
In dreams to leave behind the world.
Mr. Kingdom help me please, to find the rainbow´s end.


NOBODY´S CHILD

Painted lady, stop that closin´ in on me,
Painted lady, you´re supposed to be a dream,
Painted lady, you better stay away from me.

Painted lady, why you loosinin´ my tie,
Painted lady, what´s that twinkle in your eye,
Painted lady, you better stay away from me.

Painted lady, with your jewels and your beads,
Painted lady, don´t you do these dirty deeds,
Painted lady, you better stay here with me.

Nobody´s child til I saw the light of your smile.
Painted lady, nobody´s child,
You have set me free.

Nobody´s child, you came in and stayed for a while.
Painted lady, nobody´s child,
You have set me free.


ILLUSIONS IN G MAJOR

On the seven seas there was aphantom ship acoming,
Shinin´ in the dead of night,
I heard the crew a hummin´
Tunes that sounded like the Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen.
But they didn´t know the words,
So I assumed that they was foreign.

CHORUS
But I heard them just the same
Doctor let me teach ´em,
I just wanna please ´em,
Doctor let me teach ´em.

I looked up in the sky there was a phantom plane a comin´
Shinin´ in the dead of night,
I heard the pilot saying
Poems that were written by John Keats and Robert Browning.
But he didn´t know the words so,
I suppose that it was nothing.

CHORUS
But I heard them just the same
Doctor let me teach ´em,
I just wanna please ´em,
Doctor let me teach ´em.

Doctor please believe me, I know you won´t decieve me,
But do these things I´m seein´
Have any hidden meaning.
It´s all good entertainment and it doesn´t cost a penny.
So please doc, let me teach ´em,
If I could only reach ´em.

CHORUS
But I heard them just the same
Doctor let me teach ´em,
I just wanna please ´em,
doctor let me teach ´em.


ELDORADO

Here it comes another lonely day,
Playing the game, I´ll sail away,
On a voyage of no return to see,
If eternal life is meant to be,
And if I find the key, to the eternal dream.

The painted ladies of the Avalon,
Play in the sun, take to the road,
To the north there lies the chills of cold,
To the south there lies the tales untold,
But in between there lies, the place to close your eyes.

CHORUS
And I will stay, I´ll not be back, Eldorado,
I will be free, of the world, Eldorado

Say goodbye the city´s heroes sing,
Bird on the wind, feel, feel so free,
Through the life upon the rooftop haze,
All the cheating and the broken days,
So through it all I see, there´s nothing left for me.

CHORUS
So I will stay, I´ll not be back, Eldorado,
I will be free, of the world, Eldorado

Sitting here on top of everywhere,
What do I care, days never end,
I know the voyage´s end will soon be here,
Now eternal life is here for me,
And now I found the key, to the eternal dream.

CHORUS
Then I will stay, I´ll not be back, Eldorado,
I will be free, of the world, Eldorado,
Then I will stay, I´ll not be back, Eldorado.


ELDORADO - FINALE

The dreamer, the unworken fool,
High on a hill in Eldorado

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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