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"Of all ELO's albums, "No answer" represents the most progressive and experimental album of Electric Light Orchestra while remaining quite easy to access."
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5/5
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When one evokes Electric Light Orchestra or ELO, what immediately comes to the mind of the connoisseurs is: a sweet pop with a strong Beatles influence, tons of violins and cellos, laser beams (for the concerts), Jeff Lynne's bearded face with black glasses (the leader of the band) and an ad for a famous brand of cell phones with "Mr Blue Sky". If there is some truth in all this, ELO is also an adventure and an ambition at the beginning, that of associating rock and classical music in a unique formula for Jeff Lynne (ex Idle Race) and Roy Wood (ex The Move).
In 1971, the two men, with the assistance of Bev Bevan (former drummer of The Move), joined forces to create Electric Light Orchestra. Jeff Lynne takes care of the "rock" instruments: guitars, bass, piano and voice, while Roy Wood starts playing cello, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, acoustic guitar and vocals. This first album resulting from this meeting is a real curiosity. For the record, it is called "No answer" in the United States because of an unanswered phone call from a secretary who was looking for the name of the album (which shows that sometimes a name doesn't matter). One can easily imagine how difficult it must have been at the time to mix acoustic instruments with electric ones without the former being crushed by the latter, but this new decade was also turned towards experimentation (end of the hippie dream and birth of progressive rock) and these technical problems did not stop the band fortunately.
The album opens with Jeff Lynne's aptly named "10538 Overture" and already, you can tell that everything is there: the dry and low sound of the cello hovers over the pop vocals cradled by the softness of the guitars (electric and acoustic), a perfect introduction. "Look at me now", entirely acoustic, has an Elizabethan feel while "Nellie takes her bow" is a very pleasant pop ballad as the band will offer us many afterwards. Things get tougher with "The battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644)", an instrumental by Roy Wood. This is the kind of ambitious (progressive?) song that will disappear with its creator the following year when he decides to leave the band to let Jeff Lynne take the lead. The rest of the album alternates between Wood and Lynne's compositions, the latter more turned towards pop well influenced by the Fab Four's music. A special mention to "First movement (Jumping biz )" whose melody with the acoustic guitar is of any beauty as well as to "Queen of the Hours", worthy to appear on the B side of "Abbey Road".
Of all Electric Light Orchestra's albums, "No answer" is the one that is the most likely to please the detractors of the band, as it is so different from the rest of their discography. The particular production, the absence of synthesizers, the presence of Roy Wood... All this makes it their most progressive album, the most experimental, while remaining easily accessible (thanks to Jeff Lynne). A very special album but a little marvel to discover or rediscover for the adventurous pop lovers and the curious minds. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. 10538 Overture (5:30)
02. Look at Me Now (3:16)
03. Nellie Takes Her Bow (5:58)
04. The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644) (6:02)
05. First Movement (Jumpin' Biz)(2:58)
06. Mr.Radio (5:02)
07. Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre) (4:21)
08. Queen of the Hours (3:21)
09. Whisper in the Night (4:48)
LINEUP:
Bev Bevan: Batterie
Jeff Lynne : Chant / Guitares / Basse / Claviers
Roy Wood: Chant / Basse / Clarinette, Violoncelle, Basson, Hautbois
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STAFF:
4.5/5 (2 view(s))
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