# What do we think of ELO, do we like them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 25, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918 "2013-06-25T22:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/21 "2013-06-26T14:45:15Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I liked the first album mostly because I was a Move/Roy Wood fan. Jeff Lynne is a great talent, but I never got into his style. In The Move, Roy was there to provide both heavy music and peculiar lyrics and songs. When Jeff took over ELO, it became a little too light, a too “polished” for me. That said, I had all the ELO albums up to A New World Record. Is that similar to choosing Brian Eno over Brian Ferry? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/22 "2013-06-26T15:55:02Z")
Bland, unoriginal pop, the only point of interest being that the strings were integrated into the band instead of being overdubbed by session men. Any spark of interest or originality they might have begun with left with Roy Wood. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/23 "2013-06-26T20:50:36Z")
I like a few of their cuts, but that snazzy snare drum sound gets old very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/24 "2013-06-27T04:33:03Z")
Love 'em, but don’t have any of their albums. I do have a 2 disc singles collection called “Strange Magic” that has about 27 or 28 of their hits on it. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/25 "2013-06-27T05:21:24Z")
All time favorite band. Just love the rock/classical fusion. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/26 "2013-06-27T05:42:18Z")
Love them, I say get 'em! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/27 "2013-06-27T06:33:41Z")
I love, love, love ELO! But, I will be the first to admit that their lyrics are about as vapid and useless as you can get. But that is not an insult. Verily, that is a testament to how good the music is. Even though the lyrics are vacuous enough to make you want to pull your own head off, the music is great enough to overcome that disadvantage. ELO rocks! As to the OP: “What do we think of ELO, do we like them?” I do. And if you don’t? Who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/28 "2013-06-27T07:29:25Z")
We think they had an idea and it was a good one. We think that it was not necessary for them to promulgate their idea more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/29 "2013-06-27T10:39:08Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’m the only one who’d rather shove ball bearings into my ears?.. > > I guess so… No, you’re not. I can’t stand any of the stuff I’ve heard on the radio, so I’ve never bothered with their albums. I could be missing out, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/30 "2013-06-27T15:37:29Z")
Like would be a strong word for how we feel about them, hate would be too. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/31 "2013-06-27T16:24:42Z")
I _wanted_ to like them. In the early '70s I was heavily into the idea of incorporating classical ideas into rock, a la Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull (“Bouree”), etc. Unfortunately, ELO sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/32 "2013-06-27T16:40:03Z")
They aren’t bad, but Madame Pepperwinkle is a huge fan of the movie Xanadu, and… that pretty much spoiled them for me. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/33 "2013-06-27T17:15:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I thought _Time_ was, too. Yes! Time is so underrated. It’s probably my favorite ELO album. All fans of Sci-Fi concept albums (yes, all 3 of you) need to get this ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/34 "2013-06-27T17:17:44Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I _wanted_ to like them. In the early '70s I was heavily into the idea of incorporating classical ideas into rock, a la Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull (“Bouree”), etc. Unfortunately, ELO sucked. The problem is that ELO is nothing like those other bands. Plus their classical leanings didn’t last very long. They have more in common with Cheap Trick than ELP. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/35 "2013-06-27T18:55:00Z")
I went out and bought the first couple of albums, but then Roy Wood left. For him the concept just didn’t work out - it didn’t develop or at least must have seemed to have less potential for exploration than he had originally believed. I think he wanted to make it a far rougher rock and blues concept, you can hear it in the early singles. They did bring plenty of innovation, but less in the music itself and more in the way it was set up live, much better sound systems instead of the absolutely dreadful echo and rubbish slapback sound of the day, better use of lights, images and also in scale.This all made it possible to develop the stadium sound and this has heavily influenced how music could be promoted - especially in the US which had plenty of stadia that now could find another income stream that had not really been available before due the the terrible sound set-ups of previous years. Its not really music to get passionate about, it was ok for its day ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/36 "2013-06-27T19:06:37Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > The problem is that ELO is nothing like those other bands. Plus their classical leanings didn’t last very long. They have more in common with Cheap Trick than ELP. Indeed, that’s exactly the problem. Yet they were hyped at the time of their first couple of albums as being in that progressive rock bag (while simultaneously being hyped as the natural extension of “I Am the Walrus”/“Strawberry Fields Forever”-era Beatles), and they did have that Beethoven’s 5th/“Roll Over Beethoven” medley, which was at least clever in concept, though it wore out its welcome on the radio real fast. The comparison to Cheap Trick is an apt one, and I’m not much of a fan of theirs either, though I’d take “Dream Police” over “Strange Magic” any day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/37 "2013-06-27T19:11:33Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I _wanted_ to like them. In the early '70s I was heavily into the idea of incorporating classical ideas into rock, a la Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull (“Bouree”), etc. Unfortunately, ELO sucked. > [@tomcar](#): > > The problem is that ELO is nothing like those other bands. Plus their classical leanings didn’t last very long. They have more in common with Cheap Trick than ELP. Upthread, when I said > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > On the other hand, to the ears of this relatively casual fan, they were at their best on their singles/hits; and, compared to other bands that covered similar territory (proggy orchestral power-poppish rock), their albums (with the exception of _El Dorado_) don’t hang together as well. the “proggy orchestral power-poppish rock” bands I had in mind to compare them to were bands like The Moody Blues, The Alan Parsons Project, and maybe Styx. ELO was at a disadvantage compared to those bands because, for the bulk of their career, Jeff Lynne handled all the songwriting and lead vocals himself, and, while he’s not a bad singer (or songwriter), he’s not strong or versatile enough to put out whole albums’ worth of great material with enough variety to satisfy me. **casdave** brought up ELO as a live act, which I hadn’t even thought to consider. The quality of their live shows is certainly relevant to how much respect they deserve and “what we think of them,” but not to the OP’s question of whether he should delve further into their catalog. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/38 "2013-06-27T22:45:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I thought _Time_ was, too. Amen. [QUOTE=ELO] Just on the border of your waking mind There lies another time, where darkness and light are one And as you tread the halls of sanity You feel so glad to be unable to go beyond… I have a message from another time… [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/39 "2013-06-28T05:15:48Z")
Do Ya, Don’t Bring Me Down, and Hold On Tight - three songs that even today will make me turn. it. up. I love them. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918/40 "2013-06-28T09:04:06Z")
‘Do ya’ was originally the B-Side of ‘California Man’ by The Move. That B-Side had 2 tracks on it, off the top of my head I can’t remember the other one. This was also released by The Move as a single in its own right. It was also on the album ‘Message from the country’ I went out and bought both single and album [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2I5kH0klENs/maxresdefault.jpg "The Move - Do Ya") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I5kH0klENs) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-think-of-elo-do-we-like-them/661918.md?page=3)