Face the Music (Electric Light Orchestra album)
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| Face the Music | ||||
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| Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra | ||||
| Released | September 1975 (US) 14 November 1975 (UK) 11 September 2006 (UK, reissue) September 12, 2006 (US, reissue) |
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| Recorded | May - June 1975 Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany |
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| Genre | Symphonic rock, rock, art rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 36:20 | |||
| Label | United Artists Records, Jet Records & Columbia Records Epic/Legacy (Latest Re-issue) |
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| Producer | Jeff Lynne; Engineer - Mack | |||
| Electric Light Orchestra chronology | ||||
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| Back cover | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| George Starostin | (12/15)[2] |
Face the Music is the fifth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra.
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[edit] Overview
ELO's fifth studio LP was released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) and the first to be recorded in Musicland Studios Munich. The band featured a new line-up with bassist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale replacing Mike de Albuquerque and Mike Edwards respectively.
The back cover of the record sleeve shows the members of the band with their faces pressed against a glass panel, supposedly watching the "electrocution" depicted on the front cover. The band member who is looking away is Richard Tandy, who didn't like the idea didn't want to participate.[3] New member Kelly Groucutt sang lead vocals on "Poker" as well as one of the verses in "Nightrider." (Usually, Jeff Lynne sang all lead vocals for ELO.)
[edit] Singles
The singles "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic" were the most commercial songs they had recorded up to that point. "Evil Woman" was a big hit in the UK and the US, embracing disco rhythms while still embodying ELO's classic sound.
"Nightrider" became the second single from the album and despite an appearance on the UK Chart show Top of the Pops it failed to chart.
Despite the success of the singles, the LP failed to chart in the UK. However, the album was the band's first to reach Platinum sales and laid the groundwork for future world success. The album was remastered and released in September 2006 with bonus tracks.
[edit] Backmasking
"Fire On High" contains a backwards message in the beginning. When the song is played backwards, the message voiced by drummer Bev Bevan can be heard stating, "The music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." — ostensibly Jeff Lynne's shot at backmasking hysteria, after satanic allegations were made against their song "Eldorado" by Fundamentalist Christianity members.[4] "Down Home Town" also starts with some backmasking: the refrain from "Waterfall" ("Face the mighty waterfall, face the mighty waterfall"). A portion of the string crescendo from "Nightrider" was used backwards on "Evil Woman."
[edit] Chart positions, chart runs
- US: #8 Billboard 200, 48 weeks
- UK: did not chart on its own when first released, but reached #38 in 1978 as part of the 3-LP box-set Three Light Years.
- AUS: #30 ARIA Albums Chart, 14 weeks
- CAN: #31 RPM Albums Chart, 19 weeks
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Jeff Lynne.
| Side one | |||||||||
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| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 1. | "Fire on High" | 5:29 | |||||||
| 2. | "Waterfall" | 4:27 | |||||||
| 3. | "Evil Woman" | 4:17 | |||||||
| 4. | "Nightrider" | 4:22 | |||||||
| Side two | |||||||||
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| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 5. | "Poker" | 3:31 | |||||||
| 6. | "Strange Magic" | 4:29 | |||||||
| 7. | "Down Home Town" | 3:54 | |||||||
| 8. | "One Summer Dream" | 5:47 | |||||||
| Bonus tracks (2006 remaster) | |||||||||
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| No. | Title | Length | |||||||
| 9. | "Fire On High Intro" (Early Alt. mix) | 3:23 | |||||||
| 10. | "Evil Woman" (Stripped Down mix) | 5:00 | |||||||
| 11. | "Strange Magic" (US Single edit) | 3:27 | |||||||
| 12. | "Waterfall" (Instrumental mix) | 4:15 | |||||||
[edit] Personnel
- Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar, producer
- Bev Bevan - drums, percussion, spoken intro (backwards), vocals
- Richard Tandy - piano, clavinet, moog, guitar
- Kelly Groucutt - bass, vocals
- Mik Kaminski - violin
- Hugh McDowell - cello
- Melvyn Gale - cello
- Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark
- Additional personnel
- Ellie Greenwich - uncredited vocals
- Susan Collins - uncredited vocals
- Nancy O'Neill - uncredited vocals
- Margaret Raymond - uncredited vocals
- Mack - Engineer
- Orchestra and choral arrangements - Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark
- Although Greenwich, Collins, O'Neill and Raymond are not credited as vocalists, Lynne credits them with 'special thanks'.
[edit] References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ George Starostin review
- ^ Bevan, Bev (1980). Pearce, Garth. ed. The Electric Light Orchestra Story. Mushroom Books. p. 152. ISBN 0 907394 01 9.
- ^ Big Secrets: Chapter 26, pages 200, 203, 204, 205 & 206. 0-688-04830-7
[edit] External links
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