****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I know a lot of people here are turned off, but it's still a solid recording. It's always nice to have a rare live ELO disc. Jeff was 53 at the time, good solid band here, Greg and Matt Bissonette on drums and bass, Richard Tandy piano, Rosie Vela b,vocals (Jeff's girlfriend at the time) and Marc Mann keyboards. Plenty of concert favorites in "Evil Woman", "Take It Richard". Jeff's sharp guitar lead on "Showdown", nice to hear "Secret Messages", live is just amazing stuff. "Livin' Thing", sounds fully fresh here, the magical "Sweet Talkin' Woman", the Jeff Lynne masterpiece since 1977, "Mr. Blue Sky", the beautiful ballad done perfectly here "Can't Get It Out Of My Head". Saw ELO perform "Twilight", on the "Time", tour in 1981, this version brings it all back loud and clear. "Confusion", jeff always said he loved this tune, fine performance. The band does a solid job on Don't Bring Down", with a funky break. Lynne gives it his all on the Chuck Berry/ELO classic "Roll Over Beethoven". For a guy that really dislikes live stuff, he's pretty damn good at it! Jeff is also a very underrated guitar player, nobody ever mentions him anywhere. Maybe Jeff will release the rest of the concert later, let's hope so. The bonus tracks are 2 studio cuts, "Out Of Luck", a rock-a-billy 50's number , with a great Jeff guitar break and "Cold Feet", a modern sounding, nice melodic pop-rock tune. If you want some great live ELO try "Live In Winterland 1976", very expensive now, that's a great CD and the 1974 release "The Night The Light's Went On In Long Beach". Nice text by David Wild here, if your a true ELO fan, get this album.
