Nice piece, Rob. I agree with you about the way mid-period ELO often blended sublime music with simplistic lyrics. I always wondered if Lynne purposely dumbed down his lyrics.
He was a much more ambitious lyricist with the Idle Race, tackling such issues as Native American genocide ("Big Chief Wooly Bosher"), suicide ("Sea of Dreams") and the plight of depressed/poorly adjusted people ("I Like My Toys,” “Sitting in My Tree, “Girl at the Window\"). He did what Lennon and McCartney did backwards by starting out complex and eccentric and then paring his lyrical ambitions down.

Comment by Tony Sclafani — February 16, 2007 @ 10:26 am

Not everyone is going to enjoy Jeff Lynne’s music and the writer of the review is obviously one. Nevermind ELO had extremely talented musicians such as Bev Bevan and Richard Tandy at the core of the band.

In regards to lyrics, Jeff said music came first, then lyrics.

I find Jeff Lynne to be one of the most talented pop-rock music icons in the last 40 years.

When compared to other Musician / Songwriter / Singer / Producers in the industry the last 40 years, Lynne definately belongs in that rare group that has been successful at it for so long doing all four areas very well.

Jeff Lynne is either a love ‘em or hate ‘em kind of figure head in the business. I am on the positive side while the author is obviously on the negative.

Comment by Don from Tulsa, OK — February 20, 2007 @ 12:40 pm