Electric Light Orchestra fans have pointed to one “underrated” album from the band’s discography and labelled it a “masterpiece”.
While the Jeff Lynne-fronted band may be best remembered for Out of the Blue, which features hits like Mr. Blue Sky, Turn to Stone and Sweet Talkin’ Woman, the album which has seen frequent favour released just a few years before the iconic 1970s album.
Fans of the band took to the r/ELO Reddit page and discussed what they believed to be the hidden gem of the band’s discography – the Wizard of Oz-inspired Eldorado.
User Shallzo asked members of the group: “What’s your opinion on Eldorado? Does every Elo fan agree that it’s a masterpiece?” Most agreed on its status as one of the finest in their discography, with one comment labelling the album “special”.
Another wrote: “I love that it’s a concept album that Jeff kinda refused to elaborate on. I’ve come up with a personal narrative for the entire album that entertains me. I adore this album.”
A third suggested it was the band’s high point, writing: “It seems pretty underrated in the grand scheme of things, but I’m pretty happy calling it my #1 of theirs, in terms of a full album experience. The whole aesthetic is perfect.”
What’s your opinion on Eldorado? Does every Elo fan agree that it’s a masterpiece?
byu/Shallzo inelo
Others agreed with the assessment of Eldorado being the best Electric Light Orchestra album, even if it did not have “their best songs” on it. One user explained the differing experiences and suggested Eldorado was the best “front to back” Lynne listen. “Eldorado might not have their best songs (I think Out of the Blue has better individual tracks) but it’s absolutely their best album,” they wrote. “To me it demands to be listened to front to back, while their other albums can be shuffled together without much issue.”
What’s your opinion on Eldorado? Does every Elo fan agree that it’s a masterpiece?
byu/Shallzo inelo
Eldorado marked the fourth release from Electric Light Orchestra and the band’s first concept album, with Lynne conceiving an elusive storyline threaded through the songs. It is believed he wrote the album as a response to criticism from his father, who said ELO “had no tune”.
Other ELO fans revealed their nostalgia played a factor in how much they enjoyed the album, writing: “I love the album to a great degree and it is pretty nostalgic for me as well. It really fuses the orchestral and rock sound well without sounding as commercial as the albums after it (not like that was a bad thing though) that I really like about it. I’m a huge fan of their debut, but Eldorado is when the band really entered their peak.”
Another summarised the Eldorado experience as the band’s first “masterpiece”. They wrote: “Absolutely. I see it as their first masterpiece. Boy Blue is pure magic. Special thanks to Kenneth Anger for adding an alternate, brilliant way to enjoy it.”
Not everyone was a huge fan of Eldorado, though, with one user who did not identify as a major fan of the band writing: “I never warmed to it. To me it sounds like too many ideas crammed into an album that isn’t very strong sonically either. No remastering can improve it. I really only listen to Discovery or Time nowadays, but I certainly wouldn’t call myself an ELO fan, so there is that.”
“Face the music”is ELOs best album period.
POKER is their best song PERIOD
ELO’S greatest, most inspired song without question is POKER!
I love ELO, but kinda tuned out at Face the Music’s. It took me over 30 years to warm to their catalogue (1975-1983).
‘On the Third Day’s and ‘Eldorado’ are great seminal albums. They feel more organic to me and the melodies are not “sweet” like the later material. Mick Kaminski was a great violinist! ♥️
Big fan of ‘TIME’ personally.