Their only live album from the initial run and a dud at that, Electric Light Orchestra never had much luck in showcasing their on-stage powers with official releases. The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach is devoid of hits, and has too much reliance on a cover of The Beatles which, if anything, does more to tie Jeff Lynne and the group to the suggestion of ripping their sound than whatever Out of the Blue and Discovery did, and feels relatively tame. A live album should boom with the interest of a live experience right in the heart. But The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach feels horrendously tame. Considering what was to come just a few short years after this album, the commercial thrill and longstanding cultural success of their work under Lynne’s stewardship, perhaps writing off The Night the Light Went On is the most caring thing you can do.
Those booms of percussion and the ominous orchestral feel may open The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach well enough, but the immediate shock dissipates, with little left in its place. Fairly decent work on Daybreaker and follow-up Showdown stick rigidly to the studio charms and even Lynne, whose voice should be a powerful flicker of new life in a live set, sounds relatively similar, barely unchanged, to what he had laid down in the studio. We must rely on the instrumental flickers, the slick guitar solo found partway through Showdown, then, instead of some vocal change or tempo revolution. The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach struggles to identify itself as either an ambitious stage show or a live production which gets to grips with the lush charms of hearing a band at a gig. Rely then, on Day Tripper.
While it may be a bit of an insincere cover, a lacklustre trip through The Beatles’ backlog, it serves as a nice transition in a show which sounds light on original material. There is a lack of material written by the band but some of their earliest hits are featured within, with Roll Over Beethoven closing what is a very short, lacklustre set. Their usual hits, the very foundation of their live set, are absent here. 10538 Overture has no grip, a slippery beast in its usual form but here sounding like a relatively plain and derivative instrumental slice which gives Lynne a break from singing. How hard done by he is with the one cover of The Beatles and another classic track which still wades into the setlist to this day.
A vague solo from Mik and a cover of Great Balls of Fire begin to great because ELO here plays with the energy and efficiency of a cover band. Unruly stuff even for a band without space on stage for their complex, progressive rock-like workings. The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach remains a frustrating listen not because of the bulk of covers but because of how little is changed when the opportunity for fresh ears or unique riffs is available. Very emotionally absent run-throughs of some songs ELO had been listening to while touring the States is what The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach sounds like. A shame this served as the only live album from their initial run, but at least the likes of Wembley or Bust can satiate the very weak appetite for live showcases of Lynne and the band.
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I still have this on vinyl. Listened to it once when I was a kid. What a snore!