Few things in life are certain but the qualities of Electric Light Orchestra between On the Third Day and Secret Messages are guaranteed. Bookends to a brilliant period which features all those songs Jeff Lynne is still and will forever be defined by. Despite this vapid feeling to them after a fiftieth listen, there is a quality to these songs which keeps us heading back to them. Do Ya is one such example, a song which in the hands of any other creative would feel like fodder. But for Lynne and the shy style of his writing, the coy understanding of his world and the frequent utilisation of prog-rock progression and string brilliance, it makes for a legendary track. One of many in the ELO discography, but this A New World Record single stands out with remarkable, continuous fury.
Cheesy radio pop made genuine thanks to Lynne and his dedication to upbeat tempo and this ever-present desire for poptimism. That penultimate A New World Record track is light but has the rocking sense of transitional moments in the band’s trajectory. Confident in its ridiculous lyrics, which are absurdly fun because of the conviction from Lynne. Most of the songs in his discography are based on how well he can carry the song, on the dedication he has to lyrics of a relatively silly variety. But these moments are great fun, Do Ya maintains this with some instrumental excess which keeps pushing for some new sound. Lynne achieves it here with some exceptional guitar work backed by neat percussion additions and the inevitably strong string sections. A song initially written for The Move is retrofitted into ELO cannon and now thrives. An inevitable live selection, more because it brings on an instrumental change for the band than anything else.
What aids Do Ya is its transitional period. Those live performances where Lynne and the band managed to slot it into 10538 Overture as an instrumental expansion. There is a sense of rock expansion found in Do Ya, something which it must be credited for irrespective of legacy. An important piece in the wider puzzle, this A New World Record rip and even its long-forgotten B-Side, Nightrider, are crucial in shaping the future of the band. That latter Face the Music rip is a wonderful addition to Do Ya. Where it makes little sense instrumentally or thematically, any excuse to hear ELO at their experimental best is worth it. Their practice of lifting songs from their discography and using them as B-Sides feels like a cheap route through but it does well to keep their preceding releases relevant.
Do Ya has all the usual spots of ELO brilliance but lacks that heartfelt core which gives their very best songs a long-lasting appeal. Instrumental bliss which hears the band push for a bolder styling is certainly available here but the lyrical shortcomings, as great as they are already, leave a lot to be desired. Lynne fails to cement himself as one of the great writers of the time with flimsier efforts like this, but not for lack of trying. His instrumental focus is the likely reason, and Do Ya, while lyrically floundering at times, is one of the best and boldest collections of sound ELO ever threw out into the great wide open.
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Aww, man! This song made the 17-year-old version of me go by an electric guitar in 1979!
Of course, The Move recorded this song first, and then Todd Rundgren started playing it on tour!
Do Ya and Rockaria are two if my favorite ELO tunes, because it showed how the group could get LOUD. The are similar in style to the other songs in this time period, but yet soooo different. The radio stations in my town don’t play them because they were not released as singles.