Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley Review

Electric Light Orchestra are no strangers to the Wembley stage, and while their official release, Wembley or Bust, may be a bit of a sinker, Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley more than makes up for it. Their 1978 performance is a bit of a drag because of lacklustre sound quality but dedicated fans who struggle on through will find an appreciation for Out of the Blue. That thrill of an at-the-time contemporary release hitting so well, it makes all the difference when looking back on the performances. Jeff Lynne is in exceptional form, and it is a confidence heard on The BBC Sessions: Volume Four, that explosive and energetic blur which the likes of Turn to Stone and Mr. Blue Sky are afforded. All of that can be found on Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley, a show hosted at Wembley Arena.  

A tour mired by stage additions which affected the band’s timing, Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley is a recipe for disaster. But trust in ELO to bring about a classic performance found by sifting through bootlegs available online. Opener Standin’ in the Rain sounds as solid as it does on the album. This is always the stickler for ELO live performances, they fail to differentiate from their studio sound and thus provide very little reason to listen to their live efforts. But on occasion, they find the root of their song and revamp it. Standin’ in the Rain and Night in the City both suffer from this but there is much to love about Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley. When the guitars are given their place in the spotlight, when the tempo kicks up a notch, like on Turn to Stone, ELO finds some joy on stage. They still sound fundamentally unchanged from the studio works but there is always the promise, the daring urgency, of change.  

Staying true to the studio limits the adaptations, the freedom of the stage, but Telephone Line depends on it completely. This comes from Lynne as a man who sees himself as producer first, performer second. His skill in the studio is his pride and joy, and it shows on this Wembley appearance. Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley has some rocking instrumental moments, as heard on Rockaria!, but, as is the case with this whole performance, the additions made are of little difference to the studio effort. A sense of being short-changed by the live experience soon creeps in. Wild West Hero offers a new depth, the strings a tad quieter and the room it gives to the guitar work is monumental. Those slick riffs do not work as well for Showdown but do little, if anything, to detract from the song.  

ELO are great instrumentalists and strong songwriters. They struggle to offer a range of their abilities in live sets, as evidenced by their Wembley Arena appearances, thankfully bootlegged in decent quality here. They are an on or off band. A static, binary concept which on stage or in the studio, are identical. You can hear the beat and rhythm they first landed in the recording booth on stage in relatively unchanged form. What few sound overhauls are made are showy fretwork or louder guitar production. Sweet Talkin’ Woman and Mr. Blue Sky sound marginally different, and ultimately the consistencies ELO present on stage are well worth a listen, though are a step behind what they could, and should, be. This version of Mr. Blue Sky is superior to the studio version, the mix is just right on stage. Other than that, a solid performance from a band whose unmoveable qualities are always a welcome listen.