Electric Light Orchestra – Afterglow Review

An endless supply of compilations has kept Electric Light Orchestra present in the minds of millions. Even without the Jeff Lynne-fronted group actively touring, they were still a presence on the charts and in homes across the globe. Part of that is smart management. Keep flogging the horse, its death is of no interest to Epic Records. No. What matters is the continued creation of compilations which keep the brand alive. It’s a group name which many would adapt and rip through, including Lynne himself on a return to the stage for a Hyde Park show. That itself prompted a decade of work. Just wait until those Alone in the Universe songs are stripped of their album context and worked into pieces like Afterglow. To the label’s credit, Afterglow is early enough after the initial demise of ELO to be a definitive listening experience. Little effort would go into a package like this now.  

Compilations used to be, and in some cases with Bob Dylan and Richard Hawley, still are, the only way to get your hands on a copy of deep cuts. Dylan has yet to release When I Paint My Masterpiece outside of the Greatest Hits Vol. II release while Hawley’s cover of the Dylan track, Ballad of a Thin Man, got its first physical release on Now Then. Either way, compilations can still offer a useful listening experience to audiences. Afterglow makes the controversial but correct decision to omit Xanadu. It simply isn’t good enough to feature here, not in bulk at the very least. Sixteen years of music are what you get, with Secret Messages and Balance of Power getting a look-in. It’d be a rarity that happening if a new compilation were made. It’s criminal how little praise they receive, particularly Secret Messages. Nobody can pretend to care for Balance of Power, though it does feature here.  

What also features is the best trimmings of every album ELO put out up to Balance of Power, excluding Xanadu, that is. The focus on album pieces is delightful, though inevitably, those singles would be the very best songs the band had to offer. It’s the third disc which will prove most interesting of all to those collectors of compilations and those still living in the ‘90s. Songs which were never officially released Stateside can be heard here. The likes of The Bouncer, Four Little Diamonds and Buildings Have Eyes are changed or released for the first time. Four Little Diamonds is given an extended intro while B-sides are finally given a showing. No Way Out, too, a previously unreleased song, features here. It’s tucked away on Secret Messages, so it may as well not have been released.  

Perhaps the reason for parts of disc three remaining unreleased is that there was less appetite for the band. It’s strange, really. ELO managed to turn themselves into a very streamlined and satisfying pop unit after the release of Discovery and Time. Why audiences soured on them is a true mystery, but also a nasty example of how listeners do not, after all, know what they want from their favourites. Afterglow is still worth listening to beyond the usual hits of Mr. Blue Sky and Evil Woman. As present as the walls of a house. Without them, the whole project collapses. Expectation reigns over Afterglow, but Epic Records manages assumptions of the track listing well. There are some nice surprises to be found throughout this three-disc set, though most of them are reserved for the end.