Electric Light Orchestra – Secret Messages (1983/2018) [FLAC 24bit/192kHz]

35 years later, this new re-edition finally corrects a terrible injustice. Despite its colossal success at the end of the 1970s, the powerful major distributing ELO in the United States vetoed the double-album project, forcing Jeff Lynne – who had become the band’s uncontested leader −, to change his strategy and tame his ambitions, settling for a reasonably long simple album. Professionals in the business had strong doubts over whether or not this veteran of the 70s could survive the 80s, a decade in which pop music lost all dignity. In other words, he who was one of the few to come close to the Beatles’ excellence and knew how to adapt, with more or less finesse, to the zeitgeist, particularly the disco wave, was in danger of becoming old fashioned… Still, his two previous albums, Discovery (1979) and the ambitious Time (1981) both topped the charts in many countries, as well as his original soundtrack for the disappointing film Xanadu.

Listening to the twenty-five tracks of this revised and corrected version of Secret Messages, it becomes clear that Lynne’s updating work should have earned him more respect. Retaining its idiosyncratic components that allowed for rock’n’roll influences to harmoniously coexist with pronounced classical influences, ELO broadened their skill set while mastering the latest progress in technology. Tracks that had been scattered over singles, compilations, or the following album (Balance Of Power) have finally been re-integrated, with, as a bonus, a handful of previously unreleased songs that are well worth a listen. Only Beatles Forever is missing, the tribute Lynne still doesn’t deign to officially release, despite achieving his dream by producing the Liverpool band during their Anthology period, after collaborating with two of its members (George Harrison and Ringo Starr). – Jean-Pierre Sabouret

Tracklist:
1. Secret Messages 04:44
2. Loser Gone Wild 05:27
3. Bluebird 04:13
4. Take Me On and On 04:58
5. Stranger 04:27
6. No Way Out 03:26
7. Letter from Spain 02:51
8. Danger Ahead 03:52
9. Four Little Diamonds 04:05
10. Train of Gold 04:21
11. Endless Lies 03:25
12. Buildings Have Eyes 03:55
13. Rock ‘N’ Roll Is King 03:09
14. Mandalay 05:19
15. Time After Time 04:01
16. After All (Shorter Version) 00:39
17. Hello My Old Friend 08:31

Personnel:
Jeff Lynne, vocals, backing vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass, piano, percussion
Richard Tandy, synthesizer, piano, electric piano, harmonica
Kelly Groucutt, bass, backing vocals
Bev Bevan, drums, percussion

Engineered by Bill Bottrell Mastered by Brian Gardner Produced by Jeff Lynne

Digitally remastered

Download:

mqs.link_ElectricLightrchestraSecretMessages1983201824192.part1.rar
mqs.link_ElectricLightrchestraSecretMessages1983201824192.part2.rar
mqs.link_ElectricLightrchestraSecretMessages1983201824192.part3.rar