Tag: orchestral rock

115. Electric Light Orchestra

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(March 2017) I have completed episode 116 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (along with two JEFF LYNNE solo albums). With its combination of Beatlesque melodies and prog-rock orchestration, you would think I would have been more into ELO than I was. Would the songs sound better with the layers stripped off ? Lynne’s later work suggests yes. ELO was the soundtrack of the portion of my youth spent in roller and ice rinks (and as a parent, the Astrophere.)

Favourite album: Eldorado

Favourite song: Fire on High

Worst album: Balance of Power

Compared to expectations: same

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95. Mike Oldfield

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(September 2016) I have completed episode 95 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to an artist’s full discography. This edition: MIKE OLDFIELD. A pioneer of new age and world music, it would be a mistake to categorize his music through the banality and pretention that those genres are known for. In fact, his first three albums are true masterpieces — inventive, diverse rock symphonies. After a venture into forgettable pop music in the 1980s, he fully succumbs to new age drivel by the mid-1990s.

Favourite album: Ommadawn

Favourite song: Tubular Bells, part 1

Favourite Period: 1973-78

Worst Album: Earth Moving

Special sauce: Piltdown Man

Compared to expectations: ↓

mike_oldfield_ommadawn_album_cover

70. The Moody Blues

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(December 2015) I have completed episode 70 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography from start to finish. This episode: THE MOODY BLUES. I still hold some fondness for the early psychadelic-ish albums. They crafted good melodies, but the lack of edge (except the drummer, get it?) in the music does not help it endure over the decades. While some of the 1980s songs were radio hits, I found little of worth after 1972 (although I hold a nostalgic place for 1981’s Long Distance Voyager).

Favourite album: In Search of the Lost Chord

Favourite song: The Best Way to Travel

Best Song: The Voice

Worst Album: Strange Times

Compared to expectations: same

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