Don't Fear the Cowbell

The 30th anniversary celebration of Electric Light Orchestra’s creation in 1971 – which began in 2001-2001 with the release of the three-CD Flashback box set and digitally remastered (for the first time) expanded editions of Eldorado – A Symphony (1974), Discovery (1979), Time (1981), and Secret Messages (1983) – now turns into their 35th anniversary, with long-awaited expanded editions of the first two ELO albums, NO ANSWER (1971, featuring “10538 Overture”) and ELO 2 (1973, with “Roll Over Beethoven”). They are the first wave of ELO expanded editions on Epic/Legacy that will continue over the course of 2006 with subsequent releases of On The Third Day (1973), Face The Music (1975), A New World Record (1976), Out Of The Blue (1977), and Balance Of Power (1986).

Three and a half decades after the ELO concept first turned on the world to the possibilities of orchestral rock beyond the walls of classical music, Jeff Lynne returns to the original analog master source tapes to complete the first compre­hensive album restoration campaign in ELO history. The group thrived for 15 years under Lynne’s guidance, during which time they recorded and released 12 original studio albums and (in the U.K. only) one live LP. At their peak between 1974 and 1981, ELO amassed a string of nine consecutive RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums, spanning three different record labels; through 1986 (when Lynne disbanded the group), they charted over two dozen singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including 20 Top 40 hits.


"Evil Woman"