Electric Light Orchestra
without
Jeff Lynne
likens unto a day without sunshine. But this even-more-anonymous ensemble injects so much calculated charisma into the popcorn here that all is forgiven. Behind these replicated string flourishes and fey-
Beatlisms
remains sturdy songcraft. Getting past the fact that this disc spouts third-generation fluff and depending on how you take to mimicry or cover bands,
"Honest Men,"
"Every Night,"
and
"Heart of Hearts"
imitate the band's glory daze to the point of enjoyability. Out of the blue,
ELO II
even takes a crack at
"Kiss Me Red,"
a roguish non-hit composed by the authors of
"Like a Virgin"
that
Cheap Trick
attempted on the wire-crossing
Doctor
. So, one knows what to expect from this
bubblegum
machine: not
"Sweet Talking Woman"
nor
"Confusion"
or
"Twilight,"
but a decent fabrication of a begone fab era. And while lynchpin
Lynne
pursues other endeavors, any party ever intrigued by
will find something to enjoy by letting this saucer land on the turntable. ~ Doug Stone