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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Pure pop splendor finally remastered May 15, 2009
I waited a long time for this. I've been a fan of this album forever, and unlike some of my other 'faves', this one still gets plenty of rotation. It did however, need remastering as the original issue CD is a tad sterile sounding with regards to fidelity. Nonetheless...
This album is nothingly less than one of the Top10 all-time greatest pop/rock albums. There isn't a dull moment on the entire thing, and even the extras on this reissued version shine. The bonus track Surrender could have easily been a top40 hit. And considering that this album contains the band's best music from a compositional standpoint, it makes sense that they included instrumental rough mixes of classics like So Fine, Tightrope and Telephone Line, which nearly act as stand alone pieces. And there's an alternate vocal take of Telephone Line, which may give you pause deciding which version you like better.
Many people have purchased ELO's Greatest Hits and called it good, but a few of the tunes on New World Record never made it to the first Greatest Hits album and IMO, these songs are essential - tunes like So Fine, Do Ya, and Tightrope represent some of ELO's finest work. The title track is a minor pop-prog masterpiece and Shangri-la is a great way to end an album, with its blatant homage to The Beatles' Hey Jude.
Maybe some of the newer comps have remedied a few of these songs' lack of inclusion elsewhere but now that this album has been remastered (quite well actually) its a no-brainer...I can't recommend this album highly enough.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Classic ELO Jan 18, 2009
As far as I'm concerned, ELO's "A New World Record" completely stands the test of time and is one of the best rock albums, ever. It's every bit as good as the Beatles "Abbey Road," the Moody Blues "On The Threshold Of A Dream," or Genesis "Selling England By The Pound." This remastered edition takes the sound quality to a new level. There isn't a weak song on this CD but my two favorites are "Shangri-La" and "Mission (A World Record)."
My shangri-la has gone away
Fading like the Beatles on Hey Jude
She seemed to drift out on the rain
That came in somewhere softly from the blue
I'm getting out of love
Where is my shangri-la?
I'm getting out of love.....
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 The Spoils Of Success Jun 23, 2008
This album is a bit of an exposed nerve to me, because it was one of the first albums I ever bought. As time has gone on, I've decided that its' predecessor, "Face The Music", is a better and more relevant album today; but that doesn't mean this album doesn't have a lot to offer a budding ELO fan.
The opening track, "Tightrope" is one of the best ELO has produced, starting with a heavy dose of synthesizers, followed by an orchestral prelude to the main tune, and then drifting into a catchy, cool song. In many ways, this song is a giant autobiography, showcasing the full range of their skills as a band. The next two songs are clever and charming pop songs, with the top 10 hit "Telephone Line" and the hilarious "Rockaria!", the story of a rocker trying to convert an opera singer to the glories of rock and roll.
The rest of the disc is so-so. While I love "Do Ya", it's actually an old Move song, and the original (arguably) is better. "So Fine" is a wonderfully produced rock song, but "Livin' Thing" is kind of bland and is a pretty good indicator of the future direction of the band.
The first three songs are worth the price of the disc and more; but there is such a dropoff after these three tunes that the end result is a bit frustrating. Still...if you want to know ELO well, you simply must have "Tightrope" and "Rockaria!", because these songs are this great band doing their very best work.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
I miss this album for a long time Jun 01, 2008
I heard this album in the first time, in this first issue, a vinil record, in 70's. It was from a friend o' mine, and he said that the songs was like a Beatles song. I agree. The people who have ELO's "the best of" albuns, must buy this catalogue album, because the entire album have the same level songs.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A new 'A New World Record' May 11, 2008
I had the vinyl for this album when it came out in the '70s and loved both the songs and the 'sound' of it. I felt the need to buy the CD about a decade ago and was really disappointed with it - I thought "I could have sworn this was a great record...Jeff Lynne? Great producer?! Blah!" It sounded sort of like they were playing behind a door. Anyway, turns out it was a nasty bit of mastering to CD - not Jeff Lynne's fault at all.
I usually tread carefully when I see the word 'remastered' but this release makes it sound closer (in my opinion) to the original. It's like 'the door' has been opened. This album is a pleasure to listen to once again.
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