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 Their Best! Nov 22, 2009
This flowing masterpiece is aging like fine wine and is Jeff Lynns best work in my opinion. This album is a must!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
My favorite ELO album Aug 06, 2009
I've been listening to this album for maybe 1.5-2 years now. A lot. It hasn't left the CD changer in my car since I discovered it. To understand why I love this album, you really have to know how I discovered it...
My best friend since 3rd grade and I one day decided that we were going to take some LSD. I'm not a big fan really, but hey, I'd done my research, knew what I was getting into, figured I may as well give it a shot! About 3 hours into that business, my buddy (who has an incredible vinyl collection - we're talking thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours invested) decided it was time to take a listen to his new ELO album - El Dorado. We both liked ELO quite a bit prior to this, but had no idea what we were in store for at the time with this particular collection of songs.
While I was busy marveling at the album cover, he put it on. I was really enjoying "Can't Get It Out of My Head", mellow and dreamy, I was noticing how much more emphasis was being placed on the "Orchestra" portion of "Electric Light Orchestra". And then Boy Blue came on.
It's difficult for me to properly convey how incredible the next 5 and a half minutes were for the two of us. I was loving how goofy some bits of the opening instrumental were, and then the song began to build. The strain of the violins built the tension until everything came crashing down into the actual song itself. By this point, we were both laying on the couch, unable to do anything but just take it in, telling each other how amazing this song was less than halfway through. And that excitment and musical tension built...and built. Boy Blue is brilliant in its simplicity. Each new verse piles on layer after layer of instrumentation to the underlying basic structure. It's a simple idea that's incredibly effective. By the second verse (with the plucked violins), it was all I could muster just to say "Oh my God!". And then we reached the pinnacle: the moment when all the instrumentation cuts, and it's just Jeff Lynnes voice for a couple seconds singing "Iiiiiiii've seen bold KNIGHTS!" and at that moment, EVERYTHING comes back in simultaneously on that word with yet another layer of violins. My mind was entirely blown. "Oh my God!" became "OH MY GOD!!!", and Lynne proceeded to work himself into this wide-eyed frenzy of passion and excitment that I've seen equalled almost nowhere else. More than any other track on this album, Boy Blue is the one that just blows me away every time. It's probably the most epic 5 minute song I've ever encountered. It feels like it should be twice that long when you think about just how much is packed into that little space of time.
Done gushing now. Other standouts on El Dorado for me include Laredo Tornado, Poor Boy and of course the title track. The whole thing, from beginning to end, holds together so well that it's difficult to choose. But Boy Blue haunts me.
I can't recommend this album enough.
Great, great, great! May 02, 2009
The CD came as described. A timely delivery, which was just great.
Thanks for the great service.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Click those heels, Dorothy Jan 31, 2009
I feel that concept albums--beyond being ridiculously-named, since any good album is full of concepts--are mostly failures. They go against the principles of rock music. Usually, they're pretentious, portentous, pompous, and a slew of other negative adjectives. "Eldorado," on the other hand, is modest, charming, and has good intentions. Lynne's lyrics are what you might expect, but his melodies are not. In fact--dare I say it?--Lynne's music is sensually reminescent of Paul McCartney's songs, or even "Sgt. Pepper"-era Beatles. But Lynne's scope is not so, well, endless, nor is he as ambitious. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" is a heck of a catchy song, though, proof enough that E.L.O. worked best as a singles band. With that in mind, "Eldorado" is a pleasant record.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
"The Dreamer... High on a Hill in Eldorado". Jan 08, 2008
At the moment, what this reviewer can't get out of his head, are the Eldorado Overture and Finale tracks (not to mention "All Over", from Out of the Blue).
To listen to all these ELO tracks, ranging from classical string arrangements to slow and often romantic tunes (such as, "Can't Get it out of my Head"), even to the infectious pop so gorgeously arranged by maestro Lynne across the map of Electric Light Orchestra albums, I can't understand how so many are able to so unquestioningly dismiss the work of the Electric Light Orchestra, and to heap distain and criticism--practically hate sometimes--on the band's leader, Mr. Jeff Lynne. I have come to believe that we the fans of the Electric Light Orchestra (small in number was we seem to be) must take a stand and defend Jeff Lynne and his work against the public of critics and of course those destined to complain about the production on anything he worked on (from the Traveling Wilburys albums to The Concert for George). It may be an acquired taste, but this does not justify the vitriolic venting against Lynne I have often read on these and other pages. As a human being and, in my opinion, as a skilled composer, musican, and producer, Jeff Lynne needs, DESERVES, more respect than he is getting. I am not suggesting that everyone should be forced to love ELO (though I do think it should be regarded as compulsory listening for true music lovers, even if just due to Jeff Lynne's production wizardy and the uniqueness of the sound in blending classical with pop), I just think people should give Jeff Lynne more respect as a human being and as an independent artist- and also perhaps give him a fair chance, leaving behind the preconcieved notion that seems to permeate modern music criticism that ELO was a patently inferior act. If you can't respect a human being's unique style and out-put, what business do you have in experiencing art anyway? If you can't stop shouting abuse at Jeff Lynne for supposedly ruining the Beatles reunion tracks and Harrison's Brainwashed (while also missing out on such fab tracks as, 'Real Love', 'Any Road', 'Looking for my Life', 'Rising Sun', 'Brainwashed' and more), what when wrong in your upbringing? Why must you insult, deride, and abuse the man to get a point across? And, isn't something wrong if you feel the urge to? We are all entitled to our own opinions, but this does not give us the right to express objection without at least some degree of civility. OK; that aside, I am a BIG fan of ELO and have the utmost respect for Jeff Lynne. About Eldorado...
A concept album about dreams and their influence upon man, this brilliant album, is bookended by the Eldorado Overture and the Eldorado Finale; both infectious tracks, they create the great possible (if most frustratingly short) intro and epilogue for the album In between, some of the highlights include: "Can't Get it out of my Head", a gorgeous love ballad (and musically catchy) that proves Jeff Lynne's lyrical capabilities for yours truly. Also: "Boy Blue" which, philosophically, seems to me to represent those dreams that are indescribably joyous, better than life itself; "Lorado Tornado", describing the low of awaking from a good dream. 'Mr. Kingdom' includes some interesting lyrics and the usual great music and arrangments, while 'Nobody's Child' is a haunting tune (perhaps about the fulfilment of strong desires, wishful thinking, through dreams?), 'Illusions in G-Minor' is catchy and lyrically, here, there and everywhere. The title track is a soaring one, and emotionally delivered as well. "I will be freeeeeee" is one of those lines that will likely stay with me for the rest of my life (Jeff Lynne really CAN sing,too!). The track also joyfully asserts the superiority of imagination and fantasy to reality, perhaps a fitting epitaph for the band itself and a position I can certainly identify with. I would argue that, 'Poor Boy' is a cut below the others, definetly lyrically (though there are some fun lines in there) but is indescribly redeemable thanks to its melody and, as ever, arrangement. All in all, what a listen! It may take a few times for the full, surprisingly deep concept to set in ( to a point, I'm still working through it honestly).
All in all, a great listening experience, highlighted by the blending of the classical and pop, and by the philosphical and varient nature of the lyrics... and by that plain old rock 'n' roll fun so prominent within the work. 5/5
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