Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Zoom Tour Live

Rating:
Summary: A surprising performance
Review: After the poor musical experience of watching the 1978 ELO Discovery concert DVD, I watched with fear and trepidation the ELO 2001 Zoom tour DVD. A most excellent surprise.

While billed as ELO, it was basically Jeff Lynne and some other guys -- no original members outside of Lynne. But who cares? Can you name one original member other than him?

It was a truly live performance unlike the much prerecorded 1978 performance. I'm sure the vocals were post-mixed, but they were live with incredible harmonies. He had a female background singer who did a great job recreating much of the cool harmonies of the original recordings. The female voice was an interesting contrast to the falsetto male vocals from the records.

They even did a nice job recreating songs like Mr. Blue Sky and Turn to Stone, which were difficult arrangements on the records. Also, Lynne's vocals were not overdubbed and bathed in effects like I was used to. They were live and unadulterated. He's actually quite good. And his in-between song banter was mildly entertaining.

The 2001 tour bombed and was cancelled prematurely (is anything cancelled maturely?) due to poor ticket sales. It's surprising that Lynne touring for the first time in 17 years would draw so little interest.

The `arena' they played on the DVD was not expansive. It was kinda like they moved out the booths at the local Country Kitchen and set up a stage (free concert with the chicken-fried steak) but it did give it a more intimate effect. Audience members spotted were Ed Bagley, Jr. (is there anywhere on earth this guy isn't?) and Eric Idle.

A must for any ELO fan. Come on -- Give Jeff Lynne a little extra retirement money. It's worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Missing something
Review: I have been buying ELO vinyl since grade school. There is just something missing from this dvd. No energy and the sound is somewhat stale. I'm not sure if there are original band members missing on this, but it does not sound like the crisp ELO albumns that I have. Jeff's voice to me is kind of off par on this performance as well.

Just a dull DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Fantastic
Review: Jeff Lynne has done it again. I've been listening to ELO since I was a five-year-old child and my mother was playing Discovery on the stereo, and I think they're imprinted on my psyche as one of "the" bands on the planet. So I'm thrilled that Jeff is still producing music as viable now as it was in 1979. This video is a must-see for any ELO fan. With classics like 'Turn to Stone' and 'Evil Woman' plus new Zoom material like 'Ordinary World' and 'Alright', it has the best all in one concert. And Mr. Lynn is in fine voice, for all of you for whom it matters, such as myself.
So buy it or rent it. Just go out and enjoy it. Better yet, find the next ELO concert scheduled (probably in the UK) and GET THERE! I sure intend to.