Electric Light Orchestra - “10538 Overture” (1972)
Man. I wish Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne would just do one more record together. And maybe a tour to support it. I know that’s a stretch. But, wow, boner.
Wikip: “The Electric Light Orchestra (album)”
The sound is unique on this recording in comparison to the more slickly-produced ELO albums of the subsequent Jeff Lynne years, incorporating many wind instruments and replacing guitar parts with heavy, “sawing” cello riffs, giving this recording an experimental “Baroque-and-roll” feel.
And, like Message from the Country, practically every note on this record that’s not Bev’s drumming comes from two guys. Most of those layered winds, brass, and strings? Yep. Roy Wood. All Roy Wood.
Nobody sounded like Jeff and Roy in 71/72. (cf. “Chinatown,” “Tonight”)
Genius rock-n-roll scientist shit. Seriously.
Source: youtube.com
What Roy Wood was capable of. (April 8, 2009)
This video’s a year and a half old, but, for some reason Ellie suddenly has to watch it at least five times a day.
Which is fine by me.
Guess I just feel bad for Roy Wood. Who was kind of an unacknowledged genius in his time.
Source: Flickr / merlin
Wizzard - “See My Baby Jive” (Top of the Pops; Xmas, 1973)
First, I couldn’t stop listening to this on repeat for a half hour.
And, now I’ve apparently watched this insane and very colorful 1973 TV performance three times in a row.
Why? Easy.
- Songs like this are why rock ‘n roll is better than almost anything;
- Few objects in the universe are more empirically fascinating than Roy Wood;
- With the notable exceptions of John Entwistle and Mr. Wood, bass-playing veterans of the British Invasion era rarely felt comfortable even being photographed with the notoriously-difficult-to-play French horn;
- It was only in the 1970s that Western Civilization briefly saw how to harness and channel the inscrutable mystique of a man wearing an inexpensive gorilla costume.
Roy Wood is a goddamned treasure.
La la la.
Boulders by Roy Wood - Listen free on Lala
If this actually works, then, yes: Lala is totally creamy.
Addendum 2009-12-06 14:02:15 -0800: 30 second excerpts? Meh. C-plus. Negotiate full-length, Apple. Fuck shit up.
Source: Flickr / merlin
