Jeff Lynne: is he Alone in the Universe?

Record Review: Alone in the Universe by Jeff Lynne's ELO

November 2015 saw the release of Alone in the Universe, the new album by Jeff Lynne, the creative force behind the Electric Light Orchestra, which is the first to bear the ELO name since the disappointing and largely forgotten 2000 album Zoom. After some years in the wilderness, the band have recently come to prominence again as a result of a critically-acclaimed concert for the BBC in Hyde Park during 2014. I am a fairly recent convert to the music of ELO, having heard much of their work without really knowing it was theirs, and have become very fond of their greatest hits compilation, Light Years, so I was curious to find out what Lynne's new music was like and asked for this album as a Christmas present. It isn't entirely what I would have expected from ELO and left me a little disappointed as a result, but is nevertheless an enjoyable little album and a welcome return for one of the greats of the seventies.

The first obvious difference about this album is the name it has been released under: not the "Electric Light Orchestra" but "Jeff Lynne's ELO". I can think of three reasons for this, firstly to avoid confusion with various other incarnations of the band that didn't include Lynne, and secondly to assert his rights to the name. After the original ELO disbanded, the name was jointly owned by Lynne and Bev Bevan; the latter formed a new band called "ELO Part II" but on his retirement sold his share of the rights to Lynne, who had to take legal action to prevent Bevan's former band from continuing to use the name. Thirdly and perhaps most significantly, as explained below, there is no actual band as such and Jeff Lynne's ELO is really just Jeff Lynne.

The ELO name is a misnomer; this is effectively a Jeff Lynne solo album filled with songs written, performed and produced entirely by him, and no others from any part of the band's long history are involved, not even long-time member Richard Tandy. Apart from some percussion (by engineer Steve Jay) and the female backing vocals (provided by his daughter Laura), all other instruments and vocal parts are played by Lynne himself, so he really is alone in the universe here. Maybe it would have been more appropriate to release it as a solo work, but with ELO experiencing a renaissance using that name makes greater commercial sense.

Although the album has received very positive reviews, I'm afraid I am in the minority who feel a little underwhelmed by it. While by no means a bad product and a pleasant enough pop record, it lacks the innovation found in the best ELO music of old, and instead of the often eccentric and groundbreaking combination of orchestral and electronic sounds that once typified their work relies rather more on conventional guitars and keyboards. It doesn't have the uniqueness found in songs such as the '10538 Overture' and 'The Diary of Horace Wimp' and sounds far more formulaic and obviously inspired, like seemingly everyone else of that era, by the Beatles. The overall sound is quite generic and it could have been sung by any one of Lynne's contemporaries, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it isn't typically ELO either and I feel he may have played it too safe for his comeback and lost the magic that made the original ELO so special.

This album is very short at just over 37 minutes for 12 tracks; every one is under four minutes, with several coming in at less than three, so its contents feel quite different when compared with some of the big hits such as 'Mr Blue Sky' and 'Roll Over Beethoven' that featured extensive full-bodied synth and string solos, whereas some of these are little more than a couple of short verses and a repeated chorus. Having been known in more recent years principally as a producer, Lynne has always embraced the latest technology in the making of his music, and this is apparent here in the way he has combined so many of his own parts to build up the sounds without a large band. However, this is also a weakness as even the most talented multi-instrumentalist can't be good at everything, so the album fails to benefit from the usual interplay between musicians with different skills.

Alone in the Universe is a beautifully-crafted slice of lightweight pop music that clearly takes influences from ELO's greatest hits but has its own distinctive feel. Lynne's lyrics are quite simple, unchallenging and often repetitive, but this makes them catchy and memorable and I soon found myself singing along. There are no violins and the few string sounds are synthesised, and some of the keyboard parts, especially in the title track, are actually a little reminiscent of Tony Banks's work with Genesis, a surprising comparison that I didn't expect to be making. The drums sound a bit odd though, strangely flat and occasionally disjointed, apparently because Lynne played each piece of the kit separately and combined them in post-production, which is technically clever but just doesn't sound the same as a full kit.    

The opening track and first single, 'When I Was A Boy', is probably the strongest and has the sort of lyrics that wouldn't be out of place in country music: a nostalgic and clearly autobiographical look back to the happiness of Lynne's own childhood, "when there was no money" but he was happy in his own world of music. 'Fault Line', one of the two bonus tracks only featured on the deluxe edition, also has strong country overtones, while 'Dirty To The Bone' is clearly from the same mould as 'Evil Woman' and 'Four Little Diamonds'. The mood can change rapidly during the album, particularly when the romantic ballad 'All My Life' gives way to the sadness of 'I'm Leaving You', which in turn is followed by the pulsing 'One Step At A Time', the track closest in feel to the disco-inspired ELO of the seventies. Although it has changed a little through age, Lynne's voice remains very distinctive and easily recognisable, and his trademark falsetto makes regular appearances throughout the album. 

Jeff Lynne's ELO is most definitely not the same 'band' as the Electric Light Orchestra, but attaching that name will inevitably draw comparisons with the classic ELO of the seventies and eighties. Taken on its own merits without reference to the latter, Alone in the Universe is a pleasant and easy-listening slice of nostalgic pop music, and is much better than some of the dismal 'revival' or end-of-career albums released by established artists, but don't expect it to sound just like the band did in their heyday. Don't get me wrong, it is far more than just a cash-in on a famous name, but makes most sense when viewed as a Jeff Lynne solo album that has only vague links with the band ELO.

Track listing:

1. When I Was A Boy
2. Love And Rain
3. Dirty To The Bone
4. When The Night Comes
5. The Sun Will Shine On You
6. Ain't It A Drag
7. All My Life
8. I'm Leaving You
9. One Step At A Time
10. Alone In The Universe
11. Fault Line (Deluxe edition bonus track)
12. Blue (Deluxe edition bonus track)