46. Electric Light Orchestra--Secret Messages

 #46: Electric Light Orchestra--Secret Messages (1983)

Top-Notch Tracks: "Four Little Diamonds," "Danger Ahead," "The Stranger," "Rock 'n' Roll Is King," "Secret Messages"

Album Depth: "Loser Gone Wild," "Time After Time," "Bluebird," "Letter From Spain"

Weak Link: "Train of Gold"

Stand-Out Lyrics: "Is this on? Okay, after four. Four."--"Four Little Diamonds"

"She rolled over Beethoven and she gave Tchaikovsky back."--"Rock 'n' Roll Is King"

"Here she comes down the street, and that look is in her eyes. And the way she looks, if looks could kill they might."--"Danger Ahead"

"On the other side of midnight I was looking for a place to stay. And one thing's sure for certain--I ain't never goin' back again."--"The Stranger"

"Silence of a basement, shades all closed at noon. Lie awake for fear of strangers."--"Loser Gone Wild"

"I got a letter this morning. Postmark said it was from Spain."--"Letter From Spain"

"You may fight, you may run, you may know what you've done."--"Bluebird"

"And now they call, they sing, they play, they dance for you from out of the blue. What can you do?"--"Secret Messages"

"She probably thinks I was a fool. She's right."--"Four Little Diamonds"

Electric Light Orchestra: Secret Messages

Album Cover: 6 out of 10. It's a little busy, but it does remind me a bit of something Terry Gilliam might do for Monty Python. I do like the fact that Bev, Jeff, Richard, and Kelly are looking in from the second story window. But, I miss the spaceship. (Cupid holding the "ELO" symbol does help soften the blow.)

Comments:  Little did I know back in 1983 that this would be one of the last hurrah's for the Electric Light Orchestra. I might have savored it a bit more had I known. At the time, I liked it, but thought it was a bit odd. There's the tempo changes (and dog barking) in "Loser Gone Wild." There's the "work, work" chant from "Bluebird." There's the heavy-handed anti-war nuttiness and 'splosions of "Time After Time." There's the repeated lilting "letter" from "Letter From Spain." And, there's the ear-splitting annoyance of the attempted train sound at the beginning of "Train of Gold." ("Train of Gold" might be the first ELO song I ever openly disliked, mostly because of that opening screech.) 

It didn't help that the first single and biggest hit off of the album, "Rock 'n' Roll Is King," shares 93% of its DNA with the previous album's biggest hit, "Hold On Tight." Don't get me wrong, "Rock 'n' Roll Is King is a fun song, but it's mostly just "Hold On Tight" with less French and more Tchaikovsky.

Luckily, the whole album is buoyed up by the first three songs of Side 2: "Four Little Diamonds," "The Stranger," and "Danger Ahead." Great songs, and a bit of fun, too. 

There are two other great songs that were almost on this album, but didn't make the cut. When initially preparing for "Secret Messages," Jeff Lynne's plan was for it to be a double album. (Hey, it worked for "Out of the Blue," right?) But, the record company was against the idea, and the record company got their way. So, as a result, possibly the two best songs from the would-be album, "Hello My Old Friend," and "Mandalay," didn't see the light of day until the release of the box set "Afterglow" in 1990. (Both songs are masterpieces of that flying, floating feel of which I find myself fond.) 

The album is full of little snippets of "secret" backwards messaging, almost all of which are simply the words that should go in that spot played backwards. But, I think Jeff Lynne's real secret message with this album was, "we're gonna have some fun with this, one last time."

Up next: Clothing optional.