I don't share your hatred of "Telephone Line", bob, in fact I love it. But you shouldn't miss out on what is a really good album just because you don't like/dislike/hate one track. That album has some great songs - "Do ya", "Livin' Thing", "So Fine" - a great opener in "Tightrope" and a great closer in "Shangri-La", to say nothing of the close harmony acapella in "Above the Clouds."

There are plenty of albums - well, a few - on which I hate one song, but that doesn't stop me from listening to and enjoying the album. At times I want to kill, disembowel and eat Gary Moore (yes I know he's passed on already) for writing the piece of unmitigated garbage that is "Teenage Idol" - I hate it with the sort of passion I reserve for things I really, really, really hate - but I still listen to Victims of the Future. I'm not terribly fond of Abacab but I don't refuse to listen to it even though I despise "Whodunnit". You shouldn't, in my opinion, cut off your nose to spite your face by refusing to give an album a chance just because you hate one track.

Anyway, in these days of digital albums you can surely arrange to buy or download it minus that song? Or, you know, just skip it? Up to you of course, but you really should give the album a chance. It's pretty damned good.

I've heard all the ELO tracks you mention, and I do like "So Fine" and "Livin' Thing", though I probably have heard the latter so many times I hardly need to own it. Not so fond of "Do Ya". Still I concede that that album is mostly good stuff.

The bottom line is that, for me, ELO are the kind of band where I find one album is enough, especially since Out of the Blue is a double album. If I were going to get another, it would probably be from their earlier period such as Eldorado or possibly Face the Music.

I have a kind of bob_32 to the extreme attitude to ELO. There was a time when their music seemed to be everywhere. A big enthusiast was person I didn't like at school, so rather unfairly to J Lynn, that put me off them too.

times two! So far, ELO have remained a band that I have unwillingly heard but never listened to. Still, with some lesser known tracks being recommended here, I might give them a go later today...

PS: No-one has mentioned Roy Wood yet; wasn't he like half the band?

Roy Wood initially formed ELO with Lynne but I don't think he stayed with them very long. Lynne, I believe, had joined the Move just before they broke up and ELO basically took off from there.

Thanks, rs ! I had no idea that Lynn was briefly in The Move. They had some good singles back in the sixties.

They did and you can hear the comparisons to ELO as well. same thing with Lynne's original band, The Idle Race. I absolutely love their Birthday Party album.

Yeah Wood was more about the folky rock thing (which is why I'm not so enamoured of the first two albums) while Lynne was into getting the classical edge on the music. I guess you could say (maybe wrongly) that Wood was ELO's Syd?

To all who have heard the singles to death, let me assure you there are some album tracks that knock them into a hat (cocked or otherwise) and you should not judge ELO on the strength (or weakness due to repetition) of their hit singles alone. Did you know they do a cover of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King"? Or that they tackle future issues on the album Time? Or that there's a full concerto on Out of the... oh you knew that did you? Well did you know Eldorado is basically one big concerto, and one of their greatest albums? Or that On the Third Day features a fine instrumental and... well, I could go on. Book by the cover, guys! Book by the cover...

Eldorado's ****ing great (even if Illusions in G Major is a skipper and a half).

Agree, and I can do without "Nobody's Child" too, but the rest is 24-carat gold.