Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery (1979)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD. This CD is not the 2001 remastered CD with bonus tracks.

I'm fairly confident this LP was the first one I purchased after a family move in late 1978. I had always enjoyed ELO on the radio, so I bought this based on the strength of Shine a Little Love, the first single. The whole album is heavily influenced by disco (particularly the bass lines), but Jeff Lynne's songwriting was still strong at that time. I didn't lose interest in ELO until after their release Time, but then appreciated Lynne's later work in The Traveling Wilburys and with Tom Petty. And, of course, I eventually dove into their back catalog. When I listen to ELO, I normally don't choose this CD, but that's because Xanadu is around. ;-)

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "another tasty collection"
• CashBox: "continue to break superb musical ground on this LP"
• Record World: "There's a bit of disco here but it seems a natural extension"
• Smash Hits (8 out of 10): "ELO fans will not be disappointed"
• Stereo Review: "a weak effort"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #5
Peak on CashBox album chart: #5
Peak on the Rolling Stone chart: #6

Tracks: Since I didn't have many LPs at the time (or much of a life, for that matter), this album was played daily in my room. To be honest, side one (tracks 1-4) was probably played with more frequency than side two. As a result, I am very familiar with all the tracks and the arrangements. If I had to pick my fav tracks, I'd go with Shine a Little Love and The Diary of Horace Wimp. I'm not fan of the ballads, but Need Her Love is much better than Midnight Blue. The single Don't Bring Me Down isn't my favorite, probably because it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the album. Stuck at the end, it seems like an afterthought.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This is an album I associate with summer; specifically, summer in a new city in a new house. The summer I turned 13 was carefree, hot, and humid.

More recently, I attended an academic conference at The University of Sussex in July 2010. Once the conference ended, I took a train from Brighton to London. The song Last Train to London was an earworm from the time I entered the Brighton train station until I exited at Victoria Station.