Sony's upcoming THE ESSENTIAL titles (including ELO) are single disc compilations.

I just did a Google search for The Essential: ELO to see if it would include 'Fire On High' and was routed to legacyrecordings.com, and then sonymusicstore.com.

The upcoming titles in The Essential series are single disc compilations. These include titles by Adam Ant, Blue Oyster Cult, Thelonious Monk, Joe Diffie, Molly Hatchet, Men At Work, and ELO.

The tracklisting for The Essential ELO is as follows:
1. Evil Woman
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
3. Strange Magic
4. Turn To Stone
5. Telephone Line
6. Hold On Tight
7. Rock And Roll Is King
8. Roll Over Beethoven
9. Do Ya
10.Mr. Blue Sky
11. Livin' Thing
12. Sweet Talkin' Woman
13. Shine A Little Love
14. Calling America
15. Don't Bring Me Down

I was looking forward to this as a 2 disc set, but I guess it really does make sense from a marketing standpoint to issue a new single disc compilation. After all, there are already 2 ELO box sets and a 2 disc Hits Collection--"Strange Magic."
Now your average Joe Sixpack can plop down his hard earned for that elusive Greatest Hits with 'Don't Bring Me Down' on it.

Still, I'm disappointed. Hopefully Sony hasn't killed off any future plans for additional 2 disc compilations of The Essential series. The last upcoming 2 disc set listed on the website is set for release this Tuesday, March 25---
The Essential: Dave Brubeck.

 

Actually Joe CAN.

1. there is a cutout/budget CD that sounds really good, called ELO Classics. It does have, what I consider, to be the best source of "Don't Bring Me Down" on it, as well as Evil Woman and others. Only 10 tracks or something, but it's retailing for $7, new. Check your supermarket or budget racks!

2. I walked into Borders, now brothers with Amazon.com, and they were selling the Essential Legacy sets for $7.99. No ****! That's 2 CDs of music, most of it newly compiled and mastered. I got the Earth Wind And Fire one, because I didn't have ANY EWF on CD. Sure enough, $7.99!

Not sure if that exists anymore...But ELO has "suffered" through 2-3 box set compilations, a couple of GH compilations, and some of their stock CDs have been redone recently...... More ELO than you can shake sticks at.

I haven't seen "No Answer" and "II" in quite some time though....

 

I beg to differ Sckott as I have an ELO comp. called 16 Greatest Hits The Light Years 1993 and Evil Woman sounds incredible as does Don't bring Me Down. It sounds like an analog master or possibly 2nd generation.

 

I'm happy with the mid-90s 2-CD set from Legacy. It has a nice, clear, un-EQ'ed sound, and all the hits and essential album tracks.

 

Do we really need another here's the hits once again E.L.O. compilation?
We've alrady got the 2 CD collection, Strange Magic, E.L.O. 's greatest hits and E.L.O. Classics.

What I was hoping for, and it seems like I'm gonna be hoping for awhile, is for Sony to issue some of the E.L.O. stuff on SACD, either in multi-channel/2 channel or hybrid SACD/CD. Heck the remasters from two years ago died real quick after 4 titles (random titles at that) were released.
Their whole catalogue really needs an overhaul, and like Sckott mentioned, when was the last time you seen the 1st album or E.L.O. II in the stores?

I really don't think another hits collection is really the answer, unless we can get a Hoffmanized one, but that's another story.

 

Re: Re: Sony's upcoming THE ESSENTIAL titles (including ELO) are single disc compilations.

Is this the ELO II you are referring to Sckott?http://www.absound.ca/music/search/search.html Oops! Type in ELO and ELO II is on the list.

Here's "No Answer" for you.http://www.hmv.com/ Type in Electric Light Orchestra and it's on page 2

 

Willie Nelson's is a double.

 

Huh?

 

I like it okay, but the beginning of Twilight is jarring. Everytime Hold On Tight ends and Twilight begins I jump. Like someone dropped a needle right during the crossfade of Prologue. On Light Years and Flashback it fades up. Much nicer way to introduce the song.

Also, I wonder how short this latest ELO Essential is in terms of total track time. No 10538 Overture, Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle, or Twilight. Could room be made for any of these. We already have Ole ELO, ELO Classics, Strange Magic, Greatest Hits. If you exclude the two box sets (why are there two?) this makes number five!

Brian

 

At the risk of sounding technical, the Jeff Lynne-less version of the Electric Light Orchestra is called E.L.O. Part 2. And this was the brainchild of original E.L.O. drummer Bev Bevan.

E.L.O. II is their second LP from 1973.

 

What was I unclear on?

 

CLASSICS is a single disc missing quite a few of the big hits ("Strange Magic," "Turn to Stone," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Do Ya," "Mr. Blue Sky," "Livin' Thing." "Sweet Talkin' Woman").

GREATEST HITS is another single disc also missing some of the biggest hits ("Roll Over Beethoven," "Do Ya," "Don't Bring Me Down").

STRANGE MAGIC has all the big hits, but the fact it's a double (albeit a fairly cheap double) probably scares away some potential customers.

I don't expect ESSENTIAL to be popular with anyone who already has STRANGE MAGIC, but it seems like a perfectly appealing purchase for anyone who wants a single disc featuring all the big hits.

 

Please enlighten me as to how " Willie Nelson's is a double" fits in with a conversation regarding Jeff Lynne and ELO.

 

There is also an Essential Cyndi Lauper coming out on April 1st.
It doesn't really look any better than 12 deadly cyns and it is still missing Hole in My Heart. Very Disappointing.
Aaron

 

I'd feel the same way about the Strange Magic comp but for the omission of "One Summer Dream". The tune doesn't usually rate in "Best ELO Songs" surveys, but it's one of my favorites from this group.

Jim W.

 

Price should not be a consideration here:

Once you hear the sound on the Flashback box set you won't find yourself pulling out Strange Magic too often.

...........well that's what happened in my case!

 

Does the box set have a fuller/deeper sound than the Strange Magic discs.

 

See thread title: the original post talks about the Essential series as a whole, not just the ELO release. Most of the releases in the latest batch of Essential titles are single discs, but Willie's is not...

 

Perhaps I would have gotten it if there had been a little more in Kbanya's post ie. A double of what, which album exactly, what's the catalog #, how's the sound quality etc.? A little more explanation would have helped when all there is is ELO from the begining post.

 

More explanation? Sheesh, I though Gorts could read the minds of forum members, among other mystical powers. What a letdown...

 

Oh yeah Peter, and forget about that 67' Mustang you've been thinkin' about buying lately.

 

Most definitely.

Unfortunately the box abridges the orchestral intro to Roll Over Beethoven. Strange Magic doesn't.

 

edit...addressed above.