Eldorado (Electric Light Orchestra album)

Eldorado (subtitled A Symphony by the Electric Light Orchestra) is the fourth studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in the United States in September 1974 by United Artists Records and in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Warner Bros. Records.

Eldorado
Studio album by
Electric Light Orchestra
ReleasedSeptember 1974
RecordedFebruary–August 1974
StudioDe Lane Lea Studios, London
Genre
Length38:42
LabelWarner Bros., United Artists
ProducerJeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra chronology
The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach
(1974)		 Eldorado
(1974)		 Showdown
(1974)
Electric Light Orchestra studio album chronology
On the Third Day
(1973)		 Eldorado
(1974)		 Face the Music
(1975)
Singles from Eldorado
  1. "Can't Get It Out of My Head"
    Released: November 1974
  2. "Boy Blue"
    Released: April 1975

Concept

Eldorado is the first complete ELO concept album; bandleader Jeff Lynne conceived the storyline before he wrote any music.[2] The plot follows a Walter Mitty-like character who journeys into fantasy worlds via dreams, to escape the disillusionment of his mundane reality. Lynne began to write the album in response to criticisms from his father, a classical music lover, who said that Electric Light Orchestra's repertoire "had no tune".[3] The influence of The Beatles is prevalent, especially in the melody of the verse of "Mister Kingdom" which to some degree resembles the Beatles' "Across the Universe".

Recording

Eldorado marks the first album on which Jeff Lynne hired an orchestra; on previous albums, he would overdub the strings.[2] Louis Clark co-arranged, with Lynne (and keyboardist Richard Tandy), and conducted the strings. The group's three resident string players continued to perform on recordings, however, and can be heard most prominently on the songs "Boy Blue" and "Laredo Tornado". Mike de Albuquerque departed early on in the recording process, as touring made him feel separated from his family. Lynne plays most of, if not all, the bass tracks and backing vocals for the album, but de Albuquerque still featured on the final release as well as getting credited. Kelly Groucutt replaced him for the subsequent tour, when cellist Melvyn Gale also joined (replacing the departing Mike Edwards). "Eldorado Finale" is heavily orchestrated, much like "Eldorado Overture". Jeff Lynne said of the song, "I like the heavy chords and the slightly daft ending, where you hear the double bass players packing up their basses, because they wouldn't play another millisecond past the allotted moment."[2]

Cover design

The cover was designed by John Kehe, simply of a frame of Dorothy's ruby slippers from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz.[4]

Release, reception and aftermath
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
MusicHound3/5[7]
Music Story [8]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
PopMatters(favourable)[11]

Critical reception

Bruce Eder of Allmusic who gave a 5 out of 5 star rating opined "Eldorado was strongly reminiscent in some ways of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not that it could ever have the same impact or be as distinctive, but it had its feet planted in so many richly melodic and varied musical traditions, yet made it all work in a rock context, that it did recall the Beatles classic."[5] Ken Barnes of Rolling Stone also noted "The Electric Light Orchestra has sometimes swamped itself in grandiose conceptions, and Eldorado (A Symphony) sounds like a prime opportunity to do it again. But thanks to strong original songs, Eldorado emerges as something of a triumph for the group."[9] Chuck Hicks of PopMatters wrote in his retrospective review "Eldorado (named for the mythical, gilded king of a golden kingdom) struck a responsive chord, breaking through like sunlight on the buried desires of the discouraged and disillusioned ’70s audience. Thankfully, Sony’s Epic/Legacy label has reissued a gorgeous digital remaster of this album, which will carry its timeless message to another lost generation." Hicks continued saying "Eldorado was the first of many successful ELO albums that had in mind “the mission of the sacred heart”, a shimmering, purlined call to hold on tight to our dreams."[11]

Commercial reception

"Can't Get It Out of My Head" was released as a single (with "Illusions in G Major" as the B-side) and was a success in the US.[12] An edited version of "Boy Blue" was released as the album's second single, but failed to make any commercial impact. The album was certified Gold in the United States soon after its release. The album and singles, however, failed to find a wide audience in the band's native United Kingdom.

Accolades

In 1978, the filmmaker Kenneth Anger re-released his 1954 film Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, using Eldorado as the soundtrack.

In July 2010, the album was named one of Classic Rock magazine's "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".[13]

On 17 June 2015, the album was ranked #43 on Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time".[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jeff Lynne

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Eldorado Overture" (instrumental)2:12
2."Can't Get It Out of My Head"4:21
3."Boy Blue"5:18
4."Laredo Tornado"5:29
5."Poor Boy (The Greenwood)"2:57
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Mister Kingdom"5:50
7."Nobody's Child"3:40
8."Illusions in G Major"2:36
9."Eldorado"5:20
10."Eldorado Finale"1:20
Total length:39:03
CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Eldorado Instrumental Medley"7:56
12."Dark City"0:46

Personnel
Additional personnel
  • Peter Forbes-Robertson – spoken word
  • Louis Clark – orchestra and choral arrangements and conducting
  • Al Quaglieri – reissue producer (2001)

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  2. Wild, David. "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band and the Pop Genius Who Dared to Go Baroque." Flashback.
  3. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (30 October 2015). "Interview: Jeff Lynne - From Electric Light Orchestra to one-man band, the pop veteran talks about his new solo album". ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. "ACHOF Interview with designer and illustrator John Kehe". Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  5. Eder, Bruce. "Eldorado – Electric Light Orchestra: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  6. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 915. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  7. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 383. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  8. "Acclaimed Music - Eldorado". acclaimedmusic.net. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  9. Barnes, Ken (2 January 1975). "Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
  10. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 274. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  11. Hicks, Chuck (11 June 2001). "ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA: ELDORADO". PopMatters.
  12. "ELO through the years: How the Electric Light Orchestra has changed over time".
  13. Classic Rock magazine, July 2010, Issue 146.
  14. (Posted: 17 June 2015) (17 June 2015). "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  15. "Australian Album Chart Positions". Strange Magic. Australia. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  16. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3900a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado - A Symphony By The Electric Light Orchestra" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  18. "Charts.nz – Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado - A Symphony By The Electric Light Orchestra". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  19. "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  20. "CashBox Top 100 Albums" (PDF). CashBox. Vol. XXXVI #31. United States. 14 December 1974. p. 37. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  21. "Top Pop Albums of 1975". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  22. "Number One Pop Albums" (PDF). Billboard. United States. 27 December 1975. p. 16. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  23. "Canadian album certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado". Music Canada.
  24. "American album certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado". Recording Industry Association of America.
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