Afterglow (Electric Light Orchestra album)

Afterglow
Box set by Electric Light Orchestra
Released	15 June 1990
Recorded	July 1970 – January 1986
Genre	Progressive rock, pop rock
Length	208:57
Label	Epic
Producer	Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra chronology
Balance of Power (1986) Afterglow (1990) ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1992)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
MusicHound	3/5[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[3]

Afterglow is the third box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in 1990 with liner notes by music critic and editor Ira Robbins of Trouser Press. A different two-CD compilation with identical artwork was issued simultaneously under the title The Very Best of The Electric Light Orchestra.

Overview: Afterglow

The box set mixes the usual hit singles with lesser known album tracks and non-album B-sides, and is most notable for including most of the Secret Messages (1983) tracks that were not released when the intended album was reduced from a double to a single LP as well as B-sides from Balance of Power (1986) singles.

The discs of the box set were labelled with letters "E", "L" and "O", each covering a different compilation set of albums:

• Disc "E" – The Electric Light Orchestra (1971; tracks 1–2), ELO 2 (1973; tracks 3–6), On the Third Day (1973; tracks 7–9) and Eldorado (1974; tracks 10–11) (with the exception of "One Summer Dream" from Face the Music (1975))
• Disc "L" – Face the Music (tracks 1, 3, 5–6), A New World Record (1976; tracks 2, 4, 7–10), Out of the Blue (1977; tracks 11–15) and Discovery (1979; tracks 16–17)
• Disc "O" – Time (1981; tracks 1–2, 6 & 9), Secret Messages (1983; tracks 10 & 18) and Balance of Power (1986; tracks 13 & 16) (with the exception of "Shine a Little Love" from Discovery)

The songs from soundtrack album Xanadu (1980) were not included.

The song "Destination Unknown", which was previously released as a B-side to "Calling America" single, was issued as promo only CD single.

Track listing: Afterglow

All tracks written by Jeff Lynne, except "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Disc E (Disc 1)

1. "10538 Overture" – 5:32
2. "Mr. Radio" – 5:04
3. "Kuiama" – 11:19
4. "In Old England Town (Boogie No. 2)"  – 6:54
5. "Mama" – 7:03
6. "Roll Over Beethoven" – 8:08
7. "Bluebird Is Dead" – 4:24
8. "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" – 3:52
9. "Showdown" – 4:07
10. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" – 4:25
11. "Boy Blue" – 5:20
12. "One Summer Dream"  – 5:47

Disc L (Disc 2)

1. "Evil Woman" – 4:18
2. "Tightrope"  – 5:03
3. "Strange Magic"  – 4:29
4. "Do Ya" – 3:44
5. "Nightrider"  – 4:22
6. "Waterfall" – 4:10
7. "Rockaria!" – 3:14
8. "Telephone Line"  – 4:39
9. "So Fine" – 3:54
10. "Livin' Thing"  – 3:31
11. "Mr. Blue Sky" (Japanese 7" edit) – 3:44
12. "Sweet Is the Night" – 3:27
13. "Turn to Stone" – 3:48
14. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" – 3:48
15. "Steppin' Out" – 4:38
16. "Midnight Blue"  – 4:17
17. "Don't Bring Me Down" – 4:03

Disc O (Disc 3)

1. "Prologue" – 1:16
2. "Twilight" – 3:33
3. "Julie Don't Live Here"  – 3:40
   • B-side to the "Twilight" single, 1981
4. "Shine a Little Love" – 4:39
5. "When Time Stood Still" – 3:33
   • B-side to the "Hold on Tight" single, 1981
6. "Rain Is Falling" – 3:57
7. "The Bouncer" – 3:13
   • B-side to the "Four Little Diamonds" single, 1983; Previously unreleased in the US
8. "Hello My Old Friend" – 7:51
   • Previously unreleased
9. "Hold on Tight"  – 3:06
10. "Four Little Diamonds" – 4:08
    • features a slightly longer intro than the album version
11. "Mandalay"  – 5:19
    • Previously unreleased
12. "Buildings Have Eyes"  – 3:55
    • B-side to "Secret Messages" single; Previously unreleased in the US
13. "So Serious"  – 2:39
14. "A Matter of Fact"  – 3:58
    • B-side to "So Serious" single; Previously unreleased in the US
15. "No Way Out" – 3:23
    • Previously unreleased
16. "Getting to the Point"  – 4:28
17. "Destination Unknown"  – 4:05
    • B-side to "Calling America" 12 inch UK single; Previously unreleased in the US
18. "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" (Single edit) – 3:07

Track listing: The Very Best Of The Electric Light Orchestra

All tracks written by Jeff Lynne, except "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry.

Disc 1

1. "Evil Woman" – 4:18
2. "Livin' Thing" – 3:31
3. "Turn to Stone" – 3:48
4. "Can't Get It Out of My Head"  – 4:25
5. "Rockaria!"  – 3:14
6. "Telephone Line"  – 4:39
7. "Mr. Blue Sky" (Japanese 7" edit) – 3:44
8. "Sweet Talkin' Woman"  – 3:48
9. "Confusion"  – 3:42
10. "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" (Album version)  – 3:43
11. "Strange Magic"  – 4:05
12. "Calling America"  – 4:05

Disc 2

1. "Don't Bring Me Down" – 4:03
2. "So Serious" – 2:41
3. "Getting to the Point"  – 4:28
4. "Do Ya"  – 3:45
5. "Hold on Tight"  – 3:06
6. "Secret Messages" (Album version)  – 4:47
7. "Wild West Hero" – 4:40
8. "Here Is the News" – 3:49
9. "Shine a Little Love"  – 4:40
10. "I'm Alive"  – 3:45
11. "All Over the World" – 4:01
12. "Roll Over Beethoven" (Single edit) – 4:32

Personnel

• Jeff Lynne – vocals, guitars
• Bev Bevan – drums, percussion
• Richard Tandy – keyboards, guitar
• Kelly Groucutt – bass, vocals (1974 onwards)
• Mike de Albuquerque – bass (to 1974)
• Bill Hunt – French horn, hunting horn (tracks 1 & 2 on Disc E)
• Mik Kaminski – violin
• Wilfred Gibson – violin (tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 & 9 on Disc E)
• Steve Woolam – violin (tracks 1 & 2 on Disc E)
• Mike Edwards – cello (to 1974)
• Melvyn Gale – cello (1975 onwards)
• Hugh McDowell – cello
• Colin Walker – cello (tracks 3, 4, 5 & 6 on Disc E)
• Marc Bolan – guitar (on "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle")
• Roy Wood – vocals, guitars, cello, bass, wind instruments (tracks 1, 2 & 4 on Disc E)
• Ira Robbins (Trouser Press) – liner notes (1990)

See also

• Flashback

References

This page was last edited on 20 January 2024, at 15:43