Electric Light Orchestra: Turn To Stone

With the former Beatles floundering into schmaltz or obscurity, it's ironic that one of their disciples should be flourishing so impressively on both sides of the Atlantic. Ten years ago, Jeff Lynne was star-struck by The Beatles, and he took 'Sergeant Pepper' as his blueprint. At times, his fondness for strings has seemed a mite obsessive, but these days that seems to be under control. This classy sampler from ELO's forthcoming double set shows that Lynne knows is still refining his talent for melody and arranging. 'Turn To Stone' is a cheerful love song, full of intriguing production touches, and taken at a pace that makes the Ramones almost seem sluggish. Lynne's last album spawned four hit singles, and the omens must be even better for the next set. This band have no pretensions to political or cultural significance, and they're still not entirely fashionable among leaders of rock opinion. But with Jeff Lynne's gift for commercial tunes, no one need lose any sleep over that.

NME 22 October 1977