Electric Light Orchestra Part Two (album) explained
| Electric Light Orchestra Part Two |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | ELO Part II |
| Cover: | Electric Light Orchestra Part Two album cover.jpg |
| Caption: | US cover |
| Released: | 1990 (US)
20 May 1991 (UK) |
| Studio: | [1] |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Length: | 42:03 |
| Producer: | Jeff Glixman |
| Next Title: | Performing ELO's Greatest Hits Live |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
Electric Light Orchestra Part Two is the debut album by ELO Part II, released in 1991. In March 1991, lead single "Honest Men" charted at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart,[2] and 36 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.[3] The track "Kiss Me Red" is a cover of the theme to the short-lived TV series Dreams.
The album was reissued in 1991 as Part Two: Once Upon a Time, and again in 2021 by Renaissance Records on CD and LP, with the CD release including bonus tracks.[4]
Background
After Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was disbanded in 1986, Bev Bevan approached Jeff Lynne to record another album; Lynne declined.[5] So in 1989 Bev Bevan formed a new band with a new lineup named ELO; however; Lynne objected to the use of ELO's name. After a lawsuit, a compromise was reached: the new name of the band would be ELO Part II.[6] In addition to the new name Lynne would also receive a share of royalties from ELO Part II's sales.
Reception
In 1991, Music & Media magazine declared in their review that ELO Part II "have succeeded in reviving the old trademark sound of E.L.O."[7] In his retrospective review, AllMusic's Doug Stone noted the album as "a decent fabrication of a begone fab era".
Track listing
Original LP
Tracks included on 2021 reissue:[8]
Personnel
Personnel according to the booklet.[1]
- ELO Part II
- Bev Bevan – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Pete Haycock – guitars, bass, lead and backing vocals
- Eric Troyer – keyboards, lead and backing vocals
- Neil Lockwood – lead and backing vocals
- Additional personnel
- Louis Clark – string arrangements
- Mik Kaminski – violin (on "Heartbreaker")
- Jeff Glixman – producer
- Don Arden – executive producer
- Mark Derryberry – engineer
- Jonathan Miller – engineer
- Alison Leaberry-Smith – engineer
- John Etchels – engineer
- Bob Norberg – editing
- Kevin Reeves – editing
- Wally Traugott – mastering
- Ron McPherson – art, graphics, design
Notes and References
- Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. ELO Part II. 1991. booklet. Netherlands. Disky. DCD 5225.
- Web site: Electric Light Orchestra. Official Charts Company . 5 March 2013.
- Web site: Hung . Steffen . Discografie Electric Light Orchestra . dutchcharts.nl . 22 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130513215706/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Electric+Light+Orchestra . 13 May 2013 .
- Web site: Sinclair. Keith. ELO Part II: Renaissance Reissues Update. 28 June 2021. elobeatlesforever.com. 30 August 2021.
- Web site: Boehm. Mike. 1995-07-22. ELO Part II: It Can Rise, but Can It Shine?. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201117014248/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-22-ca-26553-story.html . 2020-11-17 . 7 November 2020. Los Angeles Times.
- Web site: Ankeny. Jason. Electric Light Orchestra Part II Biography. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150123061419/http://www.allmusic.com:80/artist/electric-light-orchestra-part-ii-mn0001753734/biography . 2015-01-23 . 7 November 2020. AllMusic.
- 15 June 1991. New Releases – Albums. Music & Media. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 8. Issue 24. 8. 15 March 2021. WorldRadioHistory.Com.
- Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. CD back cover. 2021. ELO Part II. United States. Renaissance Records. RMED-0990.
