Face the Music (Electric Light Orchestra album)

Infobox Album | Name = Face the Music
Type = Studio album
Artist = Electric Light Orchestra


Released = October 2, 1975
September 11, 2006 (reissue)
Recorded = Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre = Rock, Art rock
Length = 36:20
Label = United Artists Records, Jet Records & Columbia Records
Epic/Legacy (Latest Re-issue)
Producer = Jeff Lynne
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Atisxlfwe5cqi link]
*George Starostin Rating|4|5 [http://starling.rinet.ru/music/elo.htm#Music link]
Last album = "Eldorado" (1974)
This album = "Face the Music"
(1975)
Next album = "A New World Record"
(1976)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Back cover
Type = studio

"Face the Music" is the fifth album by Electric Light Orchestra.

Overview

ELO's fifth studio LP was released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) and the first to be recorded in Musicland Studios Munich. The band featured yet another new line-up with bassist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale replacing Mike de Albuquerque and Mike Edwards respectively.

The back cover of the record sleeve shows the members of the band with their faces pressed against a glass panel, supposedly watching the "electrocution" depicted on the front cover. The band member who is looking away is Richard Tandy, who is opposed to the death penalty and therefore didn't want to participate in the "joke."Fact|date=April 2008 New member Kelly Groucutt sang lead vocals on "Poker" as well as one of the verses in "Nightrider." (Usually, Jeff Lynne sang all lead vocals for ELO.)

ingles

The singles "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic" were the most commercial songs they had recorded up to that point. "Evil Woman" was a big hit in the UK and the US, embracing disco rhythms while still embodying ELO's classic sound. "Nightrider" became the third single from the album and despite an appearance on the UK Chart show Top of the Pops it failed to chart.

Despite the success of the singles, the LP failed to chart in the UK. However, the album was the band's first to reach Platinum sales and laid the groundwork for future world success. The album was remastered and released in September 2006 with bonus tracks.

Backmasking

"Fire On High"contains a backwards message in the beginning. When the song is played backwards, the message voiced by drummer Bev Bevan can be heard stating, "The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." "Down Home Town" also starts with some back masking: the refrain from "Waterfall" ("Face the mighty waterfall, face the mighty waterfall"). A portion of the string crescendo from "Nightrider" was used backwards on "Evil Woman."

Chart Positions, Chart Runs

* US: #8 Billboard 200, 48 weeks
* UK: did not chart
* AUS: #30 ARIA Albums Chart, 14 weeks
* CAN: #31 RPM Albums Chart, 19 weeks

Track listing

tracklist
all_writing = Jeff Lynne
headline = Side one
title1 = Fire On High
length1 = 5:30
title2 = Waterfall
length2 = 4:27
title3 = Evil Woman
length3 = 4:19
title4 = Nightrider
length4 = 4:23

tracklist
headline = Side two
title1 = Poker
length1 = 3:31
title2 = Strange Magic
length2 = 4:29
title3 = Down Home Town
length3 = 3:54
title4 = One Summer Dream
length4 = 5:47

tracklist
headline = Bonus tracks (2006 remaster)
title9 = Fire On High Intro
note9 = Early Alt. mix
length9 = 3:23
title10 = Evil Woman
note10 = Stripped Down mix
length10 = 5:00
title11 = Strange Magic
note11 = US Single edit
length11 = 3:27
title12 = Waterfall
note12 = Instrumental mix
length12 = 4:15

* Orchestra and choral arrangements – Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark.
* Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark.

Personnel

* Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar, keyboards
* Bev Bevan - drums, percussion, spoken intro (backwards), vocals
* Richard Tandy - keyboards, guitar
* Kelly Groucutt - bass, vocals
* Mik Kaminski - violin
* Hugh McDowell - cello
* Melvyn Gale - cello
* Ellie Greenwich - uncredited vocals
* Susan Collins - uncredited vocals
* Nancy O'Neill - uncredited vocals
* Margaret Raymond - uncredited vocals

Links

* [http://www.ftmusic.com/facethemusic/index.html Face the Music Remastered info]