The Night the Light Went on (in Long Beach)
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| The Night the Light Went On (In Long Beach) |
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| Live album by Electric Light Orchestra | ||
| Released | 1974 (reissue) | |
| Recorded | May 1974 Long Beach Auditorium California | |
| Genre | Rock, Art rock | |
| Length | 40:20 | |
| Label | United Artists | |
| Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Electric Light Orchestra chronology | ||
| On the Third Day (1973) |
The Night The Light Went On (In Long Beach) (1974) |
Eldorado (1974) |
| Alternate cover | ||
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| Original (1974) cover | ||
The Night the Light Went On (in Long Beach) is a 1974 live album by Electric Light Orchestra.
Contents |
[edit] History
The original recording of this album was marred by technical issues both on and off the stage. Difficulty recording the band's acoustic instruments (two cellos and violin) led to the strings sometimes being lost in the mix as well as a prodigious amount of feedback. Additionally, vinyl pressings of the album were of such a poor quality that ELO eventually filed a lawsuit against the production company for compensation. The gatefold sleeve of the original album also attributed to its poor success. The front cover showed a cartoony 50's-era horror film mob running in terror from an unseen source of light with the albums' title scrawled across the sleeve. The inside held terribly distorted photos of the band performing onstage.
[edit] Restoration
A CD reissue corrected much of the poor sound quality of the original press and restored several songs to their full-length versions. It was discovered that the original LP pressing used an inferior copy of the concert (allegedly marked 'Rough mix, Do Not Use') hence the muddy sound, however the original master tape was discovered in the record company's vault and the album was restored to its original glory.
The album remains one of the few official live recordings of the classic ELO line-up. (2001's ZOOM tour DVD features Jeff Lynne and an all new staff of musicians, save Richard Tandy.) In this recording the individual musicians are allowed to stretch their muscles somewhat with the strings taking prominent, improvisational solos. Bev Bevan's drumming on this album is also drastically different (and in many ways better) than his simplistic, timekeeping-only playing on ELO's studio recordings.
The extended jam at the end of "Showdown" is alone worth the modest price of the album.
[edit] Track listing
- "Daybreaker" (Jeff Lynne) – 5:34
- "Showdown" (Lynne) – 6:54
- "Day Tripper" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:40
- "10538 Overture" (Lynne) – 5:44
- "Mik's Solo/Orange Blossom Special" (Mik Kaminski, E. T. Rouse) – 2:28
- "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" / "Great Balls of Fire" (Edvard Grieg / Jan Hammer & Otis Blackwell) – 8:35
- "Roll Over Beethoven" (Chuck Berry) – 4:25
[edit] Personnel
- Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
- Bev Bevan - drums
- Richard Tandy - keyboards
- Michael d'Albuquerque - bass, backing vocals
- Mik Kaminski - violin
- Hugh McDowell - cello
- Mike Edwards - cello
