In September of 2014, Jeff Lynne resurrected the Electric Light Orchestra to headline the BBC Radio 2's 'Festival in a Day' in London's massive Hyde Park in front of an estimated 50,000 music fans, the first time the band had played in front of a crowd of that size on over 30 years. With longtime keyboard player Richard Tandy in tow as well as a host of other musicians and backing singers, Lynne & Co. recreated most of the popular ELO hits from throughout their long career, and the large crowd loved every minute of it.
For the casual and loyal fan, the setlist here is pretty complete with all the major hits, such as "Evil Woman", "Strange Magic", "Turn to Stone", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Telephone Line", and of course the iconic "Mr. Blue Sky". The real surprises however are the early tracks like the hard rock of "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle", the powerful "Showdown", and the classical-meets-prog-meets rock of "10538 Overture", as well as the early '80s semi-hit "All Over the World", a vibrant opener here that gets the crowd instantly into the show. Lynne is still in very good form, hitting all those lush high notes but supported nicely by a selection of backing singers, and with a full orchestra behind him, those sweeping classical tinged melodies are carried out perfectly. For those who are dedicated to the thunderous drums of original ELO member Bev Bevan, I can safely say that Donavan Hepburn does a fine job throughout the concert and Mr. Bevan really isn't missed.
As is always the case, Eagle Rock has given a very nice presentation here, with super clear high definition video quality and tremendous audio to go along with it. The camera work is super as well, giving the viewer the 'up close and personal' feel as if they were sitting there in the front row. Toss in a fascinating 'Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO' documentary, and you have a great Blu-ray that will be a must have for any Lynne/ELO fan.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1) All Over the World
2) Evil Woman
3) Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
4) Showdown
5) Livin' Thing
6) Strange Magic
7) 10538 Overture
8) Can't Get it Out of My Head
9) Sweet Talkin' Woman
10) Turn to Stone
11) Steppin' Out
12) Handle With Care
13) Don't Bring Me Down
14) Rock 'n' Roll is King
15) Telephone Line
16) Mr. Blue Sky
17) Roll Over Beethoven
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