In the spring of 1972, the
Electric Light Orchestra returned to Air Studios, London, England, to
begin work on the band’s second album, titled “The Lost Planet“. But Roy Wood
had become disillusioned with the group and soon left to form
"Wizzard". Shortly after, another member, Bill Hunt left ELO by
"Wizzard" too.
After short time of
reflection, ELO returned with Jeff Lynne's at the head of the band,
dumpeding the 'Lost Planet' idea, at the same time that he began to
looking for replacement musicians, he think about a new concept for the
album.
So he asked ex-Move
vocalist Carl Wayne to come in and sing on some tracks, and although they were
perfectly fine recordings they weren't right for the album, so Jeff
Lynne took over vocal duties himself.
The new project started in May
and the sessions were extended until October, the result, now called ELO 2
would be very, very different to the original idea of creating a conceptual album.
ELO 2 was released in February 1973 by Harvest.
ELO 2 It´s the least
commercial-sounding album the band released, although it reached the British
Top 40 album chart and contains the band's longest track, a anti-war song
"Kuiama", but not in this reconstruction. Here´s a new mix.
But this album did not
achieve the expected success due to the chain of errors, such as not including
the song "showdown", or placing the long version of "Roll Over
Beethoven" or not editing "From The Sun To The World", or
to sequence the songs according to the number of minutes per side and not in
the correct order to how the disc was cut.:
Side A:
1. From the Sun to the
World (Boogie No 1)
2. Mama...
3. Roll over Beethoven.
Side B:
1. Kuiama
2. In Old England Town (Boogie
No 2)
I have divided the album into
two suites chaining the songs with "link tracks", almost all of them
are integrated at the beginning or at the end of the main songs, but for the
listener I indicate them in the setlist. always following the original
order as reference but without copying it, seeking the best cohesion in this
reconstructution.
Side A: (The Lost Planet Suite
1) (21:05)
1. From The Sun To The
World.(Part I).(4:21)
(Intermezzo)
2. Momma... (A.k.a:
Mama...).(6:57)
(Link
Track#1)
3. Roll Over
Beethoven.(Edit).(4:44)
4. Showdown.(Early
version).(4:15)
5. Roll Over
Beethoven.(Coda).(0:44)
Side B: (The Lost Planet Suite
2) (21:27)
1. In Old England
Town.(Alt.mix).(5:26)
2. Everyone ´s Born To
Die.(Remix).(3:38)
(Link
Track #2)
2. Kuiama.(Part I &
III).(9:40)
(Link
Track #3)
4. In Old England
Town.(Reprise).(2:42)
Seen the result with the
original lp, I think that here Jeff Lynne was worng, when leaving the project
of "The Lost Planet", transforming it ,at the time of sequence it in
ELO 2 because this work has always been a transitional album, in comparison
with "The Lost Planet Suite", almost a masterpiece. Only hear it and
compare.
The original cover for ELO 2
was design by Hypnosis. But in this new reconstruction, I have used photos
taken during the mission to the moon of Apollo 17 and some photomontage.
Initial Idea taken from the blogger AEC “Albums back from the dead”, and its
cover for the same album, which looks really good at the same time as
simple.Bit.ly/ELOlpnt that's why it's very good.But now, enjoy with this
new reconstruction of what could have been and was not, one of the best records
from ELO: The Lost Planet.
Please, turn off the light and
hear this reconstruction with headphones, lie on the the bed, close your eyes,
relax, and will have a good trip to the lost planet. But do not forget to
come back!.
