Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Live In Hyde Park

The life-affirming return of ELO.

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In September last year Jeff Lynne took a rebooted ELO onto a festival stage for the first time in 28 years, and 50,000 people bellowed merrily along to a stream of irresistible hits.

Most of those thousands, and many more, surely then had the gumption to tape it off the telly. Still, maybe you live overseas and want to own a classily shot DVD, which also gives you interviews and the BBC documentary Mr Blue Sky – The Story Of Jeff Lynne & ELO, in which case this is a pop-prog paradise.

With the BBC Concert Orchestra bringing zing on the strings and A-list session men backing the 66-year-old Brummie Bacharach-Beethoven, the likes of Livin’ Thing, Evil Woman, Telephone Line and a riff-roaring Ma Ma Ma Belle mix melody and momentum impeccably.

On this hook-happy jukebox there’s even a deft take on The Traveling Wilburys’ Handle With Care. It won’t bring you down.

Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts has written about music, films, and art for innumerable outlets. His new book The Velvet Underground is out April 4. He has also published books on Lou Reed, Elton John, the Gothic arts, Talk Talk, Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Abba, Tom Jones and others. Among his interviewees over the years have been David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Bryan Ferry, Al Green, Tom Waits & Lou Reed. Born in North Wales, he lives in London.