Kev sneers at Jeff Lynne's lyrics and, indeed, some of us writers in that era do wince today but I have to say it's dangerous to judge things now with the values now instead of then.

I mean, Michelangelo (the greatest artist and sculptor ever) would be considered boringly natural today.
I suppose.
No, never.

But it is dangerous (especially when judging sexual behaviour 40 years later).

And the current wave of fresh interest in brilliant CARAVAGGIO (see Buck Palace - and Earth To King).

To Revert; ELO. I thought Jeff made some brilliant tracks (dodgy lyrics or not). In fact I'd put his body of work amongst the finest of the 70's. Anyone care to agree/disagree?

Anyway, Kev, coming from someone who's done the BEST MASHUP EVER of my track Let It All Hang Out... did you listen to THOSE lyrics????

Check out the LIVE vocals here! Made me gasp

Very excellent.

When one thinks of ELO, one tends to remember the orchestra side.

I once walked around for miles singing "Telephone Line" to myself looking for a call box to ring my girlfriend.
How times change, 90% of the time I leave the mobile at home now!

I think a lot of us in 70`s and 80`s used to mock ELO, basically due to a "which Beatles song are they going to copy now"? attitude.

They actually , reflectively, sound nothing like the fab four but Jeff Lynne producing the Antholodgy singles had the last laugh on that topic.

Isn't there ONE singer in the entire UK with a voice as good as Jeff's in the clip above?

If so, I've got a No1 song and track for him.

For the record I wasn't sneering, well not intentionally. I love ELO, am happy to sing along and can't think of any bad lyrical moments but they're not the kind of lyrics you listen to and think, "Yeah, I know exactly where you're coming from".

Check out Jamie T:

Jack had a gang that he called the many grams,
He was known as smack Jack the cracker man.

Or:

Hound dogs round on the prowl
For the next young girl, who told her daddy,
I'm going round Gemma's to learn and study.

I can relate better to these, perhaps the use of names, the fact the young girl would call her Father Daddy and could have a friend called Gemma (and you know for a fact she ain't gonna be studying!).

The Diary Of Horace Wimp had excellent lyrics.

If you want weird lyrics, listen to Gilbert O'Sullivan, although I'm a big fan of his and wouldn't wish him to be any different.

"It's the music what counts, Guv".

Interesting lyricist Gilbert is.
He`s one of those writers that does become autobiographical often, but one is never sure whether he is all the time.
We all know "Clare" was about his real niece, but was "I Believe A Womans Place is In the Home", his own opinion or a jab at sexists?

It`s an interesting subject how people interpret lyrics as well.
"Horace Wimp", could have been a fictional story, or a sarcastic in-joke written about someone that had offended Jeff Lynne, or, of course, just gradually pieced itself together.
I think on the whole, lyricists do write about what is going on around them but mostly use a lot of metaphor to avoid offence later on.

The best selling lyrics are definetly the non cryptic ones though, that said, where does "American Pie" fit in in my arguement?

I only bought ELO just for Jeff Lynne he is a talented guitarist.

Loved him in the line up for travelling Wilburys.

inside out. just love how bob dylan opens the song.

end of the line.

wont back down with brain may and ringo starr

Nights In White Satin

Whiter Shade Of Pale

Bohemiam Rhapsody


Each a massive and memorable hit.