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 ZOOM
is unmistakably Electric Light Orchestra. While the music
and lyrics have matured there is that same Jeff Lynne touch that
helped make ELO into one of the original 'Super Bands'. There
is not quite as much orchestration as the early days, but there
is still touches along with 'Power Cello's'. The same strong guitar
breaks that allows the music to breathe and have feeling is prevalent
throughout. Jeff Lynne and the band have always known how to bring
together the music and lyric to form a wonderful song and that quality
and talent is not lost on this project even though Lynne recorded
most of the tracks himself. Jeff Lynne has always been one of the
best underrated songwriters around and this C.D. does nothing to
change my opinion.
 Alright
the first ELO release with Jeff Lynne in some time starts
the C.D. off. This song reminds us to hold on to our dreams and
yet be satisfied with what we already have. A rhythmic rock tune
laced with excellent guitar, production and engineering. The song
also displays, as does most of the music, enough changes and breaks
to keep any fan and or musician pleased. ELO also demonstrates
catchy hooks in the chorus and wonderful bridges. They do this in
virtually every song.
Moment
in Paradise is a typical ELO ballad. A love song
laced with spiritual significance. 'She said it was your duty to
save your soul, to save it for someone.' The love between the characters
is compared to a moment in paradise. While ELO is not a 'Christian',
band, they, like many bands, write about feelings and emotion drawing
spiritual connections and this album has those connections and concerns
addressed through out. This song also illustrates a very nice musical
bridge. A concept which keeps the song from being boring and assists
its transition in meaning.
State
of Mind is a fun rocking tune with a repetitive rock lead.
The old hand claps that transition the song like in Don't Bring
me Down, are there as well as the electronic voices that add to
the vocal styles. This is uniquely an ELO contribution to
the world of music. If released as a single this song will have
the potential to do quite well.
Just
for Love reminds me of some of the older ELO material.
This song is a moody ballad with strong guitar rifts and transitions.
Spiritual symbolism is again used in this song that has the listener
searching for love.
Stranger
on a Quite Street a pop ballad shows off Jeff Lynne's vocal
ability. At times resembling a standard style vocalist in the tradition
of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and others. He shows us his vocal
range in a very nice change of pace. There is also some nice lyrics
here, 'You can go straight as an arrow, you can go straight as you
dare. Walking the old straight and narrow don't always get you there.'
In
My Own Time another standard style ballad has Lynne reaching
vocally to his limits. He knows just where to go though and takes
the listener along with him. The singer illustrates how hard it
is to forgive. One of the conditions of the human heart is that
we find it almost impossible to forgive and care. We try to live
independently of our own ways.
Easy
Money transitions into a nice rock feel. This bluesy tune
reminds me of some of the old Beatles and Chuck Berry tunes. This
song has the first expletive that I can remember in an ELO
song over the years. In that the song is a song addressing the easy
road of selling out makes it almost easy to understand, especially
when addressing the music business that Lynne has been involved
in over the years. Musicians will especially appreciate this song,
particularly those who have sought to stay true to their vision
of music.
It
Really Doesn't Matter is a nice filler song. The song addresses
the issue of letting go of bad things. It could be seen as a human
attempt at forgiveness. We get the feeling that while the song says
that 'it really doesn't matter', we get the impression that it really
does matter when we are hurt or let down. Another really good song
that shows the need for forgiveness and acceptance.
Ordinary
Dream a slower pop ballad addresses the struggle of letting
go of relationships. While we may attempt to let them go our dreams
will often remind us of what we have gone through. Even though we
attempt to escape we can't.
A
Long Time Ago is wonderfully laced with feeling and meaning.
The song addresses lost but not forgotten love. Musically and lyrically
this is an exceptional song. We are reminded at how our love for
each other can be temporary on this earth. We loose track of many
of the relationships from old sweethearts to friends. There are
various reasons for this, we move, change schools, change jobs,
and sometimes even death. This song searches for the ultimate lasting
love that many in our world are looking for.
Melting
in the Sun picks up the tempo some. In the tradition of
ELO there are changes to keep us interested in what we are
listening to. This song illustrates the difficulty in obtaining
individual and personal freedom. Seeking after individual satisfaction
often tends to lead us to a point where we realize that without
the love and assistance of others we may have lost ultimate love.
All
She Wanted a nice rocking guitar driven song actually reminds
me of some of the new country coming out. I can imagine someone
like Garth Brooks doing this song and getting by with it. I don't
know if people are still doing the electric slide but if they are
it will be fun to see them doing it at an ELO concert. The
primary character in the song is looking for a 'lovin man'. A nice
tune especially since the girl in the song is true to herself without
compromising her own integrity or looking for material possessions.
You get the feeling from this song that women want more than just
physical relationships and want to be viewed as individual people.
A nice change of pace from some of the other rock artists who degrade
and put women down.
Lonesome
Lullaby is a rocky tune that starts off reminding me of
the band Tito and the Tarantulas, the band from the movie From Dusk
Till Dawn. It quickly develops into a melodic lullaby. It is hard
to tell if the song is addressed to a friend, lover or self. It
is one of the beauty's of the song though. Often times we get caught
up in our own self pity without really making the effort to change.
As a result we never really change, kind of like Larry Norman's
old song, Nothing Ever Changes.
As
a musician and fan this is an album I'm obviously pleased with.
The maturity of the music is much appreciated and a joy to listen
to. Jeff Lynne knows how to let a song breathe and have life and
this album is filled with examples of that. While we have the impression
that we could have much more in flashy instrumentation or vocals
we don't get it. Otherwise the songs would not be balanced with
integrity. While I was disappointed in two expletives included on
the C.D. I was none the less very pleased. ELO is deserving
of the recognition they have received over the years and ZOOM
is not a let down.
Because
I really love this band I would have given ZOOM a perfect
10 but because of the two expletives, I'm still giving it a very
enjoyable, great 8.
Lifting
shadows off a dream once broken,
Bob
www.jawbonemusic.com
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The
influence of Jeff Lynne and his sound in the production room has
also made a tremendous impact on Contemporary Rock. His work with
George Harrison, Tom Petty, and The Traveling Wilbury's
included such greats as Roy Orbinson, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty,
Bob Dylan, and George Harrison. The Wilbury's was probably
the best pick up band in history and their guitar laden
sound was not without the strong influence of Jeff Lynne. 
There
was another reason I liked ELO. It was the music I listened
to while growing up and my wife and I used to call ELO
music our "make out" music. They had a tradition of including
beautiful orchestrated harmonies along with rhythmic guitar and
cello rifts. They had the tendency to record more ballads than
anthems although they did have their share including, Roll
Over Beethoven, Mr. Blue Sky, 
Review by 
