line up 1 (1965-68)

- Bev Bevan -- drums, percussion

- Trevor Burton -- guitar, backing vocals

- Chris 'Ace' Kefford -- bass

- Carl Wayne -- lead vocals

- Roy Wood -- lead guitar, vocals, bass, oboe, recorder,

  clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

  line up 2 (1968-69)

- Bev Bevan -- drums, percussion

- Trevor Burton -- guitar, backing vocals

- Carl Wayne -- lead vocals

- Roy Wood -- lead guitar, vocals, bass, oboe, recorder,

  clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

  line up 3 (1969-1970)

- Bev Bevan -- drums, percussion

NEW - Rick Price -- bass, guitar, backing vocals (replaced 

  Trevor Burton)

- Carl Wayne -- lead vocals

- Roy Wood -- lead guitar, vocals, bass, oboe, recorder,

  clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

  line up 4 (1970-70)

- Bev Bevan -- drums, percussion

NEW - Jeff Lynne -- vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards

  (replaced Carl Wayne)

- Rick Price -- bass, guitar, backing vocals

- Roy Wood -- lead guitar, vocals, bass, oboe, recorder, 

  clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

  line up 5 (1970-72)

- Bev Bevan -- drums, percussion

- Jeff Lynne -- vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards

- Roy Wood -- lead guitar, vocals, bass, oboe, recorder,

   clarinet, bassoon, saxophone

- Balls (Trevor Burton)

- Bev Bevan (solo efforts)

- The Electric Light Orchestra

- The Electric Light Orchestra II

- The Hollies

- Idle Race (Jeff Lynne)

- The Ace Kefford Stand

- Danny King and the Mayfair Set (Trevor Burton)

- Jeff Lynne (solo efforts)

- Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders (Roy Wood)

- Sight and Sound (Rick Price)

- The Traveling Wilburys (Jeff Lynne)

- The Uglies (Trevor Burton)

- Carl Wayne and the Vikings (Bev Bevan, Ace Kefford 

  and Carl Wayne)

- Wizzo (Roy Wood)

- Wizzard (Roy Wood)

- Roy Wood (solo efforts)

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Looking On

Company: Capitol

Catalog: ST-658
Year: 1970

Country/State: Birmingham, UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: green label pressing

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5814

Price: $20.00

With long time lead singer Carl Wayne heading off for a solo career, 1970's "Looking On" introduced ex- Idle Race multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lynne to the lineup.  Co-produced by Roy Wood and Lynne, the album marked a major change in musical direction.  All but absent were the band's earlier slices of poppy-psych, replaced by a series of extended, heavy rockers like 'Looking On' and 'What?'.   Critics and fans weren't particularly kind to the collection, but to my ears the change in direction wasn't bad, just kind of jarring.  That said, the results were heavy rock, but done a-la Move, which meant lots of experimentation and unexpected surprises that you wouldn't hear in a typical heavy rock album - as an example, who was ready for rock and roll oboe?

- 'Looking On' made it clear Wood could write a down-low, no holds barred rocker.  Mind you, the results were still instantly recognizable as a Roy Wood song, but forget about all that earlier summer of love, hippy dippy stuff.  Highlights included Wood 's solos on electric sitar, slide guitar, and oboe.  My goodness the man was talented.  My only complaint was that the song faded out just as it started to really pick up steam.   rating: *** stars

- The lone Bev Bevan contribution, 'Turkish Tram Conductor Blues' was actually one of the set's most likeable efforts.  Musically it was a fairly conventional rocker, but it sported a nice melody and Wood and company kicked the crap out of the song.  Very radio-friendly which is probably why it was tapped as a German-only single.   rating: **** stars  

- One of two Jeff Lynne compositions, 'What?' drew instant comparisons to the forthcoming Electric Light Orchestra catalog.  It wasn't just Lynne's instantly recognizable voice, but the entire song structure and sound ...  it was big, echoic, orchestrated, and had a distinctive druggy flavor.  Very nice.   rating: **** stars   

- 'When Alice Comes Back To the Farm' was kind of a non-descript bluesy-rocker  that had a distinctive proto-ELO feel thanks in no small measure to the cello solos.  Wood sounded shrill, while the rest of the band less than bowled over by the song.   rating: ** stars

- 'Open Up Said the World At the Door' has always stuck me as being a schizophrenic mess.  Beach Boys-styled harmonies, sitar, oboe, backward tapes, Liberace-styled keyboards, martial drums, heavy metal guitar ...  it's all here in a minimally listenable hodgepodge.   rating: ** stars   

- Out of the blue the rocker 'Brontosaurus' returned the band to the UK top-10.  Highlights included Rick Price's internal organ shaking bass, a blazing slide guitar solo, and some of the year's funniest lyrics.   rating: **** stars  

- With Bevan and Price providing the album's funkiest rhythm pattern, 'Feel Too Good' was the album's most commercial offering.  Yeah, it was way too long, but even with those excesses it made for a great track with a fantastic vocal from Wood.  With some judicious editing it would have been prime radio fodder guaranteed to have been overlooked by radio and the buying public.   Not sure what to make of the unexpected doo-wop, or barrelhouse piano segments that were tacked onto the end of the track.  rating: **** stars 

The album was tapped for a series of three singles:

Germany only:

- 1970's 'Turkish Tram Conductor Blues' b/w 'Beautiful Daughter' (Ariola catalog number 10409 AT)

- 1971's 'Brontosaurus' b/w 'Lightening Never Strikes Twice' (A&M catalog number 1197)

- 1971's  'When Alice Comes Back To the Farm' b/w 'What?' (Fly catalog number BUG 2)

Naturally the album did nothing in the States.  Shame since it's far better than what the critics would have you believe.

"Looking On" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Looking On   (Roy Wood) - 7:47

2.) Turkish Tram Conductor Blues   (Bev Bevan) - 4:48

3.) What?   (Jeff Lynne) - 6:45

4.) When Alice Comes Back To the Farm   (Roy Wood) - 3:40

(side 2)
1.) Open Up Said the World At the Door   (Jeff Lynne) - 7:12

2.) Brontosaurus   (Roy Wood) - 4:30

3.) Feel Too Good   (Roy Wood) - 9:33

Genre: pop

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title:  Message from the Country

Company: Capitol

Catalog: ST-811
Year: 1971

Country/State: Birmingham, UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: green label pressing

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5813

Price: $20.00

Released after bassist Rick Price's departure, 1971's "Message from the Country" found the band, now effectively a trio consisting of Bev Bevan, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Wood continuing their corporate wanderings; this time around signed to EMI's Harvest subsidiary in the UK and Capitol in the States.  As you'd expect, the original UK and US issues weren't quite the same, sporting different cover art and modified running orders, though they shared the same ten songs.

Harvest catalog number SHSP 4013

My favorite Move LP, "Message from the Country" was a modest change in direction for the band; dropping some of their earlier pop and psychedelic inclinations in favor of what might best be described as a rough stab at proto-Electric Light Orchestra-styled pop.  Mind you, nothing here was as elaborate, or orchestrated as the forthcoming ELO catalog, but you could hear the band (particularly Wood), playing around with new ideas and ways to expand/modify their sound, while Bevan and Lynne focused on a more commercial, rock sound.  Lots of Beatles-vibe here which you'll either adore, or find irritating.  Personally I love it.

- Complete with Wood's squalling psychedelic oboe (?) and Lynne's super heavy bass (it'll literally rattle fillings), 'It Wasn't My Idea' came off like a weird mix of The Fab Four flirting with Arthur Brown.  Fascinating in a strange hypnotic fashion, it made for a wild way to start the album and is one of Wood's most interesting compositions.    rating: **** stars

- One of two Bev Bevan compositions, 'The Minister' sounded like a very kinked cover of 'Paperback Writer'.  Great Beatlesque melody, complete with killer guitar hood, and glorious vocal harmonies.  As a big Beatles fan I thought the song was amazing, but not everyone's likely to agree.    rating: **** stars

- The Lynne penned title track found the band trying to balance commercial with a more progressive orientation.  Normally that would be a disaster, but they managed to pull it off with one of the album's most memorable efforts.  Lynne also used the song to showcase his overlooked lead guitar skills, turning in the album's prettiest solo.     rating: **** stars

- Baring more than a passing resemblance to the forthcoming ELO, 'The Words of Aaron' sported the album's most commercial sound.  Yeah the lyric was a little heavy handed, but the melody was irresistible, made even better by the cheesy synthesizer.  Nice Beatles-styled fade out and martial reprise at the end of the track.     rating: **** stars   

- Simply unlike anything else on the album, 'Ben Crawley Steel Co.' found the band taking a stab at Johnny Cash.  The steelworker-to-revolutionary plotline may have been a joke, but Wood and company nailed Cash's unique sound perfectly, right down to the choking-on-nails-vocals which were actually sung by Bevan !  The song  would have gotten a higher rating had I been a Cash fan.   rating: ** stars

- Side two opened up with Wood's '50s rock-flavored rocker.  Once again the bass was kickass, as were the fuzz guitar solos.

- Sounding like a John Lennon "White Album" outtake, or maybe something out of the Donovan catalog, the acoustic 'No Time' was a beautiful ballad that simply oozed that mid-1960s aura (hum, thinkin' thoughts of love and peace).  Who knows if it was meant as a joke since it was a fascinating effort.     rating: **** stars 

- Wood always had an ear for a commercial hook and 'Ella James' made it clear that talent hadn't abandoned him.  Complete with chiming guitars, this was another one that would have made a dandy single ...     rating: **** stars 

- Bevan's second contribution showed he could turn in a decent Elvis impression.  As far as impressions went 'Don't Mess Me Up' wasn't half bad.  Not as much fun as the earlier Johnny Cash number, but still okay.  On the other hand surrounded by the more adventuresome material on the album, this one paled in comparison.   rating: ** stars.

- 'My Marge' also sounded like a "White Album" outtake.  Unfortunately this time out the inspiration sounded like Paul McCartney's 1930's musical hall-styled 'Honey Pie'.   I'll leave it at that.   rating: * star.

Folks throw around the term 'lost classic' all the time and it's seldom a true description.  Trust me.  This is one of those rare occasions.  The three musical parodies (Cash, Presley, and McCartney) were a minor distraction, but were quickly forgotten.  Well worth looking for, especially since you can still find copies at a reasonable price.

"Message From the Country" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) It Wasn't My Idea   (Roy Wood) - 5:31

2.) The Minister   (Bev Bevan) - 4:29

3.) Message from the Country   (Jeff Lynne) - 4:45

4.) The Words of Aaron   (Roy Wood) - 5:26

5.) Ben Crawley Steel Co.   (Roy Wood) - 3:07

(side 2)
1.) Until Your Mama's Gone   (Roy Wood) - 5:06

2.) No Time   (P. Copestake) - 3:39

3.) Ella James   (Roy Wood) - 3:13

4.) Don't Mess Me Up   (Bev Bevan) - 3:11

5.) My Marge   (Roy Wood) - 2:01