Electric Light Orchestra – Record-facts…

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Zoom is the twelfth studio album by British symphonic rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released on 12 June 2001 on Epic Records. It was the first official ELO album since 1986’s Balance of Power.

Zoom was recorded primarily by Jeff Lynne alone, with guest musicians including George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Zoom is the first ELO album not to feature original drummer Bev Bevan and was one of Harrison’s last recordings before his death.
The only other ELO member appearing on the album, Richard Tandy, appears on the opening track and performed live in promotional concerts.

Fifteen years after Jeff Lynne masterminded the last official Electric Light Orchestra album, and ten after his solo debut, Lynne recorded Zoom — an ELO album that he recorded nearly entirely by himself. So why isn’t this a solo album? Well, not only does Lynne own the ELO name, so he can do whatever he wants, but he designed this to be a return to the classic ELO sound.
Which it is, more so than any album since the early ’80s. There are lush, heartbreaking ballads and ’50s-styled rockers with an endearingly robotic pulse and Beatlesque harmonies. Better than that, the songwriting is melodic and memorable, the strongest Lynne has done in decades, resulting in the most consistent record released under the ELO banner since Discovery.
On top of that, the production, while clearly not a product of the ’70s, avoids all the pitfalls of modern record production, sounding warm, welcoming, and right.
So, why was Zoom largely ignored upon its release in the summer of 2001? Probably because no matter how good it is, there weren’t a lot of listeners clamoring for a new ELO album, and even some dedicated fans may have wondered if they needed a new ELO record, since, for all its strengths, Zoom doesn’t deliver any knockout punches, even on the level of “Calling American” or “Four Little Diamonds.”
Without a great lead single (and, even if there had been, there wouldn’t have been any place for it to receive airplay), there was nothing to bring the doubters into the fold, so they couldn’t discover that Zoom was a very good ELO album, certainly more than just an album for the true believers — which is what it wound up being.

Track listing

Alright – 3:13
Moment in Paradise – 3:36
State of Mind – 3:04
Just for Love – 3:40
Stranger on a Quiet Street – 3:41
In My Own Time – 3:03
Easy Money – 2:50
It Really Doesn’t Matter – 3:20
Ordinary Dream – 3:23
A Long Time Gone – 3:15
Melting in the Sun – 3:10
All She Wanted – 3:14
Lonesome Lullaby – 4:02

All tracks are written by Jeff Lynne

Personnel

Jeff Lynne – Vocals, electric guitars, bass, keyboards, cello (“Melting in the Sun”), drums

Guest musicians

Richard Tandy – Keyboards (“Alright”)
George Harrison – Slide guitar (“A Long Time Gone” and “All She Wanted”)
Ringo Starr – Drums (“Moment in Paradise” and “Easy Money”)
Marc Mann – Rhythm guitar (“Moment in Paradise”), string arrangements (“In My Own Time” and “Melting in the Sun”)
Suzie Katayama – Cello (“Just for Love”, “Stranger on a Quiet Street” and “All She Wanted”)
Roger Lebow – Cello (“Lonesome Lullaby”)
Dave Boruff – Saxophone (“A Long Time Gone”)
Laura Lynne – Backing vocals (“All She Wanted”)
Rosie Vela – Backing vocals (“Alright”, “All She Wanted”), spoken parts and tap dancing (“In My Own Time”)
Kris Wilkinson – String arrangements (“Ordinary Dream”)