The lean, tune-focused
Zoom was the Electric Light Orchestra album that Jeff Lynne should have put out at the turn of the 80s, as he dialed back the I Am the Walrus -era Beatles obsessions while retaining all of his trademark hooky songcraft. I think I d gone about as far as I could go in that direction, Lynne told the
Daily News in 2001. Everything got bigger and bigger. Back at that time, I had to find out what it was like to have the most of everything.
Unfortunately, when
Zoom arrived on June 12, 2001, there wasn t exactly a huge demand for what this underrated LP had to offer. Even the appearances of George Harrison and Ringo Starr couldn t stoke up much interest. The first album issued under the ELO banner in 15 years disappeared so quickly that a planned tour was quickly scrapped.
At this point, Jeff Lynne hardly wanted to tour. He had become disinterested in strings. He really didn t even care if Electric Light Orchestra records had live drums. I don t particularly enjoy playing live at all, Lynne noted years later. I do enjoy it, but it s nowhere near the buzz I get out of being in the studio and creating a new recording.
Released on Feb. 17, 1986, the dark and downbeat
Balance of Power proved to be perfectly named. ELO continued to pare down, losing bassist and key background singer Kelly Groucutt before sessions began. They d already jettisoned the orchestral guys, leaving only Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy.