Electric Light Orchestra - Secret Messages [Remastered] (CD 2001)

And with this album, with New-Romaticism in full flow, and the synth ruling the airwaves and the charts, Jeff Lynne pulls his normal trick of ignoring current musical trends and just doing what he wants.

This makes for great fun, in what is a very tongue in cheek album, from the title itself, to the constant backwards masking throughout the album.

Initially proposed as a double LP, to which the record company said "no", after all, nobody did double albums in the mid-1980s, the condensed result is an assault on the listener, covering as it does a variety of musical styles, and involving top quality musicians.

From the opening backward message "welcome to the show", to the morse code "ELO" running through the title track, this album once again showcases Jeff Lynne as a songwriter / producer of the highest level - we even get "Dennis the dog" barking at the end of "Bluebird".

Contains a legitimate hit single in "Rock n roll is king", and a forgotten gem in "Stranger", this album, whilst not providing the frightening hights of "Out of the blue", contains enough to further enhance Jeff Lynnes reputation.