Jeff Lynne's a genius! ELO ELDORADO REACTION - First time hearing

[@gregpowell4930]

Still ranks as one of my top rock albums of all time. Wonderful, beautiful, and emotional.

[@JeffLynnesELO2025Tour]

1000%

[@frankzito1]

Always loved how Jeff could change up his voice. Underrated vocalist for sure. A masterpiece is this song.

[@quaid667]

I love that too.

[@robertwalz3549]

I was fourteen when I bought this record and it has resonated with me for over 40 years. It. I could listen to it every day and never tire of the diverse beauty Jeff Lynne created.

[@Mrkaycee7]

Thanks for this Harri! Eldorado is played 4-5 times a week in my car as I travel long distances and it shortens the trip because it takes me to another place where time doesn’t exist, only the voice of the genius, Jeff Lynne. I’m 74 and have seen them 3 times in the 70’s. A fan for life!

[@joesiano21]

The strings with the background vocals is a masterpiece

[@glenwap3173]

Cannot believe I've never heard this before I've just replayed this 3 times it gave me goosebumps thanks another elo masterpiece to add to the list.

[@JeffLynnesELO2025Tour]

What a fantastic review. No one comes close to Jeff Lynne the music Genius and producer.❤

[@SirOliverNorwell]

Eldorado plus E. Finale has always been one of my favourites, not only of ELO, but of all music.

[@stewarts7347]

You say, "Could it be that what he is also saying, now he knows there is no place, uh, where he can get the perfect life." You were right on it up to the "uh". Look at the album cover, click your heels together 3 times and repeat after me, THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Excellent review.

[@samhain1894]

Eldorado is a fabulous album overall!! One of my fave ELO albums. PS, I love the album cover too 😊

[@quaid667]

And the Time album. Two completely different sounding concept albums but same theme. Jeff Lynne is a genius.

[@richteezer1]

What has always amazed me about Jeff lynne is how he has no genre. He writes prog, rock, classic rock, pop, disco, electronic, etc. I don't know any other artists who write such vastly different songs. Also, he can really drastically change his voice. Pure genius!

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

Bowie

[@dongriffin9701]

Queen

[@richteezer1]

@@dongriffin9701 I like Queen but they don't have as wide a range of music styles.

[@richteezer1]

@@bobwoolerOriGinal like his songs but not a great vocalist🤷‍♂️

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

@@richteezer1 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[@Imadrummin]

We know ELO is one of the most amazing talents of our lifetime. I would like to thank Cosmo Kramer & Harri both for taking us on this journey from the popular hits and the deep cuts. Beautiful song here.

[@lur3950]

ELO one of the greatest, one I dearly cherish until today. El Dorado stands out, it just reaches inside you in so many ways. Masterful Jeff just made amazing, outstanding music. Certainly ahead of his time, original.

[@osmackjj]

You need to listen to the album in it's entirety and hear how all the songs flow together.

[@javiervillarreal2920]

The voice, the strings, the chorus, all the group, all is fantastic, Jeff genius, thank you Harri, saludos desde México :)

[@d.f.b.957]

Glad you enjoyed it.!! The essence of ELO, this is what Jeff imagined how a full rock orchestra and choir would sound. What a finish. Pure genius. Check out Shangri La next.!!

[@jeffg6008]

WOW! Great selection!! I loved ELO as a teen but most of their “hit” songs. Guess I glossed over EL Dorado back then. But now, hearing again almost 50 years later….having gone through the joy and a ton of pain of life…it knocked me out. Thank you for this 🙏 🙏

[@PaulOutdoors]

This masterpiece has always given me chills. There aren't really adequate words to describe the feelings it evokes. The whole album is a transcendental experience. Thank you Harri and Cosmo. 👍😊

[@brucer2152]

This WHOLE album is so good.

[@raullaraflores6547]

And I will see Jeff Lynne in October 18 in Dallas, TX ❤🎉

[@JeffLynnesELO2025Tour]

Lucky you! I will see him in Toronto September 9 2024.

[@debravirden7130]

This was my first LP from ELO and I still have it all these years..a masterpiece.

[@rayjennings3637]

Who cannot love this song, as dark as it is! I think he does take his life because a couple of times during the song, mainly at 04:57 we hear police or ambulance sirens.

[@urbangardener66]

I've been waiting for you to react to this song once Cosmo started you down the Eldorado trail. So much melancholy beauty in this song. My favorite song on my favorite ELO album. It was definitely worth the wait. I hope now you'll listen to the whole album at one time to appreciate the genius of the composition.

[@ffjsb]

After listening to this song for decades, I just realized another thing that really sets it apart from most other ELO songs, he's using brass in the music, a rarity for Jeff.

[@timkis64]

i grew up in the 70s & 80s hearing elo hits on radio all the time.it wasnt till i was older & listined to eldorado from start to finish,is when i realized they were NOT just a pop hit band.the majical stuff never made radio playlists.this album still moves me to this day.i do get a huge death vibe from the song eldorado though.a masterpiece, for sure.

[@chuckhutton5087]

Harri, could you please react to songs from the ELO album “ Time”? It is absolutely brilliant, and truly shows that Jeff is a musical genius. One of the best concept albums ever.

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

Thanks, Guvnor, for the stellar reaction! I'm always interested in hearing alternate interpretations of the songs on this thought-provoking, complex concept album. And while I like the more optimistic angle you took, I'm afraid I'm maintaining my position that the song is a declaration of intent to commit suicide--the only guaranteed way he can exit this horrible (to him) world, and presumably live forever in his dream-world. In death, he will reside forever in Eldorado. After all, there's a fine line--for all we know--between dreaming and death. In fact, Jeff calls on the Bard in, "Mister Kingdom", with the line from, Hamlet: *"Oh, to sleep, perchance to dream".* Of course, when Hamlet speaks the line, he's musing about the unwanted dreaming he may perchance experience once dead. But I think the inclusion of that line by Shakespeare's Danish prince who's contemplating suicide is foreshadowing of our dreamer's ultimate fate. In the beginning, the clerk relied on the joy of his nightdreams to get him through his waking hours, at the bank, and presumably in his lonely flat during his free time. But he became addicted to the high of his dreams, and like any drug, he started needing more and more of it. And the high kept lasting fewer and fewer hours each day. Well, in the track titled, "Eldorado", that you just reacted to, it's gotten to the point where he's arrived at a fully diseased state of mind, that his dreams no longer sustain him through his waking hours. The song starts with him lamenting *"Here it comes another lonely day"* and several times throughout the track he declares he can't stay in this world any longer. Well, if that isn't a declaration of suicide, I don't know what is. Is there a chance by the album's end we just listened to that he rallies once again--shaves, showers, and heads to his bank job in the city? It sure didn't sound like it. Everything tells me he's reached the end of his rope, and there's no way he's going back to that miserable job, in that miserable weather, surrounded by hideous towers of concrete--he's checking out, permanently, to eternally be in Eldorado, where he can hunt wild buffalo on the wide open native American plains, return from the Crusades to jubilant fanfare in his hometown as a war hero, bed sweet maid Marion after saving the Greenwood from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, and get seduced by the painted ladies of the Avalon. In the album's final seconds, Mister Kingdom announces the arrival and permanent residence of the bank clerk: *"The dreamer. The un-woken fool. High on a hill...in Eldorado."* ps~~~Harri, you also mentioned that you'd never heard Jeff's voice like this before. Well, he has quite a versatile voice, as we've experienced before, and I think in this song he's affected the perfect voice for a man who's depressed, exhausted, exasperated, and frankly, on the verge of tears. I actually envision tears running down--not Jeff's face in the recording studio--but the bank clerk's face as he's belting out his final cries of despair in this song. Jeff has said his biggest fear as a child was that he'd grow up to work in a mundane office-type job. And so I think Jeff could personally relate to the dreamer/bank clerk he created for this album, on some level. And that emotion comes across loud and clear in all the tracks on the record, but especially so in this one. Even though at the time Jeff wrote this concept album, he was an emerging rock star, the fact is he hadn't quite made it yet--not to the superstardom status he'd achieve over the ensuing two years. Jeff needed this album, Eldorado, to be good--very good. And for it to contain a hit on the charts, which it did with, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", a single that became Jeff's first-ever Top 10 hit in America. *The album was one more major step for Jeff Lynne, towards reaching a point where he'd never have to worry about turning into the album's bank clerk again.* ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[@lhpl]

Danish "prince" here. I was summoned? ;-) The good thing about Jeff's lyrics is that everything is vague, dreamy, ambiguous and open for interpretations. That being said, for the first time in the finale, I just now actually _heard_ the poor guy jump and tumble to the ground. And I've heard this album uncountable times, not noticing, so it really hit me now. Also, topics like dread/Angst, death and suicide are not new for Jeff. Much of his earlier work with the Idle Race and the Move shows it. I mean who else could turn a "Happy birthday to you" cover into something most suitable for a funeral? Make funny songs about a starving man, or a very unfortunate man who believes he's lucky? Make a _sad song_ about sad songs? "Was it the ladder loose that made her fall?" (I will not mention how I chuckled when Harri talked about Jeff's voice _without_ comparing it to John, Paul or some other pope. Oops, now I did. ;-) )

[@HarriBestReactions]

Fantastic write up as usual Ambassador

[@lucasroth7922]

This will always be my favorite album by these musical geniuses ✌🤘

[@pilesovinyl]

One of my favorite albums by anyone...this is prog rock at its very best. The strings (two cellos and a violin) make it a sonic smorgasboard of splendid music.

[@handy905]

It was a full orchestra by this point. 😀

[@pilesovinyl]

@@handy905 Oh no it wasn't. The album may have been recorded with more but they played on tour with Mik Kaminsky on violin, Hugh McDowell on cello and Melvyn Gale on cello, saw them do this and it was spectacular. They may have had a taped backing on the fuller flourishes but these guys killed it live with the elctric pickups on their strings-sounding at times like buzz saws, just incredible.

[@unrulyjulie4382]

Full orchestra on all the album tracks (as well as a full chorus of background vocals).

[@handy905]

@@pilesovinyl I was talking about the album version as that's what Harri reacted to. The album was most definitely recorded with more - it was a full orchestra comprising violins, violas, cellos, double bass and other orchestral sections.

[@mrkroeger]

Thank you for the reaction. I haven't heard this song in decades. It's time

[@wpollock1]

Magnificent! This was always my favorite.....that portion toward the end (7:05) always sounded like a Native American melody and beat.

[@SexyAlien2]

what lol

[@davegreen6435]

I was ten but my Sisters husband said to me this album is a Game changer, Davey Boy. I had no idea at the time, but I do now. This is a great synopsis Mister Harri. Much Love from an old Alkie in England. I appreciate that you applaud and indeed You say ''Just like a Suicide'' Your synopsis is spot on

[@bruni2711]

Agree with your interpretation. Brilliant

[@glennwood4300]

I was listening to this just today......still love it.

[@Thombene77]

Loredo Tornado a good one!

[@carollittle1059]

ELO was masterful!!

[@johnnytheb26]

Great reaction. I bought this Album in '74, always loved this track, for the powerful vocals and rising melody...a " crescendo ", as you so aptly describe it. Another song with a similar " style " of vocal delivery is Wild West Hero, from Out of the Blue, which I've never seen anyone do a reaction to. Keep up the good work Harri.

[@j.k.1963]

This song gains so much from the use of the isolated trumpet, horns and the harp, beautiful stuff!

[@garybakerthegazz8707]

The choir is the RCS The Royal Choral society, with the LSO london symphony orchestra providing the brilliant orchestra tions

[@rev7verse14]

Jeff's best vocal song

[@elementrypenguin3116]

Harri, you should listen to “Shangri-La” by ELO. It’s on their album “New World Record.”

[@Garfield7250]

this indeed is an opera.

[@michaelnorman3393]

Been waiting for this one 💕

[@cmcc3721]

Big Wheels is a pretty strong contender for ELO's greatest ever tune. Worth a look

[@paulmckearney4945]

Didn't do Eldorado live but did do the intro Eldorado Overture/Can't Get It Out Of My Head sometimes (opened the BBC In Concert show with it in 2019). This song caused a bit of a stir and upset the Christian Right Wing in the US! They objected to the "...no eternal life is here for me" line and chose to interpret the song as some sort of devil worship!

[@paulmckearney4945]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIWQonR9fN-diNE

[@markscutti9682]

First album!

[@jimilove7773]

Great song from my fav ELO album. Great review! Chills every listen! ''Be in the world yet not of it''.

[@markofrontz1343]

I can still recall coming home from Sam Goody (mall record store) with this clutched in me grubby paw. My 2ed fave ELO release. Some On The Third Day please.

[@flanflinger37]

Jeff did have a very different vocal style in his ‘early days’ with the Idle Race, the Move and ELOs first few albums. He changed from Face the Music onwards to what we are more familiar with. Great review, what a track to end an album which was a tour de force musically. If you get chance give the whole album a listen.

[@deannawoolsey1088]

You cannot, CANNOT feel the full affect of this song “Eldorado”, or any song on the album, unless you listen to the entire album from beginning to end. It is a story that advances from one song to the next with the climactic song “Eldorado” at the end. All of the songs, as a whole, tell the dreamer's story. It is only by listening from beginning to end that the whole experience washed over you, and you realize what a unique genius Jeff Lynne really is. PLEASE… react to the whole album.

[@JeffLynnesELO2025Tour]

Absolutely ❤

[@johnlong9534]

I was evicted from my apartment because of this very song. I used to play this ending over and over VERY LOUD.

[@j.k.1963]

To me this is his best. Great reaction, Harri. I suggest you 'll listen to the album in one setting to grasp the whole musical story. It is so magical. ♥️

[@AI_Surfer]

I recommend you take a journey back to the album 'On The Third Day', which was the album previous to 'Eldorado'. Jeff was still finding his way with ELO, and 'On The Third Day' was raw with some very rough edges, but it gave glimpses of what Jeff would go on to polish to perfection on the albums that were to follow. The song 'Dreaming Of 4000' will prove to be an excellent example of what I am describing.

[@PaulOutdoors]

Oh yes, "Dreaming of 4000" is phenomenal 👍😊

[@franklino20]

Despite being a big ELO fan, I’d only heard the greatest hits until recently. I bought a copy of Eldorado just to add to my collection to be honest. Then I stuck the needle in…spine tingling.

[@FreePowerFan]

Those sustained notes gave me goose bumps, like he was channelling Roy Orbison, who was probably a vocal role model for him and that he later worked with the Travelling Wilburys'

[@davidgraskemper8518]

With the current state of the world, Eldorado sounds like a pretty nice place to be.

[@steve55sogood16]

One of my favourite albums, you should try it!

[@UseByDate-Expired]

this album was meant to be heard from start to finish.. Like an opera

[@Newslies1]

Always liked The Greenwood off this Album. Almost sounds Alt-Country...like something Golden Smog would do.

[@williambill5172]

Whoa…you can sing!

[@petedepledge519]

Old ELO is great ELO

[@davidgraskemper8518]

The last two minutes was actually "Eldorado Finale", the last song on the album.

[@apostle6100]

Jeff Lynne, the most underrated genius of rock...

[@CasualSpud]

Look at the Album cover... There's no place like home... kind of the theme of the album. I also don't think Jeff Lynne knew of its origin

[@suprafun5346]

This guy sounds like he just started with ELO. This was ELO's first big album in the United States, it was kind of trippy

[@Mantikal]

There people who have a littled view of what is - of its purpose. I remember play this track and someone near saying " how do you dance to this?"

[@GinMae]

thanks, Harri - Jeff Lynne is (IMO) one of the least appreciated vocalists of the era -- perhaps b/c of the competition at the time.. lol

[@nancygarreaud1534]

Cosmo Kramer?!!!! 😂😂😂

[@Garfield7250]

Ennio Morricone could have learned from this

[@TJ-ht3jb]

I Had this album. I have to be honest skipped this song most of the time . Saves it at the end. "Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat" POOF💥

[@philbedford8979]

My 2nd fave ELO album (after Time) but the worst cover of all ELO's albums....

[@snsnshhhs663]

Not On the Third Day or Balance of Power?

[@brandonious7732]

I think he sounds a bit like George Harrison in this one.

[@lesliepartridge9895]

I think a little bit like Roy Orbison, especially on those long, sustained words.

[@khoohockleong7585]

Moon represrnts Krishna. The Hare Krishna movemrnt believes Krishna is the overseeing God of all Vishnus and other so called sub krishnas, so baby boomers and believers of krishna, always talk about eternal life in their mind like this group OR the other groups Dan Fogelberg, Moody Blues andGeorge Harrison make references to Krishna either directly or infirectly. Cat Stevens switch to being a muslim, which however is still one-God concepy, Allah.