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Zoom | 
| Artist: Electric Light Orchestra (e.l.o.)
Label: Sony
Category: Music
Buy New: $32.74
New (9) Used (16) from $10.00
Rating:  224 reviews
Sales Rank: 19914
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 696998533622
EAN: 0696998533622
ASIN: B00005KG66
Release Date: June 12, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Alright | | • | Moment In Paradise | | • | State Of Mind | | • | Just For Love | | • | Stranger On A Quiet Street | | • | In My Own Time | | • | Easy Money | | • | It Really Doesn't Matter | | • | Ordinary Dream | | • | A Long Time Gone | | • | Melting In The Sun | | • | All She Wanted | | • | Lonesome Lullaby |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Classic E.L.O. music has always been stuck in its own retro-futuristic time warp of recombinant pop. Inside that image of E.L.O.'s spaceship (here updated without the 8-track docking bay), one imagines a ye olde discotheque stuffed with Beatles mannequins and powered by pump organ synthesizers. The genius of Jeff Lynne is to fuse kindergarten rock & roll, ultra-Liverpudlian choruses, and faux-symphonic instrumentation with a pop that's both sappy and supple. With only a few duff tracks, this timeless, invigorating disc is a rocking, left-field surprise. Talk about a comeback--Zoom is nothing short of a revelation for fans of this critically underappreciated group. Lynne sings on the opening cut, "Alright," that "You've got to hold onto something that you believe / Hold onto something that makes you feel alright," and the entire album bears this out with grace and wit. --Mike McGonigal
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| Customer Reviews: Read 219 more reviews...
A nice surprise from Jeff Lynne and gang June 12, 2001
Derek Arnold (Collingswood, NJ United States)
37 out of 38 found this review helpful
Zoom, ELO's first studio album since Balance of Power some 15 years ago, is a fun and rock and rollicking return. The new version of the ELO spaceship contains elements of both old school ELO and some modern dashes, such as they are with the musical style of Lynne, a huge fan of retro, 50's based rock and roll. Throw in some dashes of Beatles influence (helped by former Fabs George Harrison and Ringo Starr) on songs like "Just For Love" (try to avoid the John Lennon, "Across the Universe" influence), and of course some Traveling Wilburys touches, especially on "Easy Money," a hard-up rocker kind of like "Four Little Diamonds," off of ELO's "Secret Messages," and the album comes across as a nice listen. In fact, Lynne's preferred musical style better fits his lyrics, which were never really all that complicated; they're a way to help guide you to the melodies, which were always (and no exception here) very strong. But that's not to say that the album is predictable, either. There are little wrinkles throughout that make a close listen rewarded: the use of strings seem more tied to establishing melody instead of just supporting it, the little hints of past ELO songs ("Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" in "All She Wanted," the afore mentioned "Four Little Diamonds" in "Easy Money," and tap dancing, straight out of "Jungle", for "In My Own Time,"), and the last song, called "Lonesome Melody," which is a rocker despite the song title. One last thing: for those who hated ELO in their earlier days, 1) the sound of this album feels much more accessible than ELO's style perhaps 20 years ago, and 2) Lynne has largely changed the use of the strings, using them to create melody and using guitars to establish support, which makes for a much more solid sounding set of songs. Highly recommended, with strong songs throughout, plus some nice surprises as well!
 They're back! Er...Jeff's back! Em...no, no, ELO is back! June 12, 2001
Earl Green (theLogBook.com)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
The subject header of this review is as far as I care to go into the fan debate over whether an album by Jeff Lynne, alone in a studio or with a handful of guest collaborators, constitutes an ELO album. I'd daresay yes. Sure, ELO Part II had more of the original band members, and often sported a full string section. This newfangled ELO more often than not features *no* strings, but what it does have that the other fellows didn't - as admirable and enjoyable as their efforts were - is Jeff Lynne's unmistakable ability to craft a pop song. "State Of Mind" and "Moment In Paradise" alone would be worth the price of the album (and it's suicidal not to be using either of the above as the launch single). Other highlights include "Alright," "Doesn't Really Matter At All," "Melting In The Sun" and especially "Long Time Gone," whose harmonies evoke memories of Queen at the pinnacle of their abilities. And yes, there are strings on some songs as well. Overall, an outstanding return of the original ELO sound that I fell in love with back in 1977. It's the songs themselves, not the size of the orchestra, where the true soul of ELO lies.
zoom June 12, 2001
james f murphy jr (millbury, ma United States)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
After fifteen years Jeff Lynne has resurrected one of pop/rock music's most innovative groups. To those familar with the "Lynne-Sound" you hear an album that reflects all of what makes Lynne the musically genius that he is. To those new to the band, one finds what has been missing from the world of contemporary music, a smart, balanced, enjoyable pop album for people over thirty. In the wake of the Beatles "One" album young fans who found the Beatles for the first time will find "Zoom" very much to their liking.
Jeff Lynne gets ELO back! October 3, 2003
Bernardo Quiroga Gomez (University Park, PA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
After the breakup of ELO in 1986, many people thought that would never be another album from them, especially since Jeff Lynne had seemingly lost interest in the project, and since a few of the other members the band in the past had reformed as "ELO Part II" (with original drummer and co-owner of the ELO name Mr. Bev Bevan at the helm), lawsuits and settlements included.
But, surprisingly, a few facts ocurred -such as Bevan losing interest in ELO Part II after 10 years of work (touring, recording 2 mediocre studio albums, and 2 live albums of -mostly- Lynne penned hits, including a zillion of repackagings of their live in Australia concert), Lynne being interested in getting ELO back to life, and Bevan selling his rights to Lynne-, to get ELO back on the road again.
The results? Lynne reunited with original keyboardist Richard Tandy, new guitarist/keyboardist Marc Mann, and girlfriend Rosie Vela, and, after working together on the bonus tracks of the multi-disc box "Flashback", decided to go with this album: "Zoom", featuring special guests as Suzie Katayama (cello), George Harrison (guitar) and Ringo Starr (drums), among others.
Is this a band effort? Most certainly not; it's a Jeff Lynne solo album in everything but a name (like every other ELO album since "ELO2" in 1973). Does it hurt? Not at all. The music is as well crafted as ever, the powerful ballads are typically ELO (being "Ordinary Dream" and "Moment In Paradise" the best off the album), and the heavy-rockers are mindblowing (such as the lead-off single "Alright" and the set-closer "Lonesome Lullaby"). Old strings? There are some. Big Orchestra? Not anymore, but it doesn't matter
If you like old ELO you should buy this. If you prefer the "Wall Of Sound" production that made ELO famous, look elsewhere ("Out Of The Blue", "Eldorado" and "Time" being the ones you should look after). But if you like powerful, good music, this one is the next one you should get: It's ELO at their best, even though it's Jeff Lynne alone (as always since Roy Wood departed in '72).
This album is one you should get, just for the quality of the music, "no strings attached"
Stellar return to form for ELO and Jeff Lynne November 19, 2004
Dr. Emil Shuffhausen (aka Tom Bombadil) (Central Gulf Coast)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
First, a little math lesson. ELO = Jeff Lynne. Ergo, it is perfectly legitimate for this CD performed by Jeff Lynne and a stellar cast of side musicians to be called an Electric Light Orchestra project. Jeff didn't actually play every instrument on this CD...swooping strings, sawing cellos, guitar (from George Harrison), drums (from Ringo Starr), and keyboards (from Richard Tandy) all add highlights to Jeff's solid musical foundation and stellar production work. Whether or not one agrees with the moniker, it must be noted that the music contained herein is absolutely stellar from stem to stern. Jeff Lynne, the melodic maestro and uberproducer hasn't lost his touch as ZOOM so eloquently proves. My track-by-track commentary:
"Alright" - a strong guitar shuffle with nice flourishes, cool lyrics, Jeff's trademark optimism, and a chorus that sticks in your mind
"Moment in Paradise" - a beautiful, spine-tingling, heart-tugging ballad that ranks up there with the best of the classic ELO love songs
"State of Mind" - a galloping, incredibly catchy pop rocker that should have been released as a single and could have been a massive hit
"Just for Love" - a nice, lovely, slow raft ride down a river with fantastic slide guitar
"Stranger on a Quiet Street" - strong mid-tempo story song with killer vocal arrangements
"In My Own Time" - a bluesy tour de force with a continental flair
"Easy Money" - a withering critique set in a delightfully rocking and witty context...when Lynne yells, "Take it Jeff" before he tears into a guitar solo, the moment is priceless
"It Really Doesn't Matter" - An almost effortless mid-tempo tune that re-captures that vintage mid-70s ELO classic sound
"Ordinary Dream" - Perhaps my favorite track, an achingly gorgeous Beatlesque ballad that highlights Jeff's vocal versatility and unerring production instincts
"A Long Time Gone" - Poppy, bluesy, sad...like the ticking of a clock on a wall in an empty room
"Melting in the Sun" - Very strong gem with tricky and intricate arrangements...another song that should have been released to radio as a single
"All She Wanted" - Hot slide guitar work propels this blues-based rocker that wouldn't sound out of place on a Bonnie Raitt album
"Lonesome Lullaby" - Love those cellos! A fantastic closing track that builds in intensity and emotion
(The Japanese import of ZOOM also includes a bonus track, the propulsive "Long Black Road.)
As an ELO fan for more than 30 years, I will argue with anyone that says ZOOM doesn't sound like classic ELO. But, it is a natural evolution of the band's sound with new flourishes and techniques that reflect the growth and maturity of Jeff Lynne as an artist. I will admit, I would have liked to have heard more cellos and violins and I would have liked more involvement from former ELO members...it would have been great to feature Richard Tandy more, as well. That said, the actual content of this CD is superb and quite pleasing and stands up great under repeated listens...in fact, it gets better the more you play it.
Why ELO is not already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a mystery, but Jeff Lynne is now receiving much more acclaim and recognition, which is fitting and way overdue.
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