189. A NEW WORLD RECORD by Electric Light Orchestra

This 1976 record is considered one of the top two ELO albums in their discography (the other being 1977's Out Of The Blue). Most lists ranking ELO's records land Out Of The Blue in the top spot and it's hard to argue with this - that is the record that contains 'Mr. Blue Sky' - definitely their most well known and, possibly, best song.

So why, you may ask, did I choose to write about A New World Record instead? Simply put - it's because of 'Telephone Line.' That song is my favorite song of all time. Not one of my favorite songs, but my absolute favorite song - ever. It holds incredible sentimental value for me, reminding me not only of my childhood in the 70's when I first heard it but also of my late father who is inevitably intertwined with those memories. And, with Father's Day here in the U.S. just passing, those memories pull even harder on my heart strings.

Of course that track is not going to have the same effect on you as it does on me, so I'm hoping that you'll just appreciate what a great song it is. After that, give the album opener, 'Tightrope,' a listen and then move on to 'Rockaria!' and then 'Livin' Thing.'

N.B. I stopped taking videos at concerts several years ago, deciding that I wanted to focus more on the music and musicians than capturing any particular performance on my phone. However, I couldn't resist when I saw Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2018.