I am still a bit confused why “Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra” is listed as an ELO album when Jeff Lynne is the only performer who appears on it. Nonetheless, it’s hard not to enjoy the songs, and in spite of the absence of other former ELO members the songs rival the recreations of bands like Styx, Squeeze, Journey and Foreigner. The aforementioned bands had their reasons for revisiting their glory days, including issues with publishing rights and being able to offer recordings by current touring members.
Whatever the case, Lynne developed a solid reputation as a producer, and as such he knows how to make a great recording. There are no versions of classic songs that sound tired, and in some ways they sound sonically better simply for the fact they are digital recordings in a digital age. The collection does include one new song, “Point of No Return,” an original song not to be confused with the Kansas song with a similar sounding name.
It’s a song that longtime fans of ELO will certainly enjoy. If you own the original versions of these songs you may be slightly disappointed in this collection, but if you are looking for a good ELO compilation and don’t own one, this may be a good place to start.
