Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO

ELO songs were always coming on the radio when I was growing up. They were a reliable source of pleasure and fascination (except for Fire On High which scared the heck out of me). With this album of covers I wanted to get my hands deep into some of the massive '70's hits but I am also shining a light on some of the later work (Ordinary Dream from 2001's Zoom album, Secret Messages and 'From The End Of The World, both from the '80's).Thematically, I identify with the loneliness and alienation and the outerspace-iness in the songs I chose. (I have always felt like I am part alien, not fully belonging to or in this Earth world.) Sonically, ELO recordings are like an amusement park packed with fun musical games with layers and layers of varied, meticulous parts for your ears to explore; production curiosities; huge, gorgeous stacks of awe-inspiring vocal harmony puzzles. My task was to try and break all the things down and reconstruct them subtly until they felt like mine.

1. Side A: Sweet Is The Night
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
3. Showdown
4. Strange Magic
5. Don't Bring Me Down
6. Side B: Telephone Line
7. Secret Messages
8. Bluebird Is Dead
9. From The End Of The World
10. Ordinary Dream

Label: American Laundromat

Catalog: 61

Genre: Rock