Face the Music (Electric Light Orchestra album)
| Face the Music | |||||
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| Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra | |||||
| Released | September 1975 (US) 14 November 1975 (UK) |
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| Recorded | May–June 1975 Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany |
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| Genre | Symphonic rock, art rock | ||||
| Length | 36:22 | ||||
| Label | Jet (UK), United Artists (US) | ||||
| Producer | Jeff Lynne | ||||
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| Singles from Face the Music | |||||
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| Allmusic |   |
Face the Music is the fifth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and features a different line-up from their previous studio album Eldorado.
ELO's fifth studio LP was released in 1975 (see 1975 in music) and was their first to be recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich. A new line-up of the band was featured, with bassist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale replacing Mike de Albuquerque and Mike Edwards respectively. New member Groucutt sang lead vocals on "Poker" and "Down Home Town" (while Lynne sang harmony) as well as one of the verses in "Nightrider". (Usually, Lynne sang all lead vocals.)
The back cover of the record sleeve shows the members of the band with their faces pressed against a glass panel, supposedly watching the "electrocution" depicted on the front cover. The band member who is looking away is Richard Tandy, who didn't like the idea and didn't want to participate. The back cover image was the inspiration for an advertising campaign for the 2004 horror comedy film Shaun of the Dead.
"Fire on High" contains a backwards message in the beginning. When the song is played backwards, drummer Bev Bevan can be heard saying "The music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back...". This was ostensibly Jeff Lynne's response to accusations that the song "Eldorado" contained Satanic messages that could be heard when played backwards. "Down Home Town" begins with the chorus of "Waterfall" played backwards. A portion of the string crescendo from "Nightrider" was used backwards on "Evil Woman".
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