Flashback (2000)


 

Disc One  
  1. 10538 Overture
  2. Showdown
  3. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
  4. Mr. Radio
  5. Roll Over Beethoven
  6. Mama
  7. One Summer Dream
  8. Illusions in G Major
  9. Strange Magic
  10.Eldorado Overture
  11.Can't Get it Out of My Head
  12.Eldorado 
  13.Edlorado Finale
  14.Do Ya
  15.Mr Kingdom
  16.Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor
  
Disc Two
  1. Tightrope
  2. Evil Woman
  3. Livin' Thing
  4. Mr. Blue Sky
  5. Mission (A New World Record)
  6. Turn to Stone
  7. Telephone Line
  8. Rockaria!
  9. Starlight
  10.It's Over
  11.The Whale
  12.Sweet Talkin' Woman
  13.Big Wheels
  14.Shangri-La
  15.Nightrider
  16.Tears in Your Life
  
Disc Three
  1. Don't Bring Me Down
  2. The Diary of Horace Wimp
  3. Twilight
  4. Secret Messages
  5. Take Me On and On
  6. Shine a Little Love
  7. Rock & ROll is King
  8. Last Train to London
  9. Confusion
  10.Getting to the Point
  11.Hold On Tight
  12.So Serious
  13.Calling America
  14.Four Little Diamonds
  15.Great Balls of Fire (Live)
  16.Xanadu
  17.Indian Queen
  18.Love Changes All
  19.After All
  20.Helpless
  21.Who's That

 

Why issue another box set so soon after the last one? Particularly given that ELO remained dormant, with no new studio output to speak of in the intervening years? The rationale is unclear. Yet, despite the redundancy, Flashback represents a marked improvement — if not in concept, then certainly in execution.

Sonically, the remastering is cleaner, and the overall sequencing suggests greater curatorial care than its predecessor. The track listing, while still selective and inevitably imperfect, paints a more balanced portrait of the band's evolution. One might quibble over omissions — Rain Is Falling, for instance, is a conspicuous absence. Granted, this may be more of a personal grievance, as the track never charted particularly well despite its single status, but its melodic charm arguably deserved a berth.

One notable correction here is the tempered inclusion of late-period material. Where 1990's Afterglow leaned heavily on ELO’s declining years — a time when their albums struggled to make much commercial or critical dent — Flashback is more judicious. Yes, there are still unreleased tracks included, but mercifully fewer, and their placement across the band's timeline feels less like filler and more like context. Much of it remains forgettable, if not outright disposable, but at least there’s a sense of narrative coherence.

Still absent is any material from Xanadu, a recurring and curious oversight. One presumes licensing constraints tied to its soundtrack status. However, an alternate version of the title track does appear, this time with Jeff Lynne himself taking lead vocal duties. The result is surprisingly effective, giving the otherwise featherweight pop single a firmer grounding — and offering one of the more interesting curiosities in the set.

As box sets go, Flashback is arguably the best available for those wanting a comprehensive survey of ELO’s catalogue. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does roll a little more smoothly than those that came before. For the casual admirer, it may be excessive. For the completist, essential. And for everyone in between, a well-packaged reminder that, at their best, ELO were more than just the sum of their symphonic gimmickry.

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