The very fact that Electric Light Orchestra released a second three-disc box set is a tacit admission that, yes, 1987's Afterglow wasn't everything it should be.
Happily, 2000's Flashback is.
Assembled with the cooperation of Jeff Lynne, Flashback covers all the bases, featuring all the hits, a good selection of album tracks, and seven previously unreleased tracks, two alternate mixes and "After All," previously unavailable on CD.
The sequencing is roughly chronological, with each of the three discs spotlighting a different era, then sequenced for maximum listenability within that -- so "10538 Overture" segues to "Showdown" and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" then doubles back to the first album.
It's a gambit that works, since Flashback winds up flowing as gracefully as ELO's best albums.
And, make no mistake, this is one of their best albums, a rare box set that satisfies the needs of both casual and mildly dedicated fans, while offering the hardcore not just a bunch of rarities but an enjoyable album with its own character.
So, it trumps Afterglow in every possible way, then, and thereby eliminates the need for yet another three-disc ELO box.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ShowdownJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Ma-Ma-Ma BelleJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:32 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Illusions in G MajorJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 02:37 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | Strange MagicJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | Eldorado OvertureJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 02:12 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Can't Get It Out of My HeadJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:24 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | EldoradoJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Eldorado FinaleJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 01:29 | 3 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Mister KingdomJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 05:29 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Evil WomanJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Livin' ThingJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:32 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Mr. Blue SkyJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 05:03 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 13 | Turn to StoneJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 14 | Telephone LineJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 15 | Rockaria!Jeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 16 | StarlightJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:31 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 17 | The WhaleJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 05:07 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 18 | Sweet Talkin' WomanJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 19 | Shangri-LaJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 05:35 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 20 | NightriderJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 21 | Don't Bring Me DownJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:03 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 22 | The Diary of Horace WimpJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:16 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 23 | TwilightJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 24 | Secret MessagesJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 25 | Take Me On and OnJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 26 | Last Train to LondonJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 27 | ConfusionJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 28 | So SeriousJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 02:43 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 29 | Calling AmericaJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 30 | Four Little DiamondsJeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 31 | Xanadu (2000 version) | Electric Light Orchestra | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 124 mins | 285 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chuck Berry | Composer |
| 2 | Bev Bevan | Drums, Musician |
| 3 | Otis Blackwell | Composer |
| 4 | Bill Bottrell | Engineer |
| 5 | Doyle Bramhall | Composer |
| 6 | Rob Caiger | Research |
| 7 | Louis Clark | Musician |
| 8 | Michael d'Albuquerque | Musician |
| 9 | Jefferson Denim | Packaging Manager |
| 10 | Nancy Donald | Art Direction, Design |
| 11 | Mike Edwards | Musician |
| 12 | Electric Light Orchestra | Primary Artist |
| 13 | Wilfred Gibson | Musician |
| 14 | Kelly Groucutt | Musician |
| 15 | Laura Grover | Product Manager |
| 16 | Robert Hadley | Mastering |
| 17 | Jack Hammer | Composer |
| 18 | Bill Hunt | Musician |
| 19 | Mik Kaminski | Musician |
| 20 | Jeff Lynne | Compilation Producer, Composer, Guitar, Musician, Producer |
| 21 | Jeff Magid | Compilation Producer |
| 22 | Marc Mann | Engineer, Keyboards, Mastering Assistant |
| 23 | Stephen Marsh | Digital Preparation |
| 24 | Patti Matheny | A&R |
| 25 | Dave Morgan | Musician |
| 26 | Rick Price | Bass |
| 27 | Al Quaglieri | Compilation Producer |
| 28 | Darren Salmieri | A&R |
| 29 | Doug Sax | Mastering |
| 30 | Pamela Springsteen | Photography |
| 31 | Richard Tandy | Musician |
| 32 | Ryan Ulyate | Engineer, Mastering Assistant |
| 33 | Stevie Ray Vaughan | Composer |
| 34 | Colin Walker | Musician |
| 35 | David Wild | Liner Notes |
| 36 | Christine Wilson | Art Direction, Design |
| 37 | Roy Wood | Musician, Producer, Vocals |
| 38 | Steve Woolam | Musician |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |