This is the first ELO album which achieves a true orchestral sound by using session musicians. It also contains “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head”, one of the very few ELO singles I rate as highly as I do the band’s non-single album tracks; on this song, Jeff Lynne is almost a vocal dead ringer for John Lennon, and though this album was released six years before Lennon’s death, it’s still eerie to hear. It also contains “Laredo Tornado”, a spooky song driven by a mournful guitar phrase and one of my all-time favorites, “Illusions In G Major”, a song which is actually the most rock-oriented piece on the whole album 
despite its fancy title, and the mournful Eldorado itself in which Lynne strives for other extremes and almost achieves an operatic sound with his singing. Not only is the album on my Damn Near Perfect Album List, but it’s the point at which ELO caught on like wildfire – and not without reason. Highest recommendations.
- Eldorado Overture (2:13)
- Can’t Get It Out Of My Head (4:21)
- Boy Blue (5:19)
- Laredo Tornado (5:30)
- Poorboy (The Greenwood) (2:56)
- Mister Kingdom (5:30)
- Nobody’s Child (3:57)
- Illusions In G Major (2:38)
- Eldorado (5:18)
- Eldorado Finale (1:39)
Released by: Jet
Release date: 1974
Total running time: 39:21
