"Mr. Blue Sky" - The Electric Light Orchestra
Alright, I'll just say it right off the bat: If listening to this song doesn't make you feel all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside, then you clearly have no soul. No, even better: if this song doesn't make you wanna hug Jeff Lynne, massage his back and feed him oatmeal from a spoon when he's sick, then you clearly worship satan.
With that out of the way, this is about one of my favorite song's of all time: "Mr. Blue Sky", off of Electric Light Orchestra's epic 1977 double album, "Out of the Blue" (definitely recommended for fans of wonderful pop music). This stunning piece of pop genius has been used in everything from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" trailers to car commercials, and yet it loses none of its magic. It begins with a radio tuning to a weather forecast, a simple staccato piano riff, an instrumental build-up.
"Sun is shining in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It stopped raining
Everybody's in the play
And dontcha know
It's a beeeeeeutiful day
Hey, hey"
Such refreshing simplicity. It's been said that Jeff Lynne wrote this song immediately after seeing the sunshine after a long rain spell at the rented Chalet in the Swiss Alps in which he wrote "Out of the Blue", and the optimism shines through. (Supposedly, the entire album was written in 3-4 weeks at this isolated location.)
The strings and percussion sound effects all lead into a wonderful chorus, with harmonies popping up every which way. The guitar solo is a bright burst of melody before the second verse.
Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race! (Dude, that's...like...deep!)
One of my favorite moments in the song is at about 2:10, during that bridge section, where that little, funky bass riff joins in the mix and somehow makes me smile until my face aches. It's crazy how such a small element can make all the difference.
The cheesy vocal effects, the psychedelic choir, it's all thrown in here; a stunning epitome of 70's musical excess. Somehow, Master Lynne makes it all work, leading to pure pop euphoria. But, wait, a false ending! It's back. If you listen carefully, the ridiculous vocoder voice at the end is saying "Please turn me over", instructing you to turn the vinyl over to side four.
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for sooo long!
Here's a creepy Youtube puppet video that uses the song:
(Copyright 2007 for Hilbert_Cheesecake productions. Good day.)
With that out of the way, this is about one of my favorite song's of all time: "Mr. Blue Sky", off of Electric Light Orchestra's epic 1977 double album, "Out of the Blue" (definitely recommended for fans of wonderful pop music). This stunning piece of pop genius has been used in everything from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" trailers to car commercials, and yet it loses none of its magic. It begins with a radio tuning to a weather forecast, a simple staccato piano riff, an instrumental build-up.
"Sun is shining in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It stopped raining
Everybody's in the play
And dontcha know
It's a beeeeeeutiful day
Hey, hey"
Such refreshing simplicity. It's been said that Jeff Lynne wrote this song immediately after seeing the sunshine after a long rain spell at the rented Chalet in the Swiss Alps in which he wrote "Out of the Blue", and the optimism shines through. (Supposedly, the entire album was written in 3-4 weeks at this isolated location.)
The strings and percussion sound effects all lead into a wonderful chorus, with harmonies popping up every which way. The guitar solo is a bright burst of melody before the second verse.
Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race! (Dude, that's...like...deep!)
One of my favorite moments in the song is at about 2:10, during that bridge section, where that little, funky bass riff joins in the mix and somehow makes me smile until my face aches. It's crazy how such a small element can make all the difference.
The cheesy vocal effects, the psychedelic choir, it's all thrown in here; a stunning epitome of 70's musical excess. Somehow, Master Lynne makes it all work, leading to pure pop euphoria. But, wait, a false ending! It's back. If you listen carefully, the ridiculous vocoder voice at the end is saying "Please turn me over", instructing you to turn the vinyl over to side four.
Mr. Blue Sky
Please tell us why
You had to hide away for sooo long!
Here's a creepy Youtube puppet video that uses the song:
(Copyright 2007 for Hilbert_Cheesecake productions. Good day.)
Labels: Electric Light Orchestra
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