It's no sacred secret that I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first Electric Light Orchestra album in over a decade. Last night I was so psyched to find that I could listen to the whole thing before it is officially released. The new album, Alone in the Universe goes on sale Friday November 13, but you can stream it now, right here courtesy of NPR! Jeff Lynne has triumphantly brought back ELO and if you are fan, I've got a feeling you'll be as excited as I am after listening. This one fits in perfectly with the string of hit albums from the 70s and 80s.

The official video for the album opener, When I Was a Boy makes a beautiful song even more beautiful. It opens with a paper airplane flying through a blue sky and a little boy (we assume portraying a young Jeff Lynne) gazing into the distance dreaming of his future. The paper airplane takes us on a trajectory through the years from Jeff’s childhood, to early days with ELO, and his time with the Traveling Wilburys until he makes his appearance with his Les Paul in the final minute of the video. The little boy ‘Jeff’ then returns to catch the paper airplane encouraging us all to cherish the sweet memories of childhood and the incredibly powerful music (like ELO for this writer) that helped to shape who we are. 

 

 

 

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