I remember in the 70's, mum was a rock fan, dad was into classical and baroque. He had a particular love for Mary Thomas as she was part of the movement to bring baroque back. The first time my mother put "A New World Record" on the turntable when it was released, she said to me "Watch This". I did, and as dad heard Mary Thomas' voice on Rockaria, his head snapped around and he made the Scooby Doo noise "herruh?". They then started rocking out in the livinig room together. They're in their mid-70's now, still rocking out together and I give thanks for the appreciation they gave me for all music.
If you listen to it on the album, there’s a short outtake at the beginning where she starts the note, it cracks, and she says “whoops” in the most adorable voice!
The song “Livin’ Thing” is an excellent example of their orchestral strings with a rock style. You want the strings to stand out? - Then that is your song! Plus, it was a huge radio hit. Also, from the album “A New World Record”
If you want another ELO song with operettic vocals I would suggest "Shangri-La". It's an albeit short part of the song but imo it's one of ELO's most powerful and inspiring pieces.
Crazy! I was just listening to A New World Record” the other day and was thinking that both “Rockaria” and “Shangri-La” would be great ones to hear Elizabeth evaluate!
Jeff Lynne is 75 now, and still sings every original note including that falsetto - effortlessly. His musical compositions are more elaborate, but remain true to our sonic memories. No compromises.
Holy moly that is hard to fathom. Our favorite songs are stuck in a time loop while the artists continue to age unbeknownst to us... until you're reminded. SeventyFive!
Mary Thomas was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Leonard Bernstein called her "La Thomas" and they played jazz duets on the piano. She was an accomplished pianist as well as a singer.
"Rockaria" is essentially a rock 'n' roll song so the operatic parts are used like an instrument much like Jeff Lynne was using his falsetto and used sparingly to create contrast and a balance of elements. Interestingly, the operatic parts were sung by their bass player, Kelly Groucutt, when they were touring...he also shared lead vocals with Lynne.
This was a hoot! Thank you Elizabeth. So much fun. She was singing a line in German which Jeff Lynne wrote for the song. It's around on the internet, along with an English translation. On the take used on the LP, she came in slightly too early, audibly said a tiny "oops" then kept singing. They loved it so much they used it on the album. Like the little tradition of the fire extinguisher on 'Mr. Blue Sky', in some of the concert performance of 2016-2017 (which are wonderful and all over YT,) the singer comes in a tiny bit too early, deliberately!
The fact that ELO took good old rock-n-roll and combined that with orchestral and operatic themes to make something that was new to me as a young teen was awesome. So many more songs from ELO to enjoy as you explore this rabbit hole.
OMGOMGOMG! Thank you for the shout-out Elizabeth! I knew you were meant to react to this song. So much cool ear-candy. It's like Nutella with... More Nutella! One favourite moment of mine is when Jeff Lynne sings "I think she'd die for Beethoven" and Richard Tandy on the piano plays the first four notes of Beethoven's fifth. "Shangri-la" is another song of this record with Mary Thomas on it during the gorgeous ending as mentioned by others here. I think you would love it!
Like every other ELO song of this era you need to listen beyond the the vocals, because the orchestra, the string section, the keyboards, the choir and the bass line are all catchy tunes in their own right. Even now a the age of 60 I still hear new things, despite having listened to ELO since I was 12. Astonishing songwriting. Fabulous musicianship. And it's often overlooked that Jeff Lynne had (and still has) a superb singling voice. Love ELO.
Sitting in an art classroom in the 1970s and hearing this on a tube silver tone desktop Hi Fi was something you just never forget. Oh how I miss those days. It really fit the weird but fun times. We got used to such well crafted music back then, ELO among the best of the era.
Another vote for Shangri-La. As a mood it feels like Telephone Line, but it actually completes a story told by the album as a whole, and the coda at the end is one of the most devestating things I’ve ever heard.
Agreed. That coda is one of the most haunting pieces of music I've ever heard; I just wish it would go on for a little longer! Oh well, I guess I can put it on repeat.
I love watching your happy face when doing these ELO reviews. They always seem to catch you out with some little twist or trick, and as somebody who has loved the band since childhood, I love the insight your giving. I know you have loads to do, but will always be happy to see more ELO on your channel. 😁🎤🤘
YES! well said!! Bringing new insight and dimension to music I’ve loved my whole life. When my dad died, my local live music bar let me put a copy of Out of the Blue on their wall as a tribute (used to get my last feed at night to it, have it on vinyl, tape, CD, Special anniversary edition CD etc) I know this is New World Record but it just floors me. The man is a genius. A few years back when he was on Chris Evans’ radio show he was genuinely surprised people still wanted to hear him. 150k texts in less than an hour… he is still touring. The world is glad. I am sad Kelly and Mik etc are not here but this music needs to live forever. ❤️
I saw the touring band in 2018 and again in 2019 in California. I think the crowd was waiting to see who would sing that part, and roared when she pulled it off.
Rockaria is one of many great songs from ELO. Perhaps the best of progressive came from them. Great reaction Elizabeth.👍👍🤟🤟. The old rocker digs it and approves.
If you ever want a treat, choose a rainy summer afternoon and listen to ELO's double album "Out of the Blue" straight through. I was 12 when that album came out and it's still resonating in my soul 45 years later.
I am a huge Jeff Lynne/ELO fan. I have heard Olivia Newton John's version of Xanadu as well as the studio and live versions of the song by Jeff Lynne. All of them are good. The song is excellent. That said, I would rate Olvia Newton John's version of the song the best with Jeff Lynne's versions a close second.
I got lucky and found this album in a just donated collection at a thrift store and bought it having only heard of ELO but not actually listened to them. First track on the album and I was in love. Great album all the way through!
@@TheCharismaticVoice There is so much awesome stuff. The full El Dorado LP is jaw dropping in it's scale. Laredo Tornado, Poor Boy (a Robin Hood song), Can't get it out of my head... Yeah- you need to dive right into the rabbit hole.
@@TheCharismaticVoice,Can’t Get It Out Of My Head, Strange Magic, Evil Woman, Livin’ Thing, Do Ya, Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin’ Woman and Don’t Bring Me Down are some of the first steps into the rabbit hole that is ELO. Not a bad way to get lost in music. Have fun on your adventures.
@@TheCharismaticVoice "Poker" is one of their deep cuts from the "Face the Music" album and manages to shift from hard rock into soothing music and back to hard rock again. Another deep cut is "So Fine" from the "New World Record" album. It has plenty of odd noises amid great music. Finally, one of their most legendary songs is a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" (full eight-minute version please). It has string and piano solos, with the start playing the iconic portion of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
@@TheCharismaticVoice Personally, I can't recommend a run of Eldorado through Time enough. (All albums released from 1974 through 1981). ELO's golden age!
Just. Pure. Joy. Jeff is nothing short of one of my all-time heroes. No other artist has been on my journey through music longer, than he. I'd put Rockaria in my top 3 ELO songs. And timely, as he has just been inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame. For Opera/Rock colab; surely Barcelona with Freddie/Monserrat Caballe has been suggested before?...
This song (Rockaria) by ELO was perfect for YOU to do this in-depth analyze. It really suits your sensibilities even though it was written and produced years before you were even born. Speaking of cross genres, I could blow your mind by telling you there is an episode of the 1960s comdey TV show called GILLIGAN'S ISLAND that had the Shakespeare play HAMLET put to the music of some great operas such as CARMEN and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE just to name a few. The episode is called THE PRODUCER and it is from Season 3 Episode 4. I doubt that you will ever see it but it is as trippy crazy as can be. Keep up the quality work.
'And Verdi's always creepin' from her room' 👍 I have been an ELO fan since i saw them on stage at Drury Lane, London, in the early 70's and the magic is still there - i never tire of listening to them. Rockaria still makes my spine tingle - listen to the actual studio version on 'A New World Record' the opera singer falters and coughs at the beginning but they kept that version on the Album! The BBC coverage of them at Glastonbury about 5 years ago is also well worth a watch and yes they do Rockaria👍 It's difficult to see them these days but the copy band 'The ELO Experience' are fantastic and the only one approved by the maestro that is Jeff Lynne.....
This could easily have turned into a mess, but Jeff Lynne makes it into a gem. I love the soprano's (Mary Thomas) false start at the beginning and then that rushed finale from Jeff Lynne. Also, I love Jeff Lynne's growling vocals on this song.
@@davidsmith6976 you're absolutely right. He's way of singing on this track is so different from the other songs such as Turn to Stone, but it seems no one cares.
Elizabeth, I'm so glad that you got around to doing this, I suggested a while back on one of your earlier ELO reactions, it's always been one of my favourite ELO tracks. I was already a member of your channel when you did the piece from The Fifth Element, in fact I joined when you were doing your vocal lessons before you started doing analysis of music tracks and vocal styles.
As other's have said on here, Shangri-la would be a good next song to analyse. After that, just do the whole lot, if fact, sod everyone else, change the name to "The charismatic voice ELO Channel."
There is an influence that I want to mention when it comes to Jeff Lynne's own vocals. There is a lot of Little Richard in the way Jeff will suddenly hit these high notes almost effortlessly. Little Richard did so in almost every song..."Tutti Fruitti" and "Good Golly Miss Molly"...back in his heyday of the late 1950s and 1960s.
The opera part at the beginning is in German. "Weit hinein in die Ferne man hört, man hört die Musik". Which is German and means something like: "Far in the far distance one can hear (one can hear) the music playing". I didn't realize this until ten minutes ago doing research myself on the song. It was Welsh singer Mary Thomas who did the opera parts. When I saw ELO live in 1981, it was bassist/harmony vocalist Kelly Grouchett who did the opera section. He has a high tenor (not soprano, as males can't sing soprano of course lol) and did a bang up job on it! I couldn't believe it when I heard him do it. That and the rest of the show was amazing!
It's such a shame that Kelly and Jeff fell out so badly. As far as I know Jeff has never spoken publicly about Kelly's passing, which is terrible really.
The 80s saw a fair number of opera vocalists fronting metal and rock bands. Grim Reaper was fronted by one and made the top 40 with See You in Hell. The 70s and 80s were just amazing for diverse, creative music and vocals.
Elizabeth, so happy that you chose this song to react to. As soon as I saw the title I already knew you would love it. I've been a huge ELO fan since I was a kid. Their sound is so unique and Rockaria! really highlights those unique qualities.
Agreed re: Shangri-La, although "tightrope" is the best track ELO ever did. I don't know if you've visited them yet, but if not, you are going to love "Touching Once" by Renaissance featuring the operatic voice of Annie Haslam...!!
Yes! Suggested this one when you did your previous ELO songs. There were a lot of other requests in the comments for it, is I figured it would come up eventually. Really looking forward to it. I'm sure it was worth the wait. Will let you know more after the premiere tomorrow.
@@TheCharismaticVoice We all knew you would really get into this one. It was just a perfect match. "Oh no. No. I'm not ready for this to be done yet." Just 3:13 of wall to wall perfection. "The way it is written is pure evil." I do love the 9th, but I never tried to sing it. For more symphonic rock check out 10538 Overture from their first album or Tightrope. There is an instrumental called Fire On High. The Eldorado album is a complete piece. Listen to Eldorado Overture into Can't Get It Out Of My Head. Good to see you enjoying yourself here and discovering more rockin' ELO.
Queen! Queen has some very operatic feeling rock music. Teo Torriatte, Freddy's Barcelona or perhaps who wants to live forever are some unique songs. Although this song from ELO is a standout.
My goodness.... It feels like I've waited forever for you to discover this one! It has been a favorite of mine since the first time my turntable's needle tracked through the vinyl groove of that LP... I'm elated you enjoyed this one so much (Beethoven notwithstanding).....
You are a delight to watch! I wish more younger people like yourself would explore more genres; I think popular music today would be much better for it.
I love love love the way you nerd out when you're talking about opera and your facial expressions make me laugh😂 You're so cute you make music so much fun❤
Brilliant .Another good example of 70s symphonic rock is Renaissance with Annie Haslam ; mother Russia, Northern lights , Ocean gypsy or song for all seasons, too name but a few. Preferably 70s performances.
Just a couple days ago, this song came to my mind for whatever reason, and I thought to myself that I need to see if you ever reacted to it and I missed it. Needless to say, I was delighted when this popped up in my YT feed. Seeing the absolute delight on your face throughout the song, brought tears to my eyes, especially since ELO was one of my favorites when I was a college boy back in the late '70s.
The greatest Rock and Roll song ever, in my mind. Great review, enthusiasm and insights into aerodynamics of singing (I have a Linguistics certificate-not high training, but I loved teaching English as a second language in Japan, South Korea).
One of my favourite collaborations of rock & opera is still "Barcelona" bu Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé, two truly stunning voices that are perfect together in an incredible song. If you haven't reacted to it yet you really should.
Hi. In case you still don't know, the female operatic voice of Rockaria! was performed by Kelly Groucutt, the group's (male) bass player and singer. Lynne and his crew were and are very serious professionals indeed. Cheers!
Supertramp, Live in Paris. Hide in Your Shell. Fools Overture. Asylum. School. All these songs have that operatic feel to them. Plus, its Supertramp are their very best
Great video! I love watching your ELO reactions! I always thought the double entendre of "and Verdi's always creeping from her room" was very funny in this song.
I love how much you love E.L.O. By the by, the opening vocals by Mary Thomas, "Aah, fern, wiet'r in die ferne, man hört man hört die Musik" roughly translates to "far, far away, the music is playing" per the Jeff Lynne Song Database.
Elizabeth, I've been waiting SO LONG for you to react to this song. SO gratifying. I knew you'd love it and I'm glad you did. I wish you'd commented on the last part where everybody was as one, the rock and roll was so pure and even the mayor showed up. That's such a fun part of the song and I'm not sure you caught it. Still, great reaction and well worth the wait.
Part of the trick of ELO was that they had added pickups to their instruments. This is why they were an Electric Light Orchestra. They were smaller than a full orchestra (light) and they had electric instruments that would normally be acoustic. Also, Mr Blue Sky is one of the best happy tunes ever.
shangri la is such a fabulous song . from the haunting opening guitar solo , its such a melancholic lament but the end is sooo sublime. you must listen
Watching this one again. One of my favourite reactions as it's so informative but also shows your joy for the performance. I love this song and your reaction to it. 🙂
The word "Orchestra" in their name reminded a lot of kids of their parents' stuffy big band music, and they'd rather have been caught dead than listening to any of that. So they never gave ELO a proper chance to find out they were the farthest thing from Lawrence Welk and his ilk.
It was harder to tour back in the day, because they just couldn't do in concert what they did in the studio, it wasn't even close. I think that limited their market share and popularity some.
@@ffjsb There were challenges traditional rock bands didn't face, but that didn't deter ELO one bit. They had huge tours and put on spectacular shows--not just the music, but they were renowned for their amazing light/laser shows, and even had a full spaceship on stage, which they trucked all over North America for one year-long tour. I know, I saw them in their hey day.
Puccini-esque? No wonder my ex-husband didn't like this song when I played it. I love Puccini & Mozart and he was a die-hard Verdi & Beethoven fan. He would only take me to Verdi operas, which were great, but sheesh.....broaden your horizons guy! I saw ELO perform live - Toronto, mid 70's - and they were absolutely amazing! Thank you for your reaction to this unique and wonderful song.
Thanks Elizabeth for this. Keep up the great work. I have been an ELO fan since 1972.Your portal on the music world has meant I am now listening to lots of new to me music , thanks very much.
I always liked the chorus...."She's sweet on Wagner I think she'd die for Beethoven She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune And Verdi's always creeping from her room".... and I always got the visual of Verdi, the man...sneaking from her room...even thought I think he means music...nice double meaning there.
I was one of those kids that also loved opera from the time I was about five years old on. I played violin for ten years because I loved classical, but also the first time I heard ELO when I was about twelve I was a fan because of the mash up with rock and roll. This song was my favorite on what is an amazing complete album. The ending of this song makes me smile every time because it sounds like the ending of of operatic work.
Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy pay tribute to Little Richard and Chuck Berry on this track, over and over. Fun to watch the string section rocking out in the video.
After watching one of your other ELO videos I had to check out if you did any others. I thought Rockaria would be right up your alley LOL. There's actually a blunder at the start of the original song where she starts singing and misses the note and you hear her say "Ooops". Then starts again. You can't unhear it once you know LOL In traditional rock'n'roll style lyrics with double meanings - I'm sure Jeff's not talking about trying to teach her about music, he wants to teach her how to rock'n'roll 😁. We were reelin' and rockin' all through the night. It's just really well disguised as all good rock'n'roll lyrics are.
As a side note, Jeff Lynne was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame last week.
Justified and criminally late
What took them so long. He should have been in there decades ago. A master at all that he does musically.
About time love his music
Not before time.
Had no idea. Worthy entry. Cheers to Jeff 🍻
I remember in the 70's, mum was a rock fan, dad was into classical and baroque. He had a particular love for Mary Thomas as she was part of the movement to bring baroque back. The first time my mother put "A New World Record" on the turntable when it was released, she said to me "Watch This". I did, and as dad heard Mary Thomas' voice on Rockaria, his head snapped around and he made the Scooby Doo noise "herruh?". They then started rocking out in the livinig room together. They're in their mid-70's now, still rocking out together and I give thanks for the appreciation they gave me for all music.
wow, what a post. Awesome memory
Great story. Also, that, "A New World Record" album is one of ELO's best albums..
If you listen to it on the album, there’s a short outtake at the beginning where she starts the note, it cracks, and she says “whoops” in the most adorable voice!
She just started too early and had to start over.....
@@MrStillgotit5 Maybe so, but you can hear that she’s a bit sharp at the very beginning of the note. I always assumed that was the “oops” moment
I am glad it was left on the record@@Bass17yl 👍
Honestly I was disappointed not to hear it here. So perfectly imperfect. :)
According to Jeff Lynne, she started singing too early and caught herself, hence the "oops". Jeff liked it and left it in the recording.
The song “Livin’ Thing” is an excellent example of their orchestral strings with a rock style. You want the strings to stand out? - Then that is your song! Plus, it was a huge radio hit. Also, from the album “A New World Record”
For me, THAT track is THE ELO sound, and the most perfectly arranged piece of music EVER.
ELO is a deep rabbit hole of great music; long way to go!
I totally agree..
Yes! The Move, the Idle Race, Lynne's solo work, Traveling Wilburys, and production work...
ELOOOOHHHHHHH............
If you want another ELO song with operettic vocals I would suggest "Shangri-La". It's an albeit short part of the song but imo it's one of ELO's most powerful and inspiring pieces.
Yes PLEASE! The ending never fails to give me chills and shed a few tears
Crazy! I was just listening to A New World Record” the other day and was thinking that both “Rockaria” and “Shangri-La” would be great ones to hear Elizabeth evaluate!
The operatic voice at the end of Shangri-la is so haunting and mixes so well. It should be a movie soundtrack.
Yes! Utterly gorgeous pice of music!
I concur
Jeff Lynne is 75 now, and still sings every original note including that falsetto - effortlessly. His musical compositions are more elaborate, but remain true to our sonic memories. No compromises.
Holy moly that is hard to fathom. Our favorite songs are stuck in a time loop while the artists continue to age unbeknownst to us... until you're reminded. SeventyFive!
Mary Thomas was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Leonard Bernstein called her "La Thomas" and they played jazz duets on the piano. She was an accomplished pianist as well as a singer.
Shangri-La by ELO. I love that ending.
I've been asking for this one. My favorite song. Greatest ending
Oh yes, I agree.
I agree absolutely..Shangrla .amazing song, incredible ending.
Agree. Shangri-la undoubtedly deserves to be heard and analysed up.
"Rockaria" is essentially a rock 'n' roll song so the operatic parts are used like an instrument much like Jeff Lynne was using his falsetto and used sparingly to create contrast and a balance of elements. Interestingly, the operatic parts were sung by their bass player, Kelly Groucutt, when they were touring...he also shared lead vocals with Lynne.
Good background info....I'm not too sure if Elizabeth was really aware of this one...Kelly Groucutt! That made it even more interesting...
I want to hear what this girl says about Freddy Mercury!
This was a hoot! Thank you Elizabeth. So much fun. She was singing a line in German which Jeff Lynne wrote for the song. It's around on the internet, along with an English translation. On the take used on the LP, she came in slightly too early, audibly said a tiny "oops" then kept singing. They loved it so much they used it on the album. Like the little tradition of the fire extinguisher on 'Mr. Blue Sky', in some of the concert performance of 2016-2017 (which are wonderful and all over YT,) the singer comes in a tiny bit too early, deliberately!
this is the album version. they just don't use the first bit...
I gotta tell you - my little Pavoratti-loving Italian grandma LOVED this song. Rest her soul.
ELO is such a fantastic band. Don't Bring Me Down is just an amazing piece. And their soundtack for Xanadu was superb.
Xanadu FTW, sooo under-rated. 👏
Also the soundtrack to electric dreams
@@user-wn4cs4zk6w That was a solo effort by Jeff Lynne. He did two songs on that movie; Video! and Let it Run.
Next one from ELO has to be Shangri-La, is sooooo good, and the end is just perfect
Your sheer delight for ELO warms my old heart.
The fact that ELO took good old rock-n-roll and combined that with orchestral and operatic themes to make something that was new to me as a young teen was awesome. So many more songs from ELO to enjoy as you explore this rabbit hole.
ELO introduced me to Beethoven, and basically got me into classical music. One of my all time favorites
My dad said ELO was one of the best live gigs he had ever been to, and he had seen the likes of the Beatles, Stones, Rod Stewart and so on.
ELO is the best live band ever musically!
I can back him on that!! They were absolutely incredible live in the 70's and early 80's.
OMGOMGOMG! Thank you for the shout-out Elizabeth! I knew you were meant to react to this song. So much cool ear-candy. It's like Nutella with... More Nutella! One favourite moment of mine is when Jeff Lynne sings "I think she'd die for Beethoven" and Richard Tandy on the piano plays the first four notes of Beethoven's fifth. "Shangri-la" is another song of this record with Mary Thomas on it during the gorgeous ending as mentioned by others here. I think you would love it!
Read your comment and immediately searched for this hoping it too have happened. Thank you
RIP, Richard Tandy.
@@judsonkring464 Yes R.I.P. Richard Tandy. He was a big part of ELO and a good friend to Jeff.
Like every other ELO song of this era you need to listen beyond the the vocals, because the orchestra, the string section, the keyboards, the choir and the bass line are all catchy tunes in their own right. Even now a the age of 60 I still hear new things, despite having listened to ELO since I was 12. Astonishing songwriting. Fabulous musicianship. And it's often overlooked that Jeff Lynne had (and still has) a superb singling voice. Love ELO.
Sitting in an art classroom in the 1970s and hearing this on a tube silver tone desktop Hi Fi was something you just never forget. Oh how I miss those days. It really fit the weird but fun times. We got used to such well crafted music back then, ELO among the best of the era.
Another vote for Shangri-La. As a mood it feels like Telephone Line, but it actually completes a story told by the album as a whole, and the coda at the end is one of the most devestating things I’ve ever heard.
That coda is the prequel to the one in Mr Blue Sky on the following album.
Agreed. That coda is one of the most haunting pieces of music I've ever heard; I just wish it would go on for a little longer! Oh well, I guess I can put it on repeat.
Oh man, it's especially haunting at 2 in the morning on late night radio when you're half asleep, which is how I first heard it.
@@HarrierMan99 the coda starts at 3:47 !
As an 11 year old, I wrote Jeff Lynne back in 1976- year later I got an actual signed postcard. ELO is just the best!
I love watching your happy face when doing these ELO reviews. They always seem to catch you out with some little twist or trick, and as somebody who has loved the band since childhood, I love the insight your giving. I know you have loads to do, but will always be happy to see more ELO on your channel. 😁🎤🤘
YES! well said!! Bringing new insight and dimension to music I’ve loved my whole life.
When my dad died, my local live music bar let me put a copy of Out of the Blue on their wall as a tribute (used to get my last feed at night to it, have it on vinyl, tape, CD, Special anniversary edition CD etc)
I know this is New World Record but it just floors me. The man is a genius. A few years back when he was on Chris Evans’ radio show he was genuinely surprised people still wanted to hear him. 150k texts in less than an hour… he is still touring. The world is glad. I am sad Kelly and Mik etc are not here but this music needs to live forever. ❤️
BANG ON. We've hit the jackpot with this one.🎉😊
Jeff was finally inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame this year. Jeff is simply outstanding in the field of music.
I saw the touring band in 2018 and again in 2019 in California. I think the crowd was waiting to see who would sing that part, and roared when she pulled it off.
Loved the song since 1976 but first time ever seeing the video today
Rockaria is one of many great songs from ELO. Perhaps the best of progressive came from them. Great reaction Elizabeth.👍👍🤟🤟. The old rocker digs it and approves.
My favorite ELO song. Thanks.
If you ever want a treat, choose a rainy summer afternoon and listen to ELO's double album "Out of the Blue" straight through. I was 12 when that album came out and it's still resonating in my soul 45 years later.
That is precisely how I first experienced that album at age 10!
Elizabeth you are robbing yourself if you don't react to the collaboration between ELO and Olivia Newton John on Xanadu. One of the best songs ever!
I am a huge Jeff Lynne/ELO fan. I have heard Olivia Newton John's version of Xanadu as well as the studio and live versions of the song by Jeff Lynne.
All of them are good. The song is excellent. That said, I would rate Olvia Newton John's version of the song the best with Jeff Lynne's versions a close second.
Sorry, but there is only on true Xanadu: Rush!
Jeff Lynne is a true musical genius , a master of mixing operatic twist , with classical and rock , it’s brilliant
I got lucky and found this album in a just donated collection at a thrift store and bought it having only heard of ELO but not actually listened to them. First track on the album and I was in love. Great album all the way through!
ELO is Masterful, and totally under-appreciated by most people. So, so good.
Can already tell she’s gonna love this one.
Jeff Lynne is an incredible songwriter! I've also noticed that I always go into a happy mood when I hear ELO. Loved them since the end of the 70's!
I’m glad that this song came up on your list. This song was a great surprise when I first played the album for the first time.
It was SO GOOD! I'm wondering what else ELO has to offer, though?!
@@TheCharismaticVoice There is so much awesome stuff. The full El Dorado LP is jaw dropping in it's scale. Laredo Tornado, Poor Boy (a Robin Hood song), Can't get it out of my head... Yeah- you need to dive right into the rabbit hole.
@@TheCharismaticVoice,Can’t Get It Out Of My Head, Strange Magic, Evil Woman, Livin’ Thing, Do Ya, Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin’ Woman and Don’t Bring Me Down are some of the first steps into the rabbit hole that is ELO. Not a bad way to get lost in music. Have fun on your adventures.
@@TheCharismaticVoice "Poker" is one of their deep cuts from the "Face the Music" album and manages to shift from hard rock into soothing music and back to hard rock again. Another deep cut is "So Fine" from the "New World Record" album. It has plenty of odd noises amid great music. Finally, one of their most legendary songs is a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" (full eight-minute version please). It has string and piano solos, with the start playing the iconic portion of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
@@TheCharismaticVoice Personally, I can't recommend a run of Eldorado through Time enough. (All albums released from 1974 through 1981). ELO's golden age!
Just. Pure. Joy. Jeff is nothing short of one of my all-time heroes. No other artist has been on my journey through music longer, than he. I'd put Rockaria in my top 3 ELO songs. And timely, as he has just been inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame.
For Opera/Rock colab; surely Barcelona with Freddie/Monserrat Caballe has been suggested before?...
A new world record.. ELOs best album
This song (Rockaria) by ELO was perfect for YOU to do this in-depth analyze. It really suits your sensibilities even though it was written and produced years before you were even born. Speaking of cross genres, I could blow your mind by telling you there is an episode of the 1960s comdey TV show called GILLIGAN'S ISLAND that had the Shakespeare play HAMLET put to the music of some great operas such as CARMEN and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE just to name a few. The episode is called THE PRODUCER and it is from Season 3 Episode 4. I doubt that you will ever see it but it is as trippy crazy as can be. Keep up the quality work.
'And Verdi's always creepin' from her room' 👍
I have been an ELO fan since i saw them on stage at Drury Lane, London, in the early 70's and the magic is still there - i never tire of listening to them.
Rockaria still makes my spine tingle - listen to the actual studio version on 'A New World Record' the opera singer falters and coughs at the beginning but they kept that version on the Album!
The BBC coverage of them at Glastonbury about 5 years ago is also well worth a watch and yes they do Rockaria👍 It's difficult to see them these days but the copy band 'The ELO Experience' are fantastic and the only one approved by the maestro that is Jeff Lynne.....
This could easily have turned into a mess, but Jeff Lynne makes it into a gem. I love the soprano's (Mary Thomas) false start at the beginning and then that rushed finale from Jeff Lynne.
Also, I love Jeff Lynne's growling vocals on this song.
Jeff is so underrated , a great singer,producer ,and collaborations with the Travelling Wilburries ,and so many others , as well as ELO
@@davidsmith6976 you're absolutely right. He's way of singing on this track is so different from the other songs such as Turn to Stone, but it seems no one cares.
@@MrCarlesXX Seems the Americans ,appreciate him,more then the U.K.?
@@davidsmith6976never underrated, where do you get that idea from🤦🏻♀️
Yes it could've.
Just for your pleasure, you should listen to the entire album “Eldorado: A Symphony by the Electric Light Orchestra” someday. I think you’d love it.
Jeff Lynne is one of the greatest melodicists of the last 50 years. Brilliant songwriter, musician, and producer.
Elizabeth, I'm so glad that you got around to doing this, I suggested a while back on one of your earlier ELO reactions, it's always been one of my favourite ELO tracks.
I was already a member of your channel when you did the piece from The Fifth Element, in fact I joined when you were doing your vocal lessons before you started doing analysis of music tracks and vocal styles.
Wow I was hoping you'd do this one. Looking forward to watching.
As other's have said on here, Shangri-la would be a good next song to analyse. After that, just do the whole lot, if fact, sod everyone else, change the name to "The charismatic voice ELO Channel."
There is an influence that I want to mention when it comes to Jeff Lynne's own vocals. There is a lot of Little Richard in the way Jeff will suddenly hit these high notes almost effortlessly. Little Richard did so in almost every song..."Tutti Fruitti" and "Good Golly Miss Molly"...back in his heyday of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Yes. Jeff and Paul McCartney both adored Little Richard and incorporated his lyricism into their music.
Always loved the genre mixing, been listening to ELO since the mid-seventies!
The opera part at the beginning is in German. "Weit hinein in die Ferne man hört, man hört die Musik". Which is German and means something like: "Far in the far distance one can hear (one can hear) the music playing". I didn't realize this until ten minutes ago doing research myself on the song. It was Welsh singer Mary Thomas who did the opera parts.
When I saw ELO live in 1981, it was bassist/harmony vocalist Kelly Grouchett who did the opera section. He has a high tenor (not soprano, as males can't sing soprano of course lol) and did a bang up job on it! I couldn't believe it when I heard him do it. That and the rest of the show was amazing!
New World Record and Out of the Blue are perfection.
Absolutely! My two fave ELO albums right there. Add Time and we have my top 3.
When they performed this live, the bassist, Kelly Groucutt, would sing the operatic part :-)
It's such a shame that Kelly and Jeff fell out so badly. As far as I know Jeff has never spoken publicly about Kelly's passing, which is terrible really.
The 80s saw a fair number of opera vocalists fronting metal and rock bands. Grim Reaper was fronted by one and made the top 40 with See You in Hell. The 70s and 80s were just amazing for diverse, creative music and vocals.
Elizabeth, so happy that you chose this song to react to. As soon as I saw the title I already knew you would love it. I've been a huge ELO fan since I was a kid. Their sound is so unique and Rockaria! really highlights those unique qualities.
Agreed re: Shangri-La, although "tightrope" is the best track ELO ever did.
I don't know if you've visited them yet, but if not, you are going to love "Touching Once" by Renaissance featuring the operatic voice of Annie Haslam...!!
Great song by ELO ! The vocals on this song is superb🎶❤️
One of my first few albums was from ELO, and I never looked back. These guys are fantastic. Jeff is just a master song writer.
"Symphonic rock..I'm so happy." Double chef kiss. This is great!
Yes! Suggested this one when you did your previous ELO songs. There were a lot of other requests in the comments for it, is I figured it would come up eventually. Really looking forward to it. I'm sure it was worth the wait. Will let you know more after the premiere tomorrow.
Yup! I have had this prepped for a little bit but finally got around to it!
@@TheCharismaticVoice We all knew you would really get into this one. It was just a perfect match. "Oh no. No. I'm not ready for this to be done yet." Just 3:13 of wall to wall perfection. "The way it is written is pure evil." I do love the 9th, but I never tried to sing it. For more symphonic rock check out 10538 Overture from their first album or Tightrope. There is an instrumental called Fire On High. The Eldorado album is a complete piece. Listen to Eldorado Overture into Can't Get It Out Of My Head. Good to see you enjoying yourself here and discovering more rockin' ELO.
@@KenRoerden And, *"Shangri-la".*
@@Cosmo-Kramer Absolutely. It is the resolution to a front to back great album.
@@KenRoerden Indeed.
Queen! Queen has some very operatic feeling rock music. Teo Torriatte, Freddy's Barcelona or perhaps who wants to live forever are some unique songs. Although this song from ELO is a standout.
My goodness.... It feels like I've waited forever for you to discover this one! It has been a favorite of mine since the first time my turntable's needle tracked through the vinyl groove of that LP... I'm elated you enjoyed this one so much (Beethoven notwithstanding).....
I never really listened to this song the way you’ve interpreted it! Much more to this song than I ever thought about before!!! Thank you!
You are a delight to watch! I wish more younger people like yourself would explore more genres; I think popular music today would be much better for it.
The late sixties and seventies were filled with geniuses of creativity… ELO, the WhO, Yes, on and on and on …
I love love love the way you nerd out when you're talking about opera and your facial expressions make me laugh😂 You're so cute you make music so much fun❤
Great to see you enjoying another song by ELO, Elizabeth. Love the observations about opera and how they can complement rock. 😊😃
A great rock band that regularly played with a full symphony is Procul Harum, especially the songs "Conquistador" and "Whiter Shade of Pale".
Brilliant .Another good example of 70s symphonic rock is Renaissance with Annie Haslam ; mother Russia, Northern lights , Ocean gypsy or song for all seasons, too name but a few. Preferably 70s performances.
Plus 1,000 for this suggestion! I would add “Day of The Dreamer” and “Ashes Are Burning” to that list (which of course could get really long…).
Just a couple days ago, this song came to my mind for whatever reason, and I thought to myself that I need to see if you ever reacted to it and I missed it. Needless to say, I was delighted when this popped up in my YT feed. Seeing the absolute delight on your face throughout the song, brought tears to my eyes, especially since ELO was one of my favorites when I was a college boy back in the late '70s.
I like how, when Jeff sings "I think she'd die for Beethoven" they plink out that little riff from Ludwig's 5th symphony.
I love to see them rocking those cellos. This video never gets old.
The story in the lyrics are so beautiful.
The greatest Rock and Roll song ever, in my mind. Great review, enthusiasm and insights into aerodynamics of singing (I have a Linguistics certificate-not high training, but I loved teaching English as a second language in Japan, South Korea).
One of my favourite collaborations of rock & opera is still "Barcelona" bu Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé, two truly stunning voices that are perfect together in an incredible song. If you haven't reacted to it yet you really should.
I totally agree - it's wonderful 👍
Hi. In case you still don't know, the female operatic voice of Rockaria! was performed by Kelly Groucutt, the group's (male) bass player and singer. Lynne and his crew were and are very serious professionals indeed. Cheers!
I hoped you would react to this at some stage, thoroughly enjoyed this reaction, thank you :)
Supertramp, Live in Paris. Hide in Your Shell. Fools Overture. Asylum. School. All these songs have that operatic feel to them. Plus, its Supertramp are their very best
Great video! I love watching your ELO reactions! I always thought the double entendre of "and Verdi's always creeping from her room" was very funny in this song.
& you can double MY entendre any time you LIKE‼️😜😜
I love how much you love E.L.O. By the by, the opening vocals by Mary Thomas, "Aah, fern, wiet'r in die ferne, man hört man hört die Musik" roughly translates to "far, far away, the music is playing" per the Jeff Lynne Song Database.
Thanks for your reaction. Your enthusiasm for the song is infectious!
Elizabeth, I've been waiting SO LONG for you to react to this song. SO gratifying. I knew you'd love it and I'm glad you did. I wish you'd commented on the last part where everybody was as one, the rock and roll was so pure and even the mayor showed up. That's such a fun part of the song and I'm not sure you caught it. Still, great reaction and well worth the wait.
Elizabeth you rock! Peace
Part of the trick of ELO was that they had added pickups to their instruments. This is why they were an Electric Light Orchestra. They were smaller than a full orchestra (light) and they had electric instruments that would normally be acoustic.
Also, Mr Blue Sky is one of the best happy tunes ever.
Love your comments and facial expressions, brilliant . I also love ELO .
The best symphonic Rock Band ever. Long live Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra!
Beethovens allegreto in the 7th symphony moves me to tears and the 9th is a masterpiece.
shangri la is such a fabulous song . from the haunting opening guitar solo , its such a melancholic lament but the end is sooo sublime. you must listen
It was really enjoyable to listen to your fun and insightful review. More ELO reactions please. ❤🇦🇺
Watching this one again. One of my favourite reactions as it's so informative but also shows your joy for the performance. I love this song and your reaction to it. 🙂
Hmmmmmmmm never really thought about opera and ELO what an interesting concept!
Beautiful reaction!!
Fascinating analysis of the tune that actually got me in to opera. Love opera and I love ELO. Still thrills me.
ELO's peak era catalog has aged incredibly well. Big as they were in the 70's, they were still perhaps a bit underappreciated.
The word "Orchestra" in their name reminded a lot of kids of their parents' stuffy big band music, and they'd rather have been caught dead than listening to any of that. So they never gave ELO a proper chance to find out they were the farthest thing from Lawrence Welk and his ilk.
They have always been popular in their home town.
@@BillBailey0 What band isn't?
It was harder to tour back in the day, because they just couldn't do in concert what they did in the studio, it wasn't even close. I think that limited their market share and popularity some.
@@ffjsb There were challenges traditional rock bands didn't face, but that didn't deter ELO one bit. They had huge tours and put on spectacular shows--not just the music, but they were renowned for their amazing light/laser shows, and even had a full spaceship on stage, which they trucked all over North America for one year-long tour. I know, I saw them in their hey day.
Puccini-esque? No wonder my ex-husband didn't like this song when I played it. I love Puccini & Mozart and he was a die-hard Verdi & Beethoven fan. He would only take me to Verdi operas, which were great, but sheesh.....broaden your horizons guy!
I saw ELO perform live - Toronto, mid 70's - and they were absolutely amazing!
Thank you for your reaction to this unique and wonderful song.
Thanks Elizabeth for this. Keep up the great work. I have been an ELO fan since 1972.Your portal on the music world has meant I am now listening to lots of new to me music , thanks very much.
I always liked the chorus...."She's sweet on Wagner
I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
And Verdi's always creeping from her room".... and I always got the visual of Verdi, the man...sneaking from her room...even thought I think he means music...nice double meaning there.
The lyrics are so cool! Jeff Lynne is in a class by himself.
I was one of those kids that also loved opera from the time I was about five years old on. I played violin for ten years because I loved classical, but also the first time I heard ELO when I was about twelve I was a fan because of the mash up with rock and roll. This song was my favorite on what is an amazing complete album. The ending of this song makes me smile every time because it sounds like the ending of of operatic work.
Elizabeth, are YOU ready? I'll bet you can really rock out...
Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy pay tribute to Little Richard and Chuck Berry on this track, over and over. Fun to watch the string section rocking out in the video.
After watching one of your other ELO videos I had to check out if you did any others. I thought Rockaria would be right up your alley LOL.
There's actually a blunder at the start of the original song where she starts singing and misses the note and you hear her say "Ooops". Then starts again. You can't unhear it once you know LOL
In traditional rock'n'roll style lyrics with double meanings - I'm sure Jeff's not talking about trying to teach her about music, he wants to teach her how to rock'n'roll 😁. We were reelin' and rockin' all through the night. It's just really well disguised as all good rock'n'roll lyrics are.