A Bold Celebration of Romantics, Escapists, and Dreamers: Electric Light Orchestra's Melodic Eldorado Marries Rock and Symphonic Elements, Includes the Aptly Titled Hit "Can't Get It Out of My Head"

1974 Prog-Rock Landmark Mastered from the Original Master Tapes and Pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl: Mobile Fidelity 180g 33RPM Vinyl LP Plays with Previously Unheard Dynamics and Bountiful Colors

1/4" / 15 IPS / Dolby A analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe

Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne did more than figuratively reach for the sky on Eldorado. Daring to be bold, and creating imaginative worlds that invite the listener to escape the mundane, the visionary composer-musician achieved a multidisciplinary fantasia and, in the process, a prog-rock landmark. Nearly 50 years later, the concept album's brilliance can be experienced like never before in cinematic fashion.

Mastered from the original analog master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl vinyl at RTI, and housed in a tip-on jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP of Eldorado allows the longtime audiophile staple to resonate with previously unheard dynamics, tones, and colors. Conjuring the feeling of journeying to different horizons, the record's songs teem with layer upon layer of details, which can now be heard as the producers intended.

Presenting the album with breathtaking clarity yet retaining the warmth, texture, and emotion that differentiate live music from reproduced sounds, this collectible reissue features reference-quality levels of in-the-moment presence, grand-scale soundstaging, and instrumental balance. Bursting with a veritable cornucopia of stimuli, MoFi's Eldorado LP also benefits from superb separation and immersive atmospherics that stem from the meticulous remastering process – as well as an ultra-low noise floor, industry-leading groove definition, and dead-quiet surfaces courtesy of the MoFi SuperVinyl properties.

An artistic breakthrough that established Electric Light Orchestra as a pioneering band (and confirmed Lynne as the leading practicing Beatles disciple), the 1974 effort remains notable for its involvement of a full orchestra and choral section, the range of which are captured with exquisite results on this LP. Eldorado distinguished itself from the band's first two works not only via Lynne's sharpened songwriting but due to the hiring of an orchestra that augmented the group's three string players. Co-arranged by Lynne and conductor Louis Clark, the symphonic movements bolster the contagious fare without ever drowning it. The accents also act as transports into the varied narrative universes.

Finished as a story before Lynne put notes down on paper, Eldorado ironically owes its inspiration to Lynne's father. In response to his dad's criticisms about the band, Lynne conceived a melodic tour de force that, like The Wizard of Oz, which informs the cover art, emphasizes the power of everyday dreams and everyman heroism. It's no coincidence that the sonic journey begins with an overture punctuated by the words of a cynic who condemns "the dreamer, the unwoken fool."

Beautiful yet fun, ambitious yet consistent, Eldorado proceeds to celebrate such romantics and escapists. A Technicolor escapade marked by lush melodies, fluid crescendos, and an intoxicating blend of energetic rock and sweeping orchestral elements, the album weds rich imagery and sweeping sounds in manners that make the two inseparable. In Lynne and company's hands, reality and fantasy collide, and dissolve any dividing lines. The proof is not just in the epic production, but in the timeless (and catchy) nature of songs such as the balladic "Boy Blue," power-pop packed "Illusions in G Major," and, of course, the aptly titled hit, "Can't Get It Out of My Head."

Decades later, Eldorado doubles as the equivalent of an out of body experience, an invitation to break away from monotony whether you're listening to your Mobile Fidelity reissue on a large system or an excellent pair of headphones.

"[This is] a prog-rock masterpiece that pairs a storyline about a daydreaming misfit with fantastical and often exhilarating band, choral, and orchestral arrangements that echo post-Revolver Fab Four and the Moody Blues.... The vinyl is quiet, the sonics detailed and balanced, with tight bass, warm mids, and clear highs—I was especially struck by how good the LP sounds at low and moderate volumes."
—The Absolute Sound, five-star rating for Music, five-star rating for Sonics

"Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab continues to be the gold standard for deluxe vinyl reissues of great albums, and the company has taken a big leap forward with the development of SuperVinyl™, a vinyl formula that is carbon-free and promises, as the ad copy says, 'the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.'... This record sounds huge, emphasizing Jeff Lynne's rolling basslines and, naturally, the grandeur of the string players' multi-tracked melodies."
—Robert Ham, Paste

"ELO's breakout album Eldorado receives the pristine Mobile Fidelity treatment in this audiophile pressing on 180-gram vinyl.... Eldorado's cinematic soundscapes and sublime pop melodies still allow fans to slip on their headphones and escape, just like the album's Walter Mitty-esque character (but with happier fates). With this premium format, fans can immerse themselves with greater clarity, separation, and detail than ever."
—Jeff Elbel, Album Review rating: 9 (out of 10), Illinois Entertainer

"Electric Light Orchestra's magnum opus, Eldorado, is the perfect choice for the sonic upgrade that the boutique label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab can provide with their SuperVinyl process.... The opportunity to hear this project in full acoustic splendor is one the band's fans should not pass up."
—Audiophile Audition

MoFi SuperVinyl

Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.