VEGANGELICA

Today I was listening to "Do Ya," one of my favorite ELO songs of the few I know, and decided the time has come for me to listen to every ELO song that was ever made. I've never done this for a band and I realized I like that song enough to try.

My interest in ELO started this year when I happened to listen more closely than usual to "Do Ya" while it played on the radio. I noticed how much I enjoyed the meshing of string instruments with electric guitar, a combination I have been using myself without being aware of many well-known songs that do this, too. I like the juxtaposition of the rough electric guitar and the sleeker, effervescent strings.

So I searched for an Electric Light Orchestra thread and was pleased to find this one. Then I was saddened when I realized from this last post that the musician I recall hearing had been killed in a freak accident by a hay barrel was none other than ELO's original cellist, Mike Edwards. I hadn't realized this at the time and probably it wouldn't have meant much to me either, since I wasn't familiar with many songs by ELO, or didn't know that some songs I liked *were* by ELO.

I remember at the time of Mike Edwards' death thinking how sad it was that a vibrant human spirit with so much life and so many memories could be snuffed out in such a meaningless and preposterous way. His death struck me again with the cruel irony of life: while living, we have so much going on inside us, and all that can (and will) end so quickly, as if a life were a trivial thing when it *feels* like the most important thing of all.

Back to "Do Ya." The song feels radiant to me and I love listening to it. I decided to look for a YouTube video of a more recent performance than the older one I've seen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEwFssgvsC0 ). I found this one that I like:

Electric Light Orchestra's - "Do Ya"
I especially like watching the two cello players. (Cello!! ) I'm planning to tune up my cello and practice it today, and so watching the two cellists inspires me. Although I prefer the official recording of the song because it feels a little rougher and less "clean" than this performance, I really do like Jeff Lynne's voice. He sings easily, effortlessly, and impressively in tune. I also like his electric guitar playing...not flashy, but instead meshing well with the other components of the song.



YUM!!!

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