I Own That Album! - Juliana Hatfield

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) has always, to me, been one of the most commercially underappreciated bands ever. With their classically inclined pop and symphonic rock, the band was one of the most innovative out there. Go talk to hundreds of artists and they’ll tell you how much they loved ELO. One such artist is Juliana Hatfield, who in the most recent years, along with releasing original solo work, has focused on a number of cover albums.

Her latest, Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO, was released last year. On Friday night, my friend Thomas and I got a chance to see Hatfield perform at the Kennedy Center. For all these reasons, it’s today’s feature on I Own That Album!

Hatfield’s interpretation of the ELO songs is spot on as she’s broken down the original songs and recreated them into her own versions. 

Opening with “Sweet Is The Night” from the massively amazing double-album Out of the Blue, Hatfield has stripped the lush production and produced a fuzzy pop song that pays a true tribute to Lynne’s original vision of the song.

Up next is the well-known “Can’t Get It Out of My Head”. Hatfield makes it an AM-radio 70s sounding staple. Simple, toe-tapping and wistful. Performing the majority of instruments on the album makes it feel much more like her own songs.

“Don’t Bring Me Down” is one of my favorite ELO songs and this version just doesn’t capture the same energy and funkiness from the original version. Hatfield keeps a closer groove behind her vocals.

It’s the lesser-known songs that Hatfield shines on. “Secret Messages” takes on a more power-pop approach with tight drumming and guitar work. It succeeds because of the fact that she stripped the theatrics of the song. “From the End of the World” is another great reinterpretation. Gone is the 1980s schlock of the original and what’s left is Hatfield creating a 1970s rock masterpiece. 

This is Hatfield’s third covers album following her Olivia Newton-John one and one covering songs from The Police. The ELO album is by far my favorite. The songs are sharp, catchy and also capture the loneliness and alienation in the songs she chose. If you’ve got a turntable you can borrow my copy.