Jeff Lynne began with a little rave up. The rock ‘n’ roll nugget, “One More Time,” could have been something the 76-year-old Lynne heard as a kid, a Buddy Holly or Del Shannon bop. Instead, Lynne wrote the track for his final release connected to the Electric Light Orchestra name — 2019’s “From Out of Nowhere” credited to Jeff Lynne’s ELO — and he performed it with a dozen musicians including a three piece string section Monday at the TD Garden.
Lynne has always been a sonic and stylistic alchemist. And classic rock radio has adored those Electric Light Orchestra experiments. But so often the classic rock that works miracles on the home hi fi, doesn’t shine live. Mid-century technology and budgets made touring stuff like the Beatles “Magical Mystery Tour,” Steely Dan’s “Aja,” or an ELO LP somewhere between hard and impossible.
Flash forward to the TD Garden, modern synthesizers, million dollar budgets, and backing bands with a dozen members. Lynne’s Over and Out Tour’s stop at the Garden had the bells and whistles, cellos and lasers to thrill the group’s massive cult. And Lynne made sure to use everything at his disposal on every song — 20 tunes in 90 minutes — starting with that little rock rave up “One More Time” and continuing to the epic closer “Mr. Blue Sky.”
Thanks to Lynne’s unique alchemy, it all works (amazingly, set opener “One More Time” featured four guitars, two keyboardists, two cellists, two singers, a bassist, drummer, and violinist). The heavy power chords of “Do Ya” work with the song’s tight, bright, and bold harmony vocals. The disco groove of “Last Train to London” pairs so nicely with a dramatic string section. The, well, whole crazy cocktail of symphony, prog, AM gold, and British Invasion that is “10538 Overture” works great.
But Lynne’s mad scientist approach isn’t mad at all. It’s calculated and tender. None of these outlandish flourishes like touring with a string section or four guitarists make sense if the pop isn’t immaculate. Deep into the set, Lynne reminded everyone of that with a series of perfect pop songs.
He and the band did “Strange Magic” as a whisper for half the song until building it into a tower of glorious pop. He laid down “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” beside “Strange Magic,” and followed the aces with “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.” Three unassailable pop masterpieces in a row. Of course, just as the strings don’t matter if the song is no good, the song doesn’t matter if Lynne’s voice isn’t still magical.
Thankfully Lynne’s voice remains intact and as important as any orchestral or production detail. As might be expected, the ideal example of the 76-year-old still in his prime came on “Telephone Line.” Despite the band being astounding, Lynne’s wounded cry of “Hello, how are you? Have you been alright through all those lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely nights?” pushed so much wistful yearning into the night.
As one of last living architects of the second wave of rock, Lynne could be at the end of his career. But as a singer and band leader, Lynne has no reason to call this over and out when he could just as easily do it one more time.
