This is a great live album.My review will be brief as I can only agree with all the positive reviews. If you're a fan and you had the original vinyl (as I did) you'll be happy to know the CD sounds great, very happy with it.In 1974 I was in the Air Force at Edwards in the Mojave desert. A few of my buddies and I drove down to Long Beach for this concert. I was a big fan of ELO's first three albums. When we got to the auditorium, we found out that the concert would be recorded. They put on an amazing show. I still have my vinyl copy of this but this CD really sounds great! I'll always remember that concert whenever I listen to this!Given ELO's enormous popularity and spectacular live shows, it is surprising that no live records were ever released in the US or UK during their heyday. The only live re-lease that is widely available was recorded in 1974 (before Eldorado) and only released in a few countries in Europe. Apparently that released was marred by bad sound quality. Twenty-some-odd years later, a new and better recording of the concert surfaced and the album was re-released.As you can probably surmise from the score, I just love this thing. The biggest surprise for me is Lynne's guitar work. Listening to the band's studio records you would never know he was this good or at least this rockin'. Also, the rest of the band is great. Probably the best bit here is the 3-minute jam session (yes, ELO jamming) that the band tacks onto at the end of "Showdown," but there are a lot of great moments. There's the part where the band slips a bit of "Do Ya" into the middle of "10538 Overture," with the latter song's melody played as a counterpoint to the former's thunderous power chords. There's a manic version of "Daybreaker" here, as well, complete with crazed drumming from Bevan. Finally, whoever came up with the idea of constructing a medley from Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and "Great Balls of Fire" is some kind of mad genius.The main reason why this album is great is that it shows that the entire concept of ELO was pretty sound. If you need proof that ELO could rock, then this is it.This recording is primarily of interest as the sole official live release from ELO during the 1970s. Supposedly, Jeff Lynne was not particularly enthusiastic about live releases, having had much trouble getting things to sound halfway decent on tour. This certainly doesn't have the complex sound or meticulous production values of even the early studio albums represented here, but what it does have is a driving energy; it simply sounds fun, and sounds like the band had fun playing it. Furthermore, this is not one of those live albums containing only 'faithful' renditions of studio tracks; arrangements were altered for the live setting, and there are cover pieces that (to my knowledge) were never done in the studio. Originally a single vinyl album, however, it is regrettably short. While that original vinyl release is said to have had very poor audio quality, this CD issue is in fact remarkably clean-sounding for a live album of the period. Enthusiastically recommended to anyone with a prior interest in the first three ELO studio albums."Night the Light Went Out..." is a re-package of an ELO album released in 1974 (!) from a show in Long Beach, CA. I remember when this was released back then...it had a different cover (which is recreated in the updated liner notes), and was a tough find in the early 70's. The music is outstanding, representing ELO in its earliest incarnation. Jeff Lynne (of course), Bev Bevan, Richard Tandy, and the rest of the band (violin, cellos and all) sound great. The casual listener may recognize some of the tracks here, and there more jamming than one woulod expect from a band with strings. Really good early stuff..the remaster form long-lost tapes sounds great. One minor beef; "Roll Over Beethoven" is way to short...at 4:25, its only about half as long as the studio version. Still...good stuff that finally sees the light of day in Americ.This is the live ELO I remember. I recorded it off the radio when it was released. So, you know I'm gonna get a clear copy of it. In the USA it was only released as a British import. My sisters were living in Long Beach then. But they did not attend the concert. I would have given it 5stars if they included more songs from ON THE THIRD DAY which I think is one of their best albums. After OUT OF THE BLUE they started losing it in my opinion. Most ppl don't even really know or listen to their first 2 albums. MR RADIO from NO ANSWER was what you would hear on the radio in the Philadelphia area. Then on II it was MAMA & ROLL OVER BEETOVEN.If you're into "Turn To Stone" and that commercial ELO stuff (which I do like), this may not be for you. If you're a fan of early ELO you'll probably find it very interesting. Note that it is not a lot of songs, if you're used to hours-long DVD concerts.The sound is OK, not great, but after all this is the Long Beach Echo-rena and in those days all the monitors were on-stage, not in-ear, so everything bled everywhere."Roll Over Beethoven" is cool although I actually prefer the "ELO Part II" version on Live In Moscow I think it's called.My favorite here is "Showdown"-has a very Western open range OK-Corral kind of feel to me, a really nice version with an edge to the soundI saw ELO at Reading University in 1973 (for 50p!!!) after their second album was released and they were truly exciting to hear and to watch, with cellists leaping about the stage. I lost count of encores, but eventually Jeff Lynne came out and apologised for having run out of material to play, so would we mind hearing some repeat songs??!! And we didn't mind a bit. This live cd is taken from the tour of 1974, following their third album, and though I can't see the band I can still hear the excitement in their performance - these guys were doing something new and were enjoying it. It shows.I would give it 5 stars but the Live in Winterland cd of a 1976 gig is even better.Their later material and performances became rather too polished, over-produced, soft and MOR for my tastes, though it sold by the lorry load.Loved when first released, different cover to my vinyl. But do like the new coverLove early ELO, great songs and quality of the live recordingThis album has been bought to enhance a huge ELO collection. This is early live ELO and a must for any fan. It is not pretty, as most of Jeff's crafted material was and still is. This is raw and live and laid the foundation for what the band would become. Jeff himself has spoken many times in later years of preferring working in the studio, as opposed to live performances. The album contains some real rockers, as well as Mik's prowess on the violin. A real fusion of rock, pop and classical music, there is something for everyone! Class musicianship abounds within this album.Good piece of early ELO historyalthough the sound quality is very good & the band on top form, i can't understand why the cd is so short, also why are not many more tracks from a band like ELO. i would have give it 5/5 but for the cd having a short set list,other than that. it's good.