1977, the apex of punk's back-to-basics fundamentalism, was not the year to be releasing pseudo-symphonic concept albums and taking a spaceship out on tour.

Thirty years on, however, this baroque double album has aged better than the three-chord wonders who derided it. ELO's saving grace was their way with a melody: even when singer-songwriter Jeff Lynne was displaying heroic muddle-headedness in trying to crowbar string arrangements and portentous sci-fi gibberish into rock'n'roll, he was clearly a wide-eyed Beatles fan at heart.

Out of the Blue could have managed without the four-song "suite", Concerto for a Rainy Day, but beneath the lavish over-production tracks like Sweet Talkin' Woman, Turn to Stone and Mr Blue Sky were simply great pop songs.