Originally conceived of as a double album, and wisely whittled down to one on release,
Secret Messages was routine, formulaic
Electric Light Orchestra.
Lynne's hooks and dense production were still in force, but it sounded more mechanized and heartless than usual, due in part to the surfeit of synthesizers on some tracks. It did include the Top 20 hit "Rock & Roll Is King." [The 2001 CD reissue on Epic/Legacy included three bonus tracks: "After All," the B-side of "Rock & Roll Is King"; "No Way Out," planned for the double-album version of
Secret Messages and eventually released on the 1990 Afterglow album; and a previously unreleased version of the
Roy Orbison-style "Endless Lies," which was re-recorded for the
Balance of Power album.] ~ Richie Unterberger