The back cover of the record sleeve shows the members of the band with their faces pressed against a glass panel, supposedly watching the "electrocution" depicted on the front cover. The band member who is looking away is Richard Tandy, who is opposed to the death penalty and therefore didn't want to participate in the "joke."[citation needed] New member Kelly Groucutt sang lead vocals on "Poker" as well as one of the verses in "Nightrider." (Usually, Jeff Lynne sang all lead vocals for ELO.)
Singles
The singles "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic" were the most commercial songs they had recorded up to that point. "Evil Woman" was a big hit in the UK and the US, embracing disco rhythms while still embodying ELO's classic sound. Nightrider became the third single from the album but failed to chart.
Despite the success of the singles, the LP failed to chart in the UK. However, the album was the band's first to reach Platinum sales and laid the groundwork for future world success. The album was remastered and released in September 2006 with bonus tracks.
Backmasking
"Fire On High"contains a backwards message in the beginning. When the song is played backwards, the message voiced by drummer Bev Bevan can be heard stating, "The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." "Down Home Town" also starts with some back masking: the refrain from "Waterfall" ("Pass the mighty waterfall, pass the mighty waterfall"). A portion of the string crescendo from "Nightrider" was used backwards on "Evil Woman."
