Rockaria!

"Rockaria!" is one of two hard rock 'n' roll songs on A New World Record, the other being "Do Ya". Allmusic critic Donald A. Guarasco described it as "a stunning tune that combined symphonic swells, operatic vocals, 50's styled guitar riffs and a Beatles-esque melody into one delirious pop song." The opening line is sung in German in operatic fashion and translates as ""far, far away the music is playing." ==Recording==

The operatic voice of Mary Thomas is featured on the track, particularly during the introduction. On the first take of the song, Thomas mistakenly began the vocal too early. ==Reception==

Released as a single in 1977, it reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart. Reviewing the single, Evening Herald said that it "storms along in great style." Santa Barbara News-Press critic Bill Milton complained that the rock and classical elements don't always jell. Houston Post critic Bob Claypool called it "overinflated", describing it as being "basically a steal from Little Richard's 'I'm Ready' with quasi-operatic effects thrown in." ELO biographer Barry Delve called "Rockaria!" "one of ELO's best hard rockers; successfully blending opera, a full orchestra and choir" as well as "a cheeky backwards nod to Beethoven's fifth symphony" played on the piano by Richard Tandy. Guarasco felt that it "could very well be the most impressive of the group’s recordings" and that "the novelty of the sound and the imagination poured into "Rockaria" should have made the song a hit in America." He also said that the song is "rightly considered to be one of Jeff Lynne’s finest achievements on record." ==B-side==

"Poker" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra. During recording, Kelly Groucutt sang most of the song's lyrics (generally, Jeff Lynne sang the vocals of ELO songs). The song first appeared as the fifth track on the band's LP Face the Music. The song twice appeared as a B-side, first of "Rockaria!" in the UK, then in 1979 as the flip side of the US single version of "Confusion". ==Personnel==

• Jeff Lynne – lead vocals, electric guitar, Wurlitzer 200 electric piano • Bev Bevan – drums, percussion, backing vocals • Kelly Groucutt – bass guitar, backing vocals • Richard Tandy – piano • Mik Kaminski – violin • Hugh McDowell – cello • Melvyn Gale – cello • Mary Thomas – operatic vocals • Patti Quatro – uncredited backing vocals • Brie Brandt – uncredited backing vocals • Addie Lee – uncredited backing vocals ==Chart positions==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Jeff Lynne version==

Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his home studio. It was released on Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name, as an iTunes Store exclusive bonus track. ==References==