Open Letter to Jeff Lynne

Dear Mr. Lynne,

Is it okay if I call you Jeff? I’ve derided Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) since my late teens. I always felt vaguely pissed off that ELO had a box set and Rush didn’t. Although, most of my derision was aimed purely at ELO’s music. I only heard the two songs that were (over)played on classic rock stations. Perhaps it’s wrong to condemn an artist’s complete oeuvre for just two songs, but I did it.

I was wrong. I just watched the new VW commercial with your song “Mr. Blue Sky” and really enjoyed it. However, most of my praise is reserved for the clever direction by Mike Mills. Bravo Jeff.