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Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Greatest Hits Live
- It can be easy to mock progressive rock. With its bloated song lengths, obscure lyrics and labyrinthine soundscapes, the genre is a favorite target for advocates of leaner, meaner styles like punk and alt-rock.
However, it’s hard to argue with a live album that demonstrates a highly skilled band’s musical mastery and its power on stage that never wears out its welcome. This is presented by Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s excellent “Greatest Hits Live,” a spectacular live outing, which, despite the title, is anything but a regurgitation of studio tracks in a live setting. “Hits” shows England’s preeminent prog supergroup at its considerable best, showcasing the theatricality and musicianship for which ELP was acclaimed during its ‘70s heyday.
Roughly a quarter of the songs on “Hits” are non-original numbers. While most groups would offer safe interpretations of others’ tunes, ELP instead injects an entirely new life into these songs. This vitality comes primarily from keyboard alchemist Keith Emerson, whose staggering playing throughout the album serves as the focal point of the band’s live show. Backed by drummer Carl Palmer and singer/guitarist/bassist Greg Lake, Emerson re-imagines classic numbers like “Fanfare for the Common Man” with panache and virtuosity, adding electronic elements to typically staid acoustic piano parts and even speeding up and slowing down the tempo.
Lake also gets several chances to shine on “Hits.” At three points, the ELP front man plays mostly unaccompanied acoustic ballads, captivating the audience with his powerful voice, vivid imagery and beautiful melodies. Though there is nothing in ELP’s catalogue as majestic as Lake’s too-brief tenure as the lead vocalist in seminal prog band King Crimson, “C’est la Vie,” “Watching Over You” and “Lucky Man” all showcase Lake’s talent and afford him a chance to steal the show from the more flamboyant Emerson.
Palmer, finally, is given time in the spotlight, although substantially less than his bandmates. The drummer’s intense playing and immaculate precision back almost every song on the album. However, his solo spots are a bit more disposable. A track called simply “Drum Solo” is just that, a minute-and-a-half display of Palmer’s skill behind the kit. The tune feels unnecessary – Palmer’s multiple solos on the epic-length “Karn Evil 9” and his rhythm work on the other songs are much more involving.
The exhausting nature of prog rock commonly threatens the integrity of the set list on “Hits.” Most of the songs run a reasonable length, but some tend to meander. However, perhaps surprisingly, none of the longer songs detract from enjoyment of the album. A half-hour-plus version of “Karn Evil 9” might sound exhausting but ELP manages to keep the music consistently fresh and exciting. Thankfully, this same standard applies to the rest of “Hits” as well. ELP consistently eliminated tedium from the prog rock equation, and this album is the perfect example of how they did it.
Reviewer: Adam Rowan
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Reviewer's Rating: 9
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Added: 29-Jun-2009
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