Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Why?
At first I thought "ugh another live album" and then quickly realized that the live-ness was not going to be the worst part for me. The worst part was everything else about it. 1.5
Fuuuuuuuuuuck no. Live albums are rarely good and this one isn’t even in the same country as an exception
exhausting
"the live album of distress and mild discomfort" was not a great accompaniment to dinner
Nisam znala da mi u životu trebaju prog rock aranžmani klasične muzike ali očito trebaju, ovo je genijalno urađeno.
.wh
WTF was this? These strange sounds made me so uncomfortable and jittery, I had to stop halfway through. I’m honestly not sure if you need to be an alien or pop some LSD before hitting play—but whatever it takes, I clearly wasn’t prepared. Definitely not my cup of tea.
I invoked Emerson's name in my review yesterday and am Wondering if I summoned him as a Prog-Rock Spirit... Also wondering if ELP were drawn to this piece on account of the Proggy titles..The Gnome, The Old Castle, The Hut of Baba Yoga, The Great Gates of Kiev. Part of the middle rocked but overall as an interpretation of Mussorgsky I think I prefer SNFs Night on Disco Mountain.
An intriguing attempt at an electronic interpretation of a classical work. Earns a star for its inventiveness, but if I’m honest, I far preferred listening to the classical Ravel arrangement.
It's not Brain Salad Surgery. I don't like this, but it was not grating.
You had to be there I suppose…
This is something I would have LOVED to witness live. The Mussorgsky piece is nostalgic for me as a band nerd - my closest band friend played this shit out of the trumpet part prepping for college auditions It’s hilarious that they even attempted this and I respect the hell out of the effort. There are some gorgeous moments all over the recording. I liked the 1-1 repros from the OG piece and I LOVED some of the interpolations like the blues jam on The Old Castle. This album is a good example of why I love this exercise, and Im happy to know this exists, but why the hell is this on the list? Of course I will never listen to this again until I share it with my band nerds again one day
How is a live album covering Mussorgsky a top 1001 album. This is not something you need to hear before you die. Mussorgsky’s original is barely something you need to hear before you die. This is a big “fine” for me. Musical value, 2-3. But inclusion on this list is a big 1. The nutcracker encore was absurd.
I'm a prog rock sucker, so there were many elements in this "album" that were cool to me. They definitely have insane talent, and I'm interested to listen to more of their work. That being said, I think this listening experience should be on an "interesting music things to check out maybe before you die but maybe not idk" list instead of the 1001 albums you should listen to before you die. With this being a live cover album, I'm dropping it to a strong 2.
Good musicians, bad choices 2/5
Incredibly cheesy but honestly pretty fun. It sounds like video game music, which I guess inevitably happens when you combine synth with classical music but I enjoyed it. I get why the general vibe at the time was negative in America but also if I was at this show in 1971 I'd've lost my damn mind.
I liked it. Live albums can be very hit or miss. This one is mostly hit.
Not too sure where to begin , not sure I wish it had. A long 38 minutes of which most was an assault on the senses. Nope
Sincerest apologies from the UK to the rest of the world for subjecting you to this.
This was very jarring to the senses and seemed to ramble on with no purpose or direction. On the plus side it was short and picked up towards the end.
Ooh, a live album. Hmm flat vocals and mashed up arrangements? We shall see. Opens with a Zelda-esque melody (they should sue) then descends into 20 minutes of fiddly nonsense before starting to rock out a bit towards the end. Too late though my friends, I’d already started hating you and everything you stand for and regretting wasting 38 minutes of my life listening to this dross. I could have been watching. man I beat Ath Bilbao instead. Making me wonder why I ever came back.
If someone asked my head what prog sounded like, I think this album is pretty much what it would come up with. Too much pissing around on keyboards, obligatory spacey noises, some funky moments of clarity, and general other nonsense and theatrics. It’s fantastically mental, in both good and bad ways. Nutrocker can do one though, what a stupid bit to stick on the end, ruined the general vibe of the rest of it.
Favorite Track: The Sage
The Blues Variation song was pretty nice but the rest were a bit meh. Nothing too exciting, but I guess this is a pretty old album, so it must've hit differently back then.
This is very much bad enough to be a 2 star album but just kooky enough for me to want to give it 3.
A live progressive rock adaptation of a Mussorgsky piano suite is certainly NOT what I anticipated today. Having zero familiarity with the source material probably affected my overall enjoyment of this record. But as a counterpoint, I'm not convinced that progressive rock makes anything better. The encore "Nut Rocker" was unexpected and interesting at least.
Pictures at an Exhibition? More like Pictures of me checking my watch every five minutes. Live albums already test my patience, but this one felt like a very loud museum tour I couldn't escape.
I’m sure it’s really cool for whoever likes them but this just felt overly long and boring & I didn’t enjoy the music.
Not for me.
It was ok..
Some interesting/cool songs. Some really weird stuff.
I just, don't like this? It could be cool, but I don't think it represents Pictures at an Exhibition very well. On further listening, this is a prog rock abomination of a beloved and iconic classical piece of music. Even the encore song is bad. Maybe it's legendary to the prog rock community, but outside that, it doesn't really have a leg to stand on, in terms of this list. Favorite Song(s): -
actually in awe that they made a prog rock adaptation of pictures at an exhibition 💀 the nutcracker adaptation was also really good. this album felt inherently wrong but i liked it. it made me laugh! 4/5!
Prog nonsense
Det svänger som fan, men ingen låt sticker ut. Bättre live antagligen. Fyra
It's like I went to 70s Prog Rock Church, but they didn't announce which rock hymns we were singing, and I was completely lost flipping through the hymnal that I found in the pew in front of me. This was odd, unexpected, and barely enjoyable.
I've never specifically listened to ELP and I can say I have missed nothing by doing so. Prog rock is extremely hit or miss and this one was a big miss for me. I had it one in the background at work and I was able to completely ignore it. Nothing caught my ear AT ALL.
I have room for ELP amd enjoy prog rock proper. This record however is what gives the elitist snobby prog rock album trope life
That was certainly an experience
88/1089 - I prefer the Ravel orchestration. The Tchaikovsky "Nut Rocker" song kinda reminded me of "Cliffs of Dover" at parts.
No tenía idea de la existencia de este álbum y me pareció una genialidad absoluta. Siempre me ha encantado la obra original de Mussorgsky, pero escucharla así, en versión rock psicodélico, me voló la mente. Por supuesto voy a escuchar mucho más de Emerson, Lake y Palmer. Aventarse a hacer algo como esto me parece de valientes, y que el resultado sea así de increíble, me parece casi milagroso. Una maravilla.
1. What the hell is this? 2. This is great! 3. Make it stop!
you know when that well-meaning lady "restored" that fresco of Jesus in Spain? That
This was strange and Christa did not like it
The sage was amazing the rest would be better if I was trippin
Thiis is exactly the sort of prog-rock nonsense responsible for the punk rock backlash. It's barely listenable.
Promenade 1 & 2 did not feel necessary but anyway a very good concept album.
one of those strained pop culture references in an academic paper, from a bunch of smarmy fuckin dorks: the album music: hated. (⌐■_■)
This is too geeky for me. Crosses the line. I don’t actually find it objectionable enough to give it 1⭐️, but this is a HARD round up.
i loved speeding to this!! scratches all the brain itches, def would've loved. this in the 70s
That was hilarious -- and also kinda insufferable.
listened walking with j by the river, nice to have another live album, proggy and odd and fun and pretentious in a good way
yeah instruments yeah
I did not enjoy this.
1/5 Why have I been subjected to this crap?
This is very silly, but the weird keyboard tangents are out of this world.
Well this is why people hate jam music. It’s just way way way too much. I liked the jamming on “The Old Castle” and some of “Blues Variation” and the real highlight for me was “The Curse Of Baba Yaga”, but it doesn’t all work but for people who don’t like jam music this like having a stroke. My biggest critique outside of it just being too jammy is that if you are just gunna jam for 38 straight minutes, you have to put in severe tonal shifts. This album is just way too much of the same crap over and over and over again. By promenade pt3 I was vomiting into my lap and asking the ride operator if I could get off please?!? The only reason bands like Ween and KGLW get away with so much jamming is that have such a vast wheelhouse of sounds. They both have really heavy songs both emotionally and in the metal sense, but then they also have country songs and other wild genres so that they can mix it up. Honestly I didn’t go into this album with any kind of prejudice towards EL&P, honestly this is the first and only album that I have heard of theirs and I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing more, but I know I won’t be listing to this album anytime soon.
What a load of pompous, overblown nonsense.
Equal parts amazing and awful. I love that they came up with this insane concept and saw it through. I would love to time travel back to see this performed live all while tripping hard on some good 70s acid.
I know i have been giving out 4s like I'm Oprah Winfrey giving out cars lately but that's just because these albums have been so good and Pictures At An Exhibition is one of those albums. This album genuinely shocked me with how not only good, but weird it is. Each of the songs had a very different vibe from each other (except for the ones with the same name) and each of them had quite a lot of quirkiness to them from the bleeps and bloops of some songs to the heavily blues inspired songs. The sound quality was also very good and it never at any point got tedious. This is just another album i really like. Best Song: The Old Castle Worst Song: The Sage
Emerson does some pretty crazy stuff on the Organ and Synth. The band does work fairly well together here to make put on a funky, prog set. I’ll have to check out more of their stuff. The live aspect of the album took me out of it a bit. 3 stars
Look ma I discovered the synthesizer. Stand-out: Nutrocker
Hey let's make an instrumental album with classics done in a slight proggy way.
fuckin nerds
5/10 I guess I could recognize there being some sort of greatness to it that would’ve been impressive in the 70s, but it really just isn’t shit now lol get me away from British prog for now please
It’s an interesting idea, but I can’t say I really liked this. I like progressive rock. I’ve given 5’s to Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis, yet something about ELP just doesn’t really appeal to me in the same way. Favorite song was Blues Variation.
Great voice when there actually was vocals. Songs feel like they are all fillers and no real substance to them
this one flew by
Después de Tarkus, que me gustó, intenté escuchar este y entre que era en directo y que era muy experimental no me gustó. Vamos por otro intento. Vuelto a oír y me ha parecido aún peor. No le voy a dar una estrella porque la reservo para los grandes bluff.
Genius!
Never heard this before, but it was pretty freakin' cool! At album #424, it's another that I find myself wishing I'd known sooner. Definitely going back for another, deeper listen.
Ei tälle tosissaan voi kahta tähteä enempää antaa, vaikka huvittava olikin. 70-luvun kiipparit… tekee (varmaan tahattoman) koomiseksi, Nintendo-peliksi. Siitä vain plussaa.
Jos koko levy toistaisi The Great Gates of Kievin paatosta tai Nutrockerin puhdasta komiikkaa, tämä cover-LP (niinpä) saattaisi olla kiinnostava kuriositeetti. Ja kuriositeetti se on myös tällaisenaan.
okay girl... work
I just do not have the space for this in my life
This is such trash. It’s basically a live performance that sounds more like a classic soundtrack to an old Sci-Fi show than rock. It was constant grinding on my ears and mind as sounds of what would be more akin to the sound effects used for Aliens/UFOs literally made me scream “FUCKING STOP” as I was reaching for my phone to hit stop. Absolutely terrible experience. No one should ever have to listen to this before they die.
Great musicians playing great music... needlessly. The ambition to play Mussorgsky as a power trio or supergroup is self-explanatory, isn't it? If you can play it - and they can - why wouldn't you? It's in part to show off and, in part, to meet the challenges that music offers the player and, in part, it's funny to do so. Pretension played to puncture pretension. The question is probably: what does it add? The timbre of certain of the synths is squonky and unpleasant. The three-piece often lacks the clarity and separation of the symphonic forces, degrading into mush. The concluding Nut Rocker demonstrates more of Keith Emerson's organ dexterity than the wide I-V chording required to replace the strings in the Mussorgsky. Is either instance a better display of his ability than Knife-Edge? Carl Palmer is also very frequently at a loss. Orchestral music generally has an implicit rather than explicit beat, so what's a drummer to do? Repeated snare snaps on every beat as in Promenade Pt. 3. It's not his fault, what else is there to do? But we all do things live to keep the performance interesting for ourselves. And the fact it exists is interesting and entertaining enough. They're having so much fun it would be a pretence on my part not to have fun either. 2.5 This was a terrible idea well executed. I quite enjoyed it and I thought it was funny too - although at times it is genuinely difficult to gauge how intentional is the humour. It was also funny because we got a punk rock record yesterday. I half hope we get another punk rock record next. 3/5
3.75 funky bluesy renn faire? Sign me up.
Most of it was lovely and largely instrumental, but the Old Castle was a little too screechy and electronic for me, and ended very abruptly; I did not like that song. The rest was fun.
Chaotic bunch of sounds. Interesting first listen but nothing with replay value to me. Them few rare Vocals where not bad but it was just so rare to hear them say something. (2.0/5.0)
This is just a 2 hour long jam session....
A bit to prog for me, some of the stuff if there’s that shuffled after this album were much more my taste.
A lot of it sounds like the soundtrack of Castlevania - which is not an insult. I enjoyed it at times, but a bit of a drag sometimes
I expected.... More,I guess.
I think that we can all agree that only one Emerson, Lake & Palmer album belongs on this list, and it's not this one. Minus one half-star for the unironic use of the word "Nutrocker" as a track title.
First thing in the morning, pre-coffee, this was about the worst thing I'd ever heard. Listened to it again later in the day and it improved slightly.
who cares 1/5
Interesting, worth a second listen
Prog rock can be many, many things. One thing I never really considered it could be until now was being relatively straightforward and a bit boring?
A fun little prog album, feels a little aimless but doesn't run on for too long, so it's not much of an issue.
2.5
2.5
ELP is my least favorite of the big prog bands... Definitely more into Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Moody Blues. I'm not sure I even have a fiver for ELP. Of all the albums I've heard, they've topped out at a strong four. They have genuine five star material, but their albums as a whole don't take me to that next level. I'm not really certain why as I think all three are phenomenal musicians on par and possibly even better than their contemporaries. My only guess is their approach is not 100% in my lane. As for this album it might be one of my favorites definitely. Having Modest Mussorgsky as the main composer really helps a lot. Keith is on absolute fire on some of the solos. However, I feel at arms length with the material as a whole. I can admire it's beauty and technicalities, but it really doesn't give me all the feels. (8.45) ★★★★
A fantastic mix of rock and classical music. Love the musicianship. 4.5 stars
This just isn't my thing. There were a couple of moments that I didn't mind. "The Sage" was alright, and so was "The Great Gates of Kiev". 2 stars.
3.5
Classic classical prog. The fact that this does sound like video game boss music makes it all the better. Definite shades of Star Fox, Final Fantasy and Ganon’s Tower from Legend Of Zelda if they all became 70s versions. Lot of cool variety from the regal earwormy Promenade theme, spindly graceful guitar workout and balladry of The Sage, oogly woogly spasmodic space synth and Hammond blues detours plus the ultra anthemic climax of Great Gates Of Kiev as well as the absolute powerhouse drumming throughout. Nutrocker is a bit more like ice cream van chase music though.
Interesting artefact - of its time I guess. Didn't mind listening to it, but won't bother going back to it.
Started off kind of slow but got pretty interesting. Still nothing I was very drawn towards except the nutcracker song. The applause at the end of Great Gates of Kiev was way too long and a little unrealistic. High 2.
Didn't rlly care for this. I also had to turn up my volume ALOT to even hear this which was a bit unfortunate.
4/10 - Prog rock and also just all over the place. A lot of the pieces sounded not the most musical, especially at the beginning. But Nutrocker kind of went hard
Real strange. Don't really like prog, but this was at least interesting to listen to despite being a little boring
I don't know why but I seemed to like this one
I liked the organ thats about it. Rating: 1.6
Definitely not a fan
Not only is it English, live.... but it also sounds like the Main Street Electrical Parade
01) Promenade - 4,0 02) The Gnome - 3,0 03) Promenade - 4,0 04) The Sage - 5,5 05) The Old Castle - 2,0 06) Blues Variation - 3,0 07) Promenade - 1,0 (for the third time... come on...) 08) The Hut of Baba Yaga - 3,0 09) The Curse of Baba Yaga - 1,0 10) The Hut of Baba Yaga - 1,0 11) The Great Gates of Kiev - 1,0 (it's all just noise at this point...) 12) Nut Rocker - 5,5 TOTAL: 2,83 (28/100) Current ranking: 474/478 I don't know what to think about this. Well, maybe I do: pretentious crap.
Kuvittelin että livemeininki häiritsisi enemmän, mutta täähän oli kunnon hammondikaahailua. Jes! Ei kyllä aivan neloseen riitä. 3/5
Kiinnostava yhdistelmä klassista ja progea, mutta ehkä hieman kompastuu matkalla toteutukseen. 3/5
Sounds like bad video game music
Got irritating ver quickly
It's pretty outstanding, actually. It's not normally my thing, but it's incredibly ambitious. I don't normally look into the albums until after I listen, but I took a peek at this because it is so unique and weird in a really cool way. Turns out it's a rock interpretation of a piano suite by a Russian composer. I'd say there's a little too much 60s rock organ in this, but overall, it's really quite cool. I won't listen to it on repeat, but I'd definitely listen again for fun, and I'm pleased that I had the chance to hear it. Bonus points: it's a tight, 38 minutes.
i'm normally all for just noodling around on a synthesizer but i found this to be a chore to get through. yet another live album that did not need including
Diese Platte von ELP hatte meine Freundin auch. Hat mir klassische Musik und Kandinsky näher gebracht. Schon allein aus nostalgischen Gründen gibt es 4*.
I really did not get this one. It's peak prog rock, in that you get the sense that these guys think they're the greatest musicians to ever walk the face of the earth because they can jam away on their goddamn pipe organ and synthesizer for 38 minutes. Like I'm sure they're talented and all, but it feels like they're doing this to get some '70s art school student to write something nice about them in their school newspaper, not create something actually enjoyable to listen to. Just do classical music if that's what you want to do, it's really fine. One extra star because the singer's voice is decent and it shines on "The Sage" once the synth nonsense dies down. That and "The Great Gates" give you some sense of what they could be at their best, but the rest falls flat. It ends with a Nutcracker "cover" (?) called "Nutrocker". I have no clue whose idea that was. Totally unnecessary. Favorite song: The Sage Other: The Great Gates 2/24/25
The hold that obscure British rock has on this list....cool organ but why is it on here?
Never cared for this band, and that impression hasn't improved with age. They're just plain boring.
Not sure what this was.
At one point in my life ELP was my favorite band. This, however is not one of my favorite albums of theirs. Unfortunately the sound quality is pretty bad, the vocals get lost, and the music just doesn't sound very good. Not sure why this album made the list but Brain Salad Surgery didn't. It does demonstrate Keith Emerson's keyboard skill and his classical training.
I thought this was just ok. Talented musicians for sure but I didn’t really connect with it. The Nutcraker song was a cool novelty classical blues fusion.
I am usually pretty cold on British prog rock, but this album rips. The virtuosic Hammond and somehow-not-annoying use of the synth are great here. Sprinkle in some traditional British vocalizing and ripping drums and base and you’ve got some magic. This outshines other prog rock I’ve had so far.
Thought this was going to be more classic rock but it was actually really off the wall electronic stuff, to me a bit like non instrumental sigur Ross or something like that. Was fun.
I own this.
Its ambitious. Very interesting history and I learned a bit about russian composition digging into it. There are some nice touches, and it's not often that its obvious that its live, these boys could play. That said, I'm not sure how often I'm gonna repeat the experience.
it was weird-like a weird orchestra/music thing...
There were some good bits but they were heavily outweighed by the bad bits.
ah fuck i've been gnomed
Ok but not what I wanted for 500 albums!
As Progressive rock goes, this is actually terrible. Just stuff happening for the sake of it, when Greg Lake shouts to the audience "do you want more music' I'm astounded they chanted for it to go on although I suppose for 1971 this was groundbreaking. The freaks on RYM probably lap this crap up and if I told them my thoughts on this album I'd likely be told 'I just don't get it' but I can't fathom how of all the prog-rock albums out there this one is considered in the upper echelons of this genre. The best track is 'the Great Gates of Kiev' which is a run of the mill progressive rock song which I can't necessarily knock with the first full vocal performance of the album and harmless synthesiser playing making it the standout track but really nothing special. I actually find this album to be a disappointment to me as the idea behind it incredibly cool, turning composer Modeste Mussorgsky's work into a progressive rock performance. This idea (if well executed) would have been incredibly cool but sadly the whole performance feels overdone, good music is hinted at with generally okay bass playing but the synthesiser work is so poor and the fleeting vocal performances rarely speak to me. This album is not the worst album I've listened to yet, but its probably second bottom. 2/10 Needlessly Progressive. Top Tracks -> The Great Gates of Kiev
got to song 5 before i was tired of it
Nunca me han gustado ELP, virtuosismo instrumental, largos temas, largos desarrollos... no so para mí. Como anécdota siempre se ha dicho que se iba a incorporar Jimi hendrix a la guitarra (tocaron juntos en algún festival) pero su desgraciada y prematura muerte frustró la inclusión de la H en ELP. Este disco es especialmente difícil, reinterpretación de Modest Mussorgsky en clave de Rock Progresivo. Muy buen trabajo de los componentes pero prefiero otros como su debut, Tarkus o Trilogy. A mediados de los 70 se hicieron demasiado indigestos y sus últimos discos fueron detestados hasta por sus más fervientes seguidores. A destacar la cristalina The Sage.
I'd rather listen to a classical piano suite than listen to someone wank off a keyboard to it
I'll cop to the genius of ELP. However, not having listened to this back in the day I don't have a built-in love for this album like I do for say, Brain Salad Surgery. This did not stand up to the test of time, just sounds too dated to me to burrow into my "likes".
Hhahhahaha, yeah, no. I guess I'm just not that much into Classic Prog Rock, or maybe I haven't heard an album that really caught my interest. This is just a bunch of sounds with a keyboard, trying to make some semblance of a song. Hard No. 1/5
Particolare ma mi sto stordendo i timpani.
I couldn't finish it. I like weird instrumental music but this one wasn't for me.
Look this kind of prog stuff is never going to satisfy me. It's just hard work and a bit nerdy, but not a way I like. Just tiresome! It sounded like the crowd were loving it though
eugh that was nonense. Emerson, Lake & NONSENSE.
I just listened to 3 guys masturbating for 38 minutes
From a gentle guitar driven ballad to synth heavy video game boss music, this album has everything including the kitchen sink and for me at least… it worked? What a trip.
9.5/10. Fuck it. I'm a prog fan, and I will gladly listen to just about any prog album with my head up my ass. I bloody love this shit!!!!! :)
mah!
4/5
The prog bois just fuckin around. Don't know how I feel about it being keyboard driven. Interesting concept but flawed, boring execution. Feel like it should be harder to make prog rock boring. 3.5/10 Favorite Song: Blues Variation
2/10 This is one of the albums of all time that’s for sure. Not my bag at all but prog rock is cool sometimes so I guess there’s a space for this. Favorite Song: Blues Variation
I absolutely hated this. Don’t get it at all.
Great musicians... but ridiculously self indulgent and naff
Absolutely fucking hated this
I really enjoy 70's prog rock. It was a great time for musicians making epic music. ELP were at the top of the heap. Fantastic band. Thoroughly enjoyable.
What!? Another ELP album!?
Wibble. Simultaneously joyous and also the sound of a hippo sitting on the organ keys at the Royal Albert Hall
I liked “The Sage”, the rest was just psychedelic nonsense and improvised keys. “Nutrocker” was complete junk!! Not for me at all.
Like other progressive albums, I’m having a hard time deciding where it falls on the spectrum between corny and a fun experiment. There’s enough room in the world for an album like this to exist, and I’m glad I listened, but I’ll still take the original orchestral composition any day. Favorites: The Sage, Promenade (all versions)
Wasn’t what I expected from ELP but it was fun listening to in the bath!
Boring.
Good background jam music while cleaning.
A fun mix of a lot of sounds, must have been a great experience at the concert.
Just when I was beginning to think myself incapable of giving any album less than four stars, this album came along to rid me of my worries. It's just dire... An example of an album that you only want to hear once before you die. I certainly won't be revisiting it any time soon - in fact, not ever! I don't have many albums on my "worst albums" list, but now there is one more to add. I'll give it one star only because zero is not an option.
i dont know what i heared
I was skeptical of a 1971 live album. The Gnome is pretty cool with some Steven Wilson and Primus vibes. The Sage is pretty cool too with some classical guitar. The synth lead songs named Promenade throughout are decent. The Curse of Baba Yaga is pretty cool in the second half. A bit strangely ends on a rendition of The Nutcracker although it was recorded in March. I'd be upset to go to a show and the band only played 38 minutes. Decent prog album, don't think it's worth revisiting.
It was interesting.
Someone had to do it
Really had no idea what this was going to be, the 70s really had some prog rock experimental albums. It's nice background music, and I don't dislike it. It's a bit jazzy, and a bit funky, even if the keyboard/jazz organ/whatever that instrument is can be a little grating.
Not for me I guess? I had no idea this is what ELP was. Lol Nutrocker.
A little too heavy on the keys for me.
2.5
INTERESTING
2
Quite fitting that the album is titled 'Pictures at an Exhibition', because I feel like an everyday shmuck in an art gallery that is tailored to those who spend their lives living, breathing, and vomiting art. Because I don't get it. Doubt I'm going to listen to this again.
It is weird yes, it also made me laugh a couple of times. The 70's juxtaposed with classical music is jarring but it made me think. Classical music is considered far separated from modern pop music, as if the two don't and never should interact. I guess it just leads to weirdness like this.
I mean - yes I should listen to this so that I’m certain that 95% of prog rock is not for me, and the other 5% is some Rush.
First time listening to a classical-fusion rock album I guess, and it's quite good. Probably have to listen to the original version that they covered, but for now this gets a 3.5. Fav tracks: The Gnome
A lot of instrumental High fantasy rock. Could picture older animation happening during most of the album. Nutrocker was kind of cool, but I can't picture ever being in the mood to listen to the album again
This one might be a bit of acquired taste. I didn't love it, though it did have some parts I enjoyed some.
Terrible album. Couldn’t wait for it to end.
Classical music and progressive rock had been approaching something close to a collision for some time before Emerson, Lake & Palmer's variation of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Why wouldn't it? The two genres had plenty in common: extravagance, pomp and circumstance, gravitas, you name it. All of that is captured here in this compact collection that sprawls in sound but never in structure. ELP being rather new to the scene and still coming in clutch with the interpretation is rather surprising when thought about but what isn't is the belief that anything is possible, especially when two such distinct genres come together. Favorites: The Gnome, The Sage, Blues Variation, The Curse of Baba Yaga, The Great Gates of Kiev, Nut Rocker.
Enjoyed this.
Hmmm, I went into this unsure this warrants a place in the Top 1001. ELP is a band I know by name, perhaps know a few tunes by from classic rock radio, but have never been introduced to the live album, "Pictures At An Exhibition". From the outset it sounds dated with organ and that prog rock jazz sound that feels disconnected and random. I felt the first three songs were just a waste of my time, they went nowhere and served no purpose! The vocals on "The Sage" were buried in the mix and elfen and the volume never went up until the middle of track 5, "The Old Castle", with it's annoying keyboard work and repetitive drumming. Finally the vocals came back for another visit on "The Great Gates Of Kiev", a dramatic nothing song that never caught my attention and includes 2 minutes of just plain noise in the form of screechy instruments & sounds. "Nutrocker" was the only song I even thought had value. If I was there, I'd have been the guy asking for his money back after the 2nd song. Hated this album, I just don't get it I guess. This did nothing to enhance my view of ELP or the choices included in this Top 1001 List.
Not for me.
This kind of psychedelic noodling is not for me, but an extra point for the sheer weirdness of it all.
Thumbs up
Well that was pretentious as fuck
I gained nothing from this
Lots of fun musical moments, but not a lot of substance.
I almost liked some of the minimalist bits where they didn't play many notes. But then they'd go and play all the notes to make up for it (some of them perhaps unintentionally, or maybe as an in-joke, or maybe that's just how they sounded live). And then somehow it all ends up sounding more dated than the Mussorgsky original.
first listen good but inconsistent and the organ was a bit too hot and also some of those early 70s detuned synth patches need to die in a fire
I cannot stand prog rock. ELP is ingenious in their own right, but it’s 100% not for me in any way. There are no standout tracks and I found it dull for a live album.
Masterpiece! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I get these guys might have been at the forefront of progressive something something, but this was painful to get through. And they didn't even sing welcome back my friends in the show that never ends step inside step inside. Some of it was just clumsy and shrieking noise. Giving this a 1.6 due to name recognition only and their contribution to something at some point.
Sounds like they hijacked a church organ and played a concert as fast as possible while the clergy worked to bust down the doors.
Ugh the only good thing about this record is that probably it was a catalyst for punk music. Over sel indulgent naff.
There is a new version of this album which includes more of this epic live 2 1/2 hour concert. The original release is 38 minutes. Thank God almighty I discovered this before choosing the wrong one.
I love this. I grew up listening to this. I think Mr. Mussorgsky would approve.
Holy Organ
1- Stars (1/15)
If the name of this album is familiar, it’s probably because this is a Prog Rock reimagining of the iconic classical piece of the same name, “Pictures At An Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky. Progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, recorded a live performance of their take on the piece. To my admittance, I think it’s an interesting concept. This album wasn’t boring, despite its flaws, and it definetly has its high points. The musicianship is great and you can tell they’re having fun. This album flows really nicely as well, the segues and transitions are amazing. The *Promenade* parts were nice interludes in-between the bigger songs and suites. Even if the last side of the album didn’t have them, it was still fine without them. However, despite the good stuff this album brings, as with some Prog Rock it can feel pretentious at times. It takes the album down a bit for me. There were parts I didn’t really enjoy, *The Gnome* and *The Old Castle,*and parts that I really enjoyed, *The Baba Yaga Suite and The Great Gates of Kiev.* The encore of *Nutrocker* was a fun take on The Nutcracker as well. In all, while this album isn’t perfect, it still makes for a nice and interesting listen. I’d recommend it if you’re interested!
Great instrumental performances from all and Carl Palmer has earned a spot on my list of favorite drummers. The only familiar piece was their version of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, but it’s probably my least favorite track. It might be better not to think of it as classical music because then it’s solid prog.
När jag tog upp denna sida igår var jag trött. Jag hade lastat av möbler och åkt bil i sex timmar. Jag var också väldigt nikotinberusad och ville nu lägga mig men denna dagliga grej innebar att jag behövde lyssna ett 40 minuter livealbum av progs tolkning av klassisk musik, fan va hemskt. Men detta album hade en fantastisk egenskap, jag satte mig i sängen blundades med lurarna. Det var lätt för mig att bli lätt sovandes men musiken hörde jag fortfarande. Den som drömmar visade mig bilder i huvudet. Det fortsatte till dens slut när den sista låten ”Nutrocker” en energifylld jullåt väckte mig. Var detta album gjort för detta? Det verkade som det men nej folk bevittnade detta och på detts album hör man att de bemöter dessa grabbar som att de var punkrockare. På vissa sätt kan jag höra det men att detta album fick mig att dra mig genom denna nästan psykideliska hypnos gör introt på detta albumet komiskt för mig, folket som skriker för ”Pictures at an exhibition”
Great musicians and some banging parts, but it took me a while to get into it. Pretty impressive for a live record. Great band, but didn’t speak to me much.
A decent album, 3 stars. The piano is fun and I wish i knew what that ode-to-joy soundalike is about. I listened to the music that came from the album for a good half hour afterwards.
Nah
This is just indulgent self important nonsense. I get it, they are proper musicians. This is ridiculous. Would quite happily listen to the original but the keyboards in particular do nothing for the pieces. Nut Rocker is the best thing here but it’s not enough
Not the first prog-synth cover I’ve heard of this music, but definitely not the best. Not bad, would maybe listen again, but not amazing either. There’s some noodle-y wanky bits that I’m not a big fan of. Overall, prefer the Isao Tomita of this piano suite if you’re gonna do weird synth stuff.
What the fuck was this
That was an... Experience. I didn't wholly love it, but it wasn't too terrible. 'The Sage' was my fave pick.
Great music, even if it's prog at its most excessive.
didn't know what to expect from a live prog album based on a classical music suite but it was fantastic! there were some sections that leaned a little too heavy into the art rock side things to the point where it was almost just incomprehensible noise but it was for such a short duration i'll overlook it. the more annoying aspect of the album was the gratuitous amount of clapping left in on the last two songs which easily add 2 minutes to the runtime. despite that, i thoroughly enjoyed this album
I liked the classical stuff on side A but where they departed from that, not so much. Side B seemed even more self indulgent and less likeable. 1.6/5 rounded up to a very generous 2.
"We're gonna give you Pictures at an Exhibition" (insane cheering). ELP was prog rock's first supergroup. All of the members of the band had been in successful early prog rock bands in the late 60s; All had been disatisfied with those groups. ELP would go on to become one of the best known prog rock (and classic rock) groups of the 1970s. Pictures at an Exhibition was recorded live at a Newcastle City Hall between their first and second albums. The sound is, by modern standards, crude. Crowd noises can be heard during the performance. At times the sound can be a bit muddy. These were due to the limitations of live recording systems at the time. And yet.... Keith Emerson's arrangement is spectacular. It is packed with energy and depth. The decision to have Greg Lake add lyrics and vocals to some of the movements was inspired, especially for the Great Gates of Kiev. A lot of rock adapations of classical music do not do justice to the source material. This is not one of those cases. ELP not only adapts this piece for more modern tastes but elevates into something new and different. It is Mussorsky, but not only Mussorsky. They never recorded Pictures at an Exhibition in the studio nor did they include any of it on subsequent live albums. This is the only version of this complete piece, in all of it's messy glory, that can be found on vinyl, tape, or CD. Excerpts are found on some of their later box sets including from an earlier Isle of Wight concert, but not the entire suite. I suggest listening to it on original vinyl if you can so that you hear it's original incarnation and can view the fold out album sleeve.
An interesting idea, just carried out poorly "The Old Castle" should have a seizure warning at the beginning
It was great and I was shocked how many songs I actually recognized.
Wow, this really was hot garbage. Almost an hour long live album of (what seems like) improvised stuff. It almost can't get any worse. So extremely incoherent and all over the place. Would not recommend to anyone.
Wasn't really expecting much considering I'm not really a progrock fan. This was actually ok. The acoustic parts i even liked. Favourite track was "The Sage". After reading about it and seeing it's a cover of 19th century classical piece it was actually kind of fun. Still, i'm not a fan of the endless solos, or some of the organ sounds. Weak 3.
Хорошая музыка, классика с интересным оттенком. Хорошо, что и такое есть в списке
Nice musicianship but it was just some weird self-indulgent crap. I guess it was worth listening to once, but it's not worth listening to a second time.
give it a 4-5/10 interesting instrumentals and some thought provoking verses repetitive, and dragged out jams that dont reach a satisfying climax
Agree with John, decent background jazz tracks.
What a chaotic listen. I enjoyed it for the variety, but wouldn't necessarily put it into regular rotation.
Überwiegend instrumental, nett zu hören aber dann ist es auch gut. 2/5
Kind of reminds me of Edgar Winter Group
I'm trying to imagine the scenario where someone hears this album and says to themselves, "holy shit, this album is so great that everyone should hear it before they die" and I cant make myself picture it. Its a live album, and its not a great one or even a good one. 1/5
For me this was a weird album. It was like synthesized church music with a side of light psychedelia. I know without knowing a single thing about Emerson, Lake, and Palmer that this is, or hella feels, like early techno, electronica. I am not going to mess with that or with the fact this came out in the early 70's. They did put it out there and my hat is off to them for that. Thank you actually ELP. My problem is my own. I never quite settled into the groove or could get on board with the actual album. It was live and the crowd was going nuts and I was like, more power to you as I was still picturing the inside of a church with some bewildered parishioners thinking "wow, this is... unusual..."
meh
This is not my cup of tea but I recognize talent.
Bg music interesting, also live
Interesting album. A bit simple to repeat the same part of Mussorgskys "Pictures At An Exhibition" but as a complete album quite good.
A classic live album blending ELP's Prog-Rock with Mussorgsky's piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition", with the added bonus of a live version of "Nut Rocker" - a take on the march from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet (and originally a hit in 1962 for B. Bumble and the Stingers).
Kolejny album, który chciałbym lubić bardziej, niż to ma miejsce. Wcześniej słyszałem o nich jako o muzycznej super-grupie, plus kojarzyło mi się jakoś nostalgicznie. Do tego dochodzi kwestia wykorzystania Musogorskiego i, co ważniejsze, Czajkowskiego do stworzenia rockowego albumu. W czystej teorii powinno mnie to kupić z miejsca. Ale oni graja rocka tak, jakby grali jazz. Mnóstwo hałasu, nakładających się dźwięków, ciężko mi się w tym odnaleźć. Plus organy to nie moja bajka. A sam Dziadek do orzechów w wersji rockowej był dosyć meh. Doceniam ich pracę, ale nie odnalazłem się w tym. Plus strasznie krótkie to było, urwało się nagle po zaledwie pół godziny. Spodziewałem się trochę więcej.
You can't make an omlette without cracking few eggs but omlette with shells in it is still pretty wierd. This is a nature of experimental albums. Still glad that I've heard it.
Cool cool cool. Bardzo ciekawe progrockowe wykonanie Musorgskiego. 1971 rok, a czułem, jakbym słuchał czegoś świeżego - ale już mnie przestał dziwić fakt, że większość NOWOŚCI w muzyce pochodzi z lat 60 i 70 :P Przyjemne dla ucha, momentami zaskakujące, wciągające. Bardzo miła niespodzianka na liście.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, znani z łączenia rocka progresywnego z muzyką klasyczną, na "Pictures at an Exhibition" podjęli się ambitnego zadania: reinterpretacji słynnej suity Modesta Musorgskiego w rockowej formie. Efekt jest odważny, ale niepozbawiony wad, które sprawiają, że album pozostawia mieszane uczucia. Największym atutem tego dzieła jest jego koncepcyjna śmiałość. ELP włożyli wiele serca w przekształcenie muzyki klasycznej w ekscentryczny, progresywny spektakl. Utwory takie jak "Promenade" czy "The Great Gates of Kiev" doskonale pokazują ich umiejętności instrumentalne i zdolność do tworzenia podniosłej atmosfery. Niestety, momentami album wydaje się być bardziej technicznym popisem niż emocjonalnym doświadczeniem. Jednym z problemów jest przesadna teatralność niektórych sekcji, która zamiast dodawać dramatyzmu, sprawia wrażenie ciężkości i pompatyczności. Fragmenty takie jak "The Curse of Baba Yaga" brzmią imponująco, ale brakuje im równowagi między techniką a emocjonalnym wyrazem. Pod względem produkcji album ma swój urok, ale rejestrowanie koncertowego występu powoduje, że brzmienie jest surowe i nierówne. To dodaje autentyczności, ale odbiera pewną spójność, którą można by osiągnąć w studio. "Pictures at an Exhibition" to przykład albumu, który jest bardziej interesujący w swojej koncepcji niż w realizacji. Choć zasługuje na uznanie za innowacyjność i mistrzostwo wykonawcze, brak mu emocjonalnej głębi, która sprawiłaby, że byłby prawdziwie niezapomniany. To album dla fanów ELP i progresywnego rocka, ale dla innych słuchaczy może być bardziej imponującym eksperymentem niż czymś, do czego chce się wracać.
Couldn't access the album. Listened to their best of instead. I tell ya, I like my prog like my women. Deeply weird and a touch too long in the back end.
Incredible concert footage from a band so beyond its time.
Wild!
Why does this exist?
An alright album, I liked The Gnome.
Sounds quite experimental, not really for me
One of ELP’s great strengths was their ability to perform classical pieces with great respect, while at the same time giving them a distinctly modern twist. This might be the greatest example, with Keith Emerson in particular a master of his instrument.
Looking at my previous review of this band I mentioned that it sounds like these guys were having fun, and this album just reinforces that view. Concept and deliver. Great work. Faves: The Hut, and The Curse, Of Baba Yaga
The top review at time of listening reads: "It's a live album of a keyboard-driven progressive rock band covering a 150 year old Russian romantic composer, and it sounds like video game boss music." ...which, yes, accurate - but then inexplicably they scored it 2!? Must have been a slip of the finger. 😏 This was great fun, and prompted me to listen to a performance of the original Modest Mussorgsky version. (And in a stroke of good fortune, the version I have tacks another track on the end, “Night on Bald Mountain”, which is one of those classical pieces I recognize but don’t know who did it. It’s the badass-demon-on-a-mountain bit of Fantasia!) It's very proggy, but at a tight 38 minutes it positively flies by - a great listen! Fave tracks - "The Gnome", "The Curse of Baba Yaga"
Why include this? It’s not their work or representative of their work at all. It’s not even good.
I liked this stuff when I was fifteen. Now I hear it as soulless wankery.
I'm going to steal a description because it's perfect. This was 40 minutes of an alien invasion to a church.
That is a fried nutter butter of a music listen. Brain trippin', nutty keys and crunchy sounds. But also gave rise to some shitty christmas music like Manheim Steamroller.
Love ELP. This is probably my least favorite album of theirs. Interesting concept but they have much better music.
Decent
Ok baby lets strap in for some early 70's drug fueled prog rock. The concept is totally bananas. The Sage is probably the least unhinged, but the crowd going nuts for The Old Castle is just so crazy to me. This is the soundtrack to a mad scientist lair, especially The Hut of Baba Yaga. What is with this crowd?! The Nutcracker track at the end is fucking awesome. What am I supposed to do with this album?
Interesting ...
Live albums are cheating. This is the 2nd album in a row that’s live from within 2 years of the 70s. Thankfully not a double.
Rating: 2/10 Prog-rock wankery, this embodies all of the worst characteristics of progressive rock.
Prog rock interpretation of a classical piece. Yeah, nah.
Stundtals låter det som musike är hämtad ur en italiensk giallo eller crime.
Hey get the pitchforks, I thought classical music wasn't allowed here! There are some goosebump moments, and a couple painful synth solos that detracted from my overall enjoyment of this adaptation. Closing the concert with the Nutcracker feels like a troll move, but the audience seems pretty into it HL: “The Sage”, “The Great Gates of Kiev” November 29, 2024
Not my thing.
Generally I am a prog enjoyer but this was a bit much.
.. I always liked ELP - based upon their amazing musical abilities. Few artists of that time were so technically and classically trained that is almost a waste of their talent to do Prog Rock. ELP has a lot of love them or leave them fan base. I'm closer to love due to respect. Saying that, this album just doesn't equal their studio work,
Idk if it's cause I was super high when I was listening to this, but I surprisingly really liked it!
Pretty cool!
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🖼️⬜❔ Production: 🤯🙂👌 Music: 🎹🖼️🎶🏰👹🚪🌉✨🧐 Rating: 🎹🎹(🎹)/5
Dope
Its an okay album. I've tried several times to listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer but it's just not for me but I can see why people like them.
I mean it's alright? Very quirky and very experimental. I think sometimes the instrumentation tries to do too much. I also wish it were a little more refined because it definitely sounds like a jam session. Fav Songs: The Curse of Baba Yaga
An psychedelia interpretation of one of my favorite 'classical' pieces? 50/50 shot I'd love it or hate it. Disliked most of it but I give the credit to ELP for doing this. It is a piece that fits well with the genre.
For God so loved the World, that he sent the Ramones. Mind-blowing technical prowess and a clear mastery of traditional western harmony. I also love the early synths. But music is, at its core, emotional. Any "understanding" should work in service of creating/communicating/manipulating feelings. This music makes me feel the way I used to feel doing Calculus problem sets. It isn't just that it's Prog Rock. Yes manages to take similar complexity and prowess and use it in service of emotional communication. This doesn't make me feel anything; it just sounds supremely calculated.
first track gave me a headache.
This was interesting and I'm going to listen to more of their stuff, but I can't believe this is their best album.
I told Jess this was a modern interpretation of Pictures at the Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky and she was interested to listen. After 5 minutes she was getting noticeable agitated and asked me to turn it off. I don’t understand why they chose to put in the live version? I got into it mostly although there were some annoying parts.
I reviewed ELP’s Tarkus a while ago, and I thought it was fine. A lot of prog rock is pretty hit or miss with me, and I expect that I’ll probably think this album is fine as well. However, I really haven’t cared much for a lot of the live albums on this list, so a live prog rock album is a pretty big gamble with my tastes. I guess it’s time to jump in! As I expected, I thought this album was fine. It was pleasant to listen to, but with the exception of the “Promenade” pieces, “The Great Gates of Kiev,” and “Nut Rocker,” I didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy about this album. I like listening to synthesizers and keyboards, and Carl Palmer is a really great drummer, but to me, this album didn’t really live up to the ambitious vision the band had. As I listened to most of it, I just thought to myself “okay, that’s some nice synth and organ playing,” but that was about all that I felt. For a live album, it didn’t feel like there was a ton of energy from the music itself, with the exception of “Nut Rocker.” As for “The Great Gates of Kiev,” I liked that it felt more like a ballad, and it felt like it had quite a bit of emotion to it. Other than though, this album was just a showcase for some pretty talented musicians. A lot of flash without much substance.
Great
I don't need this, I'm not sure anyone does. I can get down with Prog-rock from time to time, but live recordings are just too heavy on the wankery. This is completely inessential.
The concept sounded preposterously pretentious when I read it, and the first few notes confirmed my fears. But then it was actually alright. I mean you kind of have to applaud the ambition shown here. That said, Deezer gave me a deluxe edition, which adds a historically important second live recording of the same songs. And I wasn't really keen on going through the whole thing twice in a row. So does that make a 2 or a 3? 2 seems a bit mean-sprited. But not being keen on a second listen isn't really material for a 3...
That was a hard listen. It wasn't without some musical merit, but it was so far up itself it was generally unpleasant. I did listen to the whole album, mostly in a "driving past an accident on the motorway and you have to look over" way, so it's 2 stars.
A solid live output that didn't quiet catch my ear.
I was all excited to like this live album because I’ve enjoyed ELP songs in the past. But they sound messy live.
I can't quite believe the Geordie crowd's excitement when he shouts, 'We're gonna give you Pictures At An Exhibition!'. Personally I'd have wanted my money back.
I don't think I'd choose this over an orchestra (or a solo pianist) playing Mussorgsky. However, I always appreciate how much goes into reimagining classical like this. It was fascinating seeing how they changed up pieces I've heard for years. I'd say this definitely deserves a place on this list.
I loved this album and everything Emerson, Lake & Palmer did with it. Repurposing a piano suite from the Romantic period to become progressive rock is SO cool. Pictures is full of creativity, due to ELP's work, and is often quite beautiful, owing to the source material. Unsurprisingly, because the suite was crafted to be one piece, each movement/song flows beautifully into one another. ELP still make this their own, sometimes with lyrics or electronic music. Live albums are hit or miss. Often I'm flummoxed as to why a live album is on this list, but the content of this album sets my mind at east. ELP never recorded a studio album with this material, at least. Does the live aspect add anything for me? Perhaps not, but perhaps their best bet for this music to be published was through a live album. Since piano suites are made to be performed live, I will allow this live album.
As someone who digs esoteric topics, I let myself get excited about this album when I looked at the song titles -- things like "The Sage", "The Old Castle", and especially "The Hut of Baba Yaga", followed by "The Curse of Baba Yaga". Unfortunately, the music didn't quite deliver for me. Progressive rock is already something that comes out a little too much like jam sessions for my liking, but make it live and mostly instrumental as well and it's really not a winning combination for me.
A synth-heavy progressive snore fest. It just isn't my jam.
This album was wild. I liked the sounds and the musicianship. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have been there and seen this performed live.
Not really my jam, but better than I expected.
I've listened to this three times and it just never makes an impression
very interesting album
Listenable. Good background music.
hell nah
Organ-driven rock
Over ambitious? A little. Pretentious? Arguably yes. Good album? It's decent. It's prog rock at its best or maybe at its worst. It depends if you like prog or not I suppose. A noodling wankfest which goes off in the random of directions quick as a flash, which is fine if that's your thing. I will admit that it's an interesting album to sit through. It's intriguing and the guitar playing is impressive, and actually, all things considered, is quite enjoyable at times. I guess it would be more enjoyable if you were familiar with the classical piece it was adapted from. It's an album that will pop up randomly in a year or two and I'll remember how weird it was but also how surprisingly decent it was and will happily listen to the whole thing - although I'm glad it's only half an hour long.
Faaaaaaaaarrk. That was a lot. Exciting 'new' sounds and instruments for people who grew up listening to classical music on the wireless or gathered round their parents old LP record player while Mum and Dad had a few glasses of Sherry on a Saturday night. Needless to say we've moved on. I've listened to this, now I didn't have to do it again. Still, it was better than David Gray. The Old Castle really got going. Two overindulgent, misguided stars.
Not bad but also not really interesting as far as prog goes imo, it's kinda lacking something more to make it really exciting but idk what it could be
OK, I appreciate the creativity of ELP and sometimes even enjoy it, but a lot of the time, their songs just feel like they don't always age well and last for aeons. They do show talent, but I have to be really in the mood for ELP. They feel like the epitome of oddly time signatured, jazzy, arty prog rock. Arty and jazzy are rarely my favourites. I will say though that for an old live album, the quality sounds pretty good. The Sage was my favourite for just being chill and not making me feel like I was being attacked by an erratic keyboard player.
Another ELP album when so many great bands remain uncovered. The only thing worse than an over rated band like ELP is a live album of said over rated band. After a while you just get tired of that Organ, can they vary the sound just a little? Whenever they did they had Bonafide hits, when they didn’t it was just niche music.
I don’t really get ELP.
nice.
Very odd
Some talent there for sure but maybe a bit too wacky for me. Didn't responate too much with me.
Pretty cool, I especially vibed with the second track (“The Gnome”) but I don’t think I totally get what is going on with this band and album and performance…
Quite enjoyed the wacky noodle was mixed with some classical. Gotta check out some more E & also P.
prog goes free (?) Always liked ELP (altho i think Asia sucks!!) but Greg Lake is just undeniably the goat for his one year in King Crimson... I'm sure there will be more of their non-live albums on the list which i look forward to!
why is it that the first thing we tried to do with the Moog synthesizer was make it play classical music? instead of creating a space age future, for a good 10 years we were just doing nothing but redoing classical works. no disrespect to ELP (or Wendy Carlos, or Tomita, or all the people who did this), who are definitely talented and respect the classical works to a fault, but every time i hear one of these pieces, i think of some concert pianist doubled over in his study, head in his hands as the techno-farts play what he's spent his whole life training to do. it's the most beautiful and forward-thinking thing he, a man living in 1972, has ever heard listen, i'm a dork -- a cornball. i plan to learn to code at some point so i can make a video game. i have considered buying a red DEVO cone at one point in my life. i semi-regularly used Cohost before it got shut down for being designed specifically to not make any money. when they find the lost pilot episode for the shortlived 80's Japanese virtual band Pink Crows, i'll be right there on the Lost Media Wiki to gawk at it. i've attended multiple furry conventions. when i say that covering Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" with your keyboard-based prog band is too dorky for me to enjoy, understand what your modern median human person's reaction to this would be if you played it for them. i am shocked that many people cheered after Nutrocker.