Disco de Emerson, Lake & Palmer: “Return of the Manticore”

I think people have clouded judgment when evaluating a group that has made a great impact on rock music (progressive rock, at any rate) as ELP has. In my opinion, they were highly influential in their reworkings of classical music in a modern, rocking format. However, the body of their own creative work is light, hence, I wouldn't recommend that anyone waste a dime on a 4-CD set, when they can capture the group at their peak of artistry and consistency simply by purchasing their truly great albums (ELP, Trilogy, and Brain Salad Surgery) and perhaps their other descent album (Tarkus). This set is shameless by diluting the cohesion of the tracks from their wonderful albums by hodge-podging them with a bunch of uneven garbage that they made later in their careers, specifically the several pieces from 'Love Beach' and 'Black Moon.' The CD booklets are unsubstantial and add very little insight into the group. So, as my review heading suggests, you can spend about 30 bucks to get their three remastered classics, or you can spend the almost 70 bucks here and keep hitting the 'Skip' button to get over the weak selections.

We can all quibble over selections for a box set. This could have been left out, this could have gone in. This set is no exception. However, as you listen to this set, the message comes through. This was an exceptional band. What strikes me is the variety of music as you go from track to track. No other band, other than the Beatles, consistently stretched like ELP. Most non fans probably think of them as 20 minute songs of synth solos. Just listen to the solos in Take a Pebble, the power of Pirates, the grace of the Greg Lake acoustic numbers, the drumming behind KE9 or The Barbarian. Absolutely imcomparable. It was nice to have the new versions of their prior bands hits, and great to get the unreleased tracks. Over a period of 25 years, every at bat may not have been a home run, but they swung for the fences, and more often than not, they delivered. If you are any kind of an ELP fan you will find that this collection will become the source for your ELP music.

Let's face it, no compilation is complete of course and almost always will there be people who'll miss their favorite track(s), that is unavoidable, certainly when considering that ELP issued a mere 12 original albums on CD, 3 of them being a double CD (Welcome Back My Friends ....., Works vol. 1 and Works Live) and this box has 4 CD's, so those who complain about lacking a certain track should buy the orignal album(s), for them this collection is not meant. But for others, ELP fans and completists alike and also for those who do not want to own everything this band released this is a welcome stay. It brings forth the highlights, no less, from all their albums, from the 1970 debut "Emerson, Lake and Palmer" through the 1992 triumphant return "Black Moon" (with the exception of "Pictures at an Exhibition" and the recent "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" though) and their 2 decades plus spanning career. Because of the release of the new "In the Hot Seat" about the same time it doesn't contain material from that album. Although ELP were not a "hit" band, they disliked singles and were a true album band, this box contains all the greatest hits you can mention and some more. Believe it or not but suites like Take a Pebble (live), Tarkus, Karn Evil, Fanfare for the Common Man, Pirates and Memoires of and Officer and a Gentleman are all there, in their original form, length and glory, clockin in over 10, 20 and even 30 minutes. Furthermore there is wealth of wellknown and (maybe) lesserknown tracks, varying from beautiful sung and played ballad-like songs through their own adaptions of classical works through blues, jazz, rock and everything in between. ELP was one of the first and only bands to fuse different musical styles to create a new and unique sound, without becoming something as a potpouri. They showcased their brand of music which blended with a lot of different styles and demonstrated their ample musical qualitities. Emerson as composer on a wild array of keyboards, from classical and modern (blues and honky tonk) piano, Hammond organ and a pionier on such nonroad instruments as the Moog Modular Synthesiser, even astonishing its inventer, and the Yamaha triple-keyboard multisynthesizer GX1 (to be heard from Works vol. 1 onwards), Lake as singer/songwriter/producer on fine vocals, acoustic, electric leadguitar (on Tarkus, Karn Evil) and bass guitar, and Palmer on drums, authentic and electronic percussion, tympani and the like. Together they were a strong outfit, completing each other. Apart from being solely a collection of album tracks this box has much more on offer. Not much bonusmaterial though, the only really outtake as a grouprecording is "Bo Diddley" (disc 3, track 6) from march 1975/april 1976 and therefore recorded at the making of Works vol. 1. It could have fitted on Works vol. 2 but was omitted and left in the vaults. From Emerson was a piano-etude "Prelude and Fugue" (disc 4, track 7), composed by Gulda, left in the can, recorded way back as far as january 1971, before Tarkus and was not appropriate to include on that album. To my opinion it is much similair of a part of the piano improvisations on the live Welcome Back My Friends in "Take a Pebble" (here disc 2, track 3), not to be confused with the Emerson composed "Fugue" as intermittent between "The Endless Enigma" part 1 and 2 (here disc 3, track 3). Those mentioned two tracks are the only outtakes, at least on this box set, which were not included on one of the original albums, which lacks studio-outtakes in general. Furthermore included in this set is a sprawling 15 minute livetake Rondo (disc 2, track 7), the Nice showstopper (from their first album "The Toughts of Emerlist Davjack"), a reworking of Dave Brubecks "Rondo a la Turk", an instrumental, performed by ELP at the end of 1970, just after the splits from The Nice, King Crimson and Atomic Rooster respectively and forming Emerson Lake and Palmer but yet without much new livematerial and shortly after the release of the debutalbum. Apart from the knowledge that this is played by the ELP members and therefore not by the Nice trio, which makes is slightly interesting, is has not very much on offer. After their reunion in the nineties they played "Rondo" on most liveshows, ending the set with it, or being a part of "Fanfare for the Common Man", with Emerson abusing one of his Hammond organs (also to be heard on the excellent "Works Live" album). So with only those 3 extra tracks this whole box would not trick many fans to buy it, when they own already all (or most) of the original albums. With the aid of producer Keith Olsen (also responsible for production of "In the Hot Seat" album) and numerous backingvocalists and even a second guitarplayer (!) - Tim Pierce - ELP went back to their legacy and re-recorded tracks from their illustrious past: The Nice (a Tim Hardin song), King Crimson and Arthur Brown, even Emerson Lake and Powell, the Lake Christmas single (also in a reworked version on Works vol. 2) and for the first time "Pictures at an Exhibition" in studioformat, (all on disc 1). That is what this box has on extra offer and is elsewhere not available (although on latterday re-issues of "In the Hot Seat" album the same recording of "Pictures at an Exhibition" was added). So a must buy for true ELP fans or those who like progrock, without being withheld by the fact that ELP is much more than an average progrockband. It comes with a small book with some helpfull information and a collection of pictures which adds to the atmosphere. All in all I would say a most complete compilation which shines a bright light on this band of bands. They and their fans deserves it!

This is what these guys do; you either like it or you don't. If your a fan of ELP and don't have this set then read on.

This 4-CD anthology is actually more desirable than any combination of previous "Best Of..." releases since it is difficult to cover the breadth of ELP in a single CD. It is also better than the 2-CD retrospective entitled "The Atlantic Years", being more comprehensive.

The timeframe spans the pre-ELP years through the release of "Black Moon". The opening disc begins with tracks from the group's reformation in the nineties - "Touch And Go", previously recorded with the late Cozy Powell on drums; "Hang On To A Dream", dating back to Keith Emerson's Nice work; "21st Century Schizoid Man", a welcome addition from Greg Lake's days with the landmark band King Crimson. The track "Fire" is totally unnecessary and unrepresentative of the quality of the ELP's other work. From there we get a full dose of "retrospection". Notable is the inclusion of the 22+ minute version of "Take A Pebble" from the grand live creation "Welcome Back My Friends....." which captured the trio at peak form. Conspicuously absent are minor pieces which would have made a more enjoyable overall presentation, for example, "Benny The Bouncer" from Brain Salad Surgery and "Are You Ready Eddy?" from Tarkus; but a forgettable epic such as "Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman" are present in full form. Even though a new release of "Pictures At An Exhibition" is presented, The rocker "Blues Variation", from the full version album is not included.

Overall, a desirable collection for ELP fans to augment their collections since every major work is there.

This boxed set is an extraordinary example of the collection of ELP's work. The sheer power and emotion of their work is staggering alone, but combined with the energy to do unusually long songs makes their work truly special. Given the mass of work ELP has put out, it should be unsurprising that each disc has over an hour of music. It is a pleasant change to hear a best-of album that is worth the money. ELP's music is a fascinating blend of orchestral talent and the use of synthesizers. Their songs go all the way from the maniacal to the calming, from social commentary to epic stories. As "Karn Evil 9" says "Welcome my friends to the show that never ends." This is the best way do describe this boxed set. You can listen to this album set as many times as you like and never get bored with it. Furious instrumentals combined with emotional lyrics make this album a must for all rock fans.