The band the punks hated the most, as they saw them as all that was bad with the excesses of the music industry. And to a point, I have to agree with the whole stage show and the stabbing of the Hammond in Emerson’s solo was a tad ridiculous.
The first two pieces are interpretations of classical pieces with quite a patriotic version of Jerusalem and Toccata, which is cool if you like timpani solos. We have to wait until track 3 until we get to an original piece, a Greg Lake tune – Still You Turn Me On. This album is all about Karn Evil 9 though, which takes up the last track on Side 1 and the whole of Side 2. I think everyone is familiar with “Welcome my friends to the show that never ends” and other than Fanfare For The Common, this is their most well known piece. The whole of Side 2 is my favourite ELP moment.
Prog to jazz, and all points in between makes it very challenging indeed. Listening to it after such a long time it does sound quite dated, but I do have fond memories hearing it for the first time.
7/10 from The Grooveman.
