40TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION CONCERT (HIGH VOLTAGE FESTIVAL 2010)

A reunion concert for one of the most popular symphonic prog bands is always a important event. The band hasn't played together for 12 years, but each members have played ELP's songs in their own solo concerts. The band was offer to play this festival and they couldn't say no despite having only five days of reherseal in a outdoor environment that is not the best for them.

Having the Blu-Ray Version, i was first impress by the clarity of the colors and the details as expected for a Blu-Ray. But to my disappointment, the sound was low and consist only of a single audio 5.1 track, not a DTS HD surround sound. Fortunately, the sound of each instrument was clear enough when you put the volume up. I didn't expect the band to play like they did at their best in the 70's, but to give a good performance by playing some of their best songs. I really enjoyed listening again to "The Barbarian" and "Knife Edge". They also played their long tracks; "Tarkus", "Pictures at An Exhibition". The musicians had some technicals problems with their equipements, but nothing too distract from the overall performance. Greg Lake still got a good voice despite is age, and Carl Palmer is still the same great performer.

The concert is rather short, because the band had time restrictions, but i was glad to see this band back to bring some good memories. On the Blu-Ray there is also 30 minutes interviews with each members. The most interesting comments were coming from Greg Lake, when he was feeling some regrets about the band's turn to orchestra in the late 70's.

4 stars

Considering that ELP have not produced much memorable material after "Brain, Salad, Surgery" I was a bit reluctant to invest in their live performance 40 years later. Thankfully, this DVD largely contains their better (early) tunes delivered in a splendid manner.

It's an absolute delight to see Keith Emerson perform with the same skill - just like he did 40 years ago. No hint of acid, or multiple knives stuck into his poor B3, only sensational runs that do justice to the original albums published. There is not a hint that he would have become burned out and it remains a mystery as why he hasn't produced quality material in decades?

Greg Lake on the other hand has lost a bit of shine in the voice department. He still sings in key, but his vocal range has contracted somewhat. Hardly a surprise and considering his age, he hasn't become a spent force. In this performance he took liberties in altering some of the original bass lines. They come off all-right, but I would have preferred the original notes, sounds. Watching him closely how his instruments with rather sparse notes played, still deliver remarkable bulk to a trio format is just amazing.

Carl Palmer remains a powerhouse on the skins. I am not sure that I may have missed something at first watch, but I came away with the impression that his more subtle notes weren't present. But I could be wrong.

Overall, very pleasing performance. If you missed them in the '70s, or the quality of material recorded then and later released on DVDs fails to suffice, this is a worthy investment

This is one of those purchases I did without thinking about it, because I went to my local music store in order to buy some CDs, but then I was lurking at a cheap DVD section and found this gem there, so without hesitating, I got it. Emerson, Lake & Palmer need no introduction, so imagine the importance of a reunion concert after several years of silence, which also marked their 40th anniversary. People who managed to attend surely had a great and memorable night.

This DVD shows a short but wonderful performance of symphonic rock icons that were invited to the 2010´s edition of High Voltage Festival. Fortunately, it became a DVD so we can feel part of that anniversary and delight ourselves with this show. Evidently, 40 years are a lot of years, so it is not strange to find Greg Lake's voice a bit weaker than in the golden years, it sounds like tired, though still great. Palmer's energy and skills are amazing, but in moments a bit slow; who still impresses me was Keith Emerson who still plays like a God, fast, accurate and emotional.

Visually the DVD is great, not superb but they did a great production work; but musically wow, I would have loved to see this band in concert, but when they came to my city I was a little kid. Well, I loved how they opened the show with "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression ? Part 2" so the first words Lake and crowd pronounced were "welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends?" you know what's next.

ELP took us to the past, to their most precious moments, to the pinnacle of progressive rock where this trio used to eat the world with amazing compositions and virtuoso performances. So sit down, feel comfortable and enjoy the show. You will find some classic tracks such as "The Barbarian", Knife Edge" or "From the Beginning", but also, they dared to play long memorable epics like "Tarkus" and "Pictures at an Exhibition", including an Emerson piano solo, so when you watch it you can only smile and feel mesmerized.

One hour and a half is the concert's length, whose last song is "Fanfare for the Common Man" which include a powerful drums solo but a noticeable happy Carl Palmer. This was a delight, I enjoyed a lot when a watched it and imagine myself witnessing a show this great. If you like ELP, then you will love this commemorative DVD.

Enjoy it!

In 1998 ELP split again as a band after a tour. By 2010 Keith Emerson and Greg Lake were playing some concerts as a duo. Later in the same year, with the 40th Anniversary of the formation of the band, ELP reformed the band for a one-off concert. This concert was recorded for CD and video and was released in 2011.

I read some reviews about this concert in 2010. Some people didn't like it. Finally, I recently watched to the DVD of this concert.

For this concert, the band rehearsed for 5 weeks, as Carl Palmer said in interviews. There wasn't a full 40th Anniversary Tour because he didn't like their playing very much. So maybe this is the final concert from ELP as a band.

Greg Lake sings very well despite the passing of time, in a lower register. But he didn't play any lead electric guitar parts in some songs on which he played them years before, only playing the bass guitar. It seems to me that Keith Emerson "simplified" some of his keyboard parts, playing them with different arrangements. He even used his Modular Synthesiser in some parts. Maybe Carl Palmer was the member of the band who played better, maybe due to the fact that he has not stopped playing on tours, doing them with ASIA and with his own band. Most songs are played with different arrangements. And not very well, in my opinion. Being a one-off concert, maybe they were a bit "nervous" and maybe they should have done a short tour to give them the chance to improve their playing and to have more confidence playing on stage, and maybe they should have recorded the last concert to release it on CD and on DVD. But with only one-off concert, they sound a bit "raw". It looks to me more like an "informal" concert, short in lenght, only played to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the formation of the band.

It's not a very good concert, but they still are very good musicians.

First thing: I love ELP. But this concert is soooo sad. I never saw time take its toll on musicians like with ELP. Emerson is clearly in trouble with his right hand, and keyboard parts are obviously....let's say not precise. Carl Palmer is overweight, he struggles to play but makes so many mistakes....too many....Greg Lake is over-over weight, not at ease on the stage and he doesn't remember some of his bass parts, anyway his singing is quite good, better than what I heard in other concerts. To see them like this has been a pain....Well, three stars for their music, that will live on forever.

I was there, having flown over from the States for what I suspected was my last chance to see my teenage musical heroes on one stage. It was both deeply sad and deeply moving to see them reaching for past glory. There were a few transcendent moments; Emerson's piano soloing during Tarkus was unexpectedly fluid and melodic. The conclusion of Pictures at an Exhibition had the audience in a state of rapture. But the years were not kind, especially to the man who did more to establish prog as a genre than anyone else. The world's most dangerous synthesizer clearly got the best of him on this evening. Still, it turned me on. Just hearing those tones and textures and rhythms again was enough, even if the performance was nowhere near the standard they set at their peak.

By sheer coincidence I ran into Mr Emerson the next day walking around Soho. I told him that I had traveled all the way from Michigan to see them, and he could not have been more gracious or humble. He did not look well at all; in fact, he introduced the man he was with as his doctor. Avid followers will know that he had a serious health crisis not long after.

Not the coda to their remarkable career one would have hoped for, but if you were in attendance, i doubt you regretted it. Try to catch Carl Palmer if he comes to your area; his tribute to the legacy of ELP is quite an emotional experience.