ELP: Pictures At An Exhibition |
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
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Posted: October 09 2018 at 07:20 |
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Pictures At An Exhibition. Considered by many to be ELP's best, but certainly not by everyone. What's your take on this impressive live album?
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Fischman
Forum Senior Member Joined: July 21 2018 Location: Colorado, USA Status: Offline Points: 1600 |
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I love it, but I certainly wouldn't call it their best. As great a listen as it is, it's really just a cover. A very impressive cover, no doubt, but a cover nonetheless and for my choice of their best, I have to give that to original material.
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Squonk19
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 03 2015 Location: Darlington, UK Status: Offline Points: 4731 |
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Love it to pieces! It was the first ELP album I bought and I played it almost continuously. Maybe over-familiarity means it now trails Trilogy etc. as my favourite album - but such a superb live feel that runs up and down all the tempos, styles and emotions that the band showed at their best. From those glorious opening notes of Promenade to the closing, hair-raising finale of The Great Gates of Kiev - it is quite a ride. Even Nutrocker has its place at the end too. Always thought the recording levels were all over the place, but that adds to its charm in many ways. Not everyone's cup of tea, no doubt - but a great microcosm of what the ELP phenomenon was all about (great gatefold album sleeve too!)
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“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”
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verslibre
Forum Senior Member Joined: July 01 2004 Location: CA Status: Offline Points: 15226 |
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First time I've heard that.
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Dellinger
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 18 2009 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 12612 |
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I don't know if their best, but certainly my favourite.
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26371 |
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First album I purchased (for £2! in 1976) and I hated it. About a year later ELP reappeared with Works Vol One and I gave them another chance although it was Tarkus that converted me. Pictures is horribly messy , unfocused and full of unnecessary bits so its typical ELP really. Great artwork though. Originally it was only available as an import from America but Cotillion ( the European arm of Atlantic I presume) decided to give it a proper release such was the demand for prog at the time . It became something of a 'hit' and sold masses especially as it was marketed as a budget release. Nowadays I quite like it but prefer the shorter versions. Check out the Mar Y Sol version from 1972 which is fantastic. |
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
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Rednight
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 18 2014 Location: Mar Vista, CA Status: Offline Points: 4807 |
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So good that it was rerecorded for 1993's The Return of the Manticore boxset.
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"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26371 |
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Not a great version though. The acid test is the 'Baba Yaga section' which is very stilted compared to ELP at their very best (1970-1973). The studio version was also included as a bonus track on In The Hot Seat. Didn't save that miserable last effort by a once great band though.
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The.Crimson.King
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 29 2013 Location: WA Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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One of my fave live albums of all time
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26371 |
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Its almost not a live album given the quality of the production. Eddie Offord was 'the man'.
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