WORKS VOL. 1

ELP obviously felt they could not take their type of high intensity Symphonic Prog any further after they produced Brain Salad Surgery so it was perhaps inevitable that they would head in a different direction with the next album. Infact Works Volume 1 is really a compilation of tracks that would not have fitted on regular hence each member does his own thing on three of the sides and just to make sure fans still consider this an ELP album all three play together on the fourth side. Keith Emerson was keen to be considered a "proper" composer and was desperate to record his "Piano Concerto No1".It is actually quite enjoyable especially the final "Toccata" movement which somehow fuses Bernstein,Copland and Stravinsky.The LP is worth owning for this side alone. Unfortunately, the good news ends there. I have always admired Greg Lakes compositions especially "From The Beginning" but on Works Volume 1 he suddenly thinks he is Neil Diamond and the songs are so saccharine especially with the overwelming orchestral arrangements that I find it hard to listen to. Carl Palmer's side is more interesting although the only track I really like is "Food For Your Soul" which is a big band instrumental that sounds like it could have come from a 70;s TV show.I canot really see the point in recording Prokofiev's exciting "Enemy Gods" from the Scythian Suite virtually the same as the original but with percussion added. The group do a much more exhilarating version as a Band on the "Live In Concert album" and just reinforces my feelings that the magic only really happened when the played together. He also decided to re-record "Tank" from the debut.I always think if you are going to re-record a Classic track at least make it sound better. His "Big Band" version is just cheesy and clumsy. Side Four where all three finally play together was the closest thing to Classic ELP but even here I feel it was a wated opportunity. "Fanfare For The Common Man" starts off well at least for the first few minutes with some great interplay but then for the next six minutes it just decends into an aimless jam presumably to show off Emerson's new Yamaha GX-1.Pirates is even worse and what should have been a great Prog Rock Classic just ends up sounding like a complete cheesefest. Overall, this is the first really inessential album by ELP

3 stars only