FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN

I am stunned that nobody has reviewed this single yet. It is in fact a single I cherished in the 70s when "Works 1" was way too expensive for my teenage budget. I knew the single was great and I wanted it. I remember well as a young wide-eyed teen getting this single due to the over saturation of the track as a theme song on many TV shows.

Instantly I loved it for all the reasons we all love ELP; huge Hammond stabs, bombastic trumpet flares, and that crazy pulsating bass synth not to mention crunching drumming signature; it is a masterpiece. It was one of the catchiest tunes on the radio and of course the longer version was hidden among the mediocrity of "Works 1".

Side 2 is Brain Salad Surgery that rarely troubled my stylus but it was OK and I thought it was better than some B sides I had heard in the 70s, throwaways that garnered little attention more than a mere filler. Here then is a bonafide ELP classic single and it should be treated with royalty with 4 stars for collectors to savour.