IN THE HOT SEAT

What became the final studio album by this '70s prog trio was an album more shamelessly commercial than 'Love Beach' but better than that album by a whisker due to 'Hand Of Truth', 'One By One', 'Street War' and the studio re- recording of 'Pictures At An Exhibition' (which itself was a bonus track recorded in 1993 for a box set).

All of the aforementioned tracks are ELP songs in spirit and performance. The rest of the album however, is sketchier. Greg Lake's heartbreaking ballad about a lost- presumably murdered little girl- called 'Daddy' feels too heavy to be on an ELP album and as effective as it is, seriously disrupts the momentum. 'Heart On Ice' is syrupy, lame AOR which also feels like fodder for a Greg Lake solo project while 'Give Me A Reason To Stay', 'Change', and 'Gone Too Soon' don't fare much better- the latter being particularly devoid of character. ' 'Thin Line' does offer Palmer a chance to show some chops but as a song, is more reminiscent of 'The Gambler' from 'Love Beach' in its use of female backing vocalists. 'The Man with the long black coat' is a cinematic take on a Bob Dylan song and if nothing else, it does suit Lake's darkly nicotine affected voice. A very sad ending whimper for a once restlessly energetic supergroup.

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