LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL (DVD)

Yoohaa. what a great nostalgia with this great band from the seventies prog! Honestly, I have had the CD format for this live record but it did not really stimulate me to say that it was an excellent show because I merely based on the audio judgment. But with this DVD I can see how great each individual member of ELP plays their role phenomenally. You may complain about the vocal quality of Greg Lake, but that's followed a natural call of human physical quality that erodes with the passages of time. For me, I never complain about vocal quality because I'm sure the singers can do nothing about it. It happens to all singers of great bands of 70s like Steve Walsh, Ian Gillan, Robert Plant, Jon Anderson etc. So in this review I preclude this factor. Indeed, Greg Lake voice is still acceptable - only that he handled it tactfully when the lyrical passages reach high register notes. But it does not disturb the overall music quality of this show.

As in the live cast icon of ELP it has always started with excellent keyboard punches that consciously and subconsciously you get the nuance already. Yes, it blasts off with a rocking yell that welcomes the crowd with "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends .." And continued with the band's legendary and groundbreaking epic "Tarkus" even though it was not performed in its entirety. The first three parts under the epic are quite good to represent the soul of Tarkus epic. The rapid finger punches of Keith Emerson to his Hammond was at a speed of light, combined with solid bass lines by Greg Lake and machine gun and inventive drumming by Carl Palmer are enough to say how excellent the performance was. The floating musical flow of "Stones of Years" rekindles all good memories when the album was launched in very early of seventies. The dynamic structure with wonderful sounds of "Iconoclast" that has characterized the sound of ELP has created another enjoyment pleasure watching the show. The dazzling bass and powerful vocal and melody delivered through the classic "Knife Edge" have made me follow Greg Lake to sing along while watching this DVD.

"From The Beginning" is another legendary track that I love from the band. Unfortunately it's performed purely using acoustic guitar and vocal and removing the ending part with great keyboard and drumming. But it's OK, overall Greg Lake performance was great. "Honky Tonk Train Blues" demonstrates Keith's virtuosity playing his Yamaha piano - great work! The peak of this performance was the "Finale" that comprised Fanfare for The Common Man / America / Rondo where Keith Emerson performed his solo in a crazy way. He turned to an old Hammond organ where he played in acrobatic style performing his solo exploration. A good part was when he fell himself - intentionally - to the crowd and played the organ from the crowd standing point. What an attractive performance.

The overall show performance I give a full five stars. However, set list selection does not really favor me with some songs of their latest Black Moon album. So, I give it a four stars - an excellent addition to any prog music collection. For ELP fans, it's a must owning this DVD. Unlike other prog DVDs, this one has neither bonus track nor extras - just plain show; but it's a rewarding experience. Keep on proggin' .!!

Progressively yours,

GW