EXTENDED VERSIONS: THE ENCORE COLLECTION

"Extended versions" is a rather misleading title for a series of record label cash in CDs by various bands. The CDs released under this title contain previously released live versions of tracks, which may or may not be longer than the originals. A quick glance at the track timings will reveal that a number of the tracks are in fact shorter than their studio counterparts.

In the case of this release dedicated to ELP, the material is extracted from their "King Biscuit Flower Hour" live album. Not all the tracks from that collection are here though, and many of those which are sound far better on the "Work's live" album.

The track titles will already be familiar to ELP fans, but don't expect to hear some lost gems or extended versions in the usual sense, i.e. with extra verses, extended instrumental breaks, dub remixes(!) etc.

The way these tracks have been gathered together is rather haphazard. They represent neither ELP's best tracks, not their most accessible, in many ways I would suggest a better title would have been "Works live volume 2", reflecting its similarities to the disappointing "Works volume 2" compilation.

For ELP completionists only.