3

In 2017 Rockbeat Records gained permission to release this radio recording of 3 in concert at The Ritz in New York City, NY on April 14th, 1988. It was this recording which caused Keith Emerson to rethink his views on the band, contact Robert Berry, and for them to start collaborating again on songs which would appear on '3.2 ? The Rules Have Changed'. Towards the end of 2023 Rockbeat reissued the album again as a double vinyl set with new artwork, and this is what I am currently listening to. When it came to recording the second 3 album Keith had passed away, and Robert undertook the project on his own, but on that night in 1988 it was the full five-piece live band of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Carl Palmer (drums, percussion), Robert Berry (bass guitar, vocals), Paul Keller (guitar), and Jennifer Steele (backing vocals).

I loved 3 when the debut came out, even though I was a diehard ELP fan and had no idea who this American was they had brought into the ranks, and why had the music changed so much? I am not the only one who was somewhat confused, but whereas I found much there to enjoy there is no doubt it created a split audience for the band as some of the people were there to hear ELP perform their lengthy classics (and go away disappointed for the most part, although they open here with "Fanfare") while others wanted to hear their hit single "Talkin' Bout". Listening to this album some 35 years on from when it was recorded one can hear a band in transition, starting to move in a new direction but wanting to bring old fans with them, so while we do get some ELP numbers they are actually songs recorded by ELP which they didn't write themselves. The music was shorter, in your face, with Robert assisting the band in moving in a more commercial direction.

While I and many others think 'Black Moon' is a thoroughly enjoyable album, and significantly better than 'Love Beach', I don't think 3 were ever really given the chance to really prove themselves and I would have loved to have heard a second 3 album back at the time. However, that was not to be, but instead we now have the opportunity to hear a band which many have overlooked. It was in the live arena where they could really shine, and here we have them at the top of their game. Keith sounds as if he is having a lot of fun, without any of the internal stresses which had been taking place over the previous decade and there is a real freedom to the performance. Having owned the debut 3 album since its release in 1988 it is great to be able to finally hear the band live (although I do remember years ago seeing them perform on TV for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert), and I am sure any ELP/3/Berry fans will be pleased to add this to their collection, I am.

Talkin' Bout

As a major fan of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, I have long been familiar with 3 which was an offshoot of that great band featuring Robert Berry instead of Greg Lake. Only one studio album was released under the 3 moniker, To the Power of Three, which came out in 1988. Many years later Keith Emerson and Robert Berry started work on a follow-up under the name of 3.2. Sadly Keith passed away before the album was finished leaving Berry to complete all the music by himself. The result was the excellent The Rules Have Changed which was released in 2018. On that studio record, Berry impressively plays all the instruments himself. But when the time came to take the music on the road, not even a multi-talented guy like Berry could do without a band. So he recruited Paul Keller (who originally toured with 3 back in the 80's) on lead guitar, Andrew Colyer on keyboards, and Jimmy Keegan (from Spock's Beard) on drums. The present 2CD+DVD set, that was very kindly gifted to me by the band themselves, features a full live show by this powerful line-up recorded in 2019.

While the band is super tight and the performance is top notch, the set list can be described as mixed. As expected, the set contains songs from the original 3 album, which is well represented by the epic Desde La Vida, the hit Talkin' Bout, an acoustic rendition of You Do or You Don't, as well as the Byrds cover Eight Miles High. It is nice to hear these songs live, and they surely do them justice. Another very welcome and highly relevant inclusion in the context of 3 is the excellent Last Ride Into the Sun. This terrific song is the absolute highlight of the show for me. Written in the late 80's by Emerson, Berry, and Palmer, it was originally intended for a second 3 album that never came to be. The song eventually ended up on Berry's solo album Pilgrimage to a Point, but it clearly deserves to be more widely heard.

It is surprising to me that The Rules Have Changed is the source of only two songs here: Powerful Man and Somebody's Watching. After all, The Rules Have Changed was the most recent, and at the time one and only, 3.2 album in existence, and I assumed the very reason for which this band was put together. At least I would have wanted to hear more songs from this strong album.

The rest of the set is occupied by songs, mostly covers, that Berry have recorded throughout his career. Berry was the architect of the Magna Carta tribute album series, and they perform songs that appeared on those albums, and in those arrangements. While covering ELP makes a lot of sense within the context of 3.2, covering Yes, Genesis, and Jethro Tull feels out of place. The same must be said about the Christmas tune in the style of Rush! These are essentially fillers.

Such heavy reliance on covers is my main complaint of this live record, especially as they could easily have included more songs from The Rules Have Changed instead. I do hope that this excellent band gets to tour again, especially as they now also have another excellent 3.2 album to draw on. Personally, I would love to see them do a set dominated by songs from To the Power of Three, The Rules Have Changed, and The Third Impression.

A minor complaint concerns the spoken introductions that Berry gives before almost every song. While the stories are indeed interesting and well worth hearing once, it becomes distracting on further listens.

Overall, an enjoyable live record

There is no doubt that one of the most interesting "new" artists to come out in the progressive scene in the last few years has been 3, who in 1988 released an incredible debut album. At the time it was Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer and Robert Berry, and as well as releasing the album they toured, with Paul Keller providing guitar at the live shows. It was many years later that Keith and Robert talked about producing a new 3 album and started writing together before Keith's untimely death. However, multi-instrumentalist Berry completed the album and 'The Rules Have Changed' was released as being by 3.2 in 2018, just 30 years after the debut, and was a resounding success. There was still one song left from the sessions, so Berry then set to and recorded 'Third Impression', creating a complete album in the way he thought Emerson would approve of.

Having undertaken all this work, the question started being made about whether it was also time to create a band to go out on the road and play progressive music from throughout Robert's career. On this album, as well as Robert (bass, acoustic guitar. lead vocals) there is Paul Keller from 3 on lead guitar and vocals, Andrew Colyer (Circuline) on keyboards and vocals with Jimmy Keegan (Spock's Beard), drums, vocals. Instead of playing music just from the 3/3.2 releases, we get "No One Else To Blame" which was written for GTR, and then appeared on Robert's excellent 1993 release 'Pilgrimage To A Point', as well as some of the heavily rearranged covers which Robert was involved with in the 90's tribute albums which were very popular at the time. There is also some ELP material, which Robert and Paul originally played live in 3 back in the day alongside Emerson and Palmer.

What makes this such a fascinating album is that while the music and musicianship is exemplary, as would be expected from all those involved, is that Robert often provides context before each song so that those in the audience unaware of the history is able to understand and become involved. I have followed Robert's career since the debut 3 album all those years ago, and I was learning new things as well. As for those involved in this project, everyone on that stage is an absolute master, which means they can not only cope with the extremely complex and complicated scores but take them to new levels. With both Emerson and Lake no longer with us, this is the closest anyone can get to the original band, and we should all have sympathy with Colyer for having to take on the role of one of the most influential keyboard players of all time.

They have also taken the music and had fun with it, with some of the arrangements being close to the originals and others taken in totally different directions, which certainly makes it interesting to listen to. A great example of this is their version of "Deck The Halls", played in the manner of Rush, with Keegan on lead vocals. Undoubtedly this is now my new favourite Christmas song, as it is totally irreverent, tongue in cheek, and a load of fun. Of course, they then follow it up with "Watcher of the Skies", which takes us on a whole new tangent. The night of 15 wonderful songs ends with "Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression, Part 1)", who could wish for more?

For those who feel the two compact discs containing the concert are not enough will be pleased to know that it is also available with a DVD, so one can watch this incredible band blast through some absolute classics. Now I wonder when the next studio album is coming out?

I always felt that 3, the band formed by Keith Emerson, Carl Palmer and Robert Berry was tremendously under-rated and their solitary album a triumph (I also feel the same way about Emerson, Lake & Powell). Everyone was amazed when news came out that Berry and Emerson had been writing together again and there were plans for a new '3' album as '3.2'. Sadly, that was never to be during Emerson's lifetime, but Berry then sat down and recorded the planned album on his own, bringing their ideas to fruition and the result was the excellent 'The Rules Have Changed.' Most people think of Berry as a guitarist, singer and songwriter, yet he is a full-blown multi-instrumentalist, one of the very few who are an accomplished singer as well as musician.

No-one really expected another 3.2 album, but there was the small matter of "Never", the last song written together by Keith and Robert, so what to do with it? The answer was to write and record another 3.2 album using sounds and styles which would have been approved by Keith and familiar to fans of his work, and yet again the result is superb. Listening to "What Side You're On", one would be hard pressed not to think of Keith as the keyboard sounds are exactly what one would expect from him. Berry has always approached music from a more commercial AOR manner than the classically inspired prog of Emerson, but here has reined in the more overt stylings which one can hear with his work with The Alliance and has again produced an album which could well have been a follow-up to the 1988 classic. This is an album which any fan of the more commercial side of ELP, or 3, will surely love the first time of hearing. Also, Robert has now formed a touring band with keyboard player Andrew Colyer (Circuline), drummer/vocalist Jimmy Keegan from Spock's Beard, guitarist/vocalist Paul Keller, who toured with Keith, Robert, and Carl Palmer on the original '3' tour in 1988 with Robert providing bass and vocals. The live shows are bound to be epic, and perhaps a new album will follow, who knows? This is a sheer delight from beginning to end.

Ooooooh boy, not good, not good. Have you ever had one of those moments where all signs point to a product like an album or a movie or a game or whatever being utter horse manure, yet you suppress your better judgment and waste your precious time, perhaps even money on it anyway out of some faint hope that it'll maybe end up being good? ... Yeah. I knew that this album was released at a time when most progressive rock musicians were being forced to sustain themselves by putting out painfully hackneyed pop rock nonsense for mass consumption, and that Emerson & Palmer had replaced one of the most distinctive voices of the genre by a complete unknown whose biggest claim to fame is this one-time collaboration that nobody remembers, but on the other hand: um? well, it's got a multi-part suite! And hey, Emerson, Lake & Powell turned out to have at least a little bit of merit after all. It's fair to at least expect something of that standard, right? If only we were that lucky?

I don't have proof of this, but I'm convinced that this album was pumped out just to fulfil some sort of contractual obligation. Or maybe the guys just wanted a new car. All I know is that no love went into making this product at all. It is so depressingly devoid of originality and energy that I can't believe anyone involved with its creation went into it with an ounce of passion, outside of the desire to make some cash, much like Love Beach. But at least Love Beach was funny and somewhat self-aware; this is just pathetic.

I'm sorry. I suppose I should start to actually review this album by now. Well, in my review of Emerson, Lake & Powell I was trying really hard to avoid the term 'arena rock' because I thought that was a little too unfairly insulting, but this album compiles all of the worst aspects of generic arena rock. Whereas Emerson, Lake & Powell put the keyboards up front and had almost no guitar at all, this album puts Emerson completely in the background the whole time and instead drowns everything in hair metal-ish guitarwork. And not good guitarwork either. Just a load of primitive power chords to distract you from the complete absence of any worthwhile melodies, harmonies or rhythms. Then of course you alter the drum sound and make sure to remove any and all syncopation in the beats in order to make them sound like they were entered into a [&*!#]ty drum machine, and finally, you make up for the loss of one of rock music's most unique and expressive voices by replacing him with a run-of-the-mill sleazebag who sounds like everyone else in the power pop business. Except it's even worse than that because Robert Berry turns out to not even be cut out for that job. On the 'rocking' tracks he sounds really faint and insecure, while on ballads such as the atrocious "You Do Or You Don't", he just sounds like he's bored of the whole affair. There is only one song on this album that doesn't entirely fit the above description, namely the aforementioned multi-part suite, entitled Desde La Vida. While it's still produced horribly, I can't deny that there's at least an attempt to create something with a "Tarkus" vibe here, at least on the "Frontera" section. But the most intense portion of it only lasts for a couple of seconds before the band lapses into autopilot, and then eventually the arena pop sets back in on "Sangre De Toro". I mean, fair is fair, it does have a surprising little free-form piano solo at some point too but that hardly makes up for everything else.

I can honestly think of very little else to say here because none of the other songs even merit individual discussion. All I'll say is that "Chains" sounds like a poor man's version of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" (which already ranks among the most annoying songs I know) and "On My Way Home" makes me envision being stuck in the middle of a drunken crowd singing along to its inane chorus in a football stadium; to discover that the writing of such a piece of first-degree garbage was credited solely to the great Keith Emerson is almost heartbreaking. Well, this is just getting depressing now so I'm putting an end to this. Under no circumstances listen to this whole album in one sitting if you're keen on retaining your sanity.

In one of my very first reviews I gave 1 star to the poor (in my opinion) GTR which was in my opinion nothing more than an attempt to go commercial by the use of the typical 80s sound and a "hair-metal-like" singer. In this album the vocalist is not that bad. Berry does his best to sound like the Europe, but luckily fails.

For the rest, despite the good musicianship of Berry and the two monsters with him, this album has exactly the same flaws of GTR: an uninspired attempt to hit the pop market.

Strangely in some parts it sounds closer to the YES of Big Generator than to the remains of EL&P. Here and there we can still hear Emerson doing something interesting, but it's hidden between the plastic and the hair spray.

Honestly, if you are not disturbed by the standrdized sound of the worst historical period for music (not only) and need some background for your car, this is fine enough, but there's a so big amount of better stuff, even of the same kind, that I don't see a reason for doing so.

In the rare moments when they forget to look for money they place a decent track like the 5/4 of "Desde La Vida". There's a decent ballad, nothing special: Imagine Neal Morse singing "You Do Or You Don't" (not the chorus that's too trivial).

There's a little bit of the true Keith Emerson on the closer, even though it's stuff already heard.

So it's a useless album but not a complete waste if you need to have every Emerson (and Palmer) release.

Rounded up to two stars.

3.2 is the musical sequel to the legendary group 3 made up of EMERSON, PALMER and singer-instrumentalist Robert BERRY. She gives melodic tracks, AOR, YES, ASIA, ELP and more nervous; the last is precisely the last collaboration with the peerless organist who left suddenly. Berry did almost everything on this album, except of course Keith's keyboards. "Top of the World" for the start with acoustic guitar then synths, from Yes 80's, heavy rhythm to Led Zeppelin and hardy vocals, a bit of Asia, dizzying synths where dexterity transpires with each note; final return more calm which leaves a great impression. "What Side You're On" for a heavy rock short track, I find there the fishing of Gtr solos, fresh keyboards and the verses phrased of a Queen track but shh, everything is fast, nervous and very good , punchy interlude. "Black of the Night" symphonic title, pompous, playful high in note with Irish and Celtic traces, a sound of biniou halfway; pompous prog-AOR development on rare synth traces, grandiloquent air tinged with spleen, a little Toto at times. "Killer of Hope" intimate intro and title to crazy, enjoyable Emerson whirlpools, Berry giving the drums an energetic quirky tempo. "Missing Peace" acoustic guitar, synth, Yes est là, AOR for a rhythmic bass, carpet synth, superb fat guitar solo, a bit of Porcaro, the voice imposes, the catchy chorus, one of my favorites. "A Bond of Union" delicate piano, Springsteen-style crooning voice, warm, slow ballad that makes you shiver with its May-style guitar, progressive with the crystal-clear arpeggio of the piano; introspective title on the importance of family union. "The Devil of Liverpool" 80's synths, hacketian guitar on Gtr, synth keys thrown in clusters! Thundering solo of the moog, a crescendo of notes reminiscent of Asia, Elp, pleasurable to the hoof. "Emotional Trigger" and his bluesy ballad à la Toto, an intimate jazzy piano accompanying this warm voice; the keyboards a little too high and crisp for this track but we suddenly forget that. "A Fond Farewell" for the flagship title on this company which is going really badly, 7/8 synths do you want some here; Berry's well-established voice reminds me of Wetton at times, the synths still twirl and give the dimension of what this organist could do. "Never" and an Elp track like "Trilogy"; A thunderous film intro, it starts with an endless sequel with the typical chorus, go a little APP there, then the break and magic between the keyboards and the guitar on various well-oiled drawers; return to the voices to launch a last solo starting on that of Boston, sufficiently well introduced to want to put in replay. BERRY took up the work left on cassettes to release this exquisite progressive music album, work started thanks to Brian Lane and Carl Palmer (Yes, Asia, A-Ha), with more vocals for easier listening, work done in the pandemic context; a "sunset" as a tribute to Keith and his silver hands; here we have a fusion between Elp, 80's Yes and Asia for a scotching album.

A Fond Farewell

With both Keith Emerson and Greg Lake gone, Robert Berry's 3.2 is the closest we will ever get to new music from ELP - and serious fans of that famous group are going to love this! Third Impression is the second and final album Berry has made under the moniker of 3.2, and the third album overall (hence the title) including the original 3 album from 1988.

The group 3 was essentially ELP, but with Berry instead of Lake, and with a more streamlined approach fitting to the 80's. Many years later, not long before Keith Emerson's death, Emerson and Berry had started working together again, writing songs for what was intended as a late follow-up to To the Power of Three. Sadly, this project was not completed while Emerson was still alive, but amazingly Berry completed and complemented the music they had worked on and this eventually became The Rules Have Changed. That album was released in 2018 - 30 years after To the Power of Three!

That could have been the end of the story, but Berry had one more unreleased song that he and Keith had worked on together. That song now appears on this album together with nine other songs written by Berry alone. I did not expect to ever see another 3.2 album, but Berry has done it again! Like on The Rules Have Changed, Berry sings and plays everything himself, including drums; bass; guitars; and the keyboards, which again sound as if Keith is alive! Berry is multi-talented.

The song co-written with Emerson is Never, which stands up well beside Desde La Vida from To the Power of Three, and Last Ride Into the Sun, a song that was written by Emerson, Berry, and Carl Palmer, but ended up on Berry's solo album Pilgrimage to a Point. Other strong tracks on Third Impression include opener Top of the World and A Fond Farewell, but there are no weak tracks as such. Emotional Trigger is a jazzy piece that brings to mind something from ELP's Works Vol. II.

Overall, I enjoy this as much as I did The Rules Have Changed. If you are a fan of ELP and are hungry for more music in the extended family of that band, you cannot go wrong with Third Impression.

Berry's mark on the world

Before the death of Keith Emerson in 2016, he was working once again with Robert Berry on what was to become a follow-up to the 1988 "3" album. Sadly the two never got to finish their work together, but Berry took what they had written and soldiered in honour of Keith to record the album on his own. The result is really impressive given that Berry plays all the instruments himself, including the excellent and very Emerson-like keyboards. As such, 3.2. The Rules Have Changed is more of a Berry solo album than it is a "3" album, and it is quite different from and a whole lot better than ...To The Power Of Three. To me it is more similar in style and quality to the 2008 Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla album. Fans of Keith Emerson and ELP really ought to have a listen to this.

The back story begins in 1987 when Berry was asked to join Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer in a new band that was to carry on where the Emerson, Lake & Powell project had left off. After one album and a tour, work was started on a second album but it never was completed. A couple of songs from those writing sessions later appeared on Berry's solo album Pilgrimage To A Point in 1993. Much later, in 2015, Berry and Emerson had started working together again and some of that writing now appears on the present album. How close it is to what would have been had Emerson been involved in the actual recording of the album is impossible to say, but 3.2. The Rules Have Changed is certainly a fitting tribute to Keith and a strong album in its own right.

An exceptional album, and fitting tribute to the late Keith Emerson by his friend and fellow musician Robert Berry. Back in 2016 Keith and Robert were working together writing towards a possible new "3" project, but sadly Keith passed away before serious recording had begun. Finally Robert resumed the project on his own, and this album is the end result. At first I found it to be an emotionally difficult listen, but it's really such a rich testament to the artistry these two men shared, and of the talent possessed by Berry that it's an indisputably marvelous achievement. Don't expect this to be a radically progressive album, and it's definitely more of an evolution from the first 3 record rather than a revolutionary take on their style, and no real new ground is broken. That said, the songwriting is stronger than on 'To the power of'', and Robert has added depth to the '3' concept with a more refined and careful production where he plays to the strengths of both his and Emerson's skills and sensibilities. It's unfortunate that Carl Palmer opted not to participate because he is preoccupied with his ELP Legacy touring, however Berry himself is a more than capable drummer, and his take on Palmer's style fits seamlessly. If only this had followed hot on the heels of their 1988 debut, and not 30 years after, we would have seen and heard considerably more from the band. Still, here it is, and we're better off for having it. Thank you Robert, and goodbye again ( with a tip of our hats ) to the master that was Keith Emerson.