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Emerson, Lake & Palmer

From page 71 of Classic Rock Magazine January 1999

Cover of January 1999 issue.

Then & Now

(Eagle EDGC00401

** Prog meisters ELP's eighth live album, if you count 'Pictures At An Exhibition;live At The Isle Of Wight' and the recently released 'Live On he King Biscuit Flower Hour And although 'Then & Now' doesn't live up to the impressively proportioned 'Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends...; it's still a far better set than, say,'Works Live' or 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall:

Featuring new Giger artwork (a /a 'Brain Salad Surgery'),'Then & Now' is, as, the title implies, a set of material from 1974's California Jam' and tracks drawn from the trio's 1997 tour.

The earlier stuff, taken from a night when co-headliners Deep Purple threw a predictable strop and refused to go onstage until dusk had fallen, as close to classic ELP as you can get. Emerson decided it would be best for all concerned if he were to play his piano solo on a spinning piano 30 feet in the air (whatever). Opening with the electronic percussion of 'Toccata' and featuring 'Lucky Man;'Take A Pebble' and, of course,'Karn Evil 9' (First Impression part 2 and Third Impression); it's the sound of a band at heir prime.

The newer material sees ELP finally at peace with themselves after years of splitting up and different permutations of the band (3 and Emerson, Lake & Powell). Opening with the never-before-heard live version of'A Time And A Place' you still get 'Karn Evil 9; but there's also personal favourite 'Tiger In A Spotlight'Fanfare For The Common Man' and a take on King Crimson's '21st Century Schizoid Man' which segues into The Nice's 'America', while they dedicate the bombastic'Touch & Go' to the late Cozy Powell, whic adds a nice touch.

Jerry Ewing