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LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

     
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Movie Details

Studio: PID
Format: DVD
Theatrical Release Date: 02/23/2007
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 1
Languages: English
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Movie Reviews

Some very good, some bad, but mostly boring
kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 09/19/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a live album to support the Black Moon album after the group got back together in 1992. It is 70 minutes long. I doubt that it represents the whole concert, because the group usually plays for 2 hours. There are only 3 really good tracks on this album.

The sound quality is pretty good, but there is a buzz that comes and goes. It is most pronounced at the beginning. The dynamic range is OK but could be better. Sometimes the mix is muted and at times, you don't get to hear Palmer the way he should be heard.

Don't be fooled by the first track, Karn Evil 9. It is only a one minute excerpt where there sing Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends. It is how the group always starts a show, just like Roger Waters always starts with In The Flesh.

The album moves right into a fantastic 9 minute excerpt from Tarkus. This is one of the best things ever by the group. It is very lively and much better than the studio version. It sets up high hopes for the rest of the album, which are soon disappointed.

Next is Knife Edge, which is fairly good, but rather short and not the best version of the song.

From there, the album becomes boring until the end. The new material is not very good, and the band plays it just like the studio versions. For those who hated the acoustic version of Lucky Man on Welcome Back My Friends, here is a complete version with the Moog solo at the end. But, it is played just like the studio version.

In the middle is one very nice track, Creole Dance, that is an interesting keyboard solo.

The second to the last track is Pirates, which sounds like a boring show tune. It wasn't good on Works, and nothing is done to change it on this album. The group should leave this kind of thing to Gilbert and Sullivan.

The last track is a medley of Fanfare for the Common Man, America and Rondo. It's start out fairly routine, just covering the main themes of Fanfare and America. It gets very lively when it breaks into Rondo. America and Rondo come from Emeron's days with the Nice.

This album is definitly better than the dreadful Works-Live. But, Welcome Back My Friends is far superior to either. Another great album to get is Nice-The Swedish Seesions. That has a really raw, energetic version of Rondo."
Good, but nowhere near "Welcome back my friends..."
Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 09/22/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)

"When you approach the discography of Emerson Lake and Palmer, you are sure to find a dozen or maybe more "Best of" albums trying to summarize the true essence of the band. The truth is that none of them accomplish that. If you want an album, live or recorded in studio, that brings out the soul of the band, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends," not this one, has to be your choice.ELP was a trio of virtuoso musicians, each of which continues to be recognized as one of the best at his instrument of all times. Keith Emerson played the piano and keyboards as a true maestro. Greg Lake (who started with prog-rock school, King Crimson) was a magician with his voice, the bass guitar and the acoustic guitar. And Carl Palmer, who ended up in Asia after ELP part I, I consider to be one of the fastest and most precise drummers there is, along with Phil Collins and Rush's Neil Pert.Unfortunately, at this point in their careers (1992), you can tell that they're not the same as they were back in the 70s: Lake's voice has grown thick, and Emerson has suffered from severe health problems which affected the band for a few years after the release of the "Black Moon" (their studio recording that preceeded this live album). Thinking about it, it's not fair to expect them to be the same giants of 20-30 years ago, but being objective, this is not their best live production. However, I give it four stars."
What's with those electronic drums, Carl?
Francis King | Calgary, AB, Canada | 06/19/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)

"This could have been a great live album. Heck, it SHOULD have been. Even with Greg Lake's limited vocal range (hear how he tries, and fails, to reach the studio standard of Pirates). But then Carl Palmer starts bashing those awful, AWFUL electonic drums. And no matter how good the band as a whole sounds, I can't get past that."
One of the best live concerts
Manny Hernandez | 10/18/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"ELP together again and touring a great new album (Black Moon, 1992). Highly recommended. You get a good selection of songs, the older ones improved with the benefit of the latest Keyboard and Drum technology. "Pirates" sounds incredible on this disc. Emerson is amazing, and Palmer is at his energetic best, adding fierce double-bass patterns to an already complex song."