Emerson, Lake and Palmer — ‘Live in California 1974’
“Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends,” announces Greg Lake on the stirring “Karn Evil 9: First Impression, Pt. 2.”
Indeed the legendary show continues for ELP fans this holiday season with the Shout! Factory’s first-ever official release of the band’s historic performance at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, Calif., on April 6, 1974. This latest offering features ELP at the height of their popularity and captures a nearly flawless showing by the progressive rock trio. For those fans who savor albums that document monumental periods in music, the archival material from this California music festival is a musical piece of paradise. Highlights of the album include amazing performances of the acoustic ballads “Still…You Turn Me On” and “Lucky Man.” I’m not ashamed to confess that hearing the pair of classic ELP arrangements produced chills as I fondly recalled purchasing the band’s debut album as a teenager and being mesmerized by Lake’s majestic vocals, Keith Emerson’s phenomenal keyboard prowess and Carl Palmer’s stupendous drumming skills. All of these attributes are on full display as the band shines on dazzling versions of “Toccata” and “Take a Pebble,” while closing with the epic interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky’s work “Pictures at an Exhibition.” This California music festival which featured Rare Earth, Earth, Wind and Fire, Seals and Crofts, Black Oak Arkansas, the Eagles, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, attracted an estimated 250,000 fans and was broadcast on network television. Talk about a show for the ages. I may have been a touch too young to attend the festival, but after a quick search on the Internet, I discovered a DVD of the show featuring over five hours of performances from all the bands on the festival bill. Looks like my Christmas list now includes a little taste of 1974. Welcome back my friends.