Cherry Red Records
I probably haven’t watched this gig for a good fifteen years. Having bought the imported DVD somewhere around 2007, a few years later, it vanished without trace. It was either lent and never returned, borrowed without asking or, as I suspect, disappeared along with another fifty-odd DVDs when moving house. The point is, I’ve forgotten how I felt about it back then and so am coming to it with fresh ears. More of a re-discovery than a re-release, it’s very pleasing to have it back in my collection.
It sounds so much better than I remember. The production and mastering are clear; the mix and separation add much to the interaction between the musicians and Greg’s voice, always sonorous, seems to envelope the entire band in it, rather than just sing over them. Having five musicians and two backing vocalists on stage as well as the man himself obviously give the ELP numbers far more depth. The sheer beauty of “From the Beginning” and the powerhouse arrangement of “Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression - Part 2)” lay testament to just how good the songs are outside the three-piece format. I doubt there is a better version of the former ever recorded. It’s not all adaptations though. Greg has carefully selected the songs and the arrangements to please the most hardcore ELP fans so whilst “Pictures at an Exhibition” benefits dynamically for having a full band, “Lucky Man,” with Carl’s subtle drum fills and that iconic Moog solo from Keith at the end, are faithfully reproduced from the album version (with a few extra dynamics).
As well as ELP, we get Emerson, Lake & Powell, King Crimson and songs from Greg’s solo albums. Collectively, it’s a formidable selection that reminds you he left us a body of work unlike no other - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. It’s also a great representation of just how versatile his voice was. From the quieter moments in “Farewell to Arms” to the power of “The Great Gates of Kiev” in “Pictures at an Exhibition,” his voice never falters, delivering pure emotion on every word. Incidentally, I am of the opinion that “Farewell to Arms should be played at the start of every meeting of NATO, the G7, G8, etc. It would be a good reminder of exactly where our world leaders are and who they represent.
The world will never see another Greg Lake. Singer, song writer, bassist and guitarist who played unimaginable inversions of chords, we are fortunate to have lived on earth at the same time as him. In the future, this recording will be testament to his talent for those that were not as fortunate as us.
Track List
Disc 1
In The Court of The Crimson King
Paper Blood
From The Beginning
Touch And Go
Take A Pebble
I Believe in Father Christmas
Farewell To Arms
Disc 2
Fanfare For the Common Man
Love You Too Much
Footprints In the Snow
Lucky Man
21st Century Schizoid Man
Pictures At an Exhibition
Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression - Part 2)
Disc 3 – DVD
All of above plus:
Welcome Backstage
St. Bride's [I Believe in Father Christmas]
The Band Documentary
Video courtesy of Greg Lake YouTube Channel
CD + DVD
GREG LAKE
LIVE 2005
ALBUM
THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS
CHAPTER TWO - OLYMPUS MONS
Conquest Music
In case you don’t know, The Book Of Revelations is, for the most part, just one man – Gerard Freeman. It’s fair to say that Gerard is a Classic Prog Rock polymath. Beyond an enthusiast, he’s a mastermind in its composition and instruments that borders on genius – a word that I do not lightly or frequently. His first offering in 2023, Chapter One - The Plumes Of Enceladus, is an incredible throwback that I described at the time as “the album Genesis would have made if Peter Gabriel hadn’t left.” Listening to it two years on, I’m still discovering new things in it.
Whether by accident or design, the opening track of Olympus Mons follows on very nicely from the fade out on the previous album. More of the same musically then and whilst there is some more Ancient Greek writing/Greek mythology in this one, the stories are brought up-to-date and hence the lyrics are easier to comprehend. For those of you who would like something even lighter, the opening song is about that fixture of British television, Antiques Roadshow – there’s diversity for you. Indeed, this second helping is a lot more accessible all the way through in that the songs are more individual as opposed to Chapter One which is beginning to end epic. Don’t worry it’s as Prog as Prog can be but more Selling England/Wind & Wuthering than The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
The production is also true to the classic era. Not so much in the way it was recorded as modern technology was used but the warmth of analogue sounds committed to tape is there. Double-tracked vocals, Mellotrons and Moogs, delicate 12-string guitars, etc, some enhanced by lush reverbs, others left raw, the overall effect giving a lot of depth to the recordings. Vocally, on the previous album, Gerard was pretty much Peter Gabriel but on Chapter Two, more of his timbre comes through, especially on the quieter songs, 'Bacchus Up' and 'Safe As Sofas'; it’s quite delightful. Three other musicians make contributions and deserve a mention as well: Joe Donegan played drums on all tracks apart from the opener which was done by Glenn Charles and Mark Worledge added a couple of some nifty guitar parts.
Classic Prog hasn’t been done this well for close to half a decade. 1977 was the beginning of the end for ELP, Yes, Genesis and their peers but reverence for the music those bands wrote and recorded in the decade when they created the genre, has never diminished. For those of you that hold that stuff close to your hearts, this is most definitely an album for you. For all other music lovers, there is plenty in here for you to discover.
Track List
Grand Prix
Bacchus Up
The Celebrated Axeman
Debacle In The Retirement Home, Part I
Debacle In The Retirement Home, Part II
Debacle In The Retirement Home, Part III
Safe As Sofas
Theophilia and Theophoboa
All The Way To Cedar Life
The Collapse of The Firewall
The Liberated Labyrinth