ELP - 1977 WORK LIVE

(Review from wikipedia, allmusic)

ELP's live album documenting their late 70s period was released posthumously in 1979, more as a contract-fulfilling album, since the band had broken up before then. It was recorded at the August 26, 1977 show at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Originally released with the title "In Concert", it was re-released with the addition of more tracks from the same concert, this time under the name "Works Live".

The band hired a 70-piece orchestra for some concerts of this tour but eventually had to dismiss the orchestra due to budget constraints that almost bankrupted the group. On the original album, the orchestra was featured in 4 tracks, the re-release adds 4 more orchestral tracks. Similar to most live albums, In Concert showcased fan favourites of previously released material. However, "Peter Gunn", ELP's take on the classic TV theme song, was never released on any of their other albums to date. ELP frequently opened with this song on the Works Volume II tour.

The set list is the widest ranging of their entire history, reaching back to "Knife Edge" (from their first album) and reviving "Abaddon's Bolero", an instrumental from Trilogy, plus a brace of tracks of all proportions from both Works albums.

There is a real sense listening to this album, however despite some light and disarming moments, that you're really listening not so much to a band as to three personalities just chomping at the bit to go solo. Lake's featured numbers were, by now, so guitar-focused that they sounded like a separate body of music, which they were. Carl Palmer, who had fully come into his own as a creative musician by this time had also achieved a distinct voice, matching that of the other two members.

The recording was done in a stadium, so it lacks the acoustics of other venues designed for music concerts. ELP isn't as fiery as we were accustomed to in their early 70s concerts. Nevertheless, it's a fair representation of the live late 70s ELP.

Track List :
CD1
01. Introductory Fanfare - 0:53
02. Peter Gunn - 3:35
03. Tiger In A Spotlight - 4:09
04. C'est La Vie - 4:15
05. Watching Over You - 3:59
06. Maple Leaf Rag - 1:14
07. The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits - 2:47
08. Fanfare For The Common Man - 10:56
09. Knife Edge - 5:04
10. Show Me The Way To Go Home - 4:20
CD2
01. Abaddon's Bolero - 6:04
02. Pictures At An Exibition - 15:43
03. Closer To Believing - 5:30
04. Piano Concerto No.1 Third Movement: Toccata Con Fuoco - 6:42
05. Tank - 12:37

Line-up :
- Keith Emerson / keyboards
- Greg Lake / vocals, bass, guitar
- Carl Palmer / drums, percussion
with
- Diane Duguay, Jacques Lareau, Jeffrey Meyer, Claudette Roy, Yves Saint-Amant, Marjorie Sparks / singers
- Bruce Dukoff / concert master
- Godfrey Salmon / orchestra conductor