Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition

Who said that Rock couldn't go well with Classical Music?

Who would have ever thought that after almost twenty years since the birth of the so-called "disengaged" genre, someone would turn it into a cult genre?

There was the protest music of the "prophet" Bob Dylan,

there was the Beat that, with its "long-haired" musicians, gave a jolt to this genre which many already thought was fading, finished,

there was Psychedelia that, with its "Flower Power," "contaminated" the entire world...

and then...?

and then, there was already a thought of providing yet another proof that Rock wasn't just a type of dance hall music but also of experimentation and intellectualism. Thus Symphonic Rock was born, better known as Progressive Rock.

E, L & P enjoy this new trend so much that they reinterpret Mussorgsky's piano work: "Pictures At An Exhibition," in a modern way.

The three do not just content themselves with rearranging classics like "Promenade," "The Old Castle," or "The Hut Of Baba Yaga," but also incorporate their own compositions into the musical context. The parts written by Emerson & Co. blend with Mussorgsky's compositions, making it difficult to distinguish when the composer's part ends and when the group's begins, (unless the listener already knows Mussorgsky's parts).    
The idea would be presented and recorded only live (the only studio version can be found on the album "In The Hot Seat").

It starts with the aforementioned "Promenade," an epic melody played by Emerson's organ, which we'll find several times throughout the record, becoming more magical each time. Rolling percussion, "slapped" bass and aggressive keyboards... this is how "The Gnome" is introduced, then an eerie Hammond riff, distorted electric guitar, Moog improvisations... and once again Hammond keys give us spellbound notes. It continues with the second reprise of "Promenade," this time made even more fantastic by the lyrics and Lake's sweet... almost "adolescent" voice. "The Sage," a melody written and performed by Lake, introduced by a lunar Hammond keyboard and an epileptic Moog, which after a rising of sounds gives way to a guitar arpeggio, enchanting us with Lake's voice, reaching deep within the soul. "The Old Castle" is rearranged according to Emerson, starting with dizzying Moog solos, then bass and drums come in to kick off a fast melodic keyboard passage. "Blues Variations," as the title suggests, is a blues written by all three members, with instruments seemingly chasing each other, only to rest in a keyboard solo. Once breath is caught, the race resumes, leading to the third and final reprise of "Promenade," now played by the whole group, reaching the legendary pinnacle that this composition knows how to be. It moves forward with "The Hut Of Baba Yaga (Part One)," characterized by a "call and response" keyboard start, then continuing in a riff that becomes faster with a compelling Palmer following along. "The Curse Of Baba Yaga" is a composition by our guys, providing continuity to one of the previous pieces, "The Gnome," resuming the Hammond riff, the start characterized by a distorted and immediately after rhythmic bass, while in the background we notice a "tense" Emerson, then as usual, a beautiful Moog solo. Lake's voice here isn't as delicate as usual, but rather piercing, with Palmer aptly complementing it all. Following is "The Hut Of Baba Yaga (Part Two)," executed in the same way as the first part. "The Great Gates Of Kiev" is Mussorgsky's composition, enriched by lyrics and Lake's singing, during which the famous "Promenade" melody returns, this time faster, yet still imbued with magic. Here we also find a wild Emerson, performing one of his "compilations" of noise with his keyboards. Now the performance seems to be over... but noooo...! The trio goes wild for the finale, an encore. The piece is taken from The Nutcracker and renamed by Kim Fowley "Nutrocker" (original title "The Nutcracker"), with Fowley also handling the arrangement, making it a more modern version, with Palmer being the most enthusiastic, giving us one of his drum solos as only he knows how to do.

We've reached the end... and I must say it wasn't easy to review this album... but it was worth it!