WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS

This recording has a very special flavour for me. The supporting tour for "Brain Salad Surgery" did pass in Brussels in 1974 (although I could not find the precise date any longer - I think it was in May, but I do not have the ticket any longer). Anyway, I remember that I bought the cheapest category of tickets for their show at Forest National. Bizarrely, there were two (or maybe even three) price categories which was not the use in those days at FN for a rock concert.

So, with my cheap ticket (150 BEF, almost 4 ? !) I expected to sit far away from the stage. But I gave it a try and went through the doors from below and nobody was controlling...So I rushed as close as possible from the stage and ended up maybe ten to fifteen meters from there. I sat down on the cement and waited to see my first prog concert. And what an experience it was for a fifteen years-old kid !

The live record was of course not issued and I discovered for the first time, the words :"Welcome Back My friends To The Show That Never Ends, Emerson, Lake and Palmer" and here we go for a really lenghty concert.

The songs recorded for this (short) triple album (it could have fit on a double one actually) were only a part of the whole. I remember that the concert finished rather late that night even if no support act was playing (fortunately). The concert hall was far from being full, maybe 4,000 people out of a 7,000 capacity (but I am not even sure we were so many).

I do not remember which were the encores (sorry guys but it is a very long time ago, but we probably got "Pictures" partially or even in full). It was the time for Keith to perform all his excesses with the old organ devoted to this: jumping on it, playing with knifes, shaking it up and down like crazy. For sure, it was an integrant part of the show and the audience was very enthusiastic during these moments.

You know, in those days very little footage of rock bands were shown on the national Belgian TV (although we had a wonderful programme called Pop Shop where the greatest one will come and play in studio (Genesis, Supertramp and many, many others).

So, even if the fame of ELP shows had been described in the press, people were curious to check whether or not these stories were true. And believe me, they were. Nowadays, we can get this confirmed with the abundant ELP footage released on DVD.

As far as this live release is concerned, there will be some great (a lot), some good (a lot) and some very poor ones (the suite "Jeremy Bender & The Sheriff" of course). The whole of Brain Salad Surgery will be played. "Karn Evil" being even a bit extended (!) to thirty-five minutes. Actually, there was a Carl solo not featured on the studio album that is the cause of this.

As far as great moments are concerned, IMO "Jerusalem", "Tarkus" (the track in its entirety with a nice wink to "Epitaph" around minute fifteen), "Karn Evil One & Three" are the best numbers of this album. "Take A Pebble" is another very good moment as well. A bit behind maybe.

I mentioned in my review for "Brain..." that "Tocatta" works better live. I believe it is clearly demonstrated here. The same applies to "Karn Evil II" which I did not like to much in its original form.

I have a more mixed feeling about the "Piano Improvisations" and I really believe that "Hoedown" was not the best choice to open an ELP show (I would have preferred to get the classic "Barbarian" instead but since they have used it a lot in their early days, it was time to get another one (but still...). But all in all this is a very good live album with a pretty good sound as well.

All in all, it was a great prog debut concert for me. The next one would be in April 1975 (on the twelve, same hall), to watch "The Lamb". But this is another story.

Four stars for this one.