WORKS VOL. 2

"Works Volume 2"....a collection of tracks which as a whole don't sound very "connected" with each other in a coherent way. That is... ELP playing Jazz, Ragtime, Blues, Rock and Roll, acoustic guitar ballads...but not really Prog Rock. All these tracks are played very well, with each one of the members of the band showing their skillls to play in any musical style that they wanted to play. After all, they are very good musicians. But... Maybe they were trying to find more musical sources of "inspiration" for the late seventies. Maybe they left all their energies in the recording of their "Works Volume 1" album. Maybe this "Works Volume Two" album also could be considered as another "contract obligation album" for their record label like their "Love Beach" album from 1978. With this "Works Volume Two" album having several outtakes from albums like "Brain Salad Surgery", some B-sides of singles, some solo tracks previously released as solo singles....well, I don't think that there really was a good plan behind the release of this "Works Volume 2" album, other than to release another album to fill a contract. I'm not going to write a detailed description of each track. Some previous reviewers here in PA have done that in a very good way. After their "Works Volume 1" album, it seems to me that the real inspiration and energy to work together as a band was gradually gone. I even can't mention "a best track" in this album. An album for the most dedicated fans of the band.