WORKS VOL. 1

This was the first prog album I ever bought so it has a lot of fond memories. I'd never heard such a wide range of material performed by one group before - a Piano Concerto, big band jazz, acoustic ballads and symphonic heavy rock. It really opened up the ears to the possibilities of music.

Yes, it's not a proper group album but there is still plenty of good music here. Emerson's Piano Concerto holds up well to my mind and showcases his jazzy influences as much as his classical ones in terms of style. Love the ferocious final section - Toccata con Fuoco indeed! Lake's side has some good songs (C'Est La Vie, Lend Your Love to Me Tonight and Hallowed Be Thy Name) but can get a bit MOR-ish and samey. Palmer's is highly enjoyable with an orchestrated version of Tank which swings more than the original, and Food For Your Soul which features some of the most explosive drumming he's ever done (up there with Buddy Rich and Gene Kroupa in my opinion).

Group side: It was hearing the Fanfare For the Common Man single that got me to buy the album and I love the dirty and mean sounding Yamaha GX-1 improvisations on this extended version, backed by Lake's grumbling low register bass. Pirates - camp as a row of tents but no less enjoyable for that with a powerful performance and a great sense of derring-do. They ought to sue the makers of Pirates of the Caribbean for a credit as I'm sure they have been listening to this.

With hindsight they should have done what Yes did in 1975/76 and got the solo albums out their system before reconvening to make a killer group album a la Going for the One - but I still think Works I makes for a very entertaining listen.