PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

This album has been reviewed many times already, I don't think I can add anything new, but, this was one of the first Prog albums that blew my mind back around 1987, when I was was in grade 10. I was never one for rocked-up Classics, I only looked into Classical music after getting into Prog, and I still don't honestly like it. And I also don't like pompous music much. Funny. ELP are a band I don't even consider 'pompous' though most people do. Full of flair and virtuosity for sure, cleverly arranged and uniquely inspired, yes, but pompous - I save that for the likes of Queen or Styx in their heyday. I probably don't even understand the meaning of the word 'pompous'..... Anyway, Pictures At An Exhibition is an amazing album, Keith Emerson and his prowess on the Moogs and Hammond Organs (C3 and L100 models - the latter taking the brunt of his maniacal batterings and feed-back extravaganzas), Pipe Organ and occasional Clavinet, Carl Palmer is one of the first amazingly technical Drummers I've ever heard (1st impressions last...) and Greg Lake, lets face it, he's a fairly proficient Bassist and great vocalist. This album is superb. Recently I've been lost in a sea of Krautrock - a far cry from Sympho-Prog ; I just selected this LP out at random and it was such a refreshing listen I thought I'd back it up with a 5 star rating. One very, very exciting recording, and it's live !!