Label: Atlantic Records (Japan), 55XD-668/9
Style: Symphonic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 41:08, 46:04
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 230, 289 Mb
Charts: UK #9, AUS #6, AUT #11, CAN #17, GER #10, ITA #5, NED #17, NOR #11, JP #13, US #12. UK, US & CAN: Gold.
Side one features Emerson's Piano Concerto No. 1, a three-movement work for piano and orchestra. Emerson performs on a Steinway grand piano with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Mayer, who assisted on the orchestral arrangements. He wanted to write a serious piece that would not date itself, with the aim of having it performed by others in the future. Working hard on the score, Emerson looked back on it shortly after the album was released: "I've squeezed every ounce of myself into that thing. And I feel very satisfied." An initial recording session took place at Kingsway Hall in London with mobile studio equipment, but the orchestra had difficulty understanding the score and performers complained of the hall's acoustics, resulting in Emerson "wasting a lot of money." A successful session arose when recording relocated to De Lane Lea Studios. When it came to preparing material for the album, Emerson dedicated a period to "think and write" following his depression after his Sussex home caught fire two years prior, burning his possessions and music he had put down. The work's third movement reflected Emerson's mood at the time of the fire, and he was able to get "a lot of anger" out through the music. In the band's Beyond the Beginning documentary, Lake recalled that Emerson invited composer Leonard Bernstein to listen to the work during his visit to the Paris studio where the recording was being mixed. Upon listening to the work, Bernstein said it "reminded him of Grandma Moses", a folk artist. Emerson, however, did not recall Bernstein saying this.
Side 2 is the Greg Lake side, and consists of acoustic ballads, all of which were written by Lake and Peter Sinfield.
Side 3, the Carl Palmer side, includes a remake of "Tank" from the band's self-titled debut album released in 1970, with orchestral accompaniment and minus the drum solo. "L.A. Nights" features Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh on lead and slide guitar and scat vocals. Two arrangements of classical pieces are included: Two-Part Invention in D minor, BWV 775 by Johann Sebastian Bach and a piece titled "The Enemy God Dances With the Black Spirits", an excerpt of the 2nd movement of the Scythian Suite by Sergei Prokofiev.
Side four. The fourth side features two group-performed pieces. "Fanfare for the Common Man" is an adaptation of the same-titled piece by American composer Aaron Copland. Emerson sought Copland's permission so the group could use it; Copland found their version appealing but was puzzled at the solo section in the middle of two fairly straightforward renditions of his piece.
The 13-minute "Pirates" originated from a piece Emerson had written for a cancelled film version of Frederick Forsyth's book The Dogs of War. When Lake and Sinfield got together to write lyrics for the track, Emerson had told Lake that he wrote it with mercenaries in mind, which Lake found distasteful and wanted the song to be about something else. He conjured images of the sea upon listening to Emerson's piece, which made him think of pirates. Sinfield liked the idea, and the pair wrote words at Lake's mountain chalet. "Pirates" was recorded in two separate studios; Lake had a falling out with the orchestra used in Montreux, so recording moved to Paris with the National Opera of Paris orchestra and conductor Godfrey Salmon. Sinfeld recalled the band wanting Leonard Bernstein to conduct the orchestral arrangements on "Pirates", and arranged for Bernstein, who was conducting at the nearby Opera House, to visit the studio and hear the piece. Lake said: "I pressed the play button, and he put his head in his hands and from beginning to end, he didn't move. If he didn't like something, you would be told he looked at me, and he said, 'The singing's not bad.'. I'm sure he didn't realize that I was the singer". Sinfield remembered Bernstein describing it as "primitive".
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Volume_1)
01. Piano Concerto No.1, First Movement - Allegro Giojoso (09:24)
02. Piano Concerto No.1, Second Movement - Andante Molto Cantabile (02:13)
03. Piano Concerto No.1, Third Movement - Toccata Con Fuoco (06:49)
04. Lend Your Love To Me Tonight (04:05)
05. C'est La Vie (04:19)
06. Hallowed Be Thy Name (04:38)
07. Nobody Loves You Like I Do (04:00)
08. Closer To Believing (05:35)
01. The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits (03:19)
02. L.A. Nights (05:44)
03. New Orleans (02:47)
04. Two Part Invention In D Minor (01:55)
05. Food For Your Soul (04:00)
06. Tank (05:09)
07. Fanfare For The Common Man (09:46)
08. Pirates (13:21)
CD1: TurboBit FikPer FilesPayout DailyUploads
CD2: TurboBit FikPer FilesPayout DailyUploads
All my files: TurboBit FikPer FilesPayout DailyUploads
No comments:
Post a Comment