Review:
King Biscuit Flower Hour means prestige. Or it should mean prestige. And, for progressive rock, it isn’t just a separate thing. Off-topic, legendary names like Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs, Gentle Giant, Rick Wakeman, GTR, Kansas or Uriah Heep have made their appearance, then released a moment of such caliber, either as a spontaneous reflection, but mostly as a remember point in their history. Emerson, Lake & Palmer proceed in the same manner, releasing this as an "unreleased feature". Imposing enough, justified as well. They are undoubtedly a definitory name in this music (although I personally regard them as anything else but giants). And such a performance is among the notable. Now about them I can only add an attention mark, one that goes as a generalization of Emerson, Lake & Palmer second discographic phase mentality. The fact that live albums are plenty, King Biscuit Flower Hour isn’t the only pretentious location they’ve been or the most notable concert they’ve performed, then released and that not everything is golden material. Concerning them, the numerous live releases, plus the repetition of the repertoire, that reaches valences of insanity, if you ask me, are factor of hazard, of great risk and, in the case it is not of great value, of damaged, forgettable perception (about this I’ve discussed, for example, in my Live In Poland review, even if as a prologue or an allusion). This one turns out suitable, but nothing higher than that. It isn’t a bad choice, but it isn’t imperative to have it. Fact is that the live act casualism and constant mentality strikes the same in this one as it does in almost all. But it strikes in a less ugly way. The character of Emerson, Lake & Palmer shines enough to impress and attract appreciation.

The main image of Emerson, Lake & Palmer-King Biscuit Flower Hour is a repertoire based on Works. That means that there isn’t genuine value or great music to be heard, for the original album are manifests of modest ideals and, sometimes, even strange maneuvers. Plus, straight to the point I’ll say it, a commercial impulse. For the delight of the audience you will hear during the concert (or, better said, that they don’t forget to add to the album’s ambiance, for impression and intuition) is only the delirious charmed responses to a music that attracts the most out of the entire Emerson, Lake & Palmer repertoire. Exception to that is the second disc (which is staggering abrupt as length compared to the clustered one), in which Karn Evil 9 is the notable quality of all, as always.

To be honest, I like this and I enjoy it, though as concept it would be far from my wish. It’s something of the moment, but it’s enjoyable and it serves a good feeling and close to veritable reflection (my words regarding the modesty of Works remain intact...). Thinking not only to me, but to a general expression, I don’t see any reason why this would not please and comfort the fans or even the listeners that search such a message. More than that, a quality exists and it made me feel interested and content as well. Emerson does a precise, accurate, pure keyboard manifest. Lake is bohemic to good valences of the word. And Palmer is defined only by the special moments, but he sure does those moments in a more than fashionable manner. But I think giving it too much credit wouldn’t be fair either. The place it has (symbolically marked with three stars) is an acknowledging one. To be even more optimistic (not that I’m exaggerating or anything), out of "them all", this one is a thumbs up.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer-King Biscuit Flower Hour. Do try it.

Track List:
1. Peter Gunn Theme (3:44)
2. Tiger In A Spotlight (4:23)
3. C'est La Vie (4:21)
4. Piano Improvisation (5:40)
5. Maple Leaf Rag (1:17)
6. Drum Solo (1:26)
7. The Enemy God (2:46)
8. Watching Over You (4:14)
9. Pirates (13:29)
10. Fanfare For The Common Man (8:21)
11. Hoe Down (4:24)
12. Still, You Turn Me On (3:03)
13. Lucky Man (3:09)
14. Piano Improvisation (7:10)

Log:

EAC extraction logfile from 26. November 2006, 16:03 for CD
Emerson, Lake & Palmer / Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour

Used drive  : TOSHIBA DVD-ROM SD-R5002   Adapter: 1  ID: 0
Read mode   : Secure with NO C2, accurate stream, disable cache
Read offset correction : 116
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No

Used output format : Internal WAV Routines
                     44.100 Hz; 16 Bit; Stereo

Other options      : 
    Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
    Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
    Installed external ASPI interface


Range status and errors
Selected range
     Filename D:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\ELP\Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour.wav

     Peak level 89.1 %
     Range quality 99.9 %
     CRC C3B5C0FE
     Copy OK

No errors occured

End of status report