Ironic Title...just another Greatest Hits compilation
JESSE R. MC Glown | Enterprise, AL | 05/28/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The first time I saw this, my heart rate jumped a bit...then dropped back down, realizing that this is yet another greatest hits collection. It is indeed ironic, given the title for this effort, that there are at least two complete 1977 Works Tour concerts accessible at Wolfgang's Vault, yet currently unavailable as even a legal download! You can listen to the streaming audio free ( and if you happen to have a recording device with analog inputs... ). I just don't understand these guys: ELP released two massive sets ( The Manticore Vaults ) of generally horrendous quality bootleg shows; bad recordings and a few embarrassing moments for the band, performance-wise! Yet they ( or their label ) continue to sit on pristine, well-recorded, STRONG performances from 1977...?? What gives, guys?
This album isn't a bad set by any means; it's just that there's nothing new here. It's the same old portrait with yet a new frame! ELP fans deserve better than this reconstituted pan of old beans."