DVDs in Review

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Pictures at an Exhibition

Title: Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Pictures at an Exhibition (1970)

Release date: July 26 2010

Certificate: 12

Format: DVD

DVD RRP: £15.99

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

The first thing you may notice with ELP’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ concert DVD is that Keith doesn’t do himself many favours with his horribly dated outfit – he looks more like a Christmas cracker or Noel Fielding than he does a proper rock star – but this doesn’t affect his craft. He is an inventive keyboardist while Carl Palmer offers some interesting grooves on the drum which Greg Lake’s bass, guitar and vocals swirl around brilliantly in some sort of freeform staccato madness.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer may not be everyone’s cup of tea (and their music is very much fixed in the era of extended 70s instrumental prog rock) but they’re a transfixing band that went against convention to great success, selling millions of records. This DVD showcases them in an intimate theatre venue, showboating to a loyal crowd who don’t seem to mind the long interludes without any vocals.

‘The Sage’, for example, is a standout acoustic track allowing Lake to take centre stage well for some breathtaking melodic picking bookended by sincere vocals, but the rest of the band hardly slouch around for the other tracks. This concert reveals the band to be a little more outgoing and friendly than their dreary, somewhat pretentious reputation would have many believe.

If you like the band, the concert itself is top notch, but the way it’s filmed is ludicrously out of date, brimming with naff psychedelic effects that get in the way of the performance. Worse still it was shot on tape, not film, which gives the whole DVD an unfortunate softness and not much clarity. Still, this is a solid transfer considering and a yardstick introduction to the band.

‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ was recorded at London's Lyceum Ballroom on December 9, 1970. Here is the set list:

Pictures at an Exhibition:
1) Promenade 2) The Gnome 3) Promenade 4) The Sage 5) The Old Castle 6) Blues Variation 7) Promenade 8) The Hut Of Baba Yaga 9) The Curse Of Baba Yaga 10) The Hut Of Baba Yaga 11) The Great Gates Of Kiev 12) Take A Pebble 13) Knife Edge 14) Rondo

Bonus: Pop Shop 1971
1) Interview 2) Rondo 3) Nutrocker 4) Take A Pebble 5) Knife Edge 6) Blues Jam / Nutrocker