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Dec 10, 2021 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

Over 50 years after Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed their second concert at Isle of Wight Festival 1970 before a crowd estimated at roughly 600,000, the 7-CD (or 10-LP) box set Out of this World: Live (1970-1997) takes a look back at the prog-rock giants’ strengths as a performing outfit over multiple decades.

Two of their most storied early shows open the collection. The full Isle of Wight set, which was released in 1997 but had gone out of print, is here. With the ambitious “Pictures at An Exhibition” as its lengthy centerpiece, this ELP appearance was at the cusp of progressive rock becoming a commercial force in the ’70s with this trio at its fore. By the time of the second show featured in this box, ELP were a major draw when they co-headlined (with Deep Purple) 1974’s California Jam festival. For those curious, this single-CD version of the Cal Jam show mirrors the out-of-print 2012 release of the set that was released under the name Live in California 1974. While the complete performance is not included (as was the case with the previous release), fans will be glad to see this material available once again, with ELP at the height of their powers during the year of their hit album Brain Salad Surgery. Keith Emerson’s lightning-fast work on “Piano Improvisations” threatens to blur the line between human capability and science fiction.

The box also captures the band at the late stage of their early popularity with the 2-CD Works Live, a Canadian performance from 1977, and looks toward their later years with a 1992 show from London’s Royal Albert Hall and a 2-CD Phoenix, Arizona date from 1997. It’s a collection that will be of obvious appeal to fans, but anyone open to evidence of how a trio of hyper-talented musicians (Carl Palmer is a drumming force of nature throughout) could meld classical elements with rock and find themselves playing stadiums will find it in Out of This World and, as Greg Lake sang, “The show that never ends.” (www.emersonlakepalmer.com)

Author rating: 7/10