Like The Name Says...Nice!
Progboy | Escondido,CA,USA | 11/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's about time that we got a full concert from the Nice rather than the haphazard live selections sandwiched into their later-period official studio releases. I never saw the sense of gluing an indifferently performed version of Rondo onto an album with studio version of For Example;to me,it just seemed to confuse the listener.On the other hand,the studio version of Hang On To A Dream is far better than the overwrought piano piss-fest that is found on the Elegy LP. This is a wonderful concert,with much more in-your-face fullness than I would've expected from a late sixties cassette recording. Each musician shines and the drummer,Brian Davison,(may he R.I.P.,)particularly gives a ferocious performance.His solo in the Ars Longa Vita Brevis Suite is the best thing about that piece in its live incarnation. Lee Jackson holds down the fort with a steady bass,alternately jazzy and experimental,(the old violin bow across the strings,99...the second time it's happened to me this month.." His vocals may leave a lot to be desired,(there,I said it before any of the rest of you..)but he's hardly the worst vocalist I've ever heard; that distinction would go to any dozen of today's over-emoting,panty-less,female posers. Emerson,of course,is Emerson. He is the star here and the obvious focal point of the live presentation. Is it just me,or did Emerson play far more Jazz and Blues licks in the Nice than he did with E.L.P.? No matter,he plays beautifully for the most part here with the occasional I've-Lost-My-Way moment popping up here and there,(the part in Ars Longa Vita Brevis where he disrupts Brian Davison's Gong solo with the usual Emersonian organ twinking.)The version of Hang On To A Dream here is shorter and therefore much more bearable. There are some All-Time Great moments like a very good 13-Minute version of The Five Bridges Suite featuring fantastic ensemble playing from all three members.Rondo is played a lot more viciously than other versions by the Nice,complete with opening locomotive sounds like the later E.L.P. renditions. Brian Davison uses brushes like Carl Palmer never could and there are times you wish Emerson had kept him on as his de-facto drummer. No offence to Mr.Palmer,but he squandered his years with E.L.P. by consistently showing off,composing impossible to fathom drum parts that showcased technique over substance,and in general tried his best to hide the fact that he had no Rock-And-Roll credentials. Brian Davison,by contrast,plays with fire and gut intuition; the way he follows and kicks Emerson is quite joyful.This is the Nice as they were meant to be heard,live and raw.If you are a Nice fan,you'll need this."
Nice Recording
John Gibbs | OCALA, FLORIDA, US | 01/30/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like Keith Emerson you can't go wrong with this one. Well recorded, alot of energy on that stage."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1
