Emerson, Palmer and Berry "3" - 2017 - Rockin' the Ritz. NYC 1988 [mini-review]

(78:35; Liberation Hall)

Progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer have existed in a few different variations over the years, and one of the short-lived variations of the band was the project 3 that came and went in the second half of the 1980's with US musician Robert Berry taking the place of Greg Lake. Berry has since revived the 3 project as his own creative vehicle and continued the legacy of that venture with further studio albums. This archival live album is with the original trio however, a production first released on CD in 2017 and with a vinyl version appearing now in 2023. It is interesting to hear this band skip back and forth between the more AOR-tinged original material they had on their sole studio album at the time and the more complex songs from ELP's earlier history, and the show as such indicates to me that the style and sound chosen for the 3 project was a very deliberate one. Otherwise I do find this live album to be one with more of a niche or fan appeal, as the sound quality isn't all that great with the music coming across as a bit distanced and muted. Rather than making you feel that you are at the concert you get the feeling that you are in the hall just outside of the stage if you like. Hence this isn't an album you buy because you want to experience the sounds of a great concert, but rather one you acquire because it is one of the very few live recordings that exist with this specific version of ELP, and one of exceedingly few that have been preserved from this specific era of the band. An interesting live experience on many levels, but ultimately this is one for more die hard fans first and foremost.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, November 2023

Links:
http://www.liberationhall.com/