Emerson, Lake & Palmer : In the hot seat

ELP’s ninth and final studio album was first released in September 1994. Produced by Keith Olsen,In The Hot Seat was an appropriate name, given that the trio was under pressure to consider adopting more commercial material. Keith Emerson had also begun to suffer weakness in his fingers that affected his playing and had to undergo surgery to cure the problem. Understandably, he approached the sessions with some trepidation and would comment It was a tough time to make a record. Nevertheless, ELP devised many great tracks, notably the excellent Hand of Truth, that launches Disc 1 of this 2CD set. Another asset is the inclusion of a studio recording of Mussorgskys Pictures At An Exhibition and bonus tracksA Time And A Place and Keith Emersons grandiose Piano Concerto No.1: Third Movement. Greg Lake gives a track-by-track commentary on the songs, including the heartfelt ballad Daddy and Bob Dylans Man In The Long Black Coat in the extensive CD liner notes. Disc 2 has a dazzling array of re-mastered live performances with ELP playing with typical energy on a dozen fully remastered tracks. Among the highlights are Tiger In The Spotlight ,Hoedown, Keith Emersons solo piano hit Honky Tonk Train Blues and a brace of medleys comprising Fanfare For The Common Man, Rondo, 21st Century Schizoid Man and America.These items were first heard on the 1998 double album Then & Now. All ELPs album tracks have been carefully re-mastered by world renowned studio engineer Andy Pearce and made available in a variety of formats. The CD booklets contain extensive liner notes with rare photographs and new band interviews by legendary rock journalist Chris Welch.