Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures at an Exhibition (180g LP)

In the Seventies, numerous rock and pop groups attempted to produce a maximum of sound on the stage with a minimum of manpower. The majority of them failed miserably in their struggles to master the Moog synthesizer with its 28 million varieties of sound – but not so for Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. Their legendary rock version of Mussorgsky’s piano cycle, which was set down for posterity during a live concert in Newcastle’s City Hall, towers above all other recordings of the kind. Perhaps their success is due to the fact that the trio steered away from the temptation of creating electronic, grandiose sound effects. Their vocals, guitar and drums produced a highly original and contemporary yet soulful rendering.