Emerson, Lake & Palmer Live 1970-1997 Box Due in October

[starless and bible black]

In recent years, BMG has released terrific remasters of 11 Emerson, Lake & Palmer titles. The label’s comprehensive ELP series continues with the October 29, 2021, release of Out of This World: Live (1970 – 1997). The deluxe box set, available on 10 LPs or 5 CDs, features “five of the biggest and most important shows” that ELP performed during their career: 1970’s Isle of Wight Festival, 1974’s California Jam, Works Live (1977) in Montreal, 1992 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and their 1997 performance in Phoenix, Ariz.

The collection is part of continuing 50th anniversary celebration and follows the June 11 re-release of Fanfare: Emerson, Lake & Palmer 1970 – 1997 with loads of previously unreleased recordings. The lavishly produced box set, on CD and vinyl, collates nearly three decades of work from the trio, keyboardist Keith Emerson, bassist/vocalist Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer.

From the Sept. 15 announcement: Out of This World: Live (1970 – 1997) LP box contains five deluxe gatefold double LPs with high quality, fully restored audio mastered by ELP expert and renowned mastering engineer Andy Pearce.

Most of the LPs are previously unreleased on vinyl, though “Phoenix 1997” has never been released. The other CDs have been out of print for many years and never released to this standard of artwork and audio. Each box set comes complete with a 32-page, glossy photo book, featuring many intimate, rare and unseen images of the band from legendary photographers including Lynn Goldsmith and Neil Preston. Liner notes are from Jerry Ewing, editor of Prog Magazine.

Carl Palmer notes, “I could not think of a better way to celebrate this anniversary period for ELP. The box set is one of my proudest moments. I know Keith and Greg would agree with me! For me, this shows ELP at their very best throughout years of touring and recording. The box set represents the lifeline of our music in our time.”

The 1970 Isle of Wight performance was the group’s second ever live show. by 1974, ELP were able to choose repertoire from their five albums to perform at the Ontario Motor Speedway for California Jam. For the Montreal concert, they were joined by an orchestra and choir. Years later, the reformed group triumphantly returned to the Royal Albert Hall stage in 1992. The career-spanning Phoenix concert in 1997 is from their final tour.

Pre-Order:
https://www.amazon.com/Out-This-Worl...s%2C155&sr=8-1

[JKL2000]

Was ‘97 in Phoenix that great?

[GuitarGeek]

So do I then assume we're talking about the recordings that were on the Official Bootleg Series sets?

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Was ‘97 in Phoenix that great?

It says the concerts are important, not necessarily good...

Initial reaction to this box set: Yawn. I have all the live EL&P I need. (Though a live version of "Love Beach" might get me on board . . . . )

[Mister Triscuits]

So do I then assume we're talking about the recordings that were on the Official Bootleg Series sets?

Mostly stuff that's already had official/standalone releases, I think. Presumably the CA Jam set will be the usual chopped-up mess.

[Steve F.]

Was ‘97 in Phoenix that great?

Made me lol.

[jefftiger]

I saw ELP at Wolf Trap in Virginia in September 1997. It was an okay show and memorable only because it was the last time I saw them perform. I've also seen videos of some of the South American shows from the tour, which were interesting but not stellar. So, yeah, I wondered also about the inclusion of the Phoenix 97 show. I guess it's meant to be a book end, showcasing their last tour (with the exception of HVF in London years later).

[jupiterspace]

I was at the Wolf Trap show as well. It started with a moment of silence for Princess Diana. I thought ELP played well that night. Good Show! I saw them once more on there final tour in August 1998 at Harvey's Lake in Pennsylvania. Dream Theater opened, then ELP played a full 2hr set with Deep Purple closing out the night. Fantastic show. ELP's show that night was notable for them opening their set with new music that I hadn't heard before. I later learned it was called Crossing The Rubicon and was part of a new album that was never finished. They also played Tarkus that night in it's entirety complete with Aquatarkus!! First time I had heard them do that since the '77 Works tour. ELP were great that night!! That is the show that I wish was included in in this new box set. I also would love to have the 1974 August Jam show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That show changed my life forever!

[Mister Triscuits]

Dream Theater opened, then ELP played a full 2hr set with Deep Purple closing out the night.

Kinda sad though that ELP ended up doing tours where they weren't the headliners. The last time I saw them was when they were supporting Jethro Tull in 1996. Not their finest hour, I'm afraid.

[Myried]

I was at the Wolf Trap show as well. It started with a moment of silence for Princess Diana. I thought ELP played well that night. Good Show! I saw them once more on there final tour in August 1998 at Harvey's Lake in Pennsylvania. Dream Theater opened, then ELP played a full 2hr set with Deep Purple closing out the night. Fantastic show. ELP's show that night was notable for them opening their set with new music that I hadn't heard before. I later learned it was called Crossing The Rubicon and was part of a new album that was never finished. They also played Tarkus that night in it's entirety complete with Aquatarkus!! First time I had heard them do that since the '77 Works tour. ELP were great that night!! That is the show that I wish was included in in this new box set. I also would love to have the 1974 August Jam show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That show changed my life forever!

I agree 100%! Plus, to throw into their set A Time And A Place from the Tarkus album was a nice surprise (considering apparently it was never performed live prior to this tour). I saw this tour at Jones Beach Amphitheater, Long Island, NY. For me, ELP rose to the occasion! It seemed like they were out to prove that they were still a viable performing band. It was a great show/tour to see ELP go out, if it was for the last time (except for the High Voltage 2010 performance). They stole the show! In fact, I saw the Dream Theater members watching ELP from the side of the stage. Very cool!

Ed
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[Myried]

Kinda sad though that ELP ended up doing tours where they weren't the headliners. The last time I saw them was when they were supporting Jethro Tull in 1996. Not their finest hour, I'm afraid.

Apparently, it was ELP's idea to let Deep Purple be the headliner because of Deep Purple wanting that spot back in 1974 at the Cal Jam, and not getting that luxury. They felt it was a good time to make amends for that situation and return the favor.

Ed
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[Trane]

I'll pass on this

Got what I need from ELP(owell included)

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

If we're discussing ELP supporting acts...

On August 6, 1977, I thoroughly enjoyed EL&P on their first Works tour (but after the firing of the orchestra).

The opening act was Journey, who introduced their new singer, Steve Perry. I thought he sucked. My opinion has not changed; that was the moment when Journey went from interesting and mildly proggy to bland arena rock.

[happytheman]

If we're discussing ELP supporting acts...

On August 6, 1977, I thoroughly enjoyed EL&P on their first Works tour (but after the firing of the orchestra).

The opening act was Journey, who introduced their new singer, Steve Perry. I thought he sucked. My opinion has not changed; that was the moment when Journey went from interesting and mildly proggy to bland arena rock.

I saw them twice on that tour.. first time (no opening act) we were hoping for the orchestra but signs on the door saying no orchestra refunds are available... second time Edgar Winter was the opening act. I had never seen him or his band so that was a real treat.

[Bytor]

I agree 100%! Plus, to throw into their set A Time And A Place from the Tarkus album was a nice surprise (considering apparently it was never performed live prior to this tour)

A Time And A Place was performed a couple of times in 1971

[Myried]

A Time And A Place was performed a couple of times in 1971

I stand corrected. Sorry, I did not know that. My bad...

Ed
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[Bytor]

I stand corrected. Sorry, I did not know that. My bad...

No no, don't feel bad :-). They only played it a couple of times as a second encore most of the time, after Rondo...

[Bytor]

Here's Sheffield 1971 . Go at the 65 minutes mark approximately.

[Myried]

Here's Sheffield 1971 . Go at the 65 minutes mark approximately.

Nice!!

Ed
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[Bytor]

Nice!!

No, ELP...OK, I'm out now

[Myried]

No, ELP...OK, I'm out now

Correction, don't you mean The Nice?

Ed
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[GuitarGeek]

I saw them once more on there final tour in August 1998 at Harvey's Lake in Pennsylvania. Dream Theater opened, then ELP played a full 2hr set with Deep Purple closing out the night. Fantastic show. ELP's show that night was notable for them opening their set with new music that I hadn't heard before. I later learned it was called Crossing The Rubicon and was part of a new album that was never finished. They also played Tarkus that night in it's entirety complete with Aquatarkus!! First time I had heard them do that since the '77 Works tour. ELP were great that night!! That is the show that I wish was included in in this new box set. I also would love to have the 1974 August Jam show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That show changed my life forever!

I would have liked to have seen that tour. For one, I never got to see Deep Purple with Jon Lord, and secondly, a complete Tarkus! But that tour played a venue that wasn't really accessible to me, so...

I did get to see them on the 96 tour, with Tull, and the 97 tour. Those were both good. The only thing was, the 97 tour was billed as "An Evening With Emerson, Lake & Palmer", so I was expecsting like a 2-2.5 hour show, and I think they only played for about 90 minutes. Of course, knowing what I know now, one wonders if Keith would have been able to play a 2 hour show at that point. But when a band toured with no opening band, the expectation is they'll do a long show, and that didn't really happen. But I thought it was a good show. I remember Keith's ribbon controller solo, and him firing pyro from it, and I recall there was a point where he slid it between his legs, like he was wiping his gluteus maximus with it, and they pyro went off, with it shooting down towards the stage and I think bouncing or something. I assumed it was an accident, but I think I read that he had done it at several other shows, so apparently it was deliberate.

Going back to the 96 tour, and I remember when they did the Fanfare For The Common Man/Rondo medley, and Carl Palmer goes into his drum solo and does the whole thing of taking his shirt off (a vest as I recall, actually) while doing the double bass drum thing, and then thrashing away at the two gongs behind him, while still doing the double bass drum thing, and then as the drum solo was coming to an end, Keith and Greg come back onstage, and as Greg comes back in, Keith pulls the cover of his Hammond L-100, on the same downbeat as Greg's re-entry, and I started cheering like a 14 yera old girl at a Beatles concert, because I knew what was coming next. You know the whole gag he did with the L-100, the daggers, leaping over the organ (yeah, he was still leaping over it at that point), pulling it down on top of him, playing Bach from the wrong side of the keyboard, etc. Yeah, that was pretty awesome. OK, so maybe if I heard a tape today, one might think "Ooh, the tempos are a bit slow" or "Keith doesn't sound like he's in his usual form", but given that I had heard a couple years earlier that he might never play again, I was quite happy with I got the both times I saw ELP. Ditto, for the time I saw the Keith Emerson Band at NEARfest.

[ronmac]

I also would love to have the 1974 August Jam show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. That show changed my life forever!

Well, there's an audience recording:

http://tela.sugarmegs.org/alpha/e.html

Scroll down. You'll see it.

[spellbound]

I spent years collecting all the best ELP live recordings I could get, and now they put them together in a box set. Oh well. I have what I have and it's great that this is available for collectors. I saw ELP in Feb 1974 at the Anaheim Convention Center, where the Welcome Back My Friends... live album was recorded. Then I saw them two months later at the California Jam. I wouldn't trade that for any box set, nearly fifty years later.

Oooooh, what a lucky man he was.

[Mister Triscuits]

I saw ELP in Feb 1974 at the Anaheim Convention Center, where the Welcome Back My Friends... live album was recorded. Then I saw them two months later at the California Jam.

I first saw them in between those dates, in San Diego. They had a pretty wacky tour itinerary that kept coming back to California after jaunts in other parts of the country.