Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Works Volume 2 [Japan Ed.] (1977)

Year: 25 November 1977 (CD Mar 20, 1999)
Label: Victor Records (Japan), VICP-60642
Style: Symphonic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 43:51
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 290 Mb

After the rather dull Works, Vol. 1, the highly underrated Works, Vol. 2 is a godsend. Works, Vol. 1 took their pompous, bombastic, keyboard-driven prog rock epics to the limit; had it been stripped of its excesses and coupled with the strongest cuts from Works, Vol. 2, the band may have had an enormous success with critics and fans alike. Volume 2's brief, eclectic compositions cover an array of musical styles, combining stimulating originals and handsomely orchestrated renditions of "Maple Leaf Rag," "Honky Tonk Train Blues," and "Show Me the Way to Go Home." Lake peppers the tunes with guitar and bass flourishes, resulting in some of his most challenging instrumental work, and both he and Palmer deliver incredibly strong performances. Meanwhile,Peter Sinfield contributes some of his most mature and accomplished lyrics. Emerson's work is solid and creative, but sounds a bit dated, which is part of why the band couldn't endure. Unlike some ELP albums, Volume 2's brief pieces sustain interest; there really isn't a weak tune in the set. The five instrumentals are highlighted by two short prog rock tunes, including the jazzy "Bullfrog," which features Lake's brief jazz bass solo and Palmer's fluid, versatile drumming. "Barrelhouse Shake-down" and "Maple Leaf Rag" showcase Emerson's superb ragtime and barrelhouse piano playing, and Palmer's jazz fusion/marching band piece, "Close But Not Touching," features horns and Lake's psychedelic electric guitar lines. The vocal pieces are equally interesting. "Brain Salad Surgery" is progressive jazz-rock that bears some resemblance to King Crimson's "Cat Food," unsurprising since each features Lake singing Sinfield's lyrics. And, of course, there is the hit "I Believe in Father Christmas," a beautiful Lake/Sinfield composition that highlights Lake's strong voice and vibrant acoustic guitar.
(allmusic.com/album/works-vol-2-mw0000197673)
This is a quite terrible album to be frank. I recall listening this trough as a kid, and being amazed what kind of stuff the band managed to do after "Pictures at An Exhibition" or their debut studio recording. After that it has gathered dust in my bookshelf, except for the quick re-listening done for this review. Maybe I should try to get an euro or few from the local flea markets, as the second hand record stores won't accept it. The leftovers found from love beach's low tide could for a fine soundtrack for some Charles Bronson movies, where I understood Keith Emerson ventured few years after this release. Cool band pic at the back side of the album though, one solution would be cutting that off and practice the arts of archery to this abomination.
(progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1875) Review by Eetu Pellonpaa. June 14, 2005

01. Tiger In A Spotlight (04:36)
02. When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Vale... (03:58)
03. Bullfrog (03:51)
04. Brain Salad Surgery (03:09)
05. Barrelhouse Shake-Down (03:53)
06. Watching Over You (03:58)
07. So Far To Fall (04:57)
08. Maple Leaf Rag (02:02)
09. I Believe In Father Christmas (03:20)
10. Close But Not Touching (03:23)
11. Honky Tonk Train Blues (03:12)
12. Show Me The Way To Go Home (03:30)

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