Emerson Lake & Palmer - Live at Montreux

Rating:
Summary: Do not even think twice about buying this!
Review: ****Pay no attention to the review w/ONE star.. Whoever wrote that needs a new telescope!*** I own all the DVD's by this group. The production on this is AWESOME. It would have been nice to have an overhead cam on Keith Emerson..(only a minor quibble) but... there is PLENTY of great technical shots, so do not worry!! This is killer picture and sound! Great "patience" by the director too, as I cannot stand directors who jump too quickly with camera angles. Great job! Most of the new Montreaux releases are getting the same great reviews..See the Gary Moore Montreaux reviews for example, as they too rave of the quality. I paid only $9.00 for this at Tower. Just a fantastic show...Keith even hits a really bad note on the solo for "From the beginning" which makes him seem almost human?(Yeah right)..Actually no, ...he is not human... he is incredible! The "one star reviewer" claims his "timing is off throughout the entire show???? Yeah ok, that's believable...NOT. (Mr one star needs a gyroscope to go with the new telescope)I don't think Keith has slowed one bit. It isn't 1972 anymore and most artist get better with age and Keith and Carl are no exceptions. Keith is better on the Piano segments then back then.(Lake has slowed, and his voice has dropped, but most fans know that)..Buy this one! It blows away that Royal Albert Hall DVD (AND THE OTHER ONES TOO)

Rating:
Summary: Must have for ELP fans
Review: "Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends..."

It is a rare treat to see 3 of the best musicians of the 20th century still displaying talent and showmanship. Yes, they are past their prime, and it shows, but for true fans, it is always a pleasure to watch 'any' performance from such influential artists. It's not like ELP will win a new generation of fans with this DVD, but as a collector, I would hate not having this item in my 'vault'.
Rock and/or jazz fans just can't ignore ELP's legacy, and the DVD's song list does a good job representing their style.

Production values could be better, so I can't give it 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Lacks Energy
Review: I am a great fan and saw this tour along with many others. The energy just isn't present in this DVD performance. ELP ceased to grow musically and the music became rote. It shows! After seeing it...and I did enjoy parts...I forgave Greg for leaving the band. The Royal Albert Hall performance is far superior, although Black Moon was cut from the footage,(Who decides these things?) ELP's energy in that performance and the audience's responce make it the next best thing to actually being there. Still, if you're a die hard, it's worth owning.

Rating:
Summary: Save Your Money - This Isn't the Real ELP
Review: I soooo wanted to like this DVD concert, and soooo looked forward to it. I'm an original ELP nut, going back to having seen their shows after the Brain Salad Surgery release and on the Works tour (lucky enought to have seen them with the full orchestra). In the mid-70's and early 80's nobody was a bigger ELP fan than I.

That said, I can't excuse the terrible production values of this DVD. I'm so sick of concert DVD's released with sound quality that no one would ever accept from a current movie release. The sound here simply sucks - and this thru a system with more than $40,000 of equipment. Keith's keyboards come in at various volumes, Carl's drums are not distinct in the least, and Greg's bass and singing are a muddy mess. This might be one of those instances that those with lesser home theater system might not notice - but state of the art this is not (not even average compared to today's best). It all sounds like something recorded by a bootlegger in the audience.

Performance-wise, the boys are clearly past their prime here, and it's a shame to see a once unbelievable performance band reduced to kinda-getting-by. Keith's keyboards are not as sharp as the once were, and he occassionally seems to be off, time-wise, with his mates. Carl was once the most promising of the rock drummers, with technical skill and energy that were far above his peers. His playing here has none of the fire and technical acumen it once had. Greg seems solid by comparison; both in playing and singing, but the aforementioned poor sound quality makes it hard to tell.

Unless you gotta have something to remind you of what this band once was, I'd save your money. This is nothing like the greatness of their prime performances.

Rating:
Summary: Past their Prime, But Still a Good Show
Review: I was fortunate enough to have been stationed in Germany in 1997...and to have seen this show a mere week prior to this Montreaux performance. I may be looking back with rose -colored glasses, but it seemed as if The Boys were a bit more relaxed when I saw them in Kassel...possibly they were more conscious of the cameras darting in and around them at Montreau? It's still a good show, and I too must take exception to the "one-star" reviewer above: technically, the video is crystal clear, and the audio, while not being a perfect mix, is very good. I guess there were a few more bum notes than I remember from the Kassel performance, and Greg flubs a couple of lyrics. But this has always been part of ELPs' charm! There's a "rogue" aspect to this band that has always appealed to me. I've always been suspicious of how Perfect those Yes and Pink Floyd concert videos have always been...they're sterile to the point of being somewhat boring after a while. Not the case with these guys! You never know just what is coming next. These guys are not as fast or "on top of their game" as they used to be ( and I saw them twice during the 1977 Works tour ), but this is definitely worth the modest price. Now if only the Holy Grail of ELP footage will come out: California Jam from 1974. Amazon, better order a LOT of that one...you won't be able to keep it in stock.

Rating:
Summary: Grim. Beyond bad. DREADFUL.
Review: I'll give this a token one star because Carl Palmer can still play like hell and Greg Lake plays the most beautiful bass guitar I've ever seen (not heard, mind you, seen.) Otherwise this disc is literally going in my trashcan. I can only assume that my fellow reviewers who've looked upon this DVD kindly are so young that they never saw ELP in their prime, when they were an amazing band and their concerts a thrilling, spine tingling experience. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THREE MUSICIANS WHO HATE PLAYING TOGETHER SO OBVIOUSLY as I do on this DVD. The bad vibe between Emerson and Lake is palpable, they won't even look at each other. Emerson's chops are all but gone, he's content to substitute speed for accuracy, he's all over the place, sloppy BEYOND belief, the Alvin Lee of keyboards. Greg Lake plays some nice acoustic guitar but plays bass like he hasn't picked it up for a decade and isn't all that sure where the right notes are. His voice is....well, it's gone. He sounds like me doing a really, really good imitation of Greg Lake in the shower, with the flu. Technically, as others have noted, the sound is dreadful, as is the stage lighting which never surpasses that which you saw at your high school prom. On the positive side, even at half effort, playing with two guys who clearly don't give a damn, Carl Palmer shows why he was one of the greatest drummers of his era, if not the greatest. If you're a young fan, please know that ELP were honestly one of the most important, groundbreaking, genuinely awe-inspiring bands of the 70's... though you'd never know it from this travesty of a performance. If you're an ELP fans who remembers their greatness, avoid this at all costs. It's a quick cash desecration of their past brilliance, a trashing of their own art and their own heritage. It's just too sad.

Rating:
Summary: Musicmanship
Review: This DVD features Emerson, Lake and Palmer far from being at their popularity peak, but this his really something I dont mind. First of all, the songs selection his faboulous, this is really THE best thing, they played things from different era, but focussing on their early materials. They nailed every songs perfectly. Maybe they are getting old, but they still give a fabulous show(i know its 1997, but i consider this today), Keith Emerson still masters his instruments, Greg Lake has a big and deep voice wich i found was different and Carl Palmer is still a machine with is drumm solo too.
Only bad thing is the quality...it kinda suck, there is DTS and 5.1, but im having trouble finding a good sound(the drumm is bizarely recorded) and the video quality is rather cheap.
But the show is so captivating that you soon forget those bad sides and you enjoy the performance.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome DVD
Review: This DVD is excellent.It's better than Royal Albert Hall in 92',and close to 'From the Vaults'. Greg Lake is in fine voice(better than 92'),and Keith Emerson is incredible.There is some good close up shots of Keith playing hie numerous keyboards.And Carl Palmer is ..well Carl Palmer. One of the best rock drummers ever.I'm still waiting for the classic concert's of the 70's to come out on DVD.This one has great sound and is a must have for any fan of this band.

Rating:
Summary: For fans only
Review: This DVD of ELP at Montreax in '97 is really only for fans who wonder what the band was like at that stage of their career. As other reviewers have pointed out, they lack the energy of their early career and the sound quality of the dvd (despite being able to playback in DTS) is average. Keith struggles with some of the faster more complex passages and rather than try new arrangements they stick close the the studio recordings from 25 or so years ago. They also stick pretty close to the old stage act with abbreviated versions of the organ stabbing and Palmer pulling off his shirt during the drum solo. Carl should have left his shirt on, Keith should have worn a shirt under his vest, and thank goodness Greg had no intentions of showing us his chest. I guess they wanted to give the audience the whole show, but in retrospect maybe the music should have carried itself.

Its kind of sad that one of the most influential groups of "progressive" rock never progressed passed 1977 musically and didnt release any really viable material after Works 1 (although Black Moon has some moments).

As for the rest of the performance, Carl's drumming is flawless, its really a shame he hasnt put together some kind of smoking jazz/fusion group ala Bruford's Earthworks as he clearly still has the chops. Lake's voice is a little deeper, but he really sounds pretty good. He does flub the lyrics once in Bitches Crystal and at least twice (maybe 3 times) during Tarkus (look for the looks on Palmer's face). Maybe Greg was right about it being time to stop. As far as Emerson, he will always be the greatest to me, but maybe its time to move forward with something more suited to his talent today instead of playing Rondo with the hammond draped over him for the bizillionth time and wiping his ass with a synthysizer ribbon.

Overall, if you still like these guys you will get a kick out of seeing this.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Disc of One of ELP's Last Shows
Review: This group never ceases to amaze. This is one of the last shows the band performed prior to Greg Lake's departure. The video quality is crystal clear. The sound is great. Although the band is somewhat slowed from their heyday, their superior musical talent shows throughout this video. Longtime ELP fans will be pleased as this represents one of the last looks at this great band together. The uninitiated should be impressed at the virtuosity of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer. An excellent concert !