Encores Legends & Paradox: Tribute to Elp

Various Artists - Rock | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 6, 1999)
• Original Release Date: April 6, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Magna Carta
• ASIN: B00000ICNP
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,306 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful (and timely!) tribute to a classic group!, April 22, 1999

By 

Eric Scott <[e-mail]> (Loma Linda, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encores Legends & Paradox: Tribute to Elp (Audio CD)

It is wonderfully ironic that, at a time when the members of the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer have decided that they are unable to work together -- again -- an assorted group of progressive rock musicians opt to release a tribute album to the band. Despite the irony, "Encores, Legends and Paradox" is a great CD, an assortment of exciting and powerful new renderings of classic ELP tunes. The focus of the CD is the harder, guttier edge of ELP, so fans of Greg Lake's ballads may find little to interest them. But the performances by classic progressive rock musicians Peter Banks, Martin Barre, Geoff Downes and John Wetton, as well as (relative) new kids on the block Robert Berry, Trent Gardner and Derek Sherinian, make this CD a must for any true ELP fan. The CD features dazzling instrumental work on numbers like "Toccata," "Hoedown" (with the highly appropriate and Copeland-esque addition of Jerry Goodman's violin) and especially "The Barbarian." The quirky "The Sheriff," a favorite ELP honky-tonk showpiece, has been delightfully transformed into a biting rock number. On the down side, some tracks -- particularly "Bitches Crystal" and "A Time and a Place" -- veer into overly-electronicized "techno-rock" and shy away from the gutsy, primal earthiness that anchored ELP's early works, got lost during the "Works" - "Love Beach" years, and dramatically reappeared in time for the band's "Black Moon" CD in '92. (Part of this might simply be the lack of Keith Emerson himself, who throughout his career has striven for an organic growl rather than a synthetic whine from his varied keyboard ensembles.) Despite this minor complaint, "Encores, Legends and Paradox" is an exciting, handsomely-packaged release ... and a fitting tribute to the greatness that was ELP. If we are to be denied new songs and new CDs from this classic band, perhaps the best we can hope for is a CD like "Encores, Legends and Paradox" with its fresh new takes on some of our old favorites.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry, but I LOVE it!, February 23, 2000

By 

Richard B. Gray (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encores Legends & Paradox: Tribute to Elp (Audio CD)

I have been a devote ELP fan since I first dropped `cid back in 1971. I love this CD and found the renditions close enough to the originals (I hate remixes and such) yet different enough to add variety. The Levelord highly recommends!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating new takes on ELP's ouevre, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Encores Legends & Paradox: Tribute to Elp (Audio CD)

They've got thrills and shocks.... starting with a muffed lyric in the second line of the opener! Some transcriptions/variations remain close to the originals, others use the original more as a point of departure (Toccata in particular). Energetic and lively, and at turns thoughtful (prelude to The Sheriff), this CD bears repeated listenings. In my opinion, a Volume II is called for, to furnish new perspectives on other worthy originals (Pirates, Three Fates -- but skip Pictures to avoid stigma of a variation on a variation).