Another hard driving song "Touch and Go" from 1985's different ELP; this one being Emerson, Lake and Powell, featuring heavy metal drummer Cozy Powell (Jeff Beck Group, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Whitesnake). This would be another favorite. "Take a Pebble," from the album Emerson, Lake and Palmer might be in the top two best songs on the CD. Here you truly see Florian Opahle shine on the last half of this song.
By the time "Farewell to Arms" and "Fanfare to the Common Man" are played, you really begin to notice the influence of Opahle on the sound of the music. It is not over powering, rather it is directed.
"Lucky Man" from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer ranks high in my favorites on this CD. Again Opahle intricate workings bring out the best in this also. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is another great rendition of the King Crimson classic. If I were to have a least favorite, it would be "Pictures at an Exhibition" from the album of the same name, but it still is really, really good. Finally, tying for my top favorite is Karn Evil 9." I would buy this CD for this song alone!
What you will find your self doing after listening only once to this album, is having a particular song hanging in your mind for days. For me it is a either Karn Evil 9, 21st Century Schizoid Man, or Lucky Man. Somewhere along the line, you realize what a great writer/producer that Greg Lake is and when you consider all of those songs that are not included here, what an amazing body of work he; along with others, has left as a legacy.
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