Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Label: Island Records
Country: UK
Released: 1971
Format: Vinyl,LP,Album

Album Overview

"Pictures At An Exhibition" is a live album by the progressive rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in the UK by Island Records in November 1971. This album is an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's piano suite of the same name. The band recorded the live performance at Newcastle City Hall on March 26, 1971. Initially, they planned to release a recording from a performance at the Lyceum Theatre in London on December 9, 1970. However, dissatisfaction with the audio quality and editing choices led them to record the Newcastle show as a replacement.

Performance and Arrangement

Keith Emerson arranged the music, blending classical elements with rock. This album features various sections inspired by Mussorgsky's original composition. The tracks include "Promenade," "The Gnome," "The Old Castle," and "The Great Gates Of Kiev," which reflect the themes and images of the original suite. Each piece is reinterpreted through the lens of rock instrumentation, showcasing Emerson's virtuosic keyboard work and the band's energetic style.

Production Credits

The album was produced by Greg Lake and engineered by Eddy Offord. The lyrics were written by Lake and his collaborator, Fraser. The cover design and paintings were created by William Neal, while photography was handled by Keith Morris and Nigel Marlow. This collaboration contributed to the album's distinctive visual and auditory presentation.

Commercial Performance

"Pictures At An Exhibition" achieved notable success, reaching number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and number 10 on the US Billboard 200. The concert concluded with "Nutrocker," a rock adaptation of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," which was originally crafted by Kim Fowley and gained popularity through B. Bumble and the Stingers in 1962.

Technical Details

This live album was released on vinyl format, capturing the energy of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's performance. The combination of classical influence and rock elements reflects the band's innovative approach to music during the early 1970s.

Tracklist

A1	Promenade Written-By – Mussorgsky*
A2	The Gnome Written-By – PalmerWritten-By – Mussorgsky
A3	Promenade Written-By – LakeWritten-By – Mussorgsky
A4	The Sage Written-By – Lake*
A5	The Old Castle Written-By – EmersonWritten-By – Mussorgsky
A6	Blues Variation Written-By – PalmerWritten-By – LakeWritten-By – Emerson*
B1	Promenade Written-By – Mussorgsky*
B2	The Hut Of Baba Yaga Written-By – Mussorgsky*
B3	The Curse Of Baba Yaga Written-By – PalmerWritten-By – LakeWritten-By – Emerson*
B4	The Hut Of Baba Yaga Written-By – Mussorgsky*
B5	The Great Gates Of Kiev Written-By – LakeWritten-By – Mussorgsky
B6	The End
B7	Nutrocker Arranged By – PalmerArranged By – LakeArranged By – Emerson*Written-By – Kim Fowley