Album review: THREE – Rockin’ The Ritz NYC 1988

Wienerworld [Release date 24.11.23]

Three were a short-lived prog supergroup, featuring keyboard player Keith Emerson, drummer Carl Palmer (both ex-Emerson Lake & Palmer) and American bassist/vocalist Robert Berry, formed after the dissolution of Emerson Lake & Powell.

Under the moniker of ‘3’, they released one album ‘… To The Power Of Three’. Some excellent tunes with a modern feel, given an unfairly poor rating at the time due the more commercial nature (Palmer had previously recorded with the commercial pop/pomp/prog/rock band Asia). Whatever the press said, it is a wonderful album well worth checking out. Just don’t go expecting the music of 15 years previous, the band had moved on.

The tour produced a few highlights, and two live albums. This one, originally issued on CD in 2017, now gets a vinyl release. And what a lovely package it is. The original release was a double CD, so the set is edited a little for vinyl.

The opening number Fanfare For The Common Man always pleases, it is true to the original ELP riff in the main, but there’s a prog/pop noodle in the middle, and a lovely take on Hoedown, the only ELP composition in the set. Several tracks from the Three album, which dominate the set, and the commercial feel is really quite more modern than the 70s prog material. Proof of now good the material was, even if it didn’t fit with prog fans of the time.

There’s the Emerson solo track Creole Dance, and surprise inclusion is the Four Tops number Standing In The Shadows Of Love. Different, but it works.

The set finishes with two lengthy medleys, first America/Blue Rondo A LA Turk/drum solo/Fugue In D Miner (so there’s a solid The Nice touch), and Eight Miles High/Peter Gunn (the former a Byrds track, recorded on the studio album, and Peter Gunn Theme once covered by ELP).

The group disbanded soon after, with Emerson Lake & Palmer reforming a year or two later, and Berry resurrected the name as 3:2 more recently too.

Three virtuosos, the direction may not be everyone’s direction, but still worth a listen.

As long as you’re not expecting an Emerson Lake & Palmer live album, there’s lots to love here. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)