ALBUM OF THE WEEK / Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition (1971)

Pictures at an Exhibition is a live album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in November 1971 on Island Records. It features the group's rock adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, performed at Newcastle City Hall on 26 March 1971.

The band had performed the Mussorgsky piece since their live debut in August 1970, after keyboardist Keith Emerson had attended an orchestral performance of the piece several years before and pitched the idea to guitarist and frontman Greg Lake and drummer Carl Palmer, who agreed to adapt it while contributing sections to the arrangement. The album concludes with the concert's encore, "Nut Rocker", a rock adaptation of The Nutcracker originally arranged by Kim Fowley and recorded by B. Bumble and the Stingers in 1962.

Pictures at an Exhibition went to number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and number 10 on the US Billboard 200. In 2001, it was reissued as a remastered edition that included a studio version of the piece recorded in 1993.

Full Album ELP: https://youtu.be/xWQct6D6HsM?si=kaczZ6TuY7QN77fZ

Modest Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition: 

https://youtu.be/S-At9tWyrLs?si=E3d29f8ig9Y2pm5I

Emerson, Lake & Palmer // Mussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition : 

https://youtu.be/cUal4MKFvPk?si=F-yNDK5-H_tY6flz

Emerson, Lake & Palmer:

Keith Emerson – Hammond C3 and L100 organ, pipe organ, Moog modular synthesizer, Minimoog, Clavinet

Greg Lake – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals

Carl Palmer – drums, percussion

Source: wiki, YouTube

Song of the day / Donovan - Lalena (1968)

 "Laléna" (also spelled "Lalena") is the title of a composition by Donovan. Billboard described the single as a "beautiful and intriguing original ballad."

https://youtu.be/K5bdJPvrbOw?si=fEfsc4c4roCVyzK2

Cash Box said that "sweet strings accent a hauntingly beautiful folk-flavored ballad which gets stronger with each listen." Record World said that Donovan "uses his reedy voice exquisitely."

History:

In 2004, Donovan revealed that the song was inspired by the actress Lotte Lenya and that the song's lyrics, addressed to a societally marginalized woman, were Donovan's reaction to Lenya's character in the film version of The Threepenny Opera:

She's a streetwalker, but in the history of the world, in all nations, women have taken on various roles from priestess to whore to mother to maiden to wife. This guise of sexual power is very prominent, and therein I saw the plight of the character. Women have roles thrust upon them and make the best they can out of them, so I'm describing the character Lotte Lenya is playing, and a few other women I've seen during my life, but it's a composite character of women who are outcasts on the edge of society.

Song of the day / Deep Purple - Lalena (1969)

Deep Purple  - Lalena   (1969)

Album: Deep Purple 

Lyrics:

When the sun goes to bed

That's the time you raise your head

That's your lot in life, Lalena

Can't blame ya, Lalena

Arty tart, la de da

Can your heart get much sadder?

That's your lot in life, Lalena

Can't blame ya, oh Lalena

Run your hands through your hair

Paint your face with despair

That's your lot in life, Lalena

Can't blame ya, oh Lalena

Run your hands through your hair

Paint your face, paint your face up with despair

That's your lot in life, Lalena

I can't blame ya, oh Lalena

When the sun goes to bed

That's the time you raise your head

That's your lot in life, Lalena

I can't blame ya, Lalena

Arty tart, oh so la de da

Can your part ever get, ever get much sadder?

That's your lot in life, Lalena

I can't blame ya, oh Lalena

Oh Lalena

No no no, Lalena

I can't blame ya, I can't blame ya, Lalena

Oh Lalena

So la de da

Lalena

Humble Pie (Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Boogie Rock / England)

Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by singer-guitarists Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex,[not verified in body] in 1969. Often regarded as one of the first supergroups in music, Humble Pie experienced moderate popularity and commercial success during the 1970s with hit songs such as "Black Coffee", "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", "Hot 'n' Nasty" and "Natural Born Bugie" among others.

The original line-up of members featured lead singer/frontman and guitarist Steve Marriott of Small Faces, singer-guitarist Peter Frampton of the Herd, former Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley from the Apostolic Intervention.

Origin: Moreton, Essex, England

Genres: Hard rock, blues rock, boogie rock

Years active: 1969-1975, 1979-1983, 1988-2000, 2001-2002, 2018-present.

Original members:

Steve Marriott – guitar, vocals, keyboards, harmonica (1969–1975, 1979–1983; died 1991)

Jerry Shirley – drums, keyboards (1969–1975, 1979–1981, 1988–1999, 2001–2002, 2018–present)

Greg Ridley – bass, vocals, guitar (1969–1975, 2001–2002; died 2003)

Peter Frampton – guitar, vocals, keyboards (1969–1971)

Current members:

Jerry Shirley – drums, percussion (1969–1975, 1979–1981, 1988–1999, 2001–2002, 2018–present)

Dave "Bucket" Colwell – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2002, 2018–present)

Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley – bass (2018–present)

Bobby Marks – drums, percussion (2018–present)

Jim Stapley – vocals, guitar, keyboards (2022–present)

Discography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Pie#Discography

For Your Love (1970): https://youtu.be/1wOa0EzfxTo?si=jWqLujm0Ftj1Kc2-

Source: wikipedia