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Title: Mussorgsky would roll over in his grave
Review: I'm not a huge ELP fan but I do like a lot of their stuff. However this just didn't cut it for me. Mussorgsky's original piece is a work of geniuses, and Ravel's version is good because it just adds power and color but keeps the spirit of the original work. I think it would have been possible to do a decent rock version of Pictures, but this version seems more like a hack job to me. I realize that not all of the original music may have been suitable to a rock format, however several parts that could have been adapted well, were missing. For instance why was Bydlo left out? This would have been a perfect fit. Also ELP's version of the old castle is just about unrecognizable and has none of the feel of the original. Finally I thought the lyrics in the great gate were just distracting, and almost all it's glory was missing. The only good track was Blues variaions which had little to do with Pictures. Maybe this is why it works better.
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