Elegy was the final official album release by The Nice, Keith Emerson having since moved on to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Lee Jackson to Jackson Heights and Brian Davison to Every Which Way. It consists of live versions of songs from earlier releases, a studio take of a Tchaikovsky piece ("Pathetique") that had been released live on the previous album and a previously unheard cover of Dylan's "My Back Pages". Released a year after The Nice's final show in March 1970 in an attempt to capitalize on ELP's burgeoning success, the album achieved number 5 in the UK album chart.[3]
"Hang on to a Dream" and "America" were recorded live at Fillmore East, New York during the group's 1969 tour. It was during this tour that The Nice shared a bill with King Crimson, which led to Keith Emerson and Greg Lake hooking up to form a new band, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. "Hang On To A Dream" features extensive use of Emerson striking the interior piano strings, while "America" closes with several minutes of Hammond organ feedback. The two studio outtakes, "My Back Pages" and "Third Movement, Pathetique" had been recorded in 1969; "My Back Pages" featured a section which would be requoted on ELP's "Blues Variations" while a live orchestrated version of "Pathetique" had already seen release on Five Bridges.
Cover art
The UK edition came in a gatefold sleeve. It was designed by Hipgnosis (Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell), well known as designers of album covers for Pink Floyd and other progressive rock bands. The front and back covers show a Sahara desert scene with a line of fifty red footballs (credited to Mettoy Playcraft) receding towards a distant dune. The inside of the cover shows, in the distance, a mesa or plateau; in front is a gravelly landscape strewn with memorabilia of the Nice such as older album covers, publicity shots, press releases and a scrapbook of press cuttings.
The CD release 1990 contains six additional bonus tracks taken from 1972 compilation Autumn '67 – Spring '68 and the length of the original four tracks is slightly different.[citation needed]
"Diamond-Hard Blue Apples of the Moon" (Emerson, Jackson) – 2:46
"Dawn" (Davison, Emerson, Jackson) – 5:05
"Tantalising Maggie" (Emerson, Jackson) – 4:19
"Cry of Eugene" (O'List, Emerson, Jackson) – 4:30
"Daddy Where Did I Come From?" (Emerson, Jackson) – 2:46
"Azirial" (Emerson, Jackson) – 3:46
"Azrial" had been the B-side of the single release "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack," and "Diamond-Hard Blue Apples of the Moon" that of "America."
The arrangement of "My Back Pages" was inspired by Keith Jarrett's 1968 Vortex recording of the song but the majority is Emerson's creation.[citation needed] The performance is in two parts with the first featuring piano and the second featuring Hammond organ.
2009 Digital Remaster
The 2009 Digital Remastered CD contains only two additional bonus tracks and the length of the original four tracks is slightly different.
