The Nice (3rd Album) Review

07/13/2005 7:52 AM, AMG


The band's best album is now a sonic delight, thanks to the 1998 Castle Communications reissue (ESM 645). Emerson's keyboards, Lee Jackson's bass, and Brian Davison's drums just leap out at the listener, aggressively, in sharp detail and a rich spread of sound from the high to the low end and back again. The Fillmore live tracks are still the best parts of the recording, but numbers like "Diary of an Empty Day" also reveal some surprising details, finally captured properly on CD, and the richness of tone on the instruments is a genuine treat. The only "bonus tracks" are the monaural single versions of "Hang On to a Dream" and "Diary of an Empty Day." ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide