Songs of a Lifetime

Songs of a Lifetime is the new live CD being put out by Greg Lake. If you're not sure who Greg Lake is, he's one of the three known as Emerson, Lake and Palmer. On this new CD, Greg Lake gets on stage to go down memory lane with is audience as he reminiscences about the past. This CD really does have that feeling of being told stories of his past but in the form of songs. Greg Lake tells stories on that stage about his past life where other musicians have influenced him over his lifetime.
While I liked the idea of being told the stories of what influenced him and what he likes it also made listening to this CD a little tough. For the first time it wasn't so bad, but with a whopping 20 tracks on here the album started to drag on the second playing. It was even worse on the third time I was listening to it, enough so that I had to skip over the moments where he's just talking. Having him talk was cool but it did become bothersome to have to fast forward through those moments when I just wanted to hear the songs.
Speaking of which, the songs on here range from all sorts of styles and beats. One moment he's singing an Elvis song then he's singing the Beatles. Both of which I have to admit he does a pretty good job with. I've heard the Elvis song, Heartbreak Hotel done by others but usually they try too hard in making it sound different or too hard at sounding the same as Elvis. Greg Lake just sings the song and it comes across as a decent performance, especially since it's being done live. Same goes with the Beatles song, You Got To Hide Your Love, was also good, a little on the raspy voiced side but still good. That's pretty much the whole album, songs that are good, they have a good sound, but with that rasp of Greg Lake's voice to them. There's not much to the songs as far as instrumentals go because it's just him playing his acoustic guitar but it's an intimate concert, which only enhances the sound of the songs. It's a good CD, the songs are well played, the vocals are raspy but good, and it’s just all the talking that got tiresome.