All The Best

The Nice released only a handful of albums during their brief recording career in the late '60s, but there's been no shortage of repackagings of their work. Drawn from singles and albums originally appearing on the Immediate label, Best of Nice [Repertoire] underscores the Nice's foundational contribution to what would eventually be called progressive rock. Much of the material collected here displays characteristics that came to define that genre: virtuoso playing with an emphasis on keyboards; an exploration of eclectic styles, particularly classical and jazz; changing tempos and time signatures, although not with the degree of complexity pursued by subsequent prog rock artists; and a move away from conventional song structures and toward extended, multipart works. Taken from the Nice's eponymous third album, the bombastic "Rondo '69" drains the syncopation from Dave Brubeck's origina; from Ars Longa Vita Brevis, "Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite" reworks a section of Sibelius' famous composition, while "Brandenburger" is a funky adaptation of Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto," with strings played by members of the London Philharmonic. Although these are interesting historical documents, illustrating how postmodernism's blurring of the boundaries between high art and pop culture manifested itself in '60s rock music, they don't stand the test of time. Granted, nothing like this had been heard before in rock, but it hasn't aged well. More engaging, although no less dated, are numbers on which Keith Emerson's organ showmanship is tempered with other instrumentation in conventional song formats. The bouncy pop psychedelia of "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack," from the band's 1967 debut, is a case in point, as is the Syd Barrett-esque psychedelic/psychoanalytical singalong "Happy Freuds." Most satisfying are "Flower King of Flies," and the harder-edged "Azrial," which make room for Davy O'List's guitar. Balancing the Nice's less enduring proto-prog excesses with explorations of psychedelic rock and pop, this collection offers a good overview. ~ Wilson Neate|