The Nice started life at Immediate Records as the backing band for PP Arnold. However, they moved on and spearheaded the progressive rock revolution of the late 1960s with an innovative sound that combined popular, jazz and classical based around the sounds that Keith Emerson forced out of his keyboards. Emerson later built on this with Emerson Lake and Palmer.

Some of the earlier tracks fit well into the English "psychedelic" sound of 1967-1968. Flower King of Flies and The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack, the title track of the first album, show the Nice as a vocal and instrumental group. While Keith Emerson's keyboards are to the fore, they do not dominate the group in the way they did later.

Rondo is The Nice's version of the jazz standard Blue Rondo a la Turk. This instrumental appears twice on the CD, the second time being a live version. America is probably the Nice's best-known piece of work and also the most controversial. The band was attacked not only for its reworking of the West Side Story classic but also for Keith Emerson's on-stage antics where he once burnt an American flag. The song's writer, Leonard Bernstein, was also critical of the track. Another track which takes on a different personality is the Nice's take on Bob Dylan's She Belongs to Me. This is reminiscent of the sound of Vanilla Fudge with its heavier approach to the song.

The classical side of The Nice is evident on disc two with extended work-outs on Symphony for Group and Orchestra, for example. This shows just how well The Nice worked in this mode. The fusion of the two musical styles certainly is effective although those who not like classical music may find the length of the track difficult to accept. The second disc also features different versions of America, Rondo and Azrael as well as an excellent version of Tim Hardin's Hang on to a Dream.

This compilation is an excellent introduction to the Nice. For many, diving straight into the long extended concerto-like works would make the music inaccessible. However, the more commercial material works very well and prepares the inexperienced listener for what is to come. Furthermore, listening to the earlier work makes it clear that The Nice was not just Keith Emerson. Admittedly, the keyboards dominated the group's sound more and more. The Nice was very much a group of equals. For proof of this, listen to the instrumental War and Peace on disc one and marvel at the wonderful sounds that Davy O'List is making with his guitar. Pink Floyd fans will love this.

Release Date: 2004

Atom Music Atom 2005

Essential Tracks:

• Flower King of Flies
• Rondo
• America

Track Listing:

Disc One

1. Flower King of Flies
2. The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack
3. Bonnie K
4. Rondo
5. War and Peace
6. Tantalising Maggie
7. Dawn
8. The Cry of Eugene
9. America (Single version)
10. Diamond Hard Blue Apples of the Moon
11. Azrael (Version one)
12. She Belongs To Me

Disc Two

1. America (2nd Amendment)
2. Little Arabella
3. Happy Freuds
4. Intermezzo from The Karelia Suite
5. Don Edito El Gruva
6. Symphony for Group and Orchestra
7. Azrael Revisited
8. Hang on to a Dream
9. Diary of an Empty Day
10. For Example
11. Rondo (69)