Five Bridges is a delectable representation of early-'70s progressive rock. It's make-up contains all of the elements needed to complete a solid prog album: a heavy intermingling of synthesizer and electric guitar, strong punctuation of both bass and drums, a central concept, and the fusing of rock and classical music, which in this case employs the Sinfonia of London. The eight tracks, centered around Newcastle's urban structure and life in a blue collar society, are as colorful as they are intricate. "Intermezzo" from Sibelius' "Karelia Suite" and Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" are marvelous examples of classical and rock commingling, with the spotlight focused on Keith Emerson's keyboard virtuosity. The second movement from "Fantasia" is a sparkling model of improvisational use containing various rock & roll rhythms and time structures, while the third track entitled "High Level Fugue 4th Bridge" was inspired by Guida's "Prelude and Fugue" and incorporates assorted jazz techniques and boogie-woogie styles into a classical recipe. "Country Pie/Brandenburg Concerto, No. 6" unites Dylan with Bach for a most extraordinary illustration of instrumental creativity. Each example of genre merging is pristine and fluid, making the actual overlapping of multiple styles completely transparent. Five Bridges may rank just a tad below The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack or Ars Longa Vita Brevis on the patience scale, but it does demonstrate how Emerson's work with ELP came into fruition. The reissued CD offers five bonus tracks, including the famed "America" and "The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack," taken from the Autumn 1967 - Spring 1968 album. The track titled "Diary From an Empty Day" is an archival addition.
The title track was recorded live in England with a full orchestra - you've got to grant that nobody else tried to get away with anything like this back then. And you can see why, because the rock rhythm section often has to sit out the bland, Disneyesque classical sections (the horn section does jam with the band in places, something you won't find on other Nice records). In the course of its 18 minutes, "Five Bridges" also features some jazzy jamming a la Nice, and a couple of brief pseudo-pop interludes. It's followed by a live re-recording of an Ars Longa Vita Brevis track (Sibelius' "Karelia Suite," complete with incoherent organ-feedback interlude), plus a new, lengthy studio version of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique." All of this is harmless but of interest mostly to committed fans; with the band edging ever closer to classical music, the average rock listener will find it hard to digest.