Emerson, Lake & Palmer | |
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 The band inToronto, Canada in 1978 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | ELP |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | |
| Spinoff of | |
| Past members | |
| Website | emersonlakepalmer |
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known asELP) were an Englishprogressive rocksupergroup formed in London in 1970.[2][3] The band consisted ofKeith Emerson (keyboards) ofthe Nice,Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, producer) ofKing Crimson, andCarl Palmer (drums, percussion) ofAtomic Rooster. With nineRIAA-certified gold record albums in the US,[4] and an estimated 48 million records sold worldwide,[5] they were one of the most popular and commercially successful progressive rock groups of the 1970s,[6][7] with a musical sound including adaptations of classical music withjazz and symphonic rock elements, dominated by Emerson's flamboyant use of theHammond organ,Moog synthesizer, and piano (although Lake wrote several acoustic songs for the group).[8]
The band came to prominence following their performance at theIsle of Wight Festival in August 1970. In their first year, the group signed withE.G. Records (who distributed the band's records throughIsland Records in the United Kingdom, andAtlantic Records in North America), and releasedEmerson, Lake & Palmer (1970) andTarkus (1971), both of which reached the UK top five. The band's success continued withPictures at an Exhibition (1971),Trilogy (1972), andBrain Salad Surgery (1973, released on ELP's ownManticore Records label). After a three-year break, Emerson, Lake & Palmer releasedWorks Volume 1 (1977) andWorks Volume 2 (1977). AfterLove Beach (1978), the group disbanded in 1979.
The band re-formed partially in the 1980s asEmerson, Lake & Powell featuringCozy Powell in place of Palmer, who was, by then, a member ofAsia.Robert Berry then replaced Lake while Palmer returned, forming3. In 1991, the original trio re-formed and released two more albums,Black Moon (1992) andIn the Hot Seat (1994), and toured at various times between 1992 and 1998. Their final performance took place in 2010 at theHigh Voltage Festival in London to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary. Both Emerson and Lake died in 2016,[9][10][11] leaving Palmer as the only surviving member of the band.
Stylistically, the band was known for "[combining] heavy riffs withclassical influences." Bruce Eder ofAllMusic wrote, "Their flamboyance on record and in the studio echoed the best work of the heavy metal bands of the era, proving that classical rockers could compete for that arena-scale audience."[12]
By the end of 1969,the Nice keyboardistKeith Emerson andKing Crimson bassist/vocalistGreg Lake were looking to leave their respective groups and form a new band. The pair first met in New York City and discussed the possibility of forming one together; they met again in December 1969 when the Nice and King Crimson were billed together for concerts at theFillmore West in San Francisco. During asoundcheck before one of the shows, Emerson described the first time he and Lake played together: "Greg was moving a bass line and I played the piano in back and Zap! It was there."[13] When the Nice split in March 1970 and Lake left King Crimson a month later, the pair began the search for a drummer, which turned out to be a difficult process.[14] They initially approachedMitch Mitchell, who was at a loose end following the break-up ofthe Jimi Hendrix Experience and suggested a jam session take place among the three of them and guitaristJimi Hendrix. The session never happened, but it led to the press later reporting rumours of a plannedsupergroup named HELP, an acronym for "Hendrix Emerson Lake Palmer", which Lake later debunked.[15] As part of auditions for drummers at a studio bySoho Square,[16] Emerson's manager,Tony Stratton Smith, suggestedCarl Palmer ofAtomic Rooster and previouslythe Crazy World of Arthur Brown.[17] Palmer turned up for a session and enjoyed the chemistry, but was reluctant to commit as Atomic Rooster were starting to gain attention in Europe. Emerson and Lake persisted, and after several weeks Palmer agreed to join.[17]
The three named themselves Emerson, Lake & Palmer to remove the focus on Emerson as the most famous of the three, and to ensure that they were not called the "new Nice".[18] Triton was a name that Emerson said "was buzzing around" for a little while,[19] and Triumvirate and Seahorse were also in contention.[20] They moved toIsland Studios inNotting Hill to rehearse and form a live set.[19] Most of the numbers were rock adaptations and arrangements of classical pieces, including:Allegro barbaro byBéla Bartók entitled "The Barbarian", the jazz standard "Blue Rondo à la Turk" byDave Brubeck entitled "Rondo" that Emerson had recorded with the Nice, "Nut Rocker" as an encore,[21] andPictures at an Exhibition byModest Mussorgsky that Emerson wanted to do after seeing it performed by an orchestra.[22] An original song from Lake, "Take a Pebble", was also worked out. The group wished to enhance their live act, and spent £9,000 on a sound mixer and £4,000 on aMoog modular synthesizer imported from America that was adapted for better performance on stage.[14]
The trio's first live gig followed atPlymouth Guildhall on 23 August 1970, supported by Earth, a local band.[23][24][25] They travelled to the venue in a transit van previously owned by fellowprogressive rock bandYes, and were paid around £400 for the gig.[26][27] A small venue outside London was deliberately chosen in case the concert was a failure, but the concert was well received.[28] Their second gig took place on 29 August with a set at theIsle of Wight Festival which was attended by an estimated 600,000 people and drew considerable attention from the public and music press. At the end of "Pictures at an Exhibition", the band fired two cannons that Emerson had tested in a field nearHeathrow Airport.[21]
The success of the group's debut, as well as Lake's prior association with King Crimson, led to the band signing management and recording contracts withE.G. Records, who distributed their records throughIsland in the UK andCotillion, a subsidiary ofAtlantic Records, in North America.[17] Emerson believed that Atlantic's chief and co-founderAhmet Ertegun agreed to take the band on "because we could sell out 20,000-seaters before we even had a record out. That was enough for him to think that a lot of people would go out and buy the record when it did come out."[13]
In the months surrounding their debut gigs, the band recorded their first album,Emerson Lake & Palmer, atAdvision Studios. Lake took on the role of producer, which he had also done in King Crimson, withEddy Offord as their engineer. The album included studio versions of "The Barbarian" and "Take a Pebble", "Knife-Edge", based on the first movement ofSinfonietta byLeoš Janáček and theAllemande ofFrench Suite No. 1 in D minor byJohann Sebastian Bach, Palmer's drum solo "Tank", the three-part "The Three Fates", and "Lucky Man", an acoustic ballad that Lake wrote when he was twelve.[29] The album was released in the UK in November 1970, and reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 18 in the US. "Lucky Man" was released as a single that peaked at No. 48 in the US.[30]
From September 1970 to March 1971, the band completed their first concert tour with shows across the UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Emerson used a largeMoog modular synthesizer on stage but it was unreliable as heat affected its sound.[31] Their performance on 9 December 1970 at theLyceum Theatre in London was filmed and released in UK theatres in 1972 with added psychedelic effects including characters fromMarvel Comics.[32]
During a break in their first tour in January 1971, Emerson, Lake & Palmer returned to Advision Studios with Offord to record their second album,Tarkus. Friction between Emerson and Lake during the early recording sessions almost caused the group to disband as Lake disliked the material that Emerson was writing. Following a meeting with the band and management, Lake agreed to write his own songs and continue recording.[33] The album was recorded in six days.[34] The album's first side is occupied by the 20-minutetitle track, a seven-part song based on reverse evolution that was recorded in four days. Itscover art was designed by painter and graphic designerWilliam Neal.Tarkus was released in June 1971 and was a commercial success, reaching No. 1 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. The band resumed touring with their first North American tour, starting 24 April 1971 atThiel College inGreenville, Pennsylvania,[35] and continued until the end of May. Further dates across Europe followed until the end of the year.
The band's third album,Pictures at an Exhibition, was released as a budget album in the UK in November 1971. It features their version of the Mussorgsky suite performed live atNewcastle City Hall on 26 March 1971 plus the concert's encore, "Nut Rocker".[32] It was to be released beforeTarkus, but the group delayed its release on purpose to show the music press and public that they could write their own songs, and were not merely "the band that did classical music".[36] Atlantic Records declined to release it in the US, claiming it would not sell or receive any radio airplay because of its classical orientation and offered to release it on its sister labelNonesuch Records which handled budget, classical, and avant-garde albums.[17] The band refused until Island imported 250,000 copies into the US which quickly sold, helped by radio DJScott Muni playing the entire album onWNEW-FM in New York City. The strong response prompted Atlantic to release it through Cotillion at full price in January 1972.[17] The album peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 10 in the US.[37]
Trilogy, the band's third studio album, was recorded at Advision Studios with Offord between October 1971 and January 1972.[38] Its cover art was designed byStorm Thorgerson andAubrey Powell ofHipgnosis.[39] "Hoedown" is an adaptation ofRodeo byAaron Copland. Released in July 1972,Trilogy reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 5 in the US. "From the Beginning", an acoustic ballad featuring an extended synthesizer solo, was released as a single which reached No. 39 in the US.[40] Lake has pickedTrilogy as his favourite studio album by the band.[41] The album was supported with a North American tour in March and April 1972 which included a spot at theMar y Sol Pop Festival inManatí, Puerto Rico on 3 April.[42] Following dates across Europe, including their first in Italy, the band performed at theConcert 10 Festival atPocono International Raceway inLong Pond, Pennsylvania, on 9 July 1972. This was followed by their first dates in Japan where a riot broke out during the show in Osaka, causing the power to be cut and the group fleeing the stage.[43]
In early 1973, the band formed their own record label,Manticore Records, and purchased an abandoned cinema as their own rehearsal hall inFulham, London. In June 1973, Emerson, Lake & Palmer began recordingBrain Salad Surgery in London at Advision andOlympic Studios which lasted until September that year. Offord was not present for the recording sessions as he was working withYes, leaving engineering and mixing duties toChris Kimsey and Geoff Young. Lake wrote the album's lyrics withPeter Sinfield and its sleeve was designed byH. R. Giger and includes the band's new logo. Formed of five tracks, the album includes a rendition of "Jerusalem" which features the debut of theMoog Apollo, a prototypepolyphonic synthesizer. "Toccata" is a cover of the fourth movement of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Argentine composerAlberto Ginastera and contains synthesised percussion in the form of an acoustic drum kit fitted with pick-ups that triggered electronic sounds. The 29-minute track "Karn Evil 9" is the longest song recorded by the group.Brain Salad Surgery was released in November 1973 and reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 11 in the US.
From November 1973 to August 1974, the band toured North America and Europe which saw them carry almost 40 tons of equipment.[44] On 6 April 1974, the band headlined the inauguralCalifornia Jam Festival at theOntario Motor Speedway, California, to an attendance of 250,000 people. The show was filmed and broadcast across the US.[45] These shows exhibited a mix of virtuoso musicianship and over-the-top performances which some criticised as excessive, such as Emerson playing a piano as it spun, suspended, end-over-end; Palmer playing on a rotating drum platform; and Emerson throwing a Hammond organ around the stage to createfeedback. Emerson often used a knife, given to him byLemmy Kilmister, who had roadied for the Nice, to force the keys on the organ to stay down.[46] The tour was one of the top concert draws during the 1973–1974 period.[47] Performances from Anaheim, California, were documented in the live album,Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends ~ Ladies and Gentlemen, released in August 1974 as atriple LP. The album peaked at No. 5 in the UK and No. 4 in the US.
After touring in 1974, the band took an extended break. The three members bought homes overseas and becametax exiles in the process, but Emerson suffered a setback in 1975 when his Sussex home burned down and lost most of his possessions. The ordeal left him depressed, and he later credited his bandmates in helping him recover from drug misuse.[48]
They regrouped in 1976 to recordWorks Volume 1 atMountain Studios inMontreux, Switzerland andEMI Studios in Paris, France. It is a double album with one side of an LP containing songs by each member and a fourth of group material. Much of the album was recorded with an orchestral accompaniment; Emerson's side consists of his 18-minute, three-movement "Piano Concerto No. 1". Lake contributed five songs he co-wrote with Sinfield, and Palmer's includes two covers of classical pieces bySergei Prokofiev and Bach as well as an orchestral remake of "Tank" from the group's debut album. One of the two group tracks, "Fanfare for the Common Man", is a cover of the same-titledorchestral piece byAaron Copland, who gave permission to have the band release it.Works Volume 1 was released in March 1977 and peaked at No. 9 in the UK and No. 12 in the US. A single of "Fanfare for the Common Man" was released and reached No. 2 in the UK, the band's highest charting UK single.[49] In November 1977,Works Volume 2 was released as a compilation of shorter tracks recorded from 1973 to 1976 during various album recording sessions. The album was not as commercially successful as the band's previous albums; it reached No. 20 in the UK and No. 37 in the US. Three tracks from the album were released as singles: "Tiger in a Spotlight", "Maple Leaf Rag", and "Watching Over You".
The twoWorks albums were supported by North American tours which lasted from May 1977 to February 1978, spanning over 120 dates.[50] The original plan was to have an orchestra on stage with the band each night, but the idea was dropped after 11 shows due to the high costs and difficulties with the orchestra unions. The 64-piece orchestra and choir were formed from the 500 who auditioned for a position.[51][52] The orchestra was used two other times on the tour: for three dates atMadison Square Garden in New York City and the August 1977 show at theOlympic Stadium in Montreal that was attended by an estimated 78,000 people, the highest attended Emerson, Lake & Palmer concert as a solo act.[53] The concert was filmed and released as a live album in 1979 entitledEmerson, Lake & Palmer in Concert that reached No. 73 in the US. Emerson wished for a double album release, but Atlantic Records decided against it due to the band's pending dissolution at its time of release. In 1993, the album was repackaged with additional tracks asWorks Live, and put out on video in 1998.[53] Emerson later said that his insistence on the band using an orchestra was a mistake, but he was unwilling to tour without one. Lake looked back on this period as the beginning of the end of the group's original run.[17]
After their 1977–78 tour, the band discussed their next move. Emerson recalled that in order for the group to continue, "we would have to do a lot of cutting down" and considered the possibility of producing music with just a piano, bass guitar, and drums.[54] As the group were contractually obliged to record one more studio album, the band relocated to Emerson's home nearNassau in theBahamas and recordedLove Beach at the nearbyCompass Point Studios in 1978.[42] Lake did not carry out the production duties, leaving Emerson to complete the record on his own after his bandmates returned home when recording was complete.[55] The album has been dismissed by the band, who explained it was produced to fulfil a contractual obligation.[56] Sinfield is credited on the majority of the tracks as a lyricist except "Canario", an instrumental based onFantasía para un gentilhombre by Spanish composerJoaquín Rodrigo. The second side is taken up with "Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman", a four-part 20-minute track that tells acoming of age story of a soldier during theWorld War II-era.[55] Its cover is a photograph of the group at a beach off an island fromSalt Cay, Turks Islands, "decked out as bare-chested late-seventies disco stars".[55] Despite Emerson expressing his disapproval on the album's title and cover to Ertegun, neither was changed.[55]
Love Beach was released in November 1978 and was poorly received by the music press. "All I Want Is You" was released as a single in the UK, but failed to chart. It did sell enough to be certified gold in the US for 500,000 copies sold, in January 1979.[4] In early 1979, Palmer attempted to organise a farewell summer tour and have the group disband at its conclusion. Due to internal problems, such as "what we should play and how we should play it", the tour never materialised.[57] The band made no announcement of their break-up,[58] and Palmer moved on by forming a band, PM, which released one album entitled1PM.[59]
In 1985, Emerson and Lake formedEmerson, Lake & Powell with formerRainbow drummerCozy Powell. Palmer declined to participate in a reunion as he was busy with commitments withAsia. Rumours also linkedBill Bruford to their new line-up, but he was committed toKing Crimson andEarthworks. The group's only album,Emerson Lake & Powell, was released in June 1986 and charted at No. 35 in the UK and No. 23 in the US. The single "Touch and Go" went to No. 60 in the US and No. 2 on theBillboardHot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The trio toured the album in 1986, playing material by the Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
In 1988, Emerson and Palmer joined withRobert Berry to form the band3. They released an album,To the Power of Three, in 1988.
In 1990, formerAtlantic Records executivePhil Carson approached Emerson, Lake & Palmer to reunite and produce music for a proposed film. The project never developed, but the trio remained in London and started to come up with new musical ideas. The sessions were productive, with the band working as much as five to six days a week for three months, which convinced them to abandon soundtrack work in favour of putting out a new album.[60] By mid-1991, Carson had secured them with a two-album deal with his new independent label, Victory Music.[60][61] Lake's voice had deepened by this point, and the band took greater care in the key that songs were written to better suit his vocals. They also utilised modern recording technology to complement the songs, including MIDI and digital sampling, which Palmer said kept their material fresh.[60] Atlantic capitalised on the reunion by releasingThe Atlantic Years, a two-and-a-half hour compilation of their early material.[60]
Black Moon was released in July 1992; it peaked at No. 78 in the US but failed to chart in the UK. The group supported it with a world tour between July 1992 and April 1993, which included their first shows in England since 1974. The concerts at London'sRoyal Albert Hall were broadcast on BBC radio and released as a live album in 1993, entitledLive at the Royal Albert Hall. The shows were also filmed and subsequently released on DVD. Later in 1993, Victory Music releasedThe Return of the Manticore a 4-disc box set retrospective of the band's career and previously unreleased studio tracks, including a new studio recording of "Pictures at an Exhibition" in Dolby surround sound.
The band's final studio album,In the Hot Seat, was released in September 1994. Victory Music was in financial trouble by this time, as albums by fellow label actsTin Machine andYes failed to generate strong enough sales, causing Victory and producerKeith Olsen to put pressure on Emerson to make a more commercially oriented album with the band.[62] When Emerson reluctantly agreed, Victory and Olsen brought in several individuals to assist in the songwriting; Olsen received a credit on four tracks andBill Wray on two.[63] In the summer of 1994, the band cancelled an upcoming North American and Japanese tour, and the group split for a short period to pursue solo projects.[64] Emerson underwent surgery to correct a compressed nerve in his arm in October, which left him able to play at only half his previous capacity.[65] Palmer also had an operation to fix hiscarpal tunnel syndrome. Initial plans to commemorate the band's 25th anniversary in 1995 were shelved. Following the demise of Victory Music, their back catalogue transferred toRhino Records.[66]
Emerson and Palmer eventually recovered enough to start touring again from August 1996, beginning with a 33-date US tour opening forJethro Tull. This was followed by a Japanese tour in October, where the group played a full set.[67] In 1997, the band completed a 50-date world tour.[68] It is noted for Emerson'sHammond organ catching fire during the show in Boston. The remains were donated to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[68] In May 1998, Lake's manager announced that the band had started work on a new studio album. This was followed by a North American tour in August as openers forDeep Purple andDream Theater, which included the "Tarkus" suite performed in its entirety for the first time since 1974.[69] After the tour, friction arose within the group as Lake wanted to relinquish his role as producer on the new album, and blamed the band's recent creative lull on this fact. Emerson and Palmer were against the idea, and claimed Lake had not presented any tangible material for them to work on despite knowing he was collecting ideas for a solo album. The rift resulted in the trio's split by the end of 1998, and a tour booked for the spring of 1999 was cancelled.[69]
In April and May 2010, Emerson and Lake embarked on a North American tour, 'Manticore Hall', with stripped-down versions of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the Nice, and King Crimson songs. It originated when the pair got together at Lake's home studio earlier in the year to write new songs. When they stopped for a break, they occasionally played an Emerson, Lake & Palmer song which led to the idea of recreating it on stage as it gave the songs a different feel to the originals.[70] The first show of the tour was cancelled at the last minute following a backstage argument between Emerson and Lake, and the following two dates were subsequently cancelled.[71] Later in 2010, the 4-CD box setA Time and a Place was released that features live tracks from 1970 to 1998. Two archival concerts followed in 2011:Live at Nassau Coliseum '78 andLive at the Mar Y Sol Festival '72.[72]
In September 2009, Palmer announced that the band had planned to reform earlier in the year, but it had to be pushed back for Emerson to receive medical attention on one of his hands.[73] The three got together for a one-off concert for their 40th anniversary, headlining theHigh Voltage Festival at London'sVictoria Park on 25 July 2010. The show was recorded and filmed; a live album was released asHigh Voltage. The DVD and Blu-ray of the concert followed in August 2011, which also contained a documentary on the band's career.[74] Lake said that despite the band having "tremendous technical problems" on stage and struggled at points, the audience were enthusiastic and people enjoyed their performance.[70] Palmer held a more critical view, and said the group rehearsed for five weeks before the show, which he initially considered excessive, but upon hearing the recording, "maybe five weeks was not long enough. It wasn't to the standard that I liked and I didn't think it sounded that good."[75]
Following their 2010 reunion, the band expressed differing opinions regarding their future. In early 2010, Emerson and Lake had not ruled out further Emerson, Lake & Palmer concerts or the possibility of a new studio album; the former said: "I see no reason why we shouldn't be doing more."[76] In 2011, Lake said that Emerson and he were open to the idea of more group activity, but acknowledged Palmer's more negative comments to the press shortly before the 40th anniversary concert. Lake said: "I don't know why Carl has a propensity to dwell on negative issues... Keith and I have had our differences over the years, but we've certainly put them behind us and just forgot about them... I'm waiting for Carl to reach the point of wisdom in his life when he realises that carrying around grudges from the past is pointless."[70] In 2012, Lake was unsure that a reunion could take place: "I doubt very much it will happen because I don't think Carl and Keith are in that same frame of mind."[77] In 2013, Palmer revealed that he put a stop on further group plans.[75]
In December 2010, Emerson, Lake & Palmer signed a worldwide licensing deal withSony Music Entertainment.[78] In 2012, they secured a new back catalogue agreement with American-basedRazor & Tie,[79] and acquired a worldwide catalogue distribution deal withBMG Rights Management three years later.[80]
On 11 March 2016, Emerson died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.[81] On 7 December, Lake died from cancer.[82]
In October 2021, Rocket 88 Books releasedEmerson, Lake & Palmer, the first official book about the band that was made in co-operation with Palmer and Emerson and Lake's families, with Palmer as executive editor. It was available in three editions, Classic, Signature, and Ultimate, all containing rare and previously unpublished interviews and photographs.[83]
A 2016 retrospective review inRolling Stone listed "10 Essential Songs by EL&P" and noted, "ELP became one of rock's first supergroups upon forming in 1970…The result was a stretch of albums…that turned prog from a black-light-in-the-basement listening experience into a stadium-filling phenomenon. At their heart was Emerson, whose eternal quest for a bigger, grander sound (thanks to a bank of organs and synthesizers that grew to resemble a fortress onstage) helped make ELP one of the most accomplished and absorbing bands rock ever birthed."[84]Koji Kondo, Nintendo's first video game composer, cited ELP as a major influence on his work.[85]Nobuo Uematsu, best known for scoring the majority of titles in theFinal Fantasy series, cites ELP as one of his influences.[86] The trio are described as "genuinely classically aware, and openly demonstrated their respect for classical music." They are said to have "formed a genuine fusion between rock and jazz" and were noted for their "virtuosity and their uninhibited aggression."[87]
Despite their success and influence, ELP received criticism from some music critics, one citing a popular joke from the 1970s: "How do you spell pretentious? E-L-P."[88]Robert Christgau said of the band inRock Albums of the Seventies (1981), "these guys are as stupid as their most pretentious fans", also calling them the "world's most overweening 'progressive' group".[89] John Kelman ofAll About Jazz noted that an "overbearing sense of self-importance turned ELP from one of the 1970s' most exciting new groups into the definition of masturbatory excess and self-aggrandizement in only a few short years."[90] Kelman also stated that "in their fall from grace, [ELP] represented everything wrong with progressive rock."[91] Paul Stump, in hisHistory of Progressive Rock, likewise attributed ELP's infamy to their decadent activities during progressive rock's fall from favour: "What prompted ELP to do what they did to their listeners, their critics and ultimately themselves in 1977 can only be guessed at. What is certain is that it consigned them to eternal rock notoriety. Even discountingPunk, had not the musical climate changed enough to convince them that epics were out of fashion, both on record and in concert?"[92] DJJohn Peel went so far as to describe the band as "a tragic waste of talent and electricity".[93] In an appraisal of the band's legacy,PopMatters journalist Sean Murphy said ELP "wore immoderation like a badge of courage",[94] regardless of whether they were loved or loathed:
Here are three words that strike fear in the hearts of all those allergic to prog rock: Emerson. Lake. Palmer. Popular enough to have several songs still in the regular FM rotation, obscure enough to be forever relegated as one of "those" bands from a certain time and place (the '70s), ambitious enough to attempt things few if any other bands did, for better or worse, pretentious enough to earn the full-throated derision of holier-than-thou tastemakers. And album art awful enough to ensure they will never be forgotten, for better or worse.[95]
Main studio and live discography
...British art rock groups such as the Nice, Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson, the Moody Blues, and Procol Harum...
I do like Trilogy. It is my favorite ELP album. It couldn't be anyone else. It truly is a definitive album. It is the very best of ELP in a way. It's got flashes of all the best things of what we were.
Sources
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