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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prog-Rock Masterpiece,
By
This review is from: Emerson Lake & Palmer (Audio CD)
When I first listened to this LP way back in 1970, I was taken aback by the power of this music. I knew the music of The Nice, and I didn't believe that anything could top the first record of King Crimson, the majestic: "In the Court of the Crimson King". Oh, boy was I WRONG !!! ELP not only broke down the walls that stood between rock music and classical, They smashed the walls apart, crossed through and built totally new worlds of music that were so new, so fresh that nobody at this point was even close on their heels.
I brought this prize over to my friend Larry's house, sat him down and thrust this gem upon his turntable. He sat there in a cold silence during: "The Barbarian" and about half-way through "Take a Pebble" he got up from his chair and stormed outta the room to get away from this music and this record... We never spoke to each other ever again. There are only six tracks on this record, but each of them matters as an important piece of this record. To my mind they are more like 'Movements' of a single work of music. Keith Emerson, was thinking outside the box, and was looking forward into uncharted waters. ELP was to sail out there and explore, no matter the cost. Progressive rock didn't start here BUT this first recording by Keith, Greg & Carl set the bar, and they set that bar VERY HIGH. By the mid-seventies there were hundreds of bands all over the world TRYING to imitate this record (many of them built careers on their imitations) But, this first album of: Emerson,Lake & Palmer along with the first release from: King Crimsom were the pioneers that started a movement... IF YOUR EARS WORK, LISTEN TO THIS... FIVE STARS !!!
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A PERFECT MOMENT,
By
This review is from: Emerson Lake & Palmer (Audio CD)
I'm not an ELP fan, but I am a fan of this album. In the aftershock of King Crimson's "farewell" album (Wake of Poseidon) and still reeling from the breakthrough "The Yes Album", ELP's first release captures much of what is best in the shortly post-emergent days of progressive rock. Having followed Emerson through some tortured releases with The Nice, ELP finally framed his talent with a pair of musicians that could, at least, keep up with his outstanding ability. Just listen to "Hang on to a Dream" on Elegy, by The Nice: I don't think Jackson or Davison had a clue to what Emerson was doing with that piano. Unlike The Nice, ELP plays here as a unit. And while their taste will be called into question in later releases, the first album balances extravagance with restraint in performances that sound as if they had been playing together for years and years.
What remains so strong about this album is that each piece is archetypal. Each is the definitive version of itself. From the virtuosic "The Barbarian" to the introspective "Take a Pebble" to the theatrical "Knife's Edge" and the fairy-tale-with-a-message "Lucky Man", all the music is strange, new and familiar at the same time. You may think you'd heard it before and elsewhere, but until this recording came along, you hadn't. It even set a new standard for sound reproduction: my friends and I often used "Tank" as a demo for evaluating stereo equipment. The climactic thumps once set a Phase Linear 400 amp on fire. Honest. Perhaps it was simply the newness of combining all these influences at this particular moment in music, but the lads came out with what may be the only truly unique, complete and coherent record of their careers. It's one of those records where every note is in place, every inflection is absolutely right ( even though the reverb gets over the top in places ) and all of it stands the test of these past few decades at least. It perfectly captures that singular moment in music.
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ELP: From The Beginning,
By
This review is from: Emerson Lake & Palmer (Audio CD)
In 1971, keyboard wiz Keith Emerson, fresh off his stint with the Nice, formed a progressive rock power trio with singer/guitarist Greg Lake of King Crimson, and drummer Carl Palmer of Atomic Rooster. Their self-titled debut album from '71 still stands as one of the group's very best releases. Emerson brilliantly plays a wide variety of keyboards (including the Royal Festival Hall organ for one track), Lake's powerful vocals, booming bass & expert guitar lines simply amaze, and Palmer is a mighty stickman, trouncing his huge drumkit into submission with the greatest of ease. "The Barbarian" & "Tank" are both thunderous instrumental tracks, allowing the trio to really stretch out. Lake's 12 1/2 minute epic, "Take A Pebble," is a truly beautiful piece. "Knife-Edge" is a classic ELP rocker. Emerson's three-part keyboard suite, "The Three Fates," remains one of his greatest contributions to the band, and, of course, there's Lake's timeless, FM radio sing-along classic, "Lucky Man," complimented by Emerson's avant-garde synthesiser flourishes and Palmer's thumping drumwork. Great music and performances from end to end, and brilliantly engineered by Eddie Offord (who also worked with Yes around the same time), Emerson Lake & Palmer's debut disc is a magnificent album, and one of the great jewels in the progessive rock crown.
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