EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

I. "The Barbarian": Wow. Emerson, Lake & Palmer's debut is a cacophany of angry, classically inspired treble-heavy bass guitar, hammond organ, and more-than-proficient percussion. The feeling of desparation, violence, and even hatred is enshrined in a perfect rock arrangement of Bartok's "Allegro Barbaro" (1911). Although ELP choose not to attribute their classical influences on the album, it really does not matter when such powerful playing is involved. As a homage to the earlier composers who they built on, the middle piano section here is amazing! It is a whirlwind of chords, arpeggios, runs, and things that many others in Symphonic Prog cannot match. After the stunning piano section, Hammond organ and bass guitar come back with the ridiculous drums to create a perfect conclusion.

II. "Take a Pebble": An example of true progressive rock; never staying in one spot, the melodies reveal themselves in bass guitar, clavinet, piano, and acoustic guitar. In particular: piano runs, along with the light drumming, work to create a calm jazz feel. Lake's vocals are some of the more ergonomic in Prog: they are not raspy, nasal, or abrasive. His singing is always calm and beautiful, but again the keyboards are the central focus for melody and expression. Lake's bass playing is worth mentioning, as it is quite prominent in the mix (muted, as well, so it sounds very nice)! The piano eventually fades out and an acoustic guitar takes over, sounding like a lazy summer day on the water (Lake's playing is very nice!). Piano then takes over for guitar, and this time there is no bass, no percussion, or singing; there is simple classical piano playing. Emerson plays masterfully, and the fame this has won over the years is well deserved. Eventually the piece ends, not too soon and not too late, when the opening motif is repeated and concluded following a jazz-ey jam.

III. "Knife Edge": A load of powerful prog introduces this bass-guitar heavy piece, a rearranged, modernised "Sinfonietta" (Janáček, 1926). The desparation of "The Barbarian" is again introduced, but there is an entirely new song; no repetition or boring smiliarities. Hammond organ shines strong from Emerson, along with what sounds like several drummers (but always only the amazing Palmer). I absolutely love the bridge theme, taken from a Suite written by Bach but played on organ instead of piano, which is that suite's usual medium. This is one of my favourite warlike pieces with classical overtones that I have heard from ELP, and deserves recognition! Amazing drums, powerful bass, and virtuoistic playing of the Hammond organ.

IV. "The Three Fates": Emerson jumps on to the Royal Festival Hall Organ for a stint of Gothic Impressionism... it is a frightening and grandiose solo organ rendition. The keyboardist's virtuosity borders on that of Rubinstein's technique and Horowitz's emotion once the piano solo evolves after two minutes of music. Not essentially of the Baroque, Classical, or Romantic schools, the piano parts are trumped up forms of post-Impressionist early 20th century playing. The strongest influence appears to be Rachmaninov, that greatest of Russian pianists, but there is a certain proto-classical sound which has strange dissonance in it. It is hard to describe this piece, and that is a very good attribute to have; it is mysterious and seems to tell a story. The lovely Organ arrives again after the length piano segment, with percussion heralding an apocalyptic piano trio. Emerson is in his highest form here, utilizing so many scales, rhythm changes, and effects as to boggle the mind. Whatever bizarre jazz, classical, and folk ideas were flying about in the keyboardist's head as he composed this music, they work very well in practice and leave the listener in a daze of awe.

V. "Tank": Obviously a showing of Palmer's amazing percussive value as a musician. Emerson adds in some psychedelic-sounding clavinet, and Lake's bass playing is smooth and liquidy. As seen above, the classical/jazz influences shine out to a large degree, giving the music its own unique feel. What is truly amazing about the piece is that although it is a showcase for drums, the clavinet and organ still manage to stay equal with the rhythm section.Toward the end of the percussion solo, the producers even added a phasing to the drums to give a synthesized feel. Eventually, bass guitar and moog synthesizer are introduced to give the final review and end this utterly creative bit of Symphonic Prog. Emerson's tweaking of the Moog is an early showcase of what he'd be doing later in true flying colour.

VI. "Lucky Man": The stringent pop-oriented tune that reached its arms up the UK and American charts is quite good. Acoustic, and at times very wide bass guitar give a texture to Lake's harmonized and echoed singing. The guitarist even plays a rare (albiet short and sweet) guitar solo, adding more variation to the piece. Lake's lyrics are not revolutionary philosophical rantings, but they are intruiging in their nice simplicity. When the chorus falls again, sounds of that ominous Moog begin to drift into the piece, heralding one of that instrument's first uses in Prog. Emerson introduces an almost celtic feel of quick successive ups and downs which are intensely anthemic and infectious. That monophonic beauty shows itself for the first time, introduced by the masters of classical-influenced rock.

This review did not view Emerson, Lake & Palmer as amazing musicians until this album entered the fray. Every piece is beautifully composed, played, and expressed; there are hardly any set backs. No one instrument is lacking, and no instrument is overplayed to the extent of irritation and boredom. This is a true classical of Symphonic Progressive Rock, and should be sought by a new listener to this genre. 5/5!

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