EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

Emerson Lake & Palmer

Symphonic Prog

4.24 | 2369 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Lucky men

A bold statement for a first album, but given the supergroup tag instantly applied to ELP, this was perhaps to be expected.

I love ELP's music, but almost every album includes a track or tracks I don't get. This album is no exception. There are six tracks in all, three on each side of the LP. "The Barbarian" is a great instrumental introduction, pacey, and accessible. "Take a Pebble" is a soft acoustic track with Greg Lake in fine vocal form,, and playing some wonderful acoustic guitar. The track includes a lengthy middle section which drifts into jazz piano, before returning to the main theme for the conclusion. While I have grown to love this track, I've always felt that an edited version without the piano section could sound better. Incidentally, the opening chords are actually played by Keith Emerson who is strumming his piano strings.

"Knife edge" is reminiscent of Atomic Rooster's "Tomorrow night", the closest thing to a single on the album. "The three fates" is for me the Achilles heel of the album. It is a vehicle for displaying Emerson's keyboard prowess, but leaves me completely cold.

"Tank" is a powerful instrumental, but in retrospect the showpiece drum solo was indulgent, and at best far too long. "Tank" and the last track "Lucky man" both featured a unique sound at the time from Emerson's moog synthesiser. It's hard to explain now, just how different the synth solos on these two tracks sounded when the album was released. Even today they send shivers up my spine.

By all accounts, "Lucky man" was a late addition to the album, and did not take long to record. The version of the Synthesiser solo included was the first take. Ironic then that this is arguably the best track on the album.

I have no hesitation in highly recommending the album, but feel free to skip through the odd track (or drum solo!).

Easy Livin | 4/5 | 2004-2-23

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