TRILOGY

Trilogy has a great nostalgic meaning for me. I still find it to be the best ELP album. The themes are melodic, nice and catchy, atmospheric and innovative. The worst parts of this are so minor, that they don't bring it down a lot.

The Endless Enigma (Part 1) was the first ELP song I ever heard. This was after dark, turning off the lights and just playing a cd while lying on my back on the bed. I was getting into prog back then and someone told me to get to know ELP. I was amazed how good they really could be. The singing sounds more natural with the organs here, and the whole trio works together much better than twice before. Please, please, open your eyes. This line got me into the music, and I just wanted to hear this song again and again. With the rising instrumental part here bringing some mystical to the song, it's really a prog classic with all its parts together of course.

From the Beginning I had forgotten for some reason. This was a cd borrowed from the library at that time. Then I heard it again somewhere and though it was brilliant. This is exactly the guitarwork I like a lot, that with Greg Lakes great singing, I had to learn to play this, and a lot of people like it too. A good guitar piece from a band that's not really a guitar band at all. Also, in this song, the keyboard is at its best, in a great, moody solo.

The Sheriff is basically what I never liked about ELP. It sounds as if they're again trying to soften up the too serious atmosphere with a little funny songs. However, this one, though a bit ragtime like, is not as bad as the one in Tarkus. Goes well enough along the rest of the songs. The lyrics are pretty stupid though.

Hoedown does a bit better what The Sheriff tried to. It's a bit useless track too, like a funny filler, well, of course they have their right to do some funny music for a while, but it doesn't really live up to their style in my opinion.

The title track, Trilogy is again a nice sentimental piece with good melodies. I taught this to my girlfriend, but I'm sad I can't sing as well as mr. Lake does. A very nice song, not as rocky as some, which I think is their best attribute. Later on it gets started like all the tracks do, so no worries about falling asleep in the middle. The song carries on with a very tricky time signature and a brilliant synth solo.

Living Sin is again a bit more aggressive track, basically because of the low voice singing and the down lyrics. The organ sounds pretty nice, and this song is groovy in the sense as some from their first album. A good change after the long 'Trilogy' and before the final great closure.

Abaddon's Bolero is what the name promises. It's nice for a change to hear something like bolero so well done. It's a bit lazy with the mixing. Basically the song takes 3 minutes to come from ultimate silence to full volume.

The album is nice, best of ELP, as I have said before, and worth the 4 stars I'm going to give it.