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Emerson Lake & Palmer - Emerson Lake & Palmer CD (album) cover

EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

Emerson Lake & Palmer

 

Symphonic Prog

4.23 | 2358 ratings

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jimidom
4 stars It is said that true ambition knows no bounds. This was perhaps the driving sentiment behind the creation of prog rock supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer. Combining the talents of former Nice organist Keith Emerson, former King Crimson bassist/lead vocalist Greg Lake, and former Atomic Rooster drummer Carl Palmer, their ambition was to push rock music to the limits of technical virtuosity. At times the ambition paid dividends in the form of brilliant performances, such as on the Tarkus LP, but there were also times when the same ambition produced little more than pretentious bombast, such as their take on Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. On their self-titled debut album, however, they found the good side of their ambition.

Among the highlights are "The Barbarian", an instrumental featuring the signature Hammond B3 sound of Keith Emerson as well as Greg Lake's frightening fuzz bass guitar. "Take a Pebble" features Emerson's considerable piano talents. "Three Fates" features more virtuosity from Keith Emerson including a beautiful performance on the pipe organ. "Tank features the fantastic drumming of wiz kid Carl Palmer, and the FM radio hit "Lucky Man" closes the set in a memorable way with Lake's fine vocals and Emerson's Moog exploits.

The end result of ELP's debut was a good one. Their technical prowess was still on full display, and although they may have rode the edge of self-indulgence at times, overall they turned in a set of songs which showed ELP in a flattering light. It is highly recommended for fans of progressive music, and I gladly give it 4 stars.

jimidom | 4/5 |

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