When ELP Jumped the Shark

Well perhaps the tiger on stage was a bit of a shark-jumping...

This is very amusing to me - I don't think these guys ever 'jumped the shark' - some missteps along the way, they did change their approach with Works and Love Beach. Still within the Prog mould, but moving with the times. Their weakest for me is Hot Seat, of which only the title-cut held promise, the rest was an entire 'press next' exercise, and I HATE CD's. Loved the bonus Piccies recording though. Even Black Moon fared well with my ears.
I think the shark in question was jumped with verve by Genesis, somewhere between Then There Were Three and Duke. Still, they paid lip-service to Prog-lovers, but in a more commercially viable 80's context. Many folks never knew of Genesis' existence before 'That's All'..........
Having said, I adore that Genesis S/T from 1983....................

Karn-Evil 9 (well 1st Impression anyway) WAS their finest work (although I think that Tarkus and Pictures at an Exhibition push it fairly close!) - However - Yes battered it into a top-hat with Tales from Topographic Oceans - surely THE TARGET for all those sneering mid 70's music critics, who (because they were PAID to do so) destroyed the musicians who were actually playing music for themselves (and to a certain degree the fans who weren't interested in being told what to like). TFTO - stands aloft - like those kings at the entrance to Gondor in Lord of the rings...spanning 70's prog.....Only in the last ten years have prog bands (again) begun to lengthen the songs and explore their virtuosity.....

^Brain Salad Surgery was 1973

RockHound wrote: ELP at their best was capable of jumping the shark and making people love it. Pictures at an Exhibition was way over the top - kind of like showing up at a canasta tournament with a howitzer. Who else could have stuck cheesy lyrics on the Great Gate of Kiev and gotten away with it? The album is a completely ridiculous gesture of rebellion that turns a familiar and well-loved classic into a weapon against the establishment. What makes it great is that it is such reckless fun. The flying piano stunt at California Jam was regarded at the time by many as an equivalent of ELP jumping the shark. What kind of rock and roll is this? It was yet another example of reckless fun that was adored by the fans and hated by, well, just about everybody else. Works kind of stumbled over the shark - and it was no longer so much fun because the band began taking itself more seriously, and the cracks were obvious. But the tour was great (still lots of reckless fun). And then there's the infamous Love Beach album cover. Reckless as hell, but no fun at all. As was the case for so many great bands around that time, things were same again. never the I guess there's a limit to how many sharks you can jump.

RockHound wrote: ELP at their best was capable of jumping the shark and making people love it. Pictures at an Exhibition was way over the top - kind of like showing up at a canasta tournament with a howitzer. Who else could have stuck cheesy lyrics on the Great Gate of Kiev and gotten away with it? The album is a completely ridiculous gesture of rebellion that turns a familiar and well-loved classic into a weapon against the establishment. What makes it great is that it is such reckless fun.

Yep- the bigger they are the harder they fall. ELP epitomized the rise and fall of prog. There was nowhere they could go but down after BSS. Definitely were targeted, unfairly, in many ways. Probably some of the most gifted musicians in rock, but loved and hated at the same time, even amongst themselves!

Works I was the beginning of the end. The whole concept of the individual sides for each was portentous. Then the whole orchestra fiasco. Cringeworthy, really. Compared to the glory of 1970-1974? I shake my head in disbelief how a band as marvelous as they were on their first five (6 if you count Welcome Back...) came out with stuff I really dislike in the late 70s. I compare it to the Moody Blues. Their essential 7 were sublime (my opinion) and I love most of what they did in that time period '67-'72. After that I can't even hear one note without cringing. They did a couple songs in 80s that were ok, but the 70s? Yuk. And yet I consider them, and ELP, to be in my top five fav bands. Rush- same thing. Their 80s 90s stuff I can't get into, but give me their good time 70s classics and I'm good to go.

Maybe my tastes stay the same but the musicians move on and I can't get over it. My problem then. I'm still listening to stuff from my youth (60s-70s) and loving that great music even more now! Once in a while I'll find a great "new" band (like Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson) but I can't help but go back to the old stuff.

Wanorak wrote: In the Hot Seat wasn't great so that would be my vote. Personally, Hallowed Be Thy Name is a great song!!

If you like bad, off Broadway show tunes.

Michael678 wrote: when they reformed in 1977, based on what i know from their history.