EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

By 1970, when Emerson, Lake and Palmer released their eponymous debut, the infant progressive rock movement was really beginning to grow, and flex its muscles. King Crimson had established an influential prog blueprint the year before with IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING, and future top-tier progressive acts Yes and Genesis were each toddling to their wee prog feet with sophomore efforts TIME AND A WORD and TRESPASS, respectively.

EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER saw prog's most potent trio emerge fully-fleshed upon the developing scene. It's an impressive first effort, with all of the classic ELP elements in place. The band whose names would become synonymous with the genre -- for a few bright years in a positive fashion, but, during prog's 76 to 77 fall from grace, more often in a scornful manner -- had a firm musical identity, and knew their business right off the mark. Singer Greg Lake had already honed his grand, inspiring vocal style during his two-album stint with Crimson, keyboardist extraordinaire Keith Emerson had been wowing audiences with his prowess for some time with The Nice, and Carl Palmer now confirmed his burgeoning reputation as a drummer's drummer, having been the tour drummer for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and a founding member (and studio drummer) for Atomic Rooster. The three ELP men were no smooth-cheeked neophytes, but seasoned musicians and recording artists.

That deep pool of experience is apparent on EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER's opening track, the instrumental "The Barbarian," which is four and a half minutes of rampaging, head-hewing, pure prog power and majesty. Emerson in particular shines here, with some church-style organ and some lightning-fast work on the piano. The second piece, the magnificent twelve-and-a-half minute, multi-part "Take a Pebble" finds Lake delivering some typically stirring vocals, while Emerson and Palmer get to stretch out and show off their flashy, jazzy chops in perfect complement to one another. Next up is "Knife Edge," another heavy number which encapsulates all of the quintessential ELP elements within its five minutes. Palmer's stellar performance on the skins and cymbals, and Emerson's mastery of the Hammond are again the highlights. "The Three Fates" is an instrumental, which takes the listener to some grandiose cathedral of prog, via Emerson's imposing pipe organ opening. Piano and drums also get a real workout here, and the high-ceilinged sound evokes the mythological motif of the title, before a literally explosive close. This, boys and girls, is the sound rock makes when it's progressing! "Tank" is another instrumental, and this initially nimble number at first belies its name. Formidable finesse is seen in Palmer's "obligatory for the early 70s" drum solo, before the slower main theme asserts itself for the closing half. Now one can readily envision the armoured killing machine of the title, lumbering along in smug, impenetrable might. Finally, the album ends with 70s FM favourite "Lucky Man." (Only the cloying "C'est la Vie," from the overblown WORKS, would ever garner ELP as much air time.) "Lucky Man" is a nice enough song, though its lyrics are somewhat school-boyish and didactic in their heavy-handed message that wealth does not bring true happiness, or even (gasp!) forestall death. Still, Lake's acoustic guitar is pretty, and dig that spacey synthesizer at the close -- far out! (Hey, it was a new sound way back then, and it impressed my shell-pink ears to no end -- even if it sounds a mite dated and corny as I listen today. Alas, fleeting innocence, I hardly knew ye! How dare I be so jaded?)

Thus, EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER was a strong debut, which played no small role in solidifying the progressive rock template. Jazzy affectations, classical pretensions, "deep" lyrics, pompous musical bombast and complexity, along with sheer "look what I can do" ace musicianship, had constructed a gilded home. A growing, worshipful audience, eager for more such heady fare, soon came calling. These days, as prog's favourite whipping boys, ELP have fallen far from the Olympian peak of slavering adulation they once occupied. Still, here one can find out how they attained such rarified heights in the first place. EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER is must for all fans, and for any comprehensive collection of early progressive rock.