ELP: Trilogy

I used to love it mostly, especially for The Endless Enigma (which reminds me of Planet of the Apes in part) and the title track, and I like From the Beginning still (they can do subtle and create nice atmospheres), but now I find it more challenging and abrasive on the whole to my ears than before. It just seems too over-the-top. Had they toned it down a bit, and gone for less flash, then I would like it more, but then ELP is not known as the most subtle, tasteful and understated or restrained of bands (very showy).

ELP's debut is the one that I can still enjoy most easily.

I am going to try to replay Trilogy again soon, as it has been quite some years since I listened to it in whole, but the last time I could not get through it as I found it too frenetic and showy at times. That said, I still think that it's a good album and I look at ELP as the quintessential prog band.

Edited by Logan - October 02 2018 at 06:47

Logan wrote: but now I find it more challenging and abrasive on the whole to my ears than before. It just seems too over-the-top.

yeah....  being an RPI fan removed any pretext of caring about mix, production and engineering...  it was the 70's man. Not the 80's.   Energy and passion and kicking ass...trumped a good clean sounding production.

Well it is my avi, has been for a while. From the Beginning, Hoedown, The Sheriff. Plus like the title track, Aladdin's Bolero etc. It's solidly their second best album imo. Not better than BSS. 

Ravishing man.

From the Beginning is my favourite pop like song from the band. And the song Trilogy is perhaps the most frustrating one for me, since I really love parts 1 and 2... but part 3 really ends up ruinning it.

"From The Beginning." "Hoedown." "Trilogy." This album should be in every prog lover's collection (with the rest of ELP's '70s catalogue).

micky wrote: Logan wrote: but now I find it more challenging and abrasive on the whole to my ears than before. It just seems too over-the-top. that really suprised me.. though obviously music is if nothing..  purely individual. I regard this as their best album, for lacking the lows of the other albums, yet it does not the have the highs of the other albums. if there ever was a consistent restrained ELP album...  I always considered it to be this one.  Best album? No doubt Favorite album?  you have to be kidding me.   I love ELP for those highs, highter IMO than anyone of the big 6 outside of Yes, and those lows lower than anyone outside of Genesis hahah.

I said now, and sort of clarified that later in my post, but it has been some time since I last listened to in in whole, and the experience really does depend upon one's mood at the time and whatever it is that one is particularly into at any given time. When I last tried listening to in whole, I was mostly listening to fairly loungy library music such as Sven Libaek and Stringtronic, as well as quite subtle and simple folk music. I had a similar experience with Le Orme, which I had loved, but I'm sure that I would enjoy listening to Le Orme today. I could not get into Tarkus or Brain Salad Surgery even when I was very big on Trilogy, which reminds me of how when I was in love with Yes' Fragile and was introduced to Close to the Edge, I could not get into Close to the Edge (and never really have been able to outside of the title track).

Edited by Logan - October 04 2018 at 08:20

This was my first ELP LP,
A favorite to this day, but as an album I agree it feels a bit disjointed. Not really a problem for me cuz I like variety.