Emerson, Lake & Palmer at their Finest


Emerson, Lake & Palmer is another of my “top five” all time favorite musical groups. They made their debut in 1970, with an album named, aptly enough, “Emerson, Lake, and Palmer”, and their place in the annals of progressive rock was firmly established.
The band consisted of Keith Emerson, the wizard of keyboards, Greg Lake, vocalist extraordinaire and bass/guitar player, and the phenomenal drummer, Carl Palmer. All three had been in previous bands, Emerson was with The Nice, Palmer with Atomic Rooster, and Lake was with King Krimson, on their first album “In the Court of the Crimson King”. Emerson, Lake & Palmer were dominant in the 1970s, had a stint as Emerson, Lake and Powell in the early 1980s, then reformed in the 1990s as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and did three or so CD’s, and then parted ways towards the end of the 90’s. One of the unique things about ELP’s music was that each band member was trained in classical music, and they brought this influence right into, and fused it with, popular rock music. What follows is a small table of information about this CD, followed by a review of its six fantastic songs.

Information on “Emerson, Lake & Palmer”

Record Label: Rhino Records
Release Date on Rhino: 1996
Original Release Date: 1970(Cotillion Records)
Produced by: Greg Lake
Engineered by: Eddie Offord
Personnel:
Keith Emerson—all keyboards, Steinway piano, and Royal Festival Hall Organ
Greg Lake—vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar
Carl Palmer—drums and percussion
Track List:
1. The Barbarian
2. Take a Pebble
3. Knife-Edge
4. The Three fates
5. Tank
6. Lucky Man

Cost: $8-12
UPC Code: 081227222321

Highlights/Review

1. The Barbarian. Running Time: 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

“The Barbarian” is adapted from Bela Bartok’s “Allegro Barbaro”, and the adaptation and arrangement are by ELP. This is an instrumental track that starts off this diverse record, and is very ambitious. We start out with a heavy “fuzz” bass guitar sound by Lake, and the fanfare begins of the barbarian, with Emerson coming in on organ and Palmer making a riot of percussion on his drum kit. I love the arrangement that ELP has made of Bartok’s classical original here, it simply rocks! There is a change in the middle of the track, with Palmer switching to playing brushes as Emerson switches to grand piano. The dramatic feel to this combination is not to be underestimated. Keith Emerson plays the piano with such authority and finesse, that you can’t believe that this is “pop” music, in a sense. The track moves on to the final phase, with Emerson returning to organ, and Lake coming back in on bass, with Palmer going crazy. This track reminds me of being about 6 years old, when I first heard it. I’m still listening to it, all these years later. “The Barbarian” is an outstanding instrumental introduction to ELP, and is one of the best on the CD.

2. Take a Pebble. Running time: 12 minutes and 27 seconds.
Composed by Greg Lake.

“Take a Pebble” is a complete shift of gears. It is not only the longest track on the CD, but it is also the mellowest. Lake sings:

”Just take a pebble,
And cast it to the sea,
Then watch the ripples,
That unfold into me…

My face spilled so gently,
Into your eyes,
Disturbing the waters,
Of our lives…”

Greg Lake has such a wonderful singing voice. Of all the different groups that I listen to, besides perhaps the Beatles, his voice is probably the best, with a wonderful range.

After the first chorus, the track picks up musically. Emerson is back on piano, with Palmer accompanying on the drums, again playing brushes, with Lake playing harmonies on his bass guitar.

There is a middle part that is very quiet to this song. We get an almost gift of an inaudible acoustic guitar, being strummed, with water sounds created by Emerson on his mini moog synthesizers, the strumming gets slightly louder, and then a bit louder, and more ambitious. Suddenly, we have a kind of “country western” feel to the acoustic guitar solo, with a knee-slapping additive.

From here, we return to a piano solo by Emerson, followed by Palmer throwing in a jazzy percussive segment, and then back to a reprise of the chorus. “Take a Pebble” became a popular tune they used in concerts later, and is another track that brings a sense of sentimentality to this reviewer.

3. Knife Edge. Running time: 5 minutes and 5 seconds.

“Knife Edge” is partly adapted from Janacek’s “Sinfonietta”, and is arranged by ELP, with lyrics added by Lake.

“Knife Egde” is again, a totally new sound as compared to the previous two tracks.
It is much heavier “edged”, as it were, with a tightness and uniformity of play between the trio that surpasses even “The Barbarian”. Lake sings this one in a deeper voice, with a cool, echoing high hat by Palmer, and a nice riff on the bass, followed by Emerson cranking it out on the organ. The lyrics:

“Just a step,
Cried the sadman,
Take a look down
At the madman…..
From the flight of the seagull,
Comes the spread claws of the eagle,
Only fear breaks the silence,
As we all kneel,
Pray for guidance….”

“Knife-Edge” is such a cool song! It not only has some really cool vocals and lyrics, it has a musical virtuosity that is rarely matched by anybody around, then and now.
Emerson really flies in the middle part, and has a heck of a solo on his mini moog and organ. Lake sings his heart out, and Palmer jams on drums like nobody’s business, even flying into little solos (a brief preview of Tank). The ending is interesting, as it sounds like an LP playing on 33 RPM’s that is suddenly shut off, which probably made lots of people check their turntables way back in 1970!

4. “The Three Fates”. Running Time: 7 minutes and 43 seconds.

Composer: Keith Emerson.

“The Three Fates” is made up of three sub-parts: “Clotho”, “Lachesis”, and “Atropos”.
This is Emerson’s huge contribution to this recording. “Clotho” is played on a Royal Festival Hall organ, and is a really cool piece. It makes any organ playing at any church you grew up in seem mediocre, and wish that you had Emerson as your local church organist. It’s pretty cool, and full of classical elements and drama. “Lachesis” is a piano solo, which really showcases Emerson’s virtuosity on the piano. Emerson’s compositions are original and compelling, and his playing is flawless. “Atropos” is the finale’ of this three fates, and it is a “piano trio”, all Emerson, with overdubs, of course, although for some reason I feel that he could play three pianos at once! Things get a little hectic in this one, but it’s first rate. It is full of counterpoint, and some really cool percussive things.

5. Tank. Running time: 6 minutes and 47 seconds.
Composed by: Emerson and Palmer.

“Tank” is one of my favorite tracks on this CD. It is another totally instrumental track.
It is one of the more ambitious tracks on the CD, and it features Carl Palmer’s incredible drum solo in the middle of it. Firstly, though, it has a wonderful theme, with Emerson playing some kind of a harpsichord sounding moog, with Lake playing some surprisingly complex supporting parts on his bass guitar. Carl Palmer, of course, jams right along, and the main theme leads right into the drum solo. Words alone can’t describe how good this drum solo is. Carl Palmer has to be one of the finest drummers ever to play the skins, and this solo here is my all time favorite drum solo by anyone. He is just so darned quick and controlled in his playing, he is simply phenomenal! The solo leads into some interesting synthesizer work by Emerson at the end that tends to remind one of an umpire arguing with a manager in a baseball game. “Tank” is simply an outstanding instrumental track.

6. Lucky Man. Running time: 4 minutes and 37 seconds.
Composed by: Greg Lake.

“Lucky Man” is the final track on the CD, and it is probably the best-known track from this CD as well. It is the ELP track that is most often played on the radio, on “classic rock” stations, today, and was probably the closest thing to a “hit single” that ELP had.
The song is a very classically oriented song, and is acoustic in nature, except for the ending. The lyrics go:

“He had white horses,
And ladies by the score,
All dressed in Satin,
And waiting by the door

White lace, and feathers,
They made up his bed,
A gold covered mattress,
On which he was laid.

Oooh, what a lucky man, he was!

He went to fight wars,
For his country,
And his king,
Of his honor,
And his glory,
The people would sing

Oooh, what a lucky man he was!

A bullet had found him,
His blood ran,
As he cried,
Nobody could save him,
So he lay down,
And he died.

Ooooh, what a lucky man, he was!”

Lake sings this song with energy and heart, and it is one of my all-time favorite ELP songs. After the final chorus, we are treated to one of the most memorable mini moog solos ever played. Emerson’s sound and playing here are hauntingly beautiful, and awe inspiring! For some reason, I have never heard anyone ever since play with this particular “sound” on the synthesizer. “Lucky Man” is a great song!

All in all, the debut album of Emerson, Lake & Palmer is outstanding! ELP went on to do some other fantastic follow up albums: “Tarkus”, “Pictures at an Exhibition”, “Trilogy”, “Brain Salad Surgery”, “Works”, and more. Their music is timeless, and you would be hard pressed to find anything really like them today, unless they get back together.

--James P. Zaworski












Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving