themselves in a certain genre?

I'm thinking when Emerson did Tarkus, it was for me a step in a different

direction than the Nice or the first ELP album.  It really was more of

a symphonic development, or longer structural development, even though

the Nice put out side long pieces, they don't seem the same.

So, he was a professional for about 4 years already when he did Tarkus.

(I guess he was 27 at that age). 

Some, it's the whole band that is plodding along until some of us feel

they reach their great stage.  Sometimes, it may be a leader of a band

as far as main writer. 

Curious if anyone else sees any patterns out there.