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Joined: June 23 2015
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Topic: Why no love for ELP? Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:12
I'm a big fan of all major 70's prog bands: Yes, Genesis, ELP, Tull, Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson...the list goes on. There's a tremendous amount of appreciation on this forum for Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and deservedly so...but precious little for ELP. I'm just curious for the reason.
Too pompous and pretentious? I'd say Yes could be just as much so (Tales from Topographic Oceans for example.
Crappy output after Welcome Back My Friends live album? Again, bad as Love Beach was, I think Yes Union, Talk & Open Your Eyes is just as pop-sellout bad and post-Hackett Genesis was just as bad.
By the way, I don't mean to bash Yes---at their peak, I consider them one of the best prog bands of all time. Just noting that they've had their mis-steps in the Pop 80's just like all the other bands.
Just curious as to other fan's views on this. I do think that ELP faded away after the Works albums, although I thought Black Moon was a pretty good disk. At their peak, they did some really fine work: Tarkus, Trilogy, BSS, and the classical-rock blending of Pictures...
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Joined: October 22 2005
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:26
ELP put on some of the best shows of the early 70s. The pompous and pretentious labels came from those who didn't like them, or didn't enjoy or understand them.
They were a huge concert draw in their time, until the mainstream music industry turned against prog, inducing the music press lackeys to insult their bombastic approach.
Joined: June 23 2015
Location: USA
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:37
Agreed. They were reviled by a lot of the music press---who I think wanted blues-based 3-chord rock bands only and didn't want to see rock evolve. I get that.
It just seems like they are comparatively less appreciated even here, on a site full of progrock lovers, than their contemporaries (Yes, Genesis, KC, PF, etc). Yet they were just as popular as these other bands.
Not that popularity is necessarily a good indicator of worth. But they had serious chops for their day...Emerson was a great keyboard player and Palmer one of the best prog drummers. Lake a good singer, average guitar player, but somebody who doesn't get his due as a bass player.
Unusual that even progheads don't give them their due (excluding present company, of course).
Joined: November 06 2012
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:38
There is love for ELP, just a lot of hate too. And I'd say pompous and pretentious is nearing the answer, though it's a lazy explanation. Their aesthetic is built on an absurd amount of excess, and whether or not you like the absurdity makes or breaks the music. Their renditions of classical music, their flying pianos, Persian Rugs, and private jets. I could never dispute that they weren't talented individuals (although, to be honest, I'm not fond of either Greg Lake or Carl Palmer), or that they don't have any good material, but I have trouble getting past the cringe factor.
Joined: April 26 2005
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:38
I agree with Evolver.
I don't know why ELP is less popular on this site.
Maybe because their best loved studio albums (ELP, Tarkus, Trilogy, BSS) only consists of 4 albums, while Yes and Genesis made some more generally loved albums?
I don't know.
For me, ELP is up there with Yes, Genesis, KC, Floyd and some others. ELP is in my all time top 3 of both albums (the debut for me) and songs (Tarkus for me).
Joined: July 01 2004
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 14:57
Is ELP really less popular on this particular site?
I concur that their prime period didn't exceed an all-too-brief 4 years, but they produced good music after that (along with less favorable material, and some dreck).
ELP didn't originate the format, but they perfected the symphonic rock-keyboards trio format before any other band and continue to influence new artists and groups today.
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 15:01
hell yeah... another recruit for the ELP army!!! Welcome to the site. Don't be put off by everyone worshipping lesser bands. There are those here of good tastes.. and understandings of what prog was, and what made it great.
Yeah.. there are a lot of people here confused as their prog sexuality. Whimpy dull sh*t.. zero influence. .zero innovation.. generic prog...s applauded here as classic.. pfffff..
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Joined: May 25 2011
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 15:22
Evolver wrote:
ELP put on some of the best shows of the early 70s. The pompous and pretentious labels came from those who didn't like them, or didn't enjoy or understand them.
They were a huge concert draw in their time, until the mainstream music industry turned against prog, inducing the music press lackeys to insult their bombastic approach.
And 'bombastic' sounds like a slur-like version of 'entertaining'.
Joined: October 12 2010
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 15:44
I've always found it strange that ELP were literally one of the most popular rock bands on Earth in the early 1970s but are second-class citizens on prog forums. At the same time cult bands from the '70s like VDGG and Gentle Giant are considered more important than ELP.
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 15:55
well said brother Daryl.. . People are going to like what they do, but like the recent big 3 of prog poll. Were people really serious in some of their answers. Complete ignorance or omission because there was NO group bigger.. or more influential on prog. They didn't become one of the rock world's biggest and most popular groups simply for that.. they had a string of great albums, through the 70's that people loved, musicians looked to. Perhaps the audience has regressed today... but talking with many musicians today.. ELP is still highly ... HIGHLY regarded for what they did.
Edited by micky - June 23 2015 at 15:56
The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
Joined: June 23 2015
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 16:53
OK, maybe "no love" is a bit simplistic. If you compare the amount of fan reviews of Yes/KC/Genesis albums to ELP's, you'll see many more reviews for the "Top 3 70's prog bands" and fewer for ELP, also more negative reviews of ELP's classic period albums than for the other 3's classic period albums. In a lot of "best prog keyboardist"/"best prog drummer" threads, you'll see Emerson and Palmer often omitted, which I find odd. Whether you like their music or not, there is no denying that Emerson's one of the top 5 keyboardists in prog and Palmer one of the top 5 drummers, at least in my opinion.
That's what I meant by "no love"...shoulda said "so little love in comparison"...
Joined: September 03 2013
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 16:57
This is intriguing, to say the least. No wonder for me that the majority of the prog lovers from here and from any other prog forum (generation after generation) keep up with a preference for some of the guitar based prog rock bands over any keyboard centered prog band, that so called proghead love for BIG innovations seems reduced to some lesser groups of cult band followers, at least this is what I conclude after seeing the numerable PA's poll results here - I never see for instance the majority voting for RIO or Avant-gard bands rather than for the Big 3, or Big 5 as you like, but damn truth that ELP more than once was the most ignored on those boring polls... Tell me which of the Big 5 don't feature a guitarist in the calibre of Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Robert Fripp, David Gilmour or Alex Lifeson??
EDIT:
Well.. I ignored the importance of the keyboards as well in the Big 5
Edited by Rick Robson - June 23 2015 at 18:10
"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." LvB
Joined: September 25 2010
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Posted: June 23 2015 at 17:43
They were pretty good from 71-73 but became a bit boring after that. Debut is strong, Tarkus fairly good although title track drags on and Trilogy fairly good with the occasional cheesy moment. Lakes voice always sounded a bit off with elp but his voice sounded quite good with Crimson
Edited by dr prog - June 23 2015 at 17:45
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
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Why no love for ELP?
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Evolver wrote:
Tell me which of the Big 5 don't feature a guitarist in the calibre of Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Robert Fripp, David Gilmour or Alex Lifeson?? 
