Emerson, Lake & Palmer

I've always liked ELP, but I though BSS was not as impressive as the albums before it. I like Tarkus and Trilogy the best, with Pictures and the self titled following very close. A great band, quite innovative back then, who unfortunately suffered artistically and financially due to mismanagement and bad PR.

presdoug wrote: I prefer Triumvirat.

Edited by YESESIS - July 30 2017 at 15:30

Edited by YESESIS - July 30 2017 at 15:57

ELP made probably the best symphonic prog music ever, but by the mid '70s they have already burned, contract deals and/or management made them go for too long. Their '90s album Black Moon kind of redeemed the group. Ultimately Emerson health problems were too much to overcome and ended costing him his life. Going back to the first albums, all the way to Works in my opinion, the lyrical and musical content was beyond anybody else and talk about musicianship! Emerson was the most gifted keyboard player of his generation, Palmer the best or at least top 5 drummer and Lake the best vocalist of the crop. So even though most people consider Yes and Genesis the best groups of the founding generation in my consideration ELP is the unmistakable number one.

YESESIS wrote: Logan wrote: fredyair wrote: ELP made probably the best symphonic prog music ever, but by the mid '70s they have already burned, contract deals and/or management made them go for too long. Their '90s album Black Moon kind of redeemed the group. Ultimately Emerson health problems were too much to overcome and ended costing him his life. Going back to the first albums, all the way to Works in my opinion, the lyrical and musical content was beyond anybody else and talk about musicianship! Emerson was the most gifted keyboard player of his generation, Palmer the best or at least top 5 drummer and Lake the best vocalist of the crop. So even though most people consider Yes and Genesis the best groups of the founding generation in my consideration ELP is the unmistakable number one. Like 'em or leave 'em, I would say that ELP is THE quintessential Prog band. That said, at least in hardcore Prog circles, I think King Crimson tends to get the laurels as the King of Prog. Oh no.. that means I guess I have to get into King Crimson now to call myself a real prog fan. I'm very familiar with their first album, "In The Court.." with my man Greg. But never cared about them after that.  Oh boy.. King Crimson here I come lol

I'm procrastiposting [sic] , whereas I should be working.   

I really like the follow-up, In the Wake of Poseidon, which also features Greg Lake (don't know if you have heard it, but it is a similar album to the debut). Personally, Lizard is my favourite, and if by your username I'm right to guess that you like Yes, and if you haven't heard Lizard, this is worth listening to for Jon Anderson's vocals:



Great thing about Prog is there's always more to explore, but that can be a double-edged sword, and the wallet sure can suffer.



Edited by Logan - July 30 2017 at 16:49

Yes ELP is great, and have done a lot of wonderful songs... yet, somehow, their albums never worked for me as a whole. They would have great stuff, but also things I don't really like so much. It's mostly those sort of "joke" songs that don't work for me, or when they go into their "carnival music" mode (or however other people may describe them). Also, usually I love live versions from the bands, but somehow ELP didn't really do it for me... I guess I just don't like the way Emmerson jams. However, my favourite from ELP may not be the most logical choice for other people, "Pictures at an Exhibition". Also, Black Moon was mentioned, and yes, I think that one is a good album, though it sounds completley different from their 70's stuff... it sounds more 90's, I guess, and it's mostly more poppy than proggy, but in general I found it all pleasing to hear, even if there isn't much that stands out. As for the quintessential rock band... I'm mostly inclined to give the title to Yes, specially if the Fragile / CttE line-up is considered, but yeah, ELP is just about as worthy of the title too.

As for King Crimson, you really can't call yourself a prog fan without knowing them (you may not like them, that you will have to discover by yourself, but you must know them). And yeah, if you like their debut and Greg's singing on it, you must get Poseidon too (even though I consider Poseidon to be mostly an inferior copy of the debut, but it's still got some great Greg Lake singing). And if you are a Yes fan, you must listen to Lizard, as you were already recommended, but that piece that was shared for you to listen is the only part were Anderson sings on that album (the main singer for the album is, as far as I'm concerned, not very good). From them you must also get "Lark's Tongues in Aspic" and "Red". Plus some live albums (unlike ELP, I do love King Crimson live, and there are many songs that are really better on their live versions). I personally would recommend "Collectable King Crimson Vol 1".

And since you were already recommended another prog band given their similarity to ELP (Triumviran, which I'm afraid I have not heard), I may go on and recommend another one. They are perhaps not really that similar (at least not on line-up), but somehow often enough I find some similarities on the music they play, being the italians "Banco del Muttuo Soccorso"... they have some of those traits I don't really enjoy from ELP... but somehow make them sound much better to my ears and love them for that (oh yeah, and if you check them out, be prepared to listen to one of the very best and most unique singers in prog, second to no other, not even Greg Lake or Jon Anderson, or whichever other singer you may worship).