EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

Dark and mysterious, Emerson Lake & Palmer's debut album is one of the better prog albums that came out in 1970, displaying Palmer's impressive drumming and Emerson's fantastic keyboards. It kicks off with 'The Barbarian', with an aggressive bass guitar opening that sounds very reminiscent of what King Crimson was all about at that time, backed up with some furious keys and a frenetic rhythm section. A very good opener that eventually leads into 'Take a Pebble, a longer, more delicate track that effectively shows the bands melodic sensibilities, as well as Greg Lake's fine vocals and acoustic guitar playing, before the band goes into a jazzier conclusion halfway through the piece. 'Knife Edge' is another rocker with great riffing and yet another solid performance from Lake and should probably be the lead single here instead of the rather lackluster (IMO) 'Lucky Man' (though I can see why they chose that one instead to boost some sales ;) ), but 'Three Fates' is a brilliant showcase for Emerson's piano and keyboard virtuosity that move through three very distinct and different parts. Probably my favorite track here overall. 'Tank' features a fun and quirky intro before switching to a great drum solo by Palmer, the tune is a nice counterpart to the previous 'Fates'. The album overall actually feels more subdued than their later albums, with a nice balance between very good songwriting and virtuostic playing, while the next 'Tarkus' would go even harder and more overboard. Their debut remains a classic prog album, as well as one of the better introductions to the band. Highly recommended!

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