LOVE BEACH

When did ELP ever become a band that wrote about love? Sure, a couple of Greg Lake love songs appeared on a few albums, but that is it. The main problem with this album is that ELP is trying to be another group. They are not masters of pop music. They are masters of prog! This album lacks many prog elements.

Greg Lake dominates the first side of the album. Again, ELP is not a band that is good at writing 3 minute ditties (and that is why I like them). The lyrics and music on first side are embarrassing and not worth mentioning. The exception is Canario. Canario ends the first side and is a nice introduction to the second side of the album. The piece is not a bad adaptation, but it's not ELP at their finest. Most people do like this piece and it's probably because it is a huge departure from the rest of the first side. Taken on its own merits, it's just OK.

The second side is made up of the Officer and a Gentleman suite. Personally, I really like this side a lot. Some of the music is dated a bit awkward, but the lyrics (courtesy of Peter Sinfield) are a huge improvement from Lake's efforts on the first side. Emerson piano playing is wonderful throughout this piece.

The group at this point of their career was failing apart and that is very apparent in this album. There is no sense of urgency or purpose in their performance. I remember reading that once recording was completed, Lake and Palmer left Emerson in Bahamas (where he lived at the time) to finish up the album.

Unfortunately, this album is a precursor for the next few studio albums ELP would make in the years to come. Never again would ELP attempt pretentious, bombastic pieces of music that we all came to love and expect from them. Instead, they would to be a prog/pop band. Too bad they just never realized that this is not what their fan base wanted or expected of them.

This is only for the serious collector who can't sleep without their collection being complete.

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