TRILOGY

As many people have mentioned, Trilogy is probably ELP's most listenable album. There are no long epics and the only reworking of an orchestral piece is a very popular and well known one in Copland's Hoedown. Everything that made ELP great is still there though. The Endless Enigma, the title track, and Abaddon's Bolero are all lengthy complex songs. The other tracks are shorter and easier for casual fans of rock to enjoy. From the Beginning is a Greg Lake ballad that is strikingly similar in structure and form to Lucky Man. This is not bad. The song is highly enjoyable and arguably better than Lucky Man. The Sheriff is their second western type song. Unlike Jeremy Bender, it is well written. Hoedown is a fun version of the song. It is better as a live song but is still good for the studio. Living Sin is the hardest song on the album and features some intense organ work as well as dark vocals by Lake. The title track is phenomenal and among their best compositions. It starts out with beautiful piano and vocals and builds via piano to a 5/4 flurry of synth. This is ELP at its best. Abaddon's Bolero is a good ending but could've done a bit more. The best songs are The Endless Enigma and the title track. Trilogy is an album that is often forgot about because of their other albums. It is not quite a masterpiece but is great and worth owning if a you are a fan of ELP and/or prog (I hope you are a fan of prog if you are on this site). 4.5 stars.