TRILOGY

After the excellent Tarkus, ELP's third studio LP shows a sharp drop in consistency and quality. The band seem to run about in circles on almost every song, never knowing where to take the music.

The Endless Enigma sounds like a poor-man's Tarkus. All this music seems to have been done before by this band, only better.

Over-long, emotionless, aimless classical-style piano solos clutter the first half of this album. Only the excellent Greg Lake classic rock radio staple 'From the Beginning' saves side A from mediocrity. I have loved this melancholic acoustic ballad since i was a little kid; it is glowing with immense sepia-toned nostalgia and sounds extremely out of place next to the uninspired music that surrounds it.

'The Sheriff' and 'Hoedown' are corny and embarrassingly hokey. 'Abaddon's Bolero' has some cool synth sounds in it, but it is extremely monotonous and repetitious to the point that it's unlistenable after a few minutes. The title track 'Trilogy' is ALMOST good, but it overstays it's welcome after awhile as well.

'Living Sin' is the only 'non-From the Beginning' track that i like. Lake's angry vocals are very powerful, and the distorted organ riffs are very heavy and memorable. This is about the only ELP song that you can headbang to... and i think it's very under-rated.

The band would rebound strongly with Brain Salad Surgery, but this album is a huge misstep in my estimation. I will give it 2 stars for 'From the Beginning' and 'Living Sin'.