Is Emerson, Lake & Palmer boring?

jimmy_row wrote: I think that KE9 could be boring to someone who doesn't "get" what's going on.  The first several times I heard it I didn't make it halfway through because there didn't to be any semblance of direction after the second part (of course I know better now)...just depends on what someone is accustomed to hearing.  ELP were so over-the-top that it's sort of funny to think of them as boring but IMO there's several bands around here that people hang the 'boring' tag on that are far more engaging than ELP while being less "in your face".

I couldn't agree more....  in fact... regardless of how lyrically the various impressions are tied together.. it is the apparent (to me.. but can always stand to be educated) musical disconnect between them that keeps me from hailing the piece as a whole on the level (other than shear display of musical....chops) of other major work by other groups.

I've never neen a fan, but boring is not really a word to describe them. Tarkus, for example is far from boring! This is their finest hour in my opinion.

I generally dont find myself inspired to listen to ELP. For me, it feels like that have a some good ideas that they dont develop in a way that appeals to me. Too many ballads, too much pomp and classical influence; not enough darkness, atmosphere or ambience. It seems also that the lack of lead guitar is often inadequately compensated for by the other instruments. VDGG are a good example of how guitar can be routinely absent from the music, but not missed because of how the other instruments - mainly the sax - are used in it's place.

That said, ELP are clearly excellent musicians.

wow.... can think any adjective can be  thrown at ELP and stick... but this one... that in a perverse way is why they can never  be thought of as boring...  can blow your shoes off one moment.. or have you pulling your hair out another...

one moment want to break bad and kick some ass.... another moment you want to snuggle with that someone special and get it on.


boring ..pfff...

I would think you would need some serious case of ADD to find them boring. I could see them being too overblown for you, but not boring. Eitherway they're neither. Great band. Never will understand their detractors.

I generally don't think they are boring.

Their instrumental skills are according to me among the best there are. Their compositions are great. The only problem is that the dark and rather unpolished sound that I think defines them sometimes becomes a bit dull.

Still, I consider them one of my favourite bands, absolutely! I am often astonished by their virtuosity, mainly. And think they're just great!

They're not boring.

Pulse wrote: Their post-Brain Salad Surgery stuff is really boring, but everything before that is great.   I don't understand how anyone could say Tarkus, Endless Enigma, and Karn Evil 9 could ever be considered boring. They're so full of energy and life.

It's difficult to say "Yes" or "No", as some part of their material are boring, but the good ones are not IMO.

For example - Is "Toccata" boring????

I think many ELP enemies have never heard that band...

Peter Rideout wrote: They are only boring to those boring people who find them boring.[IMG>height=17 alt="Stern Smile" src="http://www.progarchives.com/forum/smileys/smiley22.gif" width=17 align=absMiddle> I'm bored with these kinds of polls, though....

o rly?

I used to really like them, but now I find them a bit dull. Karn Evil 9 is really repetitive, and I find it very revealing that two of the best songs on BSS aren't even ones that they actually wrote. Emerson is still a better keyboardist than Wakeman, though. :P