Emerson Lake & Palmer Albums
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=79753
Printed Date: November 27 2024 at 04:45
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Topic: Emerson Lake & Palmer Albums
Posted By: Crimzonite
Subject: Emerson Lake & Palmer Albums
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 21:10
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I'm considering buying an Emerson Lake & Palmer album, and I'm curious as to what you all think. Which would be the better purchase? Emerson Lake & Palmer, or Tarkus? |
Replies:
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 21:20
| Brain Salad Surgery. |
Posted By: Crimzonite
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 21:37
| Really? Hmm, I'll have to look into that one a bit more. Thanks, appreciate it. |
Posted By: Luna
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 22:16
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Brain Salad Surgery was my first ELP album, and I would also reccomend starting with that.
------------- https://aprilmaymarch.bandcamp.com/track/the-badger" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: prog4evr
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 23:49
Strongly agree! Great choice...
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Triceratopsoil wrote:Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 01:13
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Although if you insist on one of the two mentioned in your opening post, I prefer Tarkus. Both have their moments and are probably worth hearing. |
Posted By: zravkapt
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 01:24
| Tree-Lo-G, dawg! |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 02:56
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There is nothing to choose between the first 4 studio albums. All have their plus points and negative points. The first album feels more organic and less technical (aside from Tank). If you like more technical music and lots of electronics then Brain Salad Surgery is a better choice. Tarkus probably has ELP's best track (the title) while Trilogy is often overlooked unfairly in my opinion and is not inferior in any way. Good balance of compositions. That was the album that really got me into them and made me a fan. I would suggest this order: Trilogy Tarkus Brain Salad Surgery Emerson ,Lake and Palmer The best compilations are The Ultimate Collection (because of the bonus live disc) The Atlantic Years (this actually has ALL the classic stuff and is still available on Amazon for a reasonable price) The only other albums worth a mention Works Volume One (mainly solo stuff but good quality) Pictures At An Exhibition ( get the deluxe edition with the Isle Of Wight and Lyceum versions - well worth teh extra bucks) Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends (great live album if you are a fan) Hope that is of help |
Posted By: Warthur
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 05:08
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I think the debut album is more consistent (the second side of Tarkus is notoriously patchy), but the title track of Tarkus blows away all the songs on the debut. So, of the two mentioned, I'd say go for ELP if you want a strong album that you can listen to all the way through without wanting to skip a track, get Tarkus if you want a twenty minute track that will completely blow you away along with some other songs which are extremely hit and miss. That said, that's coming from someone who really isn't keen on ELP's sense of humour or their attempts at novelty songs (their debut being the only album of their first four which doesn't include at least one novelty track), so bear that in mind.
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 06:58
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Get the first 2. Emerson Lake & Palmer and Tarkus.
I sold Brain salad surgery. It sucked for a fair bit
 |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 07:41
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Tarkus is their best album. The debut is one of their worst; I fail to understand why it is so highly regarded. Second best is Brain Salad Surgery. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 07:50
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^
yes, Tarkus and BSS. No need to bother with other albums. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 07:59
I'd say Trilogy and Pictures at an Exhibition are worth acquiring if you really crave more ELP. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 09:28
Maybe the second side is somewhat weak, but the first side is excellent. I'd almost buy the CD just for "Take a Pebble". |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 09:32
After "The Three Fates," "Take a Pebble" is my least favorite track! ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 09:41
 I love it! |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 10:02
The first album is astounding.
Every ELP album up to and including Welcome Back My Friends is a treasure. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 10:13
Nuh-uh. You're wrong! ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 10:31
If you buy this one it will make you love the debut album.
 -------------   
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Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 10:37
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The title track of Tarkus is hands down the BEST thing ELP has ever done. The second half is ALRIGHT. Not as bad as some would have you believe ------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
Posted By: cannon
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 11:11
| I think you can't go wrong with starting with one of these four: ELP, Tarkus, Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 11:16
^ THIS ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 22:26
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C'mon people, that first album is excellent if you only count The Barbarian and Knife-Edge. Take A Pebble is a pretty good song, especially live. Lucky Man, Three Fates, Tank, not so good. But it's a nice intro to the group (and for that matter all prog in general) because it is full of jaw-dropping music, overly ornate music, and just stuff listeners eventually came to detest about prog. Personally to the newcomer I'd recommend Tarkus, but ELP has at least a little to make it worth recognition. Hell, warts and all, it's better than any Moodies album. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 22:29
Pictures is a worthwhile listen, aye.
Me too high five |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 22:47
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Such different albums and a joy just to see how far they took things in a year. The first is completely brilliant and Tarkus, well, it doesn't get much better. The second side is notoriously patchy and those notorieties would be wrong: it rocks hard, 'Eddy' being the only clunker (and it's a spoof anyway) And so the answer is of course both. |
Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 01:12
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Any of the first five albums are worthy. ELP has absolutely kick-ass prog-rock, emphasis on the rock. Tarkus Side 1 is not to be messed with. Pictures is a fair live album. Trilogy is no slouch. BSS the same. Really, I couldn't recommend any one over the others. If pressed, I suppose Tarkus is a good starting point. ELP's albums are unfortunately all hit and miss, which is unfortunate because as they say when they are good, they are very very good. I know many 'round here think BSS is the peak, but to me it's just another good ELP album. Notice I did not say mediocre. Of those first five, none are mediocre. They just never approach greatness, as a whole. Too bad, really. One of the finest prog rock bands of the era never made a great album. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 02:13
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^ I agree with most of this but for me, Brain Salad Surgery is their one true bona fide 5 star album, and perhaps the greatest Symphonic Progressive rock record released to date. What's interesting about ELP is how they came 'full circle' from the début to Works Volume 1 where the same problems that manifest themselves at the outset came to be their undoing at the end i.e. the 1st album has 3 solo pieces included to appease their individual creators (Three Fates, Tank* and Lucky Man) while Works Vol 1 has an entire side devoted to each band member. *credited to Palmer but Emerson wrote it ------------- 
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Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 06:41
| IMHO Tarkus is a great song, but the album is only okay because of side 2. Any of the first 4 studio albums-ELP, Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery and Trilogy(quite underrated IMHO) are good. I'd also recommend the live album, Welcome Back my Friends to the Show That Never ends, which has an excellent blend of their earlier albums. |
Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 06:54
I would go with Tarkus, but it's a touch choice, better spend a little more for a lot more with this essential compilation that got everything you need : |
Posted By: MattGuitat
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 12:47
| Obviously... |
Posted By: GypsyJoker
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 23:25
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1) EL&P 2) Brain Salad Surgery 3) Trilogy 4) Pictures 7) Tarkus
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Posted By: voliveira
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 13:14
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I am definitely not ELP fan, but I recommend the debut album. Without doubt the best of them.
------------- "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be" Matthew 6:21 |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 14:59
| BSS is not ELP's top, Tarkus and Trilogy are..... |
Posted By: silverpot
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 15:26
That's my opinion too.  |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 16:37
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 16:41
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Trilogy is were I started from and still my favorite together with Tarkus and the debut, but I really love Works even with all its weaknesses. You can't give up to Piano Concerto #1 and Fanfare for the Common Man. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 10:56
Oh dear ,so many opinions and so little objectivity.Jammun gets my vote for the only remotely useful post that actually allows the listener to have an opinion. People who say this or that must be the best are just not helping. ELP were a sometimes inspired mostly inconsistent band who were less focused than other bands of the time. But they were not capable of producing rubbish in that early seventies period (1970 - 1974). The first four studio albums are all available at a reasonable price. Get all of them,listen to them and make a compilation from them of your favourite tracks.Sorted. 
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Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 23:29
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Actually come to think of it f**k the studio albums. Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends is all you'll need by ELP. they play WAY better on that then any studio album IMO. Plus it has pretty much all their best stuff ------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: July 20 2011 at 00:13
I subscribe this also because of the >10 minutes of piano improvisations in the second CD. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 20 2011 at 14:33
The main issue I think with this is the production which is inferior to Pictures. ELP also play at break neck speed which is not to everyone's taste. The studio version of Tarkus may seem less dynamic but all the detail is present and I think its better therefore for someone coming to the band for the first time.
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Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 05:35
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One more for BSS. If this were a discussion about favourite ELP albums, it would probably be different, but for getting into their music, I find BSS to be the most accessable, although Toccata could prove a bit of a challenge at first. Nothing at all against the other first 4 albums, they're all brilliant, but for someone looking to get aquainted with ELP the first album and Trilogy might prove a bit dark, and Tarkus a bit too chaotic. And Pictures at an Exhibition is a bit too un-ELP-ish. Sounds weird, this being practically their signature piece, but it's not really very much like anything else they've done. By the way, I'm quite fond of Love Beach (the Show-Your-Weeny-To-The-World album). |
Posted By: criticdrummer94
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 14:35
| IMHO I would go with either the self-titled debut or Trilogy. To me, they are ELP's best |
Posted By: Ruby900
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 14:41
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BBS or self titled are the best!
------------- "I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman |
Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 15:33
| I don't know why Trilogy doesn't get more love. I like it as mush as BSS,Tarkus or Welcome back. |
Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 16:11
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I wonder if ELP themselves weren't too fond of Trilogy, reason being that apart from Hoedown, Welcome Back didn't contain any tracks from that album (or any other of their live releases either, come to think of it). And Hoedown's not exactly the showcase from trilogy. Shame, badly underrepresented, I find. |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 21 2011 at 16:45
| Picture could has been as good as the three others but it failed because Emerson is a fantastic instrumentalist ( Organ and Piano ) but not quite a Moog master and especialy when playing it on stage at the time, to my ears those parts realy spoiled the album |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 01:40
He did tend to use it as a novelty toy rather rather than a musical instrument in the early days although the solo on The Old Castle is the reason I became an ELP fan and opened my eyes (and ears) to the magnificient potential of the synthesiser in rock music.
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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 03:24
Novelty toy is the right word  but it's ok for me through the studio albums....but Pictures at an exibition has a few boring parts
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Posted By: silverpot
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 12:07
In an interview Greg Lake stated that Trilogy was his favorite album, but you're right, it's under represented in their live performances. Probably because most of their audience prefere BSS and Tarkus. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 12:09
| The debut and Brain Salad Surgery are my favorite albums. |
Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 12:12
I don't think it was released officially, but they did do stuff from Trilogy live Also The Sheriff is on Welcome back...
------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 17:35
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Much of the material on Trilogy wasn't played live simply because they couldn't replicate the numerous parts overdubbed by Keith in the studio. The title track was never performed live and Abaddon's Bolero was abandoned after an attempt to play along with a backing track on stage went disastrously wrong. The Endless Enigma was performed on a European leg of the tour but seems to have been dropped pretty quickly from the set. (Judging by bootlegs available from around this time, the live version featured a significantly altered melody sung by Lake) -------------
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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 17:49
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Let me Tarkus, Trilogy and the first one and i can live without the rest |
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 23:21
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Debut, Tarkus and Brain salad Surgery are quintessential ELP ------------- 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 02:54
You are correct accept that Trilogy was attempted live. Apparently Keith Emerson though did not regard it as a proper performance. I have heard it though and it was a decent attempt. Another possible reason why Trilogy didn't feature in live shows was that Greg Lake's voice dropped an octave or two soon after due to his smoking habit. Caused may issues and even Karn Evil 9 had to be re-scored by Emerson for live shows so the version that is on Welcome Back is not exactly like the version on the album (quite noticeably to my ears)
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 02:56
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 04:51
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^^^ Dang thats good! -------------
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Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 06:39
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Well I'll be damned Richard....I've never heard ELP attempt Trilogy before (and it ain't bad) -------------
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Posted By: Navegador
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 06:49
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 07:52
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BSS is mainly rubbish
jerusalem is ok
taccota is good but its not even an elp song
still you turn me on is boring
benny the bouncer is crap
karnevil is half great and half daggy
This was the beginning of the end for elp
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 09:26
Were you drunk when you posted that? Karn Evil 9 is virtually the whole album at 29 minutes long so any overall view of the album depends on whether you like this or not. Some do ,some don't. Personally I think its very strong up to the last 5 minutes when it goes off the rails a bit. Toccata is not an ELP song but then neither is Barbarian, Hoedown,Pictures (all of it) and various other things they did.
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 17:53
Well I only like half of Karnevil and not much of the first 4 songs which make up 15 minutes. So I only enjoy 1/3 of the album
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Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 18:17
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My friends, the first time I heard Abaddon's Bolero was a live performance, and it was spectacular. I couldn't wait for Trilogy to be released, just to hear it at will. I should set up a shrine for that live version in my garage. The album version, not so much, though it hints at what I heard that night. Oh, Emerson's synths were growling, Lake's bass full in the mix, Palmer doing, well, that bolero beat. For those of you who never heard it live, the punch of that big ass Moog was something special. We wuz in awe of the power of that band. At the time, they had an essentially stereo/quad sound system, i.e., a huge bank fo speakers in all four corners of the venue, that were just howling out the goodness of ELP. That Bolero grew, little by little, piece by piece, a phrase added here, a phrase added there, until it was a screaming howling demon, sort of orgasmic I suppose, in that it grew from a whisper into an all-out eruption. On a good night, ELP were a force to be reckoned with. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 03:12
Karn Evil 9 is actually 3 peices of music. So you like one of those and half of another?
 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 03:15
I am very envious. I only saw ELP on the Black Moon tour and High Voltage last year. Would have loved to have seen them in their pomp but will just have to make do with the DVD's which unfortunately are not very good quality.
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Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 05:58
The first 7 minutes and the jazzy bit in the middle. The rest is a bit cheesy lol
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Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 08:28
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Regarding BSS, for me anyway after Jerusalem (which is fine) and Toccata (which is really fine) it sort of goes downhill. Karn Evil is okay. I was probably impressed back then, but to these ears it has not held up all that well. It's sad, really, and my reviews reflect this, that one of the absolute finest prog bands of the era never made a great album. ------------- Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon. |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 08:44
| Though more songs oriented, Emerson Lake and Powel is better than most of poeple think, still enjoy to listen to it..... |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 13:33
That makes a bit more sense. So you like Jersualem,Toccata, Karn Evil 1st Impression (pt1) and KE9 2nd Impression. Still a reasonable chunk of music to be fair
 |
Posted By: The Wrinkler
Date Posted: August 02 2011 at 01:21
| I started with BSS, and I didn't get it. It was after Tarkus that made me start listening to ELP's classic years. Karn Evil 9 is classic! Love part 2! Trilogy is pretty good. Their "western" stuff is funny, and enjoyable to me. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 02 2011 at 05:41
Don't go picking on Chicken Salad Surgery or Taquito.  Jerusalem isn't even an ELP song fer cryin' out loud. 
I scanned the thread and no mention of the recent remasters... ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: August 02 2011 at 08:39
Don't go picking on Chicken Salad Surgery or Taquito. Jerusalem isn't even an ELP song fer cryin' out loud. (/quote) no it is certainly not a ELP song -------------  
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: August 02 2011 at 14:10
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It's not a hymn either. It's part of the introduction to William Blake's 1811 epic Milton. Here's the original page from the British Museum's copy.
http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/object.xq?objectid=milton.a.illbk.02&java=yes" rel="nofollow - http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/object.xq?objectid=milton.a.illbk.02&java=yes ------------- 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: August 02 2011 at 15:44
So the BBC were presumably wrong to ban it? anyway here is a fascinating link to ELP' Jersusalem with quotes from all 3 and pictures and info http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/jerusalem.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/jerusalem.html
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Posted By: esky
Date Posted: August 04 2011 at 09:46
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Posted By: brainstormer
Date Posted: August 04 2011 at 10:43
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ELP will just never get the respect they deserve from the "majority." I think that is because of their classical heritage, and most smarter people, although they want to claim some ownership of being into classical, really haven't scratched the surface of classical music. Seems to me, I could be wrong, but BSS was considered the apex of ELP by many fans. It was also well loved by the mainstream, as evidenced by it being played outside of prog contexts (sports events, mainstream fm radio, etc.). It may even be the most popular "big four" real prog album of all time. I say real prog meaning I have problems seeing Tull and Pink Floyd as prog, even though they are great, they just don't seem to fall off the deep end as much with song structure. That said, I am not an ELP fan boy, as I am somewhat embarrassed I spend as much time here as I do! I think being overly "fanistic" is detrimental to being into one's own art. ------------- -- Robert Pearson Regenerative Music http://www.regenerativemusic.net Telical Books http://www.telicalbooks.com ParaMind Brainstorming Software http://www.paramind.net |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: August 04 2011 at 10:56
-------------
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: August 07 2011 at 02:42
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This is the fact with ELP's best albums, they all have weaker parts and you have to live with that if you want to enjoy some of the best music ever made.
Having said that, even most of the "weaker parts" are not as bad as many people say, with a few really weak exceptions. It's just that they pale in comparison with the best parts, but if songs like Bitches Crystal, A Time And A Place, Living Sin or Knife Edge would have been released by other bands in other albums together with similar quality material I'm sure most people would not talk so bad about them.
In my opinion any of the "famous four" ELP debut, Tarkus, Trilogy and BSS are must-haves and you can start with any of them, but if I should select I would say go for Tarkus and Trilogy first.
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Posted By: Eria Tarka
Date Posted: December 17 2011 at 22:24
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Best: Tarkus
Second Best: Trilogy
Worst: Love Beach... yeah what happened?
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Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: December 17 2011 at 23:03
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My first listen was Brain Salad Surgery. Unfortunately, this was during a time when I was looking at articles from guys like Lester Bangs for "musical guidance" and dismissed the album as average at best and self-indulgent at worst. Had I not picked up Ed Macan's ELP bio Endless Enigma, I would not have explored this group's work further, let alone the works of the Nice, Arthur Brown or Atomic Rooster. Back on topic, Brain Salad Surgery rules, at least until the Third Impression Of "Karn Evil 9", then things just get silly. IMO, their self-titled debut and Trilogy are slightly better places to start. If you like those, then pick up BSS, then Tarkus and Pictures At An Exhibition. ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: wehpanzer
Date Posted: February 05 2013 at 09:47
| I think that Trilogy is the most accesible ELP album, although Brain Salad Surgery is my favorite. Pictures would be my next choice followed by Tarkus, then ELP. And yes, I do like the Works albums, having seen ELP on the Works I tour. |
Posted By: Metalmarsh89
Date Posted: February 08 2013 at 00:26
Fanfare is definitely a great song. I wanna say Brain Salad Surgery is a good place to start, as that's their hit album, and frankly there isn't much bad stuff on it. They probably could have done better, but still did well. |
Posted By: pfloyd
Date Posted: February 08 2013 at 11:22
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I would say BSS, but i remember toccata took me a long time to fully appreciate. I'm actually gonna say Tarkus is the best place to start. ------------- check out my art: http://alexanderbennett33.wixsite.com/portfolio 
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Posted By: Kirillov
Date Posted: February 08 2013 at 11:53
| I'd agree that BSS is the best place to start. My favourite by far is Pictures though. Probably because I like Mussorgsky. |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: February 08 2013 at 17:11
No?? Trilogy ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 03:41
| Trilogy is a more rounded (softer) album but BSS has more electronics and a harder edge to it. BSS was the future then while on Trilogy I'm not convinced the band was going in any particular direction although that's not necessarily a bad thing. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 03:59
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While I agree that BSS is probably the ultimate ELP album, what they were striving for, a cullmination if you like, I think Trilogy is the album I would want to listen to for ever. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 04:02
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Trilogy has warmth.
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 04:07
It has. And I love every single track. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 04:43
It was their most 'elegant' album, sort of them shifting towards the direction of what Renaissance was doing, stylish, elegant classically oriented prog (although still much more energetic than Renaissance of course). I remember that even my father liked it, while stuff like Tarkus or BSS was too hard for him to get into.
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Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 05:35
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I hate being on a different page from fellow prog fans, but I have to respectfully disagree with the sentiments about Trilogy to be true to my opinion. While I did really like it at first, it lost its luster within a year of me buying it, and now it's very much a mediocre album that constitutes background listening for me. The other three studio albums from that time yielded so much more long-term reward for me. Not a bad starting place, though, as there are still some nice qualities that everyone can objectively appreciate while piquing one's interest for more. I worked my way backwards chronologically when getting introduced to them, so BSS was my introduction and I maintain either it or Trilogy are the best places to start. Doing it that way, I came to their first one after the others, which for me was a true case of saving the best for last. Best by a wide margin. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 06:07
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I never, ever considered their first to be their best. More of an album for non ELP fans. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 07:26
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Huh, interesting. What stood out to me about it so much when I first heard it was that it was so much darker and a lot more dense than the others. Maybe that's what drew me to it. Aside from the song Tarkus itself, most of the material has fallen by the wayside over the years, but with that being said, I still consider myself a fan as the material that has stuck with me I really do love. And as different as the first is from the others, I still consider it an integral part of their discography as the tracks on there are pretty fantastic and show off their characteristic sound in distinctive ways, both collectively and individually. Tarkus is in my top 10 favorite songs ever and likely will be for quite some time barring some wild discovery of enough tracks I haven't heard yet that my list gets dramatically restructured. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 07:39
I disagree with the latter statement. I like ELP for many, many years and I still like the first album a lot.
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 07:50
In general i see most people say they like the first album and nothing after that. So are you saying they never improved? That is quite sad for me to hear. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 09:40
I didn't say or mean that they never improved. I can see that Brain Salad Surgery is in some ways the best that they did, their major achievement. Plus: I like BSS about as much as the debut, as I stated earlier in the thread. The production on BSS is more crystalline than on the first two albums, which gives them more possibilities to show what they can. Also, Emerson was dominating some more on the first album than on BSS, so in a more objective way one could say that BSS (and other earlier stuff) showed a better ELP than on the debut. Carl Palmer said on the interview on Beyond The Beginning dvd that he couldn't understand why the debut was so popular. In his ears it was all organ stuff I can see why it's popular, though: I love the compositions on the debut, all of them, there is no weak track on it. I also love Emerson's playing on it. It is very atmospheric, and never dull. It is an album that takes you in another world. I liked it already as a kid, and now at middle age I still like it, and that's no mid life crisis But I can also see why other people like other stuff. Trilogy showed another side of ELP, maybe more delicate, more mature, also a great achievemen, but it does less for me personally than the debut. And then I haven't spoken yet about Tarkus: the suite on side 1 is my favorite ELP track ever. I suppose it's just because of taste that for me the debut is my favorite, together with BSS. I'm just saying, even seasoned ELP listeners can still have the debut as their favorite ELP album.
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Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: February 09 2013 at 16:31
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^I agree with a lot of those points. BSS is the only other full album I still appreciate because it demonstrates a balance between a strong group and individual talent shining through at appropriate moments. My second-favorite of theirs for sure and the one I've been listening to the longest. It picked up a bit of the edge that they lost on Trilogy, but not to the level of their first.
Because of Tarkus and Karn Evil 9, I'd say they definitely still had a lot to offer. They just stopped releasing entire albums worth of strong material in my opinion. It's all subjective in the end, as all these discussions are, so whether or not I believe album-wise it was only downhill after their first one shouldn't affect another's perception of the band. I'm still a fan, as I said before, after they stopped reproducing the dark bombast and gothic textures of the first album and Tarkus, my interest waned. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 10 2013 at 03:07
Interesting comments 'Dark Bombast' to me = Toccata. At the risk of repeating myself Ad Nauseum I believe that all ELP albums are flawed. Thats part of their appeal. I never liked Pink Floyd as a kid becuase they were so obessesed with creating masterpeices and even to some extent I felt the same about other major prog bands of the time. ELP were a much 'looser' outfit and aruably were at their best as a live band. Nowadays I enjoy the live recordings the most especially Pictures (Lyeceum version not Newcastel City Hall) and Welcome Back My Friends. Studio wise their greatest achievments are split across several albums. There is nowhere near enough love for the track Pirates in my view. I love that tarck more than the studio version of Tarkus and most everything else for that matter. As mentioned I love Toccata as well. That and the contrast of light and dark with Still You Turn Me On was what really impressed me most about ELP at the start. To use football parlance they 'had that in their locker'. It was a big deal and still is. |
Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: February 10 2013 at 04:54
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^I like that observation. Flaws are bound to pop up in any performance, but the fact that they seemed not to care so much about them made them a really organic outfit. Toccata is a good example of dark bombast too. To me its atmosphere is very reminiscent of the first album, but the sonic textures are notably different, more appropriate to the later part of that generation. |
Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: February 10 2013 at 04:59
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Yeah, some people may call what they hear in BSS as 'inconsistency', but daring (and being able to) to go from something like Jerusalem to something like Toccata to something like Still You Turn Me On to something like Benny The Bouncer and to something like KE9's 3 impressions... man this I call genius and balls!!! And I see little love here for KE9 3rd Impression which for me is brilliant, OK the talking computer is a product of it's time and sounds now dated and corny, but for the rest the chord progressions, harmonies and melodies are very good and with more classical inspiration than some people seem to realise.
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