Prog Magazine Top 100 Prog Albums of All Time Challenge. Album #79, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ST).

 Originally Posted to Facebook on November 16, 2023

Link to post:

https://www.facebook.com/share/KxDqbUJyjpneme6T/?mibextid=oFDknk

For info about the Challenge see this post: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=6684569734933012&id=100001401549636&mibextid=Nif5oz

When sharing your thoughts about this album, use the following scale to indicate how familiar you are with the album:

0- Never heard anything from this album, totally new to my ears.

1- I might have heard a song on occasion, or I know a big hit from the album but not the full album.

2- I've listened to the full album a few times, but it's been a while. Slightly familiar with it.

3- I listen to this album periodically, fairly familiar with it.

4- I have listened to this album many times. I know it inside out. Very familiar with it/expert level

I will post links for anyone who needs them to be able to stream it in the comments below. Remember, no matter what your experience level with the album going in, please listen to the album before commenting. I will post album #78 on Monday .(And you can participate, even if you haven't done all or any of the previous rounds.)

Enjoy! (And be nice!)

#100greatestprogrockchallenge

From Comments:

Some may be surprised, but I am actually only a level 1 with this album. I know Take a Pebble and Lucky Man, but that’s it. So here we go!

Track 1 – The Barbarian

A powerful fuzz bass followed by awesome Emerson organ playing kicks us off here. I love the panning effects in my headphones during the intro. Palmer has some wonderful drum fills as well. Then Emerson swaps to piano for a partly honky tonk, partly classical feature. We return to the organ with seriously fuzzy bass from Lake. Palmer is all over the drums as we near the end.

Track 2 - Take a Pebble

I believe we are strumming piano strings with a pick for part of the sound here. We get Lake’s first vocals of the album here. A beautiful piano solo takes over at about 2:30. Lake and Palmer are such a wonderful rhythm section. At roughly 4:30 Lake switches to a quiet acoustic guitar. Then we literally get a hand clapping rhythm as the guitar volume increases and becomes steady. Wile Lake is best known as a bassist and vocalist, his guitar skills are nothing to sneeze at. The piano takes back over in a 7-8 rhythm. After 8:30 they turn into a Piano-Jazz trio and get swinging. At around 11 minutes in, Palmer takes to using tympani drums overdubbed with his cymbal work. A final vocal verse concludes ELP’s first epic.

Track 3 - Knife- Edge

After the band hits with 3 big chords, Lake’s bass establishes a riff joined by his vocals and some percussion from Palmer. A big interlude with the whole band (Emerson on organ) happened between the first and second verse. Then another interlude and then a bridge. Odd time signatures abound during the organ feature. The riff and Lake’s vocals return in a heavier way, reminiscent of King Crimson, which Lake had just departed. A descending figure and sound effects close out the song.

Track 4 - The Three Fates

This one begins with a dramatic pipe organ then it quiets down to a more playful part before turning ominous again. These two feels alternate, before classical style piano takes over. Emerson actually sounds a bit like Wakeman here. About halfway in, and it's been 100% Emerson so far. The organ returns at about 4:45. Then back to piano and then Palmer joins in and we go into a 7-8 riff. I have not heard Lake as of yet. The piece ends with a literal bang!

Track 5 - Tank

We begin with Palmer playing an intricate drum pattern, later joined by Emerson and Lake on bass & keys. I believe we are in 7-8 again.Palmer has several featured drum fills which alternate with parts with the other 2. Then we get a full-on drum solo. So it seems that each of the final 3 tracks feature one member of the trio. Cool panning effects before the band joins back in with a bit of a bluesy groove. I believe this is the first synth we hear on the album, as the keys had been primarily organ & piano up til now.

Track 6 - Lucky Man

Ahh, the folky 12-string ballad that may be ELPs best known song. I believe that Lake claims he wrote the song as a youth, and they needed one more track to close the album, so he pulled this out. And of course we close it out with a big Moog solo from Emerson.

And thus, the world was introduced to ELP.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

A worthy debut and I’d say essential prog. Not my favorite ELP album, but still excellent. 4.5 out of 5 stars.