EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER — Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970-2010) RM | SHM-CD | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Lively, ambitious, almost entirely successful debut album, made up of keyboard-dominated instrumentals ("The Barbarian," "Three Fates") and romantic ballads ("Lucky Man") showcasing all three members' very daunting talents. This album, which reached the Top 20 in America and got to number four in England, showcased the group at its least pretentious and most musicianly -- with the exception of a few moments on "Three Fates" and perhaps "Take a Pebble," there isn't much excess, and there is a lot of impressive musicianship here. "Take a Pebble" might have passed for a Moody Blues track of the era but for the fact that none of the Moody Blues' keyboard men could solo like Keith Emerson. Even here, in a relatively balanced collection of material, the album shows the beginnings of a dark, savage, imposingly gothic edge that had scarcely been seen before in so-called "art rock," mostly courtesy of Emerson's larger-than-life organ and synthesizer attacks. Greg Lake's beautifully sung, deliberately archaic "Lucky Man" had a brush with success on FM radio, and Carl Palmer became the idol of many thousands of would-be drummers based on this one album (especially for "Three Fates" and "Tank"), but Emerson emerged as the overpowering talent here for much of the public. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1. The Barbarian    4:30
2. Take A Pebble    12:35
3. Knife-Edge    5:06
4. The Three Fates    (7:47)
4a. Clotho (Royal Festival) 1:49
4b. Lachesis (Piano Solo)    2:44
4c. Atropos (Piano Trio)    3:13
5.  Tank    6:49
6.  Lucky Man    4:40
– BONUS TRACK –
7.  The Barbarian (Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival)    11:53
8.  Take A Pebble (Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival)    5:08
Credits :
Arranged By, Directed By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Painting [Cover] – Nic Dartnell 

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER — Tarkus (1971-2010) RM | SHM-CD | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1970 eponymous LP was only a rehearsal. It hit hard because of the novelty of the act (allegedly the first supergroup in rock history), but felt more like a collection of individual efforts and ideas than a collective work. All doubts were dissipated by the release of Tarkus in 1971. Side one of the original LP is occupied by the 21-minute title epic track, beating both Genesis' "Supper's Ready" and Yes' "Close to the Edge" by a year. Unlike the latter group's cut-and-paste technique to obtain long suites, "Tarkus" is a thoroughly written, focused piece of music. It remains among the Top Ten classic tracks in progressive rock history. Because of the strength of side one, the material on the album's second half has been quickly forgotten -- with one good reason: it doesn't match the strength of its counterpart -- but "Bitches Crystal" and "A Time and a Place" make two good prog rock tracks, the latter being particularly rocking. "Jeremy Bender" is the first in a series of honky tonk-spiced, Far-West-related songs. This one and the rock & roll closer "Are You Ready Eddy?" are the only two tracks worth throwing away. Otherwise Tarkus makes a very solid album, especially to the ears of prog rock fans -- no Greg Lake acoustic ballads, no lengthy jazz interludes. More accomplished than the trio's first album, but not quite as polished as Brain Salad Surgery, Tarkus is nevertheless a must-have. François Couture 
Tracklist :
1.            Eruption 2:44
Composed By – Emerson
1-2.        Stones Of Years 3:45
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
1-3.        Iconoclast 1:16
Composed By – Emerson
1-4.        Mass 3:13
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
1-5.        Manticore 1:53
Composed By – Emerson
1-6.        Battlefield 3:53
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
1-7.        Aquatarkus 4:01
Composed By – Emerson
2.        Jeremy Bender 1:47
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
3.        Bitches Crystal 3:57
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
4.        The Only Way (Hymn) 3:50
Composed By – Lake, Emerson
Composed By [Theme; Intro And Bridge] – Bach
5.        Infinite Space (Conclusion) 3:19
Composed By – Palmer, Emerson
6.        A Time And A Place 2:59
Composed By – Palmer, Lake, Emerson
7.        Are You Ready Eddy? 2:13
Composed By – Palmer, Lake, Emerson
– BONUS TRACK –
8.        Prelude And Fugue 3:17
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Composed By – J Rodrigo
Credits :
Arranged By, Directed By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Drums, Percussion – Carl Palmer
Organ [Hammond], Organ [St. Marks Church], Piano, Celesta [Celeste], Synthesizer [Moog] – Keith Emerson
Painting – William Neal (2)
Vocals, Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Producer, Lyrics By – Greg Lake 

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER — Pictures at an Exhibition (1971-2010) RM | SHM-CD | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the seminal documents of the progressive rock era, a record that made its way into the collections of millions of high-school kids who never heard of Modest Mussorgsky and knew nothing of Russia's Nationalist "Five." It does some violence to Mussorgsky, but Pictures at an Exhibition is also the most energetic and well-realized live release in Emerson, Lake & Palmer's catalog, and it makes a fairly compelling case for adapting classical pieces in this way. At the time, it introduced "classical rock" to millions of listeners, including the classical community, most of whose members regarded this record as something akin to an armed assault. The early-'70s live sound is a little crude by today's standards, but the tightness of the playing (Carl Palmer is especially good) makes up for any sonic inadequacies. Keith Emerson is the dominant musical personality here, but Greg Lake and Palmer get the spotlight enough to prevent it from being a pure keyboard showcase. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1.    Promenade    1:57
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2.    The Gnome    4:18
Written-By – Palmer, Mussorgsky
3.    Promenade    1:23
Written-By – Palmer, Mussorgsky
4.    The Sage    4:42
Written-By – Palmer
5.    The Old Castle    2:33
Written-By – Palmer, Mussorgsky
6.    Blues Variation    4:23
Written-By – Emerson / Lake / Palmer
7.    Promenade    1:28
Written-By – Mussorgsky
8.    The Hut Of Baba Yaga    1:12
Written-By – Mussorgsky
9.    The Curse Of Baba Yaga    4:10
Written-By – Emerson / Lake / Palmer
10.    The Hut Of Baba Yaga    1:06
Written-By – Mussorgsky
11.    The Great Gates Of Kiev    6:37
Written-By – Lake, Mussorgsky
12.    Nutrocker    4:25
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Written-By – Kim Fowley
– BONUS TRACK –
13.    Rondo (Live At Lyceum 9 / Sec / 1970)    14:29

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER — Trilogy (1972-2010) RM | SHM-CD | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

After the heavily distorted bass and doomsday church organ of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's debut album, the exhilarating prog rock of epic proportions on Tarkus, and the violent removal of the sacred aura of classical tunes on Pictures at an Exhibition, Trilogy, ELP's fourth album, features the trio settling down in more crowd-pleasing pastures. Actually, the group was gaining in maturity what they lost in raw energy. Every track on this album has been carefully thought, arranged, and performed to perfection, a process that also included some form of sterilization. Greg Lake's acoustic ballad "From the Beginning" put the group on the charts for a second time. The adaptation of Aaron Copland's "Hoedown" also yielded a crowd-pleaser. Prog rock fans had to satisfy themselves with the three-part "The Endless Enigma" and "Trilogy," both very strong but paced compositions. By 1972, Eddie Offord's recording and producing techniques had reached a peak. He provided a lush, comfy finish to the album that made it particularly suited for living-room listening and the FM airwaves. Yet the material lacks a bit of excitement. Trilogy still belongs to ELP's classic period and should not be overlooked. For newcomers to prog rock it can even make a less-menacing point of entry.  François Couture
Tracklist :
1.        The Endless Enigma (Part One) 6:38
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2.        Fugue 1:56
Written-By – Emerson
3.        The Endless Enigma (Part Two) 2:00
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
4.        From The Beginning 4:11
Written-By – Lake
5.        The Sheriff 3:19
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
6.        Hoedown (Taken From Rodeo) 3:42
Written-By – Aaron Copland
7.        Trilogy 8:48
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
8.        Living Sin 3:09
Written-By – Palmer, Lake, Emerson
9.        Abaddon's Bolero 8:06
Written-By – Emerson
– BONUS TRACKS –    
10.        Hoedown
Written-By – Aaron Copland
11.        Take A Pebble
Written-By – Lake
12.        Abaddon's Bolero
Written-By – Emerson
Credits :
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Artwork [Tinting By] – Phil Crennell
Engineer [Production] – Eddie Offord Organ [Hammond C3], Piano [Steinway], Zurna [Zoukra], Synthesizer [Moog III C], Synthesizer [Mini Moog Model D] – Keith Emerson
Percussion – Carl Palmer
Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Producer, Lyrics By – Greg Lake

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER — Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends ~ Ladies And Gentlemen (1974-2010) RM | SHM-CD | 2CD | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Upon its release, the 1973 LP Brain Salad Surgery had been hailed as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's masterpiece. A long tour ensued that left the trio flushed and begging for time off. Before disbanding for three years, they assembled a three-LP live set (something of a badge of achievement at the time, earned by Yes in 1973 with Yessongs and, somewhat more dubiously, Leon Russell with Leon Live). Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends gives a very accurate representation of ELP's shows at the time, including their uncertain sound quality. It isn't that the group didn't try hard to give a good show; they did, but left to just his two hands, without the use of multi-tracking and overdubs to build layer-upon-layer of electronic keyboard sounds, Keith Emerson was at a singular disadvantage on some of the boldest material in the trio's repertory. And even allowing how far the art and science of recording rock concerts had advanced in the 1970s, there were still inherent problems in recording a fully exposed bass -- Greg Lake's primary instrument -- in an arena setting that couldn't be overcome here. Even the most recent remastered editions could not fix the feedback, the occasionally leakages, the echo, the seeming distance -- the listener often gets the impression of being seated in the upper mezzanine of an arena. That said, the group still had a lot of fire, enthusiasm, and cohesion at this point in its history, and that does come through. And if they don't solve every problem with the sound, the remastered editions from Rhino, Japanese WEA, and Sanctuary do give Lake's voice and Emerson's piano their richest, fullest possible tone and a fighting chance in these surroundings, and bring Carl Palmer's drumming much more up close and personal than it ever was on the LP. On the down side, the division into two CDs (as opposed to three LPs) means that the 26-minute "Take a Pebble"/"Piano Improvisations"/"Take a Pebble" chain -- complete with Lake's excellent acoustic guitar spot for "Still You Turn Me On" and "Lucky Man" -- is broken up between the two discs. The song selection -- if not quite the career-ranging array of repertory that Yessongs was for Yes -- is stellar and features all the material from Brain Salad Surgery (with the exception of "Benny the Bouncer"), including a complete 36-minute rendition of "Karn Evil 9," which filled both sides of the third LP in the original set. The latter is thoroughly bracing, with a level of visceral energy that was lacking in some moments of the original studio version, and is also almost as good a showcase for Lake, whose singing and playing here are better than they were on the studio original, as it is for Emerson and Palmer. Add to that a 27-minute "Tarkus" -- complete with one Pete Sinfield-authored verse from King Crimson's "Epitaph" (which they'd been adding to the piece in concert at least since the Trilogy tour) -- and you now have three quarters of the music. Hearing any of those three pieces (and the stunning "Toccata") performed live, obviously without any overdubs, makes one realize how accomplished these musicians were, and how well they worked together when the going was good. This was the group's last successful and satisfying tour, as subsequent journeys on the road, in association with the Works album, were mired in acrimony about expenses, repertory, ego clashes, and the decision about going out with an orchestra (or not), or were motivated purely by contractual and financial obligations, whereas here they proved that even their most ambitious ideas could work musically, done by just the three of them. The sometimes disappointing sound quality should not be too much of a turnoff for fans, but newcomers should definitely start with the studio albums, and make this the third or fourth ELP album in their collection. And it should be listened to loud. François Couture
Tracklist :
1-1.    Hoedown 4:28
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Written-By – Copeland
1-2.    Jerusalém (Live 1974) 3:18
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Written-By – Parry, Blake
1-3.    Toccata 7:24
Arranged By – Emerson
Written-By – Ginastera
Tarkus    (27:24)
1-4-a.        Eruption
Written-By – Emerson
1-4-b.        Stones Of Years
Written-By – Emerson
1-4-c.        Iconoclast
Written-By – Emerson
1-4-d.        Mass
Written-By – Emerson
1-4-e.        Manticore 
Written-By – Emerson
1-4-f.        Battlefield (Including Epitaph)
Written-By – Lake, McDonald, Giles, Sinfield, Fripp
1-4-g.        Aquatarkus
Written-By – Emerson
1-5.        Take A Pebble Still (Including Still…You Turn Me On And Lucky Man)
Written-By – Lake
2-1.        Piano Improvisations (Including Friedrich Gulda's 'Fugue' And Joe Sullivan's 'Little Rock Getaway')
Written-By – Emerson
2-2.        Take A Pebble (Conclusion)
Written-By – Lake
2-3.        Jeremy Bender / The Sheriff (Medley)
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2.    Karn Evil 9     (35:24)
2-4-a.        1st Impression (Includes Percussion Solo)
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2-4-b.        2nd Impression
Written-By – Emerson
2-4-c.        3rd Impression
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2-5.    Still... You Turn Me On (Live At Anaheim 1973/1974)
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2-6.        Lucky Man (Live At Anaheim 1973/1974)
Written-By – Lake