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
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
Tracklist :
1. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Hand Of Truth 5:23
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
2. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Daddy 4:41
Written-By – Lake
3. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– One By One 5:07
Written-By – Lake, Emerson, Olsen
4. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Heart On Ice 4:19
Written-By – Lake, Olsen
5. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Thin Line 4:45
Written-By – Wray, Emerson, Olsen
6. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Man In The Long Black Coat 4:12
Arranged By – Emerson
Written-By – Bob Dylan
7. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Change 4:43
Written-By – Wray, Emerson, Olsen
8. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Give Me A Reason To Stay 4:14
Written-By – Sam Lorber, Steve Diamond
9. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Gone Too Soon 4:11
Written-By – Wray, Lake, Keith Wechsler
10. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Street War 4:22
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
– Bonus Track Presented In Dolby Surround –
11. Emerson, Lake & Palmer Pictures At An Exhibition (15:28)
11a. – Promenade 1:45
Written-By – Modest Mussorgsky
11b. – The Gnome 2:07
Written-By – Palmer, Modest Mussorgsky
11c. – Promenade 1:45
Written-By – Lake, Modest Mussorgsky
11d. – The Sage 3:10
Written-By – Lake
11e. – The Hut Of Baba Yaga 1:15
Written-By – Modest Mussorgsky
11f. – The Great Gates Of Kiev 5:23
Written-By – Lake, Modest Mussorgsky
– BONUS TRACKS –
12. Keith Emerson– Hammer It Out 2:35
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Bill Wray, Paula Mattioli
Bass – Greg Lake
Choir – Fred White, Linda McCrary, Lynn B. Davis, Ricky Nelson
Drums – Carl Palmer
Drums [Additional Programming] – Keith Wechsler
Guitar – Greg Lake
Keyboards – Keith Emerson
Keyboards [Programming] – Brian Foraker, Keith Emerson, Keith Wechsler, Richard Baker
Vocals – Greg Lake
Vocals [Additional] – Kristen Olsen (tracks: 2)
Tracklist :
1.-1. Introductory Fanfare 0:52
Written-By – Palmer, Emerson
1-2. Peter Gunn 3:33
Written-By – Henry Mancini
1-3. Tiger In A Spotlight 4:10
Written-By – Emerson, Lake, Palmer, Sinfield
1-4. C'Est La Vie 4:14
Written-By – Lake, Sinfield
1-5. Watching Over You 3:59
Written-By – Lake, Sinfield
1-6. Maple Leaf Rag 1:13
Written-By – Scott Joplin
1-7. The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits 2:46
Written-By – Prokofiev
1-8. Fanfare For The Common Man 10:55
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake, Palmer
Written-By – Aaron Copeland
1-9. Knife Edge 5:03
Written-By – Fraser, Lake, Emerson, Janacek
1-10. Show Me The Way To Go Home 4:20
Written-By – Swain, King
2-1. Abaddon's Bolero 6:03
Written-By – Emerson
Pictures At An Exhibition (15:42)
2-2a. Promenade
Arranged By – Emerson
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-2b. The Gnome
Arranged By – Palmer
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-2c. Promenade
Arranged By – Lake
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-2d. The Hut Of Baba Yaga
Arranged By – Emerson
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-2e. he Curse Of Baba Yaga
Written-By – Emerson, Lake, Palmer
2-2f. he Hut Of Baba Yaga
Arranged By – Emerson
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-2g. The Great Gates Of Kiev
Arranged By – Lake
Written-By – Mussorgsky
2-3. Closer To Believing 5:29
Written-By – Lake, Sinfield
Piano Concerto (6:42)
2-4. Third Movement: Toccata Con Fuoco
Written-By – Emerson
2-5. Tank 12:38
Written-By – Palmer, Emerson
Credits :
Conductor – Godfrey Salmon
Drums [Uncredited], Percussion [Uncredited] – Carl Palmer
Engineer [Sound, Uncredited] – Michel Léveillée
Keyboards [Uncredited] – Keith Emerson
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's most successful and well-realized album (after their first), and their most ambitious as a group, as well as their loudest, Brain Salad Surgery was also the most steeped in electronic sounds of any of their records. The main focus, thanks to the three-part "Karn Evil 9," is sci-fi rock, approached with a volume and vengeance that stretched the art rock audience's tolerance to its outer limit, but also managed to appeal to the metal audience in ways that little of Trilogy did. Indeed, "Karn Evil 9" is the piece and the place where Keith Emerson and his keyboards finally matched in both music and flamboyance the larger-than-life guitar sound of Jimi Hendrix. This also marked the point in the group's history in which they brought in their first outside creative hand, in the guise of ex-King Crimson lyricist Pete Sinfield. He'd been shopping around his first solo album and was invited onto the trio's new Manticore label, and also asked in to this project as Lake's abilities as a lyricist didn't seem quite up to the 20-minute "Karn Evil 9" epic that Emerson had created as an instrumental. Sinfield's resulting lyrics for "Karn Evil 9: First Impression" and "Karn Evil 9: Third Impression," while not up to the standard of his best Crimson work, were better than anything the group had to work with previously -- he was also responsible for Emerson's choice of title, persuading the keyboardist that the music he'd come up with was more evocative of a carnival and fantasy than the pure science fiction concept that Emerson had started with. And Greg Lake pulled out all the stops with his heaviest singing voice in handling them, coming off a bit like Peter Gabriel in the process. And amid Carl Palmer's prodigious drumming, it was all a showcase for Emerson, who employed more keyboards and more sounds here -- including electronic voices -- than had previously been heard on one of their records. The songs (except for the light-hearted throwaway "Benny the Bouncer") are also among their best work -- the group's arrangement of Sir Charles Hubert Parry's setting of William Blake's "Jerusalem" manages to be reverent yet rocking (a combination that got it banned by the BBC for potential "blasphemy"), while Emerson's adaptation of Alberto Ginastera's music in "Tocatta" outstrips even "The Barbarian" and "Knife Edge" from the first album as a distinctive and rewarding reinterpretation of a piece of serious music. Lake's "Still...You Turn Me On," the album's obligatory acoustic number, was his last great ballad with the group, possessing a melody and arrangement sufficiently pretty to forgive the presence of the rhyming triplet "everyday a little sadder/a little madder/someone get me a ladder." And the sound quality was stunning, and the whole album represented a high point that the trio would never again achieve, or even aspire to -- after this, each member started to go his own way in terms of creativity and music. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1. Jerusalem 2:45
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Lyrics By – William Blake
Music By – Charles Parry
2. Toccata 7:20
Arranged By – Keith Emerson
Percussion [Movement] – Carl Palmer
3. Still... You Turn Me On 2:52
Written-By – Greg Lake
4. Benny The Bouncer 2:19
Written-By – Lake, Emerson, Sinfield
5. Karn Evil 9 (29:46)
5.1. 1st Impression 8:39
Lyrics By – Lake, Sinfield
Music By – Emerson
Vocals – Emerson
Written-By – Lake
5.2 2nd Impression
Written-By – Emerson
5.3 3rd Impression
Written-By – Lake, Emerson, Sinfield
– BONUS TRACKS –
6. Jerusalem
7. Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression
8. Excerpts From Brain Salad Surgery
Credits :
Painting [Original Cover Painting] – Hans Rudolf Giger
Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Accordion, Synthesizer [Moog] – Keith Emerson
Percussion, Synthesizer [Percussion] – Carl Palmer
Producer, Vocals, Bass, Guitar – Greg Lake
Though no one talked about it at the time of its release, this album reflected a growing split within the group. Originally, the trio's members, tired of sublimating their musical identities within the context of ELP, each intended to do a solo album of his own. Reason prevailed, however, probably aided by the group's awareness that the combined sales of the solo albums issued by the five members of Yes the previous year were a fraction of the sales of Yes' most recent records. The result was this double LP; essentially three solo sides and one group side, it is the most complex and demanding of the group's albums. Keith Emerson's "Piano Concerto" is on the level of a good music-student piece, without much original language. Where Emerson, in conjunction with his conductor and co-orchestrator, John Mayer, succeeds admirably is in writing beautiful virtuoso passages for the piano. Greg Lake's romantic songs mark the final flowering of his work in this vein -- and perhaps its going to seed, since "C'est la Vie," the featured single, says little that "Still...You Turn Me On," from their previous album, didn't say better and shorter. Carl Palmer's side is the most accessible of the three solo sides for casual rock listeners, rocking hard on the classical adaptations and featuring Joe Walsh on lead guitar for one song. The group's two tracks, "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Pirates," cover a lot of old ground, albeit in ornate and stylish fashion. Having used Copland's "Hoedown" as a concert showstopper for four years, the trio takes "Fanfare" to new heights of indulgence, and it actually works, up to a point -- like CCR's extended version of "Heard It Through the Grapevine," this is just a little too much of a good thing. Bruce Eder
Tracklist :
1. Keith Emerson Piano Concerto No.1 (18:28)
Composed By, Piano [Steinway Piano] – Keith Emerson
Conductor – John Mayer
Orchestra – London Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestrated By – John Mayer, Keith Emerson
Producer – Keith Emerson
1-1.1 – First Movement: Allegro Giojoso
1-1.2 – Second Movement: Andante Molto Cantabile
1-1.3 – Third Movement: Toccata Con Fuoco
1-2. Greg Lake– Lend Your Love To Me Tonight 4:05
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Godfrey Salmon, Tony Harris
Composed By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Conductor [Orchestra And Choir Conductd By] – Godfrey Salmon
Producer – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
1-3. Greg Lake– C'est La Vie 4:18
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Godfrey Salmon, Tony Harris
Composed By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Conductor [Orchestra And Choir Conductd By] – Godfrey Salmon
Producer – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
1-4. Greg Lake– Hallowed Be Thy Name 4:37
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Godfrey Salmon, Tony Harris
Composed By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Conductor [Orchestra And Choir Conductd By] – Godfrey Salmon
Producer – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
1-5. Greg Lake– Nobody Loves You Like I Do 4:00
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Godfrey Salmon, Tony Harris
Composed By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Conductor [Orchestra And Choir Conductd By] – Godfrey Salmon
Producer – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
1-6. Greg Lake– Closer To Believing 5:35
Arranged By [Orchestral Arrangements] – Godfrey Salmon, Tony Harris
Composed By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Conductor [Orchestra And Choir Conductd By] – Godfrey Salmon
Producer – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
2-1. Carl Palmer– The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits (Excerpt From "The Scythian Suite" 2nd Movement) 3:23
Composed By – Prokofiev
Drums, Xylophone, Timpani – C. Palmer
Producer – Carl Palmer
2-2. Carl Palmer– L.A. Nights 5:44
Composed By – C. Palmer, K. Emerson
Guitar, Vocals [Scat Vocal] – Joe Walsh
Keyboards – Keith Emerson
Producer – Carl Palmer
2-3. Carl Palmer– New Orleans 2:48
Composed By – C. Palmer
Producer – Carl Palmer
2-4. Carl Palmer– Two Part Invention In D Minor 1:55
Arranged By [Percussion Arranged By], Vibraphone – C. Palmer
Arranged By [Strings Arranged By] – Harry South
Composed By – J.S. Bach
Marimba – James Blades
Producer – Carl Palmer
2-5. Carl Palmer– Food For Your Soul 4:02
Co-producer – C. Palmer, Greg Lake
Composed By – C. Palmer, H. South
2-6. Carl Palmer– Tank 5:09
Composed By – C. Palmer, K. Emerson
Producer – Carl Palmer
Transcription By – H. South, K. Emerson
2-7. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Fanfare For The Common Man 9:44
Arranged By – K. Emerson
Composed By – Aaron Copland
Producer – Greg Lake
Synthesizer [Yamaha GX-1] – Keith Emerson
2-8. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Pirates 13:29
Arranged By – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Composed By – Keith Emerson
Conductor – Godfrey Salmon
Lyrics By – Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield
Orchestra – The Orchestra De L'Opéra De Paris
Orchestrated By – John Mayer (2), Keith Emerson
Producer – Greg Lake
Vocals [Vocal Interpretation] – Greg Lake
2-9. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Tank 9:49
Transcription By – Harry South, Keith Emerson
Written-By – Carl Palmer, Keith Emerson
2-10. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits (Excerpt From "The Scythian Suite" 2nd Movement) 3:13
Composed By – Prokofiev
2-11. Emerson, Lake & Palmer– Nutrocker 4:20
Arranged By – Kim Fowly
Composed By – Tchikovsky
After the rather dull Works, Vol. 1, the highly underrated Works, Vol. 2 is a godsend. Works, Vol. 1 took their pompous, bombastic, keyboard-driven prog rock epics to the limit; had it been stripped of its excesses and coupled with the strongest cuts from Works, Vol. 2, the band may have had an enormous success with critics and fans alike. Volume 2's brief, eclectic compositions cover an array of musical styles, combining stimulating originals and handsomely orchestrated renditions of "Maple Leaf Rag," "Honky Tonk Train Blues," and "Show Me the Way to Go Home." Lake peppers the tunes with guitar and bass flourishes, resulting in some of his most challenging instrumental work, and both he and Palmer deliver incredibly strong performances. Meanwhile,Peter Sinfield contributes some of his most mature and accomplished lyrics. Emerson's work is solid and creative, but sounds a bit dated, which is part of why the band couldn't endure. Unlike some ELP albums, Volume 2's brief pieces sustain interest; there really isn't a weak tune in the set. The five instrumentals are highlighted by two short prog rock tunes, including the jazzy "Bullfrog," which features Lake's brief jazz bass solo and Palmer's fluid, versatile drumming. "Barrelhouse Shake-down" and "Maple Leaf Rag" showcase Emerson's superb ragtime and barrelhouse piano playing, and Palmer's jazz fusion/marching band piece, "Close But Not Touching," features horns and Lake's psychedelic electric guitar lines. The vocal pieces are equally interesting. "Brain Salad Surgery" is progressive jazz-rock that bears some resemblance to King Crimson's "Cat Food," unsurprising since each features Lake singing Sinfield's lyrics. And, of course, there is the hit "I Believe in Father Christmas," a beautiful Lake/Sinfield composition that highlights Lake's strong voice and vibrant acoustic guitar. David Ross Smith
Tracklist :
1. Tiger In A Spotlight 4:34
2. When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine 3:55
3. Bullfrog 3:52
4. Brain Salad Surgery 3:05
5. Barrelhouse Shake-Down 3:47
Returning to the studio after a 14-year layoff, Emerson, Lake & Palmer stripped down their sound and amped up their attack for 1992's BLACK MOON. Its closest sonic cousin is the mid-'80s album Emerson and Lake recorded with drummer Cozy Powell. Sharp digital electronics replace Keith Emerson's classic analog synthesizer sounds, and the fanciful, classical-influenced prog-rock epics of yore are streamlined into a more accessible mainstream rock format, though some traces of the trio's vintage flash still pop up. Jim Allen
Tracklist :
1. Black Moon 6:59
Written-By – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
2. Paper Blood 4:29
Written-By – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
3. Affairs Of The Heart 3:47
Written-By – Geoff Downes, Greg Lake
4. Romeo And Juliet 3:43
Arranged By – Keith Emerson
Written-By – Prokofiev
5. Farewell To Arms 5:11
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
6. Changing States 6:02
Written-By – Keith Emerson
7. Burning Bridges 4:46
Written-By – Mark Mancina
8. Close To Home 4:29
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
9. Better Days 5:36
Written-By – Lake, Emerson
10. Footprints In The Snow 3:52
Written-By – Greg Lake
– BONUS TRACK –
11. A Blade Of Grass 2:14
Written-By – Keith Emerson
Credits :
Drums – Carl Palmer
Guitar – Greg Lake
Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer – Keith Emerson
Released in 1976, Jeff Beck's Wired contains some of the best jazz-rock fusion of the period. Wired is generally more muscular, albeit l...
