That’s
right, not Emerson, Lake, and Palmer,
but Emerson, Lake, and Powell. After nine
incredibly successful years together as
one of the largest grossing bands in the
world, and one of the originators of what
was to become known as Progressive Rock,
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer came to a rather
ignoble ending. So at this point (1979),
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer disbanded and
each member of the band went his own way
to varying degrees of success.
Greg Lake recorded a couple of albums
with a new band (including Gary Moore
on lead guitar), and toured the world
only reaching large audiences when he
would play well down the bill of large
festival dates such as ‘The Reading Festival’
in England. Keith Emerson released a couple
of soundtracks to B-Grade movies, but
pretty much kept out of the limelight.
Carl Palmer formed a band called P. M.,
which lasted one album and one tour before
falling apart, but then he hit pay dirt
when he teamed up with Steve Howe (ex-Yes),
Geoff Downes (ex-Buggles), and John Wetton
(ex Uriah Heep, ex Roxy Music, ex King
Crimson) to form the extremely lucrative
and commercially popular “Asia”.
After seven years Keith Emerson and Greg
Lake decided it was time to get back together
and make some more music and top up the
old bank balance. (Sounds a bit mercenary,
but then again I think it was.) Carl Palmer
was far from willing to give up his drum
seat in the money spinning “Asia” for
the slightly risky opportunity of being
the P, in “E. L. P.” again. A quick look
round by Keith and Greg and the choice
was obvious. No need to get a new logo.
(Again financially sound and if they had
got in Ginger Baker it would of become
E. L. B. Just does not have the same ring
about it, does it?) Just ring up old mate
and well-known gun for hire, Cozy Powell
(ex Whitesnake, ex Jeff Beck, ex Black
Sabbath, ex Bedlam, ex Michael Schenker
Band... Oh, the list is endless without
even including his solo career), and get
him in. Same heavy drum sound, same love
of those dynamic and long drum solos,
and we have got E. L. P. back together
again of sorts.
No point going out on the road without
any product though, so off into the studio
they went with a recording contract with
Polygram, production to be shared between
Tony Taverner and Greg Lake, and all the
management hassles to be taken care of
by Alex Grob. Perfect. So all they had
to do was come up with an album’s worth
of material. In the world of Rock ‘n’
Roll, not very likely you think, but no,
they came up with an absolute corker.
From the opening strands of first song
“The Score” you know you are in for an
exciting journey of very special rock
music. Keith Emerson plays the keyboards
as only he can, totally over the top with
plenty of use of a Hammond organ, grand
piano, and, of course, the Moog Synthesizer.
Cozy Powell is all over the kit hitting
the skins with barely controlled violence,
but with split second precision. When
after three and a half minutes Greg Lake
comes in to sing the first stanza, you
realize that he is not only there to underpin
the sound with his marvelous bass playing,
but he probably has one of the most underrated
set of vocal chords from the last half
century of rock music.
In the nearly ten minutes of “The Score”
the band really flies, proving that they
are a force to be reckoned with and we
even get a little snippet from days gone
by when Greg Lake introduces us to a touch
of ‘Karn Evil 9’ from “Brain Salad Surgery”,
when he sings out the opening, “It’s been
so long my friends, so welcome back to
the show that never ends”.
Then we get two more selections that
are instant classics of their genre. ‘Learning
to Fly’ is another opportunity for the
band to show off their skills and how
well they are gelling as a unit. ‘The
Miracle’ is a very wordy affair, almost
like a short take on a storyline something
akin to a short ‘Tarkus’ complete with
a full choir bringing the whole thing
to a rousing conclusion.
Proving that they still had a grip on
what was relevant in the confusing modern
world of rock music, just for good measure,
Emerson, Lake, and Powell released the
next song “Touch and Go” as a single and
had a massive hit with it in the USA.
A very catchy little tune it is, too,
showing all their collective spirit now
proudly bearing their hearts on their
sleeves. They follow this with the love
song “Love Blind”, the jazzy street song
“Step Aside”, and the passionate anti-war
song “Lay Down your Guns”. Considering
what has happened since this was written
back in 1986, it’s a pity not more people
lent an ear to the heartfelt lyrics.
Conversely they then follow this with
the centerpiece of the album with an adaptation
of Gustav Holst’s “Mars, The Bringer Of
War” from “The Planets Suite”. Many bands
have tried to take a piece of classical
music written for full orchestra and readapt
it for rock music. Nobody has ever succeeded
like Emerson, Lake, and Powell have done
here with Holst’s music, whilst keeping
its majestic sweep. They manage to make
it sound like Holst had actually written
the music with a three piece rock band
in mind. A truly uplifting piece of music.
As bonus tracks for the C.D. release
we get first some marvelous fun with a
cover of Carole King’s “The Loco-Motion”,
a piece of nonsense for sure, but you
can almost hear the musicians grinning
along as they play out these foot tapping
notes. Unfortunately the album ends on
its weakest moment, “Vacant Possession”.
An album often ignored because of its
place in the history of these musicians,
and possibly because of yet another acrimonious
split after just one short American tour,
and the soon to be revealed full re-union
of all of the original Emerson, Lake and
Palmer. But still definitely worthy of
your attention, even if it’s only for
a listen to the eight minutes of pomp
that they make of “Mars, The Bringer of
War”.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
