Review Summary: A perfect blend of over-the-top prog and easy listening simplicity.
Let’s be honest, Emerson, Lake & Palmer are definitely not for everybody. Prog rock is the definition of an acquired taste and ELP are a prime example of this. That being said however, ELP does have their accessible moments, and in 1972 their third album (fourth if you count “Pictures at an Exhibition”) “Trilogy” was released. It was their highest charting studio album in the US and contains two of ELP’s most enduring radio staples. If you are considering venturing into the strange and perplexing world of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer, this album would be a perfect starting point for you.
Side one of the original vinyl release opens with “The Endless Enigma, pt. 1.” Starting with an ominous heartbeat (which was made from Greg Lake’s muted bass strings) and Keith Emerson adds some radar-esque noodling sounds from his synthesizer, before jumping right at the listener with a shocking piano run. Then Lake and Palmer jump in on the bass and bongos while Emerson adds a mysterious zurna in the background behind his Hammond organ. After two minutes, Palmer comes in on his standard drum kit and they play a jazz-like part that harks back to “Blues Improvisations” on “Pictures.” At two-and-a-half minutes in, Greg Lake begins to deliver the vocals, which seem to be aimed at the music press who were notorious for their harsh criticism to ELP (“Your words waste and decay/Nothing you say/Reaches my ears anyway/You never spoke a word of truth”). He goes on to sing about being tired of “hypocrite freaks,” and witnessing his birth and ruling all of the Earth, etc. After six minutes, Keith Emerson’s piano takes over the lead role as we transition into “Fugue.” This short little interlude also features a jumpy bassline from Lake as Emerson runs up and down the piano. Then the return of Palmer’s drums signifies the opening to “The Endless Enigma, pt. 2.” After a display of some tubular bells playing alongside Emerson’s Hammond organ, Emerson adds a little medieval fanfare from his synthesizer adding to the pomposity of the most pompous band in history. This pomposity is further exemplified by Lake’s closing lyrics (“Now that it’s done, I've begun to see the reason why I’m here”).
Up next is one of ELP’s most enduring pieces, “From the Beginning.” I’ll admit, when I first heard this song I initially thought it would just be “Lucky Man pt. 2,” but if you ask me this song is much better than “Lucky Man.” After a complex and proggy ride that was “The Endless Enigma,” this song gives you a chance to sit back in relax. Featuring a calm and simple acoustic guitar with small electric guitar fills, before ending with a beautiful Minimoog solo from Emerson. One thing with ELP that usually kind of irks me is Greg Lake’s lyrics. While he’s a fantastic bassist and guitarist and has a magnificent voice, his lyrical talent is……OK. He rhymes too much in my opinion, and by the time we get to ELP’s later career, his lyrical collaborations with Pete Sinfield get a little cringe-y (i.e. “Taste of My Love”).
Up next comes the obligatory ELP joke song, “The Sheriff.” This song serves as a perfect continuation of “Jeremy Bender” off their previous studio album “Tarkus.” It tells the story of a man named Josie running away from the titular sheriff, who’d just lynched his friend. This song was often included in ELP’s concerts in a medley with “Jeremy Bender,” and along with its counterpart “Benny the Bouncer” on “Brain Salad Surgery” reminds the listener that despite writing long and complex pieces, ELP could still write a short and simple little song that just shows that they’re having fun in the studio.
Up next is another staple for the ELP fan, “Hoedown.” Opening with a sharp synthesizer and Emerson’s shredding on the Hammond organ, it’s no mystery as to why ELP chose this song to open their concerts. Lake and Palmer remain locked in as Emerson goes completely wild. Towards the end of the song if you listen he quotes the American folk song “Turkey in the Straw.” The song was the first of two compositions by American composer Aaron Copeland that the band would cover, the second being the enduring “Fanfare for the Common Man.”
Opening up side two is the title track, “Trilogy.” Beginning with a violin like synth intro, we quickly switch to Emerson playing a dreamlike piano accompanied by Lake singing reflective lyrics about a doomed love. The song slowly and surly begins to pick up the pace, and at the minute mark, the piano then switches over to the synthesizer and Palmer’s drums and Lake’s bass are once again locked in together behind Emerson who delivers an absolutely stunning synthesizer solo. At the five-minute mark, we get another change of pace as the theme changes once again, and Greg Lake’s vocals return. Featuring more noodling by Emerson on his synths, the song comes to a wrap at close to nine minutes with a blues breakdown at the very end. This trilogy of three songs in one by a three-piece band surely fits on their third studio album. This song is a perfect example of Keith Emerson’s ability to show off his talent as one of music’s finest keyboard players.
Up next is a short song which comes across as a filler inclusion at first glance. Like “The Sheriff,” “Living Sin” is just another song that ELP clearly weren’t taking too seriously. Just look at the lyrics: “If you never saw it coming/Hooked you up with Coca-Cola Connie/Nice and slippery.” For all the crap that ELP get from the critics about being pretentious, this song goes to show that they could write short song and have fun doing it.
After the cacophony that was the last two songs, the final song on the album slowly and quietly creeps up on the listener with Carl Palmer’s military snare drum. The song, “Abaddon’s Bolero” is an eight-minute instrumental built on a repetitive keyboard melody. Opening with a flute-like sound from Emerson’s Hammond organ. Greg Lake’s bass comes in about a minute in, and at the two-minute mark Emerson switches over to the synthesizer. Every minute or so, another instrumental overdub comes in, and at the seven-minute mark, Emerson begins his inevitable keyboard solo and does his usual keyboard wanker-y noodling for the final minute of the song until it comes to a climactic end.
In all, while not ELP’s greatest album overall, it is definitely one of the best examples of ELP’s strength in the studio. With the blend of the overtly proggy pieces (“Trilogy,” “The Endless Enigma,” “Abaddon’s Bolero”) and the short and simple pieces (“From the Beginning,” “The Sheriff,” “Living Sin”), this is an album that the casual fan or even a person exploring the world of prog rock to pick up in a record store or even stream on your Spotify.
