ALBUM REVIEW: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy

    Anyone who's kept with the past reviews knows that I've been quite the hefty critic of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, a prog group whose very essence exudes a bit more pretension than even your average prog group. What little I've heard of the ELP catalog to Trilogy was largely either a negative or mixed experience - Pictures at an Exhibition had its moments, but was ultimately a mixed bag throughout, and one with a big head while we're at it, meanwhile the less said about the assured slog that was Tarkus, the better. Still, both of these albums managed to prove incredibly popular if a successful tour is any proof, and it was during a break in that tour where the supergroup resolved to get back in the studio for another album. Greg Lake, the group's guitarist, bassist, and producer on this album, later reflected that sessions were filled with intricate overdubs and ornate arrangements in a style that moved away from their previous studio album in Tarkus - automatically, we're on the up and up just from that. Three months of recording ultimately proved worthwhile for Trilogy, an album which is by some distance the best release I've heard from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Throughout the album, the talents of ELP are finally given the right room to shine, as their intricate playing and fantastical arrangements showcase some real worth from the group. Even at its weakest, Trilogy proves a highly interesting and flavorful prog experience that takes ELP out of the dumps of mediocrity and into the realm of being worth your time.

    Compared to the excess of previous albums, Trilogy is surprisingly restrained for both Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but also in some sense for a progressive rock album. The shorter lengths of the song and flow between them are a major benefit for the album in terms of flow, something that Tarkus did not have. For the most part, Trilogy keeps the energy up pretty well, even during the more lackluster second half where the group runs out of steam, and it showcases plenty of variety in sound with that time, from the acoustically driven "From the Beginning" to the complex three-part suite of "The Endless Enigma" to a honky-tonk pseudo-country number with "The Sheriff" , ELP showcase an impressive hodgepodge of sounds on this record, one that shows that they aren't the one-trick pony that I thought of them being in previous records - hey, everybody's wrong at least once. Then there's, of course, the question of the group's playing, and they are as sharp as they've ever been, although I still find Keith Emerson's multi-layered playing to be the highlight musically. Still, let's not discount the solid timekeeping of Carl Palmer or the steady bass and guitar work of Greg Lake, especially when the latter is shining far more than he ever did on previous records. With the compositions as dense and complicated as they are on this record, it showcases a truly fantastic sounding group on every front musically, including in the pure voice of Lake, who gives some fantastic vocals that range from soothing to lighthearted. When you get from start to finish, Trilogy is a surprisingly varied and flavorful record musically, and one far more satisfying than its predecessors.

    With all these things in the album's favor, it would already be enough to put it as a superior effort to their '71 output, but it doesn't end there - the album is filled with fantastical music throughout, and the various musical flavors help add to the experience. The opening suite of "The Endless Enigma" coupled with Emerson's "Fugue" is a brilliant way to begin the record, and the latter track is a wonderful pure showcase for Keith Emerson's skill - very classical like. Very lovely. Immediately afterwards is the aforementioned "From the Beginning", a lovely acoustic track that probably stands as the best singular moment from the group I've heard yet - this is really Lake's shining moment. The first half also ends on the group's unique arrangement of the Aaron Copeland classic "Hoedown", redone in the style of prog rock with crashing drums from Palmer and some more organ flexing from Emerson throughout. I particularly like the synth work at the beginning and conclusion of the song, and it really is a short little musical escapade; as far as arrangements of classical works, it's even better than Pictures was, although that's likely because of its brevity. "The Sheriff" was a fun country-leaning moment (in lyrics at least), and one that was thoroughly unexpected, which made it all the sweeter. The title track that opens the second half, "Trilogy", probably the most out-there moment musically on the album - the synth riff in the middle really reminds me of Yes, far from a bad thing. If only the second half didn't peeter out after "Trilogy", with the not as memorable moments in "Living Sin" and "Abaddon's Bolero", the former being a cut whose short length ultimately hurts it, although I couldn't imagine it being that great in the first place, and the latter being largely a passe instrumental, not nearly as sharp or ear-grabbing as the previous ones on the album. More of a shame than anything, really.

    Still, don't let a weak ending hold you off from this album - at long last, Emerson, Lake & Palmer deliver the goods. Throughout Trilogy, the trio deliver a carefully calculated handful of great progressive rock songs, suites, and arrangements that delight. Their musical prowess is shining through at last, undoubtedly helped by some truly quality material that finally makes the group worth listening to. Not only is it far more entertaining than their previous albums, but more intricate, memorable, and truly contains some fantastic progressive rock moments that can stand next to some of the greatest in the genre. Trilogy was worth the listen, as well as the other relistens I embarked on in the process of writing this review - that's the first time I can say that for ELP, and I'm far from disappointment about it. My only hope is that they can keep that momentum up.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Trilogy.