Emerson, Lake and Palmer (album)
Encyclopedia
Emerson, Lake & Palmer is the eponymous debut album
of British
progressive rock
band Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, released in 1970
.
As a first album from the newly formed supergroup
, the album clearly demonstrates the variety of influences the artists brought with them, in the mix of instrumental and vocal pieces. The cover of the album depicts a fluttering white bird with a human ear in the bottom left corner; the bird's left wing outlines the back of the male head to which the ear is attached, the other half of which is on the back of the album, and the right wing outlines a female head).
The album is not entirely an effort of the unified band; not all the tracks feature credits for all three band members, and some are essentially solo pieces.
Take a Pebble
by Greg Lake
is a full band arrangement - with the primary sections being a jazz arrangement by Emerson (reminiscent in some ways of Keith Emerson's late-1960s jazz-style adaptation of Tim Hardin's "Hang On To A Dream" aka "How Can We Hang On To A Dream?") - with a folk guitar middle section by Lake with water-like percussion effects by Palmer, plus a bit of clapping and whistling, that then returns to the jazz arrangement by Emerson (starting with a modal based improvisation on top of the primary ostinato
).
"Lucky Man" is Folk-Rock style ballad
by Greg Lake
, and is a precedent to those he would produce on subsequent albums (notably "From The Beginning" from Trilogy
, "Still...You Turn Me On" from Brain Salad Surgery
, and "C'est La Vie" from Works Volume I
.
"The Three Fates" suite showcases Keith Emerson
's composition abilities, and the second movement "Lachesis" showcases Emerson's solo piano playing.
Carl Palmer
's solo spot "Tank
" was composed by Palmer and Emerson, showcases Palmer's virtuoso solo drumming style in the middle section, and features Keith Emerson
on clavinet
and synthesizers, with Lake on Bass guitar.
Going beyond the incorporation of classical and jazz music influences, including using complex time signature
s and harmonies and symphonic-type structures - which helped to give them their unique sound, the band used lengthy note-for-note extracts and themes from composers (Bartók, Janáček, and Bach, in the first album).
Although the composition of the first track, "The Barbarian", was attributed to the three band members (on the U.S.A. Atlantic Records vinyl album release, and on all later U.S.A. reissues on CD - but not on the band's own British Manticore vinyl album release), it is an arrangement for rock band of Bartók
’s 1911 piano piece, Allegro Barbaro
.
The third track, "Knife Edge", is based on the first movement of Janáček
’s Sinfonietta (1926) with an instrumental middle section that includes an extended quotation from the Allemande of Johann Sebastian Bach
's first French Suite in D minor, BWV
812, but played on an organ rather than clavichord or piano. None of these quotations are attributed on the original U.S.A. Atlantic Records vinyl album release, nor on any later U.S.A. CD reissues by several companies, but all except the Bach quote are clearly listed on the back cover of the British Manticore vinyl album release.
"Lucky Man", the album's single which charted on both sides of the Atlantic, was originally recorded to fill leftover space at the end of the album at the request of the record company. It was written by Greg Lake for acoustic guitar when he was 12 years of age, and was not originally well received by Emerson or Palmer. However, the two agreed to collaborate on what was to become one of the band's most commercial and accessible tracks. At Lake's request, Emerson played a solo on his modular Moog synthesizer
at the close of the track.
In the October 1977 Dominic Milano interview of Keith Emerson in Keyboard Magazine (at that time called "Contemporary Keyboard Magazine"), and much later on the band's DVD Beyond the Beginning, Emerson explains how the solo was entirely improvised off the top of his head, in one take. It represented a landmark in popular music and a defining moment in Emerson's career, despite his original insistence that it was below his usual standard. The brief electric guitar interlude (between the second and third verses of lyrics), on top of the multi-tracked overdubbed vocal and acoustic guitar parts, was overdubbed by Lake, as were more extended electric guitar solos on other later ELP studio tracks, like on parts of "Tarkus" and on the middle of "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression" (Greg Lake would switch back between bass guitar and electric guitar during the middle of live performances of "Tarkus" to play "Battlefield" (section 6 of the Tarkus suite), and during the middle of "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression", in the 1973 - 1974 tours; as can be seen in video-taped footage, including from famous 1974 ABC "California Jam" television broadcasts). In more recent live full band performances (with either ELP or with The Keith Emerson Band featuring Mark Bonilla), Emerson now generally plays a version of the melody of the electric guitar interlude on Hammond organ
, whereas on some earlier live versions of "Lucky Man", Greg Lake would sing and perform the piece on acoustic guitar sans any Moog solo or drums (such as on the Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
release)
The cover painting is by the British artist Nic Dartnell. It was originally intended for the American group Spirit
. The bald-headed man on the left of the cover is Spirit's drummer, Ed Cassidy
. However, ELP saw it, liked it and bought it. Dartnell's work can be seen at his website.
A Quadraphonic mix of this album is believed to exist only on the Quadraphonic 8-Track tape cartridge format.
The album peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200
. "Lucky Man" reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100
. On the U.K. charts the album peaked at #4.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, released in 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
.
As a first album from the newly formed supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, the album clearly demonstrates the variety of influences the artists brought with them, in the mix of instrumental and vocal pieces. The cover of the album depicts a fluttering white bird with a human ear in the bottom left corner; the bird's left wing outlines the back of the male head to which the ear is attached, the other half of which is on the back of the album, and the right wing outlines a female head).
The album is not entirely an effort of the unified band; not all the tracks feature credits for all three band members, and some are essentially solo pieces.
Take a Pebble
Take a Pebble
"Take a Pebble" is a song by the British progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It is the second track of their eponymous debut album. It was written by Greg Lake, and was arranged by the full band.The song starts as a soft ballad.....
by Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
is a full band arrangement - with the primary sections being a jazz arrangement by Emerson (reminiscent in some ways of Keith Emerson's late-1960s jazz-style adaptation of Tim Hardin's "Hang On To A Dream" aka "How Can We Hang On To A Dream?") - with a folk guitar middle section by Lake with water-like percussion effects by Palmer, plus a bit of clapping and whistling, that then returns to the jazz arrangement by Emerson (starting with a modal based improvisation on top of the primary ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
).
"Lucky Man" is Folk-Rock style ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
by Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
, and is a precedent to those he would produce on subsequent albums (notably "From The Beginning" from Trilogy
Trilogy (Emerson, Lake & Palmer album)
Trilogy is the third studio album by the English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1972. The front cover depicts Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, while the interior of the original gatefold sleeve features a photomontage showing multiple images of the band in Epping Forest...
, "Still...You Turn Me On" from Brain Salad Surgery
Brain Salad Surgery
Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1973 and the first under their Manticore Records imprint. It fuses rock and classical themes. Lyrics were co-written by Greg Lake with fellow ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Cover...
, and "C'est La Vie" from Works Volume I
Works Volume I
Works Volume 1 is a 1977 album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It is a two-disc set divided into four major sections, one each highlighting each band member, and one for combined works.-Overview:...
.
"The Three Fates" suite showcases Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
's composition abilities, and the second movement "Lachesis" showcases Emerson's solo piano playing.
Carl Palmer
Carl Palmer
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
's solo spot "Tank
Tank (song)
Tank is the penultimate song from the British Progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer's debut album. The song was intended to showcase drummer Carl Palmer's unique drumming style...
" was composed by Palmer and Emerson, showcases Palmer's virtuoso solo drumming style in the middle section, and features Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
on clavinet
Clavinet
A Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
and synthesizers, with Lake on Bass guitar.
Going beyond the incorporation of classical and jazz music influences, including using complex time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s and harmonies and symphonic-type structures - which helped to give them their unique sound, the band used lengthy note-for-note extracts and themes from composers (Bartók, Janáček, and Bach, in the first album).
Although the composition of the first track, "The Barbarian", was attributed to the three band members (on the U.S.A. Atlantic Records vinyl album release, and on all later U.S.A. reissues on CD - but not on the band's own British Manticore vinyl album release), it is an arrangement for rock band of Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
’s 1911 piano piece, Allegro Barbaro
Allegro barbaro
Allegro barbaro, BB 63 , composed in 1911, is one of Béla Bartók's most famous and frequently performed solo piano pieces. The composition is typical of Bartók's style, utilizing folk elements...
.
The third track, "Knife Edge", is based on the first movement of Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
’s Sinfonietta (1926) with an instrumental middle section that includes an extended quotation from the Allemande of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's first French Suite in D minor, BWV
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
812, but played on an organ rather than clavichord or piano. None of these quotations are attributed on the original U.S.A. Atlantic Records vinyl album release, nor on any later U.S.A. CD reissues by several companies, but all except the Bach quote are clearly listed on the back cover of the British Manticore vinyl album release.
"Lucky Man", the album's single which charted on both sides of the Atlantic, was originally recorded to fill leftover space at the end of the album at the request of the record company. It was written by Greg Lake for acoustic guitar when he was 12 years of age, and was not originally well received by Emerson or Palmer. However, the two agreed to collaborate on what was to become one of the band's most commercial and accessible tracks. At Lake's request, Emerson played a solo on his modular Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
at the close of the track.
In the October 1977 Dominic Milano interview of Keith Emerson in Keyboard Magazine (at that time called "Contemporary Keyboard Magazine"), and much later on the band's DVD Beyond the Beginning, Emerson explains how the solo was entirely improvised off the top of his head, in one take. It represented a landmark in popular music and a defining moment in Emerson's career, despite his original insistence that it was below his usual standard. The brief electric guitar interlude (between the second and third verses of lyrics), on top of the multi-tracked overdubbed vocal and acoustic guitar parts, was overdubbed by Lake, as were more extended electric guitar solos on other later ELP studio tracks, like on parts of "Tarkus" and on the middle of "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression" (Greg Lake would switch back between bass guitar and electric guitar during the middle of live performances of "Tarkus" to play "Battlefield" (section 6 of the Tarkus suite), and during the middle of "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression", in the 1973 - 1974 tours; as can be seen in video-taped footage, including from famous 1974 ABC "California Jam" television broadcasts). In more recent live full band performances (with either ELP or with The Keith Emerson Band featuring Mark Bonilla), Emerson now generally plays a version of the melody of the electric guitar interlude on Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, whereas on some earlier live versions of "Lucky Man", Greg Lake would sing and perform the piece on acoustic guitar sans any Moog solo or drums (such as on the Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends
Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends... Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake & Palmer is a 1974 live album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, originally released as a three-disk vinyl album in a gatefold cover, the inside of which used the letters "E", "L" and "P" as...
release)
The cover painting is by the British artist Nic Dartnell. It was originally intended for the American group Spirit
Spirit (band)
Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :...
. The bald-headed man on the left of the cover is Spirit's drummer, Ed Cassidy
Ed Cassidy
Ed "Cass" Cassidy is an American drummer who was one of the founders of the rock group Spirit in 1967.His family moved to Bakersfield, California, in 1931, and he started as a professional musician in 1937. He was in the Navy during World War II, and after his discharge worked at many jobs before...
. However, ELP saw it, liked it and bought it. Dartnell's work can be seen at his website.
A Quadraphonic mix of this album is believed to exist only on the Quadraphonic 8-Track tape cartridge format.
The album peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. "Lucky Man" reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. On the U.K. charts the album peaked at #4.
Side one
- "The Barbarian" (Béla Bartók, arr. Emerson, Lake & Palmer) – 4:27
- "Take a PebbleTake a Pebble"Take a Pebble" is a song by the British progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It is the second track of their eponymous debut album. It was written by Greg Lake, and was arranged by the full band.The song starts as a soft ballad.....
" (Lake) (arr. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but not always credited) – 12:32 - "Knife-Edge" (Leoš Janáček & J. S. Bach, arr. Emerson, lyrics by Lake & FraserRichard FraserRichard Fraser was a lyricist for the British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer .He is notable for receiving credit for their 1970 debut album's third track, the hit "Knife Edge" and for his lyrical contributions to Pictures at an Exhibition...
) – 5:04
Side two
- "The Three Fates" (Emerson) – 7:46
- "ClothoClothoClotho is one of the Three Fates or Moirae, in ancient Greek mythology. Her Roman equivalent is Nona. Clotho was responsible for spinning the thread of human life. She also made major decisions, such as when a person was born, thus in effect controlling people's lives...
" Royal Festival Hall Organ - "LachesisLachesis (mythology)In Greek mythology, Lachesis was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirae, also known as the Triple Moon Goddesses or the Lunar Dieties. Each phase of the moon representing each of the fates - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos...
" Piano Solo - "AtroposAtroposAtropos or Aisa , in Greek mythology, was one of the three Moirae, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta.Atropos or Aisa was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable." It was Atropos who chose the mechanism of death and ended the life...
" Piano Trio (overdubbed pianos and percussion)
- "Clotho
- "TankTank (song)Tank is the penultimate song from the British Progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer's debut album. The song was intended to showcase drummer Carl Palmer's unique drumming style...
" (Emerson & Palmer) – 6:49 - "Lucky ManLucky Man (Emerson, Lake & Palmer song)"Lucky Man" is a song by the English progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer, from the group's 1970 self-titled debut album. Written by Greg Lake when he was 12 years old and recorded by the trio using improvised arrangements,...
" (Lake) – 4:36
Personnel
- Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
: organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled... - Greg LakeGreg LakeGregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
: acoustic guitar, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Carl PalmerCarl PalmerCarl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Production
- Producer: Greg Lake
- Engineer: Eddie OffordEddie OffordEddy Offord is a former record producer and recording engineer, who worked on some of the most famous progressive rock albums of the 1970s, often at London's Advision Studios. He is especially well known for his work with the groups Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. ELP wrote a tribute to Offord with...
- Arranger: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Director: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Mastering: Barry Diament