In the days when I considered myself an ELP fan this was my least favourite album (until Works Pt. 2 was released and I jumped ship).
None of the large scale tracks on this do anything for me these days, but ironically I think the album has the two best short tracks they ever did: 'The Sheriff' and 'From the Beginning'.
Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?
The Endless Enigma/Fugue medley and the title track are my faves. I do think 'From The Beginning' is probably my favorite Greg Lake acoustic guitar tune. Although Battlefield (from Tarkus) is credited to Lake, and that is my favorite ELP song ever. Overall, the first two ELPs are probably my favorites, but this and BSS are close.
Love love LOVE this album. When that monster analog synth kicks in on the title track it's always a "crank the volume to 11" moment for me. Pure prog heaven.
It's also a big step up in terms of production from Tarkus and pushing out in terms of the writing and arranging. In fact, I think they took a step back on BSS in terms of the sonic quality. If I had to pick a weak spot it would be "Living Sin" (it's sort of a Nice throwback, in a way), although it still features some killer Hammond work. Oh, and I'm not a huge fan of the cover.
I agree with Jeff C. that this is where ELP separated from the rest of the organ trios circa '72 (though that had happened already from a composing standpoint).
great album, the title track is genius! From The Beginning, Howdown & Endless Enigma are classics!
I do too.Originally Posted by Paulrus
That's exactly what makes it for me possibly the coolest track on the album.
When I say it's a weak spot on the album, I mean that in relative terms.
But yeah, it reminds me of later Nice stuff like "One of Those People".
I guess I fit the emerging cliche. I like the album, not really a ELP fan, this and the debut are my favorites by them.
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.
ELP were always over the heads of most rock fans IMHO,, compositionally in another stratosphere altogether. Are Living Sin and the bolero throwaways? Yes in my opinion - but every second of music before them is so amazing that it doesn't matter. Their second best album, on their way to the untoppable Brain Salad Surgery.
I never connected with this one. I really liked “The Endless Enigma” and “Abaddon’s Bolero.” The rest? Meh! I think the first and BSS are their only albums where I came close to liking them all the way through.
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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")
"Parece cosa de maligno. Los pianos no estallan por casualidad." --Gabriel Garcia Marquez
N.P.:“Despair, Shout”-Témpano/Selective Memory
From the Beginning is an awesome song and one of the only ELP songs I ever listen to in recent years...
Since nobody else has taken the bait, I'll take care of re-posting this little nugget:
hate the artwork, which tends to feature the band's propensity at self-adoration... Agreed on Beginning being the better track on this album, though.
My preferred ELP stops at Tarkus (the track, not the album, because the flipside is really not up to par to whatever they'd done until there), and of course, I don't hate it, but just like BSS, I don't own it anymore.
Come to think of it, I don't think I own Tarkus anymore as well
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I'm with those that like From the Beginning, Triolgy & the Endless Enigma suite. For years this album, as a whole, was my favorite from ELP. The advent of the iPod allows me the ability to choose which tracks from various albums into my own "Best Of" compilation.
IZZ did a killer cover of Triolgy @ one of their Cal-Prog gigs.
My favorite too if I should listen to a whole ELP album. The most coherent album they made. I like the first just as much (but its going in several directions), and the title track on Tarkus is so great (the rest is kind of fillers). Pictures is also great, but I lost them after Trilogy.
BSS is IMO kind of sterile or sounding like they dont know where they are going. Sounds like they are compensating for lack of good ideas by over-composing. I'm sure many will disagree.
Nice to hear the clips from this after so many years. I owned this on wax way way back when along with the first few ELPs.Hearing the clips sums up for me what I liked and disliked about ELP.Liked Emerson's keyboards,disliked Lake's lyrics,for the most part,they often bordered on the banal/cringe worthy.I own the s/t, Tarkus and Pictures at an Exhibition on cd(most recent reissue format) and that's more than enough for me.
Last edited by walt; 09-19-2013 at 07:00 AM.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Most of ELP's so called "fillers" from that era are better than anything Genesis has ever done.
I feel a storm is coming up
I too prefer ELP for most occasions, but its too different entities, not directly comparable. And I suppose Genesis had more interesting lyrics?
...nice transcription.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
My second favorite ELP, with BSS getting first place (though I agree that Trilogy is a better sounding album). Emerson's writing was so distinctive! Lake's stuff was okay, but it was mostly Emerson's writing and playing that made me an ELP fan.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see love for "The Sheriff" and "Abaddon's Bolero" here; I kind of remember those tracks getting panned a lot at PE a couple of years ago. I think the latter is a really cool piece! The concept is obviously borrowed from Ravel's Bolero, but it has it's own character. I love how the layers gradually get thicker and more polyphonic (for all you musos out there).
One of the great classics from prog's heyday!
Love it from top to bottom! We used to cover "Endless Enigma" (sans the fugue) and "Trilogy" in an ELP tribute. Really challenging stuff to say the least, but man, those changes! I used to LOVE playing the intro to "Endless", when the B3 ends and there's a moment of silence, I used to scream, "COME ON, FUCKERS!" then launch right into that killer progression.
Obviously I made a shitty Greg Lake -- I could never be that coolly detached -- but man, FUN times.
Yeah, love this album, can't rank it 'cause I love everything ELP did up to and including Works Vol. 1.
Can't agree on the lyrics issue , Pete Sinfield was a far better lyricist than PG at this point . I found Genesis's lyrics to be too wordy & school boy story telling , something that critics also picked up on at the time !I feel a storm is coming up
I too prefer ELP for most occasions, but its too different entities, not directly comparable. And I suppose Genesis had more interesting lyrics?
The Endless Enigma suite is my favorite ELP music. This is also my favorite album by them! I also agree with others who have stated that this is their best sounding album. Really great stuff! Lake's singing is powerful on this one!
My favorite ELP record, followed by the first one and Tarkus. I love the piano/bass interplay, and Lake's vocals are exceptional. I've just re-visited this one a few months ago. Really brings back a lot of memories!
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
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