FEATURED CD: ELP - Trilogy

[syncopatico]

Trilogy is the only ELP CD that i have the MFSL gold disc version of (and one of the few MFSL's that i ever bought at all, and also that i didn't later sell on ebay) so that should say something about how i feel about the music/sound quality of this one!

Their best album in terms of engineering other than BSS but that one is just so dense/layered sounding. Trilogy breathes with more space, is certainly less 'ambitious' (or should i say *pretentious* ) than BSS other than (Lake's lyrics to) The Endless Enigma, but damn that piece sounds fantastic cranked up to '11' on the stereo! Even the cover art painting is so unassuming compared to the austere, menacing H.R. Giger painting on BBS. It looks like an idea from a rejected CSN album or something!

[Jeremy Bender]

Love this album, of course. While I still think BSS is their masterpiece, I've long considered this a close runner-up. It's better sounding than BSS, but that's what having Eddie Offord behind the board will do for you.

I just wish that the track order was different on Side 1:

Hoedown
From The Beginning
The Sheriff
The Endless Enigma/Fugue/TEE Part 2

Thanks to the miracle of iPods, that's the way I have it.

[bill g]

Well stupid I think to compare ELP to Genesis, as if one was actually better than the other. We'll all have our opinions about that, but its too subjective an issue, as Genesis is about capturing moods that a person either hears or doesn't. As to Trilogy, I haven't played it in a couple years, but even 'Living Sin' I'm hearing in my head right now and it sounds awesome. Keith Emerson is a pretty brilliant composer. And Greg Lake is a fine lyricist, (and Peter Sinfield even a better one, in my opinion!) They really could do a lot with just three people. Keith Emerson and Kerry Minnear were two keyboardists that could do completely different things with each hand, so that it sounded like 2 different people.

[arise_shine]

I'm not a big ELP fan, but I seem to recall liking this one a little more than the others I tried out. I keep revisiting these guys every few years just to see if I "get it" yet. Maybe it's about time to give em another shot.

[A. Scherze]

[A. Scherze]

[A. Scherze]

[mogrooves]

Of the studio LPs, I know only the first four and rank them in the order of release. Typically patchy, but I dig their sheer brazenness.

[pete100ca]

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).

Completely agree. My fav by far and great organic production.

[Progbear]

Can't agree on the lyrics issue , Pete Sinfield was a far better lyricist than PG at this point .

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"You can take the war out of the soldier, but you can't raise that soldier from the dead."
--Shona Laing

N.P.:“Space Dye Vest”-Dream Theater/Awake

[happytheman]

One of their better ones for sure.. mind you I'm one of those who thought all of their albums up to BSS were brilliant..

[gregory]

My favorite of ELP. Though I know BSS is more progressive in all terms. But I agree with many, their first 4 studio albums is prog's platinum fund.
Endless Enigma is probably me favorite ELP composition.

[profusion]

This and BSS were the only ELP albums I ever really "got."

[presdoug]

Great album, though i prefer their previous records.

[Paulrus]

Thanks for the vids. I really liked the arrangements, even if some of the playing was shaky (that bass tuning -- ouch!) But it's so awesome to see orchestral adaptations like these. I think this is where Kieth Emerson is ahead of most other prog composers in that his material is so flexible and adaptable. I mean, how many other prog compositions make for both good classical and jazz arrangements?

[Paulrus]

Oh, and I know it's not from Trilogy, but this adaptation of "Tarkus" for Fender Rhodes is just too cool for school:

[Garden Dreamer]

This is a good candidate for the "unexpected favorites" thread. I had all their albums back in the day and they were mostly hit-and-miss, but this one was my favorite. Interest drops off with the last two tracks but the rest of the album hits the sweet spot for me every time.

[gregory]

Living Sin is one of the best heavy prog rock songs ever written.

[Rufus]

Why wasn't Trilogy ever played live ?

[Mister Triscuits]

Why wasn't Trilogy ever played live ?

(Easy to tell who hasn't actually read the thread. )

[trurl]

Something very weird is happening in that clip- Keef's right hand all through the beginning section is doubled an octave up. If he was playing to a tape with the other octave, it's so tight it blows my mind. It wouldn't be an effect, it doesn't affect his left hand and they didn't have that kind of technology in '72. It's just not possible to actually play it that way, not even for him. So I have to vote for option 1, or I'm stumped.

[JeffCarney]

Something very weird is happening in that clip- Keef's right hand all through the beginning section is doubled an octave up. If he was playing to a tape with the other octave, it's so tight it blows my mind. It wouldn't be an effect, it doesn't affect his left hand and they didn't have that kind of technology in '72. It's just not possible to actually play it that way, not even for him. So I have to vote for option 1, or I'm stumped.

I don't hear whatever it is you're hearing.

But yes, the "tapes" are in evidence during the middle section and the whole thing is a bit more of a train wreck than I remembered.

[Paulrus]

I don't hear whatever it is you're hearing.

But yes, the "tapes" are in evidence during the middle section and the whole thing is a bit more of a train wreck than I remembered.

I'm sure if they'd had today's sampling technology and better monitoring (or a second keyboard player! ) it wouldn't have been as much of a problem, but I think they must have realized that they'd finally created something they just couldn't comfortably or confidently pull off on stage. I wonder how much that had an effect on the BSS album, "Karn Evil 9", in particular.

[mogrooves]

Interest drops off with the last two tracks.

I dig them both; I can, however, do without "From The Beginning," "The Sheriff," and the hokey "Hoedown" (Emo's quoting "Short'nin' Bread" and "Turkey In the Straw" is about as cringe-inducing as anything in all of Progdom).

[notallwhowander]

(Emo's quoting "Short'nin' Bread" and "Turkey In the Straw" is about as cringe-inducing as anything in all of Progdom)

This makes me cringe too.