Love Beach cover ruined ELP says Keith Emerson!

[cavgator]

"Love Beach" was ELP's last gold album; apparently, this album destroyed ELP's credibility, at least as far as American record buyers were concerned. As for Yes, "Drama" didn't go gold, but "90125" did revive the band's commercial fortunes for a spell. At least until "Union," that is.

ELP: Love Beach = Yes: Union. Gak. Progressive rock hall of infamy, indeed.

I think the comparison with Tormato could be more apt. Yes went through a rather significant transformation with Drama (comparable to ELPowell, perhaps?).

Yes had a slightly longer peak than ELP, but they went through similar stages. With apologies to Yes and TaaW, we could view the two as:

Common Era I:

ELP, Tarkus, PaaE, Trilogy, BSS, Works
TYA, Fragile, CttE, Tales, Relayer, GftO

Live Album

Welcome Back My Friends
Yessongs

Common Era II

Love Beach
Tormato

Common Era III

ELPowell, TtPo3
Drama

Common Era IV

Black Moon, ItHS
90125, Union

Understand, this is the transition for ME. For others, it is different.

[cavgator]

Prog is full of terrible album covers, yet I keep buying them. So maybe it's not the cover.... but the the CONTENT that everybody hates about Love Beach?

Actually, no. I love Canario, as well as Memoirs. That is 24 of 40 minutes (60%). About the same percentage of music that I like on many other prog albums by top bands like yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson, etc.

[polmico]

It's no more cheesy a cover than Trilogy, and the music is no less cheesy than anything else ELP did.

I guess I'll defend it. I like it while acknowledging that it ain't BSS. But it's better than Works.

[progguy]

I think the comparison with Tormato could be more apt. Yes went through a rather significant transformation with Drama (comparable to ELPowell, perhaps?).

Yes had a slightly longer peak than ELP, but they went through similar stages. With apologies to Yes and TaaW, we could view the two as:

Common Era I:

ELP, Tarkus, PaaE, Trilogy, BSS, Works
TYA, Fragile, CttE, Tales, Relayer, GftO

Live Album

Welcome Back My Friends
Yessongs

Common Era II

Love Beach
Tormato

Common Era III

ELPowell, TtPo3
Drama

Common Era IV

Black Moon, ItHS
90125, Union

Understand, this is the transition for ME. For others, it is different.

I agree with most of this. For my part, I would put "Works" into Common Era II along with "Love Beach."

[neurospiral]

The cover was cheesy as hell, but it was the music that was the biggest turn-off for me.

[Banquo]

The fact of the matter is that LB is a crap record. They could've covered it in some kinda Hipgnosis-like bullshit with two guys sitting on stilts in the ocean staring at each other with binocs, and it would still be crap.

[Oreb]

But it's better than Works.

IMO this is the key point. ELP burnt out with BSS and while I really like the group side of Works Vol. 1, there are three sides of sludge to go along with it - five if you count vol. 2 as well.

Love Beach was irrelevant to their decline: it had already happened.

[Kcrimso]

The fact of the matter is that LB is a crap record. They could've covered it in some kinda Hipgnosis-like bullshit with two guys sitting on stilts in the ocean staring at each other with binocs, and it would still be crap.

Perfectly said!

Canario is the only only song on the album that has some redeeming values.

[Trane]

IMO this is the key point. ELP burnt out with BSS and while I really like the group side of Works Vol. 1, there are three sides of sludge to go along with it - five if you count vol. 2 as well.

Love Beach was irrelevant to their decline: it had already happened.

yup on all counts, though I'm not that much a fan of BSS either

[Dave (in MA)]

some kinda Hipgnosis-like bullshit with two guys sitting on stilts in the ocean staring at each other with binocs

[Dave (in MA)]

Just be thankful that they did that photo before Lake hit 3 bills.

[Rand Kelly]

For Me, Carrying No Cross was UK doing ELP about as well as ELP could have done it. Aside from the title track, the rest of it was, to me, a precursor to Asia.

I think Nothing To Lose is,but the rest of Danger Money to me is pretty damn good Prog. But,yeah! NTL could be an Asia tune easy.

[trurl]

NTL would be about the best song Asia ever did if it was them.

[grego]

It's no more cheesy a cover than Trilogy, and the music is no less cheesy than anything else ELP did.

I guess I'll defend it. I like it while acknowledging that it ain't BSS. But it's better than Works.

I don't see LB to be better than Works. Works is at least a fresh idea, it shows a new approach, and some really fine musical moments, good songs, good compositions, forays into genres they never explored. LB, on the contrary, is a huge step back in all areas. The best composition(Memoirs) brings us back to Trilogy, but in a cheaper and sentimental way.

[Rufus]

I don't see LB to be better than Works. Works is at least a fresh idea, it shows a new approach, and some really fine musical moments, good songs, good compositions, forays into genres they never explored. LB, on the contrary, is a huge step back in all areas. The best composition(Memoirs) brings us back to Trilogy, but in a cheaper and sentimental way.

This!!! Pirates alone makes Works great!

[grego]

Canario is the only only song on the album that has some redeeming values.

Do you know the story of this piece?) It wasn't written by Rodrigo, who is credited for this on ELP's album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantas%...n_gentilhombre

PS One of ELP's worst instrumentals IMHO

[happytheman]

Forget if I've already commented on this thread.. according to Keith's book.. Atlantic came to the band (Ahmet?) after Works and specifically asked for shorter songs.. (single).. Not that Canario made any impact on the charts (that I'm aware of).. Keith sort of followed his suggestion.. then of course filled up the second side with Officer.. I bought it when it was originally released simply as a "auto buy"... hey it was ELP.. Still like Officer and a couple songs on side one..

[trurl]

I don't see LB to be better than Works. Works is at least a fresh idea, it shows a new approach, and some really fine musical moments, good songs, good compositions, forays into genres they never explored. LB, on the contrary, is a huge step back in all areas. The best composition(Memoirs) brings us back to Trilogy, but in a cheaper and sentimental way.

Both albums blow, but I agree with your reasoning that LB blows more.

[Scott Bails]

Do you know the story of this piece?) It wasn't written by Rodrigo, who is credited for this on ELP's album.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantas%...n_gentilhombre
PS One of ELP's worst instrumentals IMHO

Um....according to your link (and every other version of the piece that I own, including one by Segovia), it WAS composed by Rodrigo. Yes, it was based upon Sanz's work, but Rodrigo is given credit for composure.

[AndreProgrunner]

If you think the cover photo is bad check out all of the inlay photos..,

[Big Ears]

I still enjoy listening to Love Beach and I do not care about the cover.

[Dave (in MA)]

I'm always surprised to see so much anti-Works sentiment. Aside from the Neil Diamond-wannabe side 2 of vol 1 and the last track of vol 2, I like it as much as Trilogy or BSS, though not as much as ELP, Tarkus or Pictures.

While not enough of a fan of Love Beach to pull it out in probably 15 years or more, I like it better than any Asia that I've heard.

[progguy]

If you think the cover photo is bad check out all of the inlay photos..,

The folks at Atlantic records were a thoughtful bunch. They knew -- yes knew!!! -- that people would not only buy "Love Beach" by the truckload but would also happily fork over cash for a "Love Beach" tour jacket and (my favorite) some very sexy "Love Beach" shorts!

[Dave (in MA)]

They missed the opportunity to market a red shirt that you could wear like Lake did on the cover, knotted at the bottom Daisy Duke style. (WTF?)

[Banquo]

They missed the opportunity to market a red shirt that you could wear like Lake did on the cover, knotted at the bottom Daisy Duke style. (WTF?)

LOL! That always cracked me up too, even back then. I think that by today's standards, Greg's fashion statement was tantamount to a man having a tattoo on his lower back.