ELP | Ranking the Albums

[@Sheffield6688]

“Trilogy” is actually my favorite rock album, not only my #1 Emerson, Lake and Palmer album but out of all of rock. I think that and Yes’s “Close to the Edge”, both in 1972, are the pinnacle year in rock.

[@jc3drums916]

Thick as a Brick and Foxtrot were also from 1972. Truly a banner year.

[@sundance8744]

⁠@@jc3drums916 wow, do not forget the best live album ever - Made in Japan !!

[@johncrocker-nh7ey]

I'm glad you moved over to the light from the Dark Side There's Hope for the world yet

[@AlmostEthical]

I like the sound of their debut most. That raw old school production sound worked brilliantly with their music - kind of opposite to the Brain Salad Surgery approach to sound. The music was already so flamboyant that a dry, faithful production keeps things from becoming OTT to the point of being grating.

[@purpletemple1]

I dove into Elp after seeing/meeting Carl Palmer at a Drum clinic in 1987. I only knew him from Asia back then. To say that that clinic was a game changer for me, is an understatement... The young me even did a Drum solo during that same clinic while Carl was sitting on stage watching and clapping his hands for the young fool that I was ... :-) Around that same period I went to see Jethro Tull in concert, only because Don Airey was in the band ...didn't know much about Tull but I was about to find out. Those were the formative years... Cheers

[@donaldanderson6604]

I've seen Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy show twice and he has still got the chops. When I was at school, the legendary percussionist James Blades gave us a demo of his skills. He was Carl's percussion teacher. How cool for a 14 year old ELP fan.

[@AlmostEthical]

When I used to go on drum forums, a lot of players criticised CP for not having perfect time. I always loved his playing - fire, speed, feel and imagination. I'd rather Carl than 100 metronomic session-y drummers.

[@Hydrocorax]

People who denigrate Palmer's drumming need only listen to that Emerson Lake & Powell album. How boring it was to hear him replaced by Cozy laying down a solid, steady beat.

[@AlmostEthical]

@@Hydrocorax Yeah, I loved Cozy's playing with Beck and Rainbow but he didn't offer what Carl provided with ELP

[@davidberge5851]

Excellent rankings and commentary on ELP… one of my favorite bands… fortunate enough to see them live many times…. Really appreciated the comments about Keith … he was a genius and I’m glad you changed your view of the band.

[@bodhisattva3774]

Like you, I went from not really caring much for ELP to having them become one of my favorite bands of all time. I will chalk this up to the wisdom of old age.

[@bernardjharmsen304]

33:27 Great overview of Keith Emerson influences and evolution 👏

[@jdmresearch]

From the beginning may well be the best acoustic guitar - based rock song of all time. It's a stunning piece of music.

[@Sheffield6688]

“The Barbarian” comes from Bartók’s “Allegro barbaro, BB 63, Sz. 49” and there’s an interlude in there by J.S. Bach.

[@zootallures6470]

And the church organ part of Knife Edge is inspired by Leos Janacek.

[@matthewweber3904]

@@zootallures6470 a practical transcription of Sinfonietta! The middle part of Knife-Edge is, I think, from one of Bach's French Suites.

[@TripleBerg]

Been an ELP fan since 1971. A lot of variety in their catalog.

[@johncrocker-nh7ey]

Brain Salad Surgery is my personal favorite but I was of the age that I was highly malleable and that was my first connection to ELP and then I saw them in concert in '74 and to see it performed was just mind blowing

[@johndrx165]

Me too!! First concert ever!

[@TheD4VR0S]

Monty Python had a record called "Contractual Obligation Album" Love Beach should have been called that

[@donkeyshot8472]

"love peach" would have been a better album title, too.

[@PaulPadoan]

Finest Columbian polyvinyl.

[@elpelp1878]

@@donkeyshot8472 Sure. And a better cover design. It's a great album and has its own original atmosphere within the band's discography.

[@donkeyshot8472]

@@elpelp1878 I admit there were albums I refused to listen to by sheer aesthetic weight of their horrid covers: "love beach" would have been one of those. the last great ELP album in my view was "brain salad surgery", anyway: magnificent artwork, too! I lost interest after that; what with new wave happening and all.

[@elpelp1878]

@@donkeyshot8472 I agree with you. BSS is ELP's latest exciting album. It was disappointing to hear Works Vol I and II when it was released. The same happened with everything they produced afterwards. But, you know, after so long, Love Beach, just this one, started to have a certain interest for me because it has good moments of inspiration that if they were better developed without the pressure they were under, it could be an excellent album. Contrary to my expectations at the time, today I listen to Love Beach as a refuge of simplicity coming from a band that satisfied us by always going one step further in virtuosity and musical daring, and that I love and have the greatest respect for what they did. Thus, I could perceive the unpretentious beauty of this album, the talent and intelligence of making creative arrangements, even without the previous virtuosity, are implicit there. I certainly wouldn't have this consideration with other bands from that time. I allow myself to make this exception only to ELP and Led Zeppelin. ✌

[@donneumann6546]

Andy! That is the best breakdown of ELPs music that I have ever heard on KZbin! Well done!

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Wow, thanks!

[@Saffy-yr8vo]

I remember when ‘reaction’ had barely started on t’internet, I was always asking for ELP, Crimson, etc. No one seemed to have a scooby to who they were. I just spammed them all with requests. Hard to believe it now.

[@rolfjamne8922]

Love Tarkus and Trilogy. From the beginning is the first song I learnd properly on guitar and one of a few i still remember.

[@johncrocker-nh7ey]

When you see Carl Palmer's drum set live and he's got the double Bongos coming down either side of his kit and the big Chinese gong behind them and he's breaking drumsticks he's got a couple of bucket fulls by his sides and Keith Emerson surrounded by keyboards and there's Greg Lake standing up front like a conductor it is a glorious sight in concert and when you're 16 17 you are just so enthralled that is impossible not to be a Prague fan and it also gave me a desire to learn more about classical music

[@Saffy-yr8vo]

We were very lucky ! Incredible

[@diogenes2550]

Yes, how could one not love Prague?

[@kratino]

You are redeemed.

[@markanderson1313]

I only bought three of their albums; ELP, Trilogy and Pictures (which was ‘given away’ at £1.79). Trilogy was played to death but it’s ELP that I rebought on CD and remains one of the best prog albums ever.

[@kengolden666]

Andy I have a couple of differences of opinions relative to ELP. Sonically speaking, Pictures At An Exhibition is one of the great 70s live rock recordings. I've turned countless audiophiles on to the original British Island pressing (black label HELP1). Its a spectacular sounding album and also a gateway into the world of classical music. With respect to BSS - it was compositionally and technologically the most advanced rock recording of its era. Nothing sounded like that in 1973. Where it was held back was by the production. The material for Trilogy was difficult for them to play live, so they approached the recording of BSS much differently. I think in that respect it suffered. BSS is my all time favorite album - its engrained in my DNA - and ELP is my favorite band. I was fortunate enough to see them perform at Madison Square Garden with the 70 piece orchestra, on July 8, 1977. One of the best concerts I've ever seen and I've been to more than a few. If you are ever in New Jersey I'll give you a spin of Pictures and blow you mind.

[@LarsBjerregaard]

Yeah, Pictures is amazing, one of a kind. My first ELP experience and first love. Incredible atmosphere on that recording and Greg Lake's singing is haunting.

[@naderzekrya5238]

To me Tarkus and Trilogy is a 2LP set. My favourite 2! Truly ahead of their time! Even Miles, Herbie, Chick and Zawinul must have freaked out hearing this in 1971/72

[@IzunaSlap]

Bernie Worrell from Funkadelic was a big fan

[@diegoruizguitar]

Great video Andy! I do agree, KE was probably the first one with those incredible live shows by The Nice, but i would also consider keyboardist Tony Banks who since Nursery Crime onwards also embodied the prog distinctive sound, aswell as Yes bassist Chris Squire

[@trevorhoward2254]

The first album I ever bought was Trilogy when I was 13 in 1974. By age 16, the Sex Pistols had arrived and I couldn't stand the ELP bombast. However, I got two things from it which have stood me in good stead through life. The first was my introduction to Aaron Copeland which, in turn, led me into classical music. Second was the song, From The Beginning, which to this day is still one of the loveliest songs ever. It held a place on my bonking tape for much of my 20's. The album got sold or swapped but I rebought it second hand in my 40's for the inner, gatefold cover which is framed and up in my music room. It takes me back to a time and place. Occasionally I hear some ELP and it generally does my head in, particularly their classical covers because they are never as good as the real thing. But even after all that, I still really, really like that overdriven Hammond sound. One thing;- in - I think - The Sheriff - there's a drum intro in which Carl Palmer drops a stick and says "shit".

[@jimmycampbell78]

Yes The Sheriff, I love that they kept it in 😀On your point about their classical covers, I do think Toccata is brilliant. I think they invent techno in one section of that.

[@trevorhoward2254]

@@jimmycampbell78 It seemed so very naughty when I was a kid. Friends would come around and say, "Play that bit where he says shit".

[@DrMidnight-oz1rk]

​@@jimmycampbell78New Wave lead to Techno, not ELP

[@jimmycampbell78]

@@DrMidnight-oz1rk I'm just talking about a 20 second or so synthesiser section in one particular track. It's basically techno years before it emerged but its only about 20-30 seconds so no one will give ELP/Keith Emerson credit for it.

[@diogenes2550]

@DrMidnight-oz1rk You can’t have heard Toccata to say that. That aside, techno comes out of house and disco, eg Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” Nothing to do with new wave.

[@johnw706]

Welcome back to the ( ELP ) fold ! I was lucky enough to see them live many times at the height of their powers , usually in Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto . They were something to behold live . I saw most of the prog bands live throughout the 70's , and both Jethro Tull and ELP put on the most entertaining concerts out of all of them . Genesis and Yes were also great live , as well , but not quite as entertaining as ELP and Tull . In one of the concerts , ELP had quad sound , with banks of speakers at the back of the arena , and other banks up front , so that the music was swirling around your head . Then you would get Emerson going behind the Hammond B3 , and he would start playing something from Bach just as smoothly as if he was in front of the keyboard . I guess that he had to think in reverse to play it from behind . Lake's voice was just as beautiful live , and Palmer's drumming was spectacular . In terms of how I rank the albums , it changes between the debut , Tarkus , and Brain Salad Surgery as to what my number one is . I also love Trilogy , and both Works' albums , as well as their live albums ( especially King Biscuit Hour , which has the definitive versions of Karl Evil 9 and Pirates , as far as I'm concerned . Thanks for an excellent video !!!

[@BenefitInKind]

Where Brain Salad Surgery and Trilogy win over the first album, for me, are the memorable tunes. Great video Andy.

[@747jono]

Carl Palmers recently released box set has a fantastic 240 page book written by Carl included. Essential purchase Andy Cheers Jonathan

[@thomasgruseck7971]

If I had to go to live on a deserted island and could only take one ELP album with me, it woud be Trilogy. If I got a new state of the art sound system and could pick one song to be the first song to hear on it, it would be "Endless Enigma."

[@mainzergirl9610]

Though we knew it in 1974 as "Welcome Back My Friends to the Album that Never Ends," I love it to this day.

[@batterytestchannel-v4v]

Thanks for the ELP deep dive. The fracture lines were completely on display from the first album. The beautiful, simple melodies of Take a Pebble and Lucky Man vs the classical interpretations of Barbarian and Knife-Edge vs the bombasticism and gusto sprinkled all over. Really it's amazing that they managed to produce as many indispensable albums as they did.

[@davestevenson2181]

I first saw ELP two nights after they recorded Pictures at an Exhibition in Newcastle. Checking their archives the ticket cost me 50p. Tracks from the first LP, Tarkus and Pictures finishing with the Nice favourite Rondo. I can't disagree with your first three picks.

[@kzustang]

Brilliant!! I'm gladly handing over the moderation of the chat to Colin. Everybody on the chat is putting in their love, sweat, tears and their necks. ELP were one of my first true prog favs along with Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Renaissance and Gong. The love is still there. Glad you gave them this video. Once they stick, they stick. C ya on the other side.

[@mrgoldensmusicaladventure]

ELP was my #1 band in high school, and I agreed with you from beginning to end of this list. I will never forget watching one of the late night rock shows when I was 13 or 14 in the early 1970s (when my parents started allowing me to stay up and watch those shows). I had never heard of ELP before, but by the time Keith Emerson's piano rose up and started spinning head over heels, I was kneeling in front of the television not believing what I was seeing. It was exactly what this nerdy young teen needed to stay focused on his piano lessons. On the other hand, I recently spent an afternoon listening to Kraftwerk again, based on your enthusiasm in other videos. In the 70s, I thought they were mildly interesting, and I still can't get too excited about them. But I do respect your knowledge, and if you say they were historically important, I will accept that.

[@wm.scottpappert9869]

Bravo ! ... great symphonic opening Andy with the proposition that what might be may not be, then building to the crescendo of the 3 top albums (Brain Salad had been my top given it's Crimson like contribution and Lake's unmistakeable voice) and leading to that finale of Emerson's genius (ESSENTIAL PROG in an historical perspective ... has to be recognized as one of the most formidable uses of virtousity in shaping the movement ... but the verdict of vs Wakeman remains to be debated) and then alas, HIggins vs allllll of the pedestrian influences that other greats like Kilmeister have brought to the a genre for it to be considered Prog, Brilliant ! Here's a YT treat from a fan of ELP's 1977 orchestral tour ... did manage to catch this one ... the vid does not do justice to the actual sound. Fantastic and most memorable show ... Lake's version here of Lucky Man was solo acoustic, missed the moog synth for sure ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4CwqWlmj915rqc

[@ssocialdrummer]

Welcome home, I have been a fan since age 11, 52 yrs ago. You demonstrate quite admirably it is never too late to change ones musical mind. Bravo! You did say on another vid that P.A.A.Exhibition was the first E.L.P album you bought.

[@philliplloyd1518]

Awesome that you are doing a ELP album ranking. Have gotten into them the last year and along with Yes and Gentle Giant they are my favorite Prog Band. I kind of feel they are underrated at this point.

[@piktormusic2538]

Thanks for this revised look at ELP. Something that you could have talked about in this video is that ELP (Emerson) presented an advanced harmonic vocabulary to us rockers. It bent my ear. Eventually, as I learned more about music, jazz, theory etc, I recognized Keith’s altered scales and whatnot. I care less about his hand independence and the rest of his technique, but I care most about his concepts and ideas (oh, and that glorious sound of his Hammond playing. I really missed the organ as his Yamaha synth, etc. took over.) Most under appreciated ELP song (if you ignore the lyrics): Living Sin

[@jackpittens796]

Takus is my favourite ELP album. The 2nd side is not as strong as the first side but I think is still good, but that first side is epic and takes it across the line for the win.

[@neilscarratt3568]

GREAT GETTING INTO EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER ANDY 🎹🎸🥁. SUPERB COMMENTS ON ALL BRUM LIKE ME AND CARL PALMER HA !. MY TOP 3 ALBUMS BY THEM 3.TRILOGY 2.THEIR FIRST ALBUM IS JUST EDGED OUT BY 1.TARKUS WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE . MY DEAR LATE FATHERS FAVOURITE ROCK BAND USED TO ALWAYS PLAY THAT ALBUM ON HIS OWN ON HIS MAGNIFICENT STEREO SPEAKERS IN THE FRONT ROOM 😊🍾.GREAT COUNTDOWN

[@TripleBerg]

Was able to see them live in early 70‘s. Emerson was amazing on multiple keyboards. Somehow they had a row of flames that were altered by the notes he played. I’m sure it wouldn’t be allowed now by any fire marshal.😏

[@ronnelson7828]

In The Court Of The Kingson Crim. One of my favorite prog albums! 😊 It's bombastic with gusto!

[@casablanca2745]

Really enjoyed that Andy. Me and my buddies had all the ELP records in high school but never saw them live until I saw Emerson Lake & Powell in Mansfield MA in 86. Show finished with Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk. RIP Keith & Greg.

[@CalRichards]

Brain Salad Surgery is number one every day of the week for me. My favourite prog album ever. Great retrospective Andy.

[@gregorygreene1940]

Thank you for going through ELP's albums. They are one of my favorite bands of all time. That first album has two of the great piano pieces of all time in The Three Fates and Take a Pebble. Not a week goes by that I don't listen to them. While Emerson and Lake are sadly gone, they live on through these albums. Hopefully, more people can appreciate them because of you highlighting their work.

[@henrycrinkle821]

Great video. Perceptive and original observations as always.

[@alextinsley9117]

A great breakdown. I've been a huge ELP fan since my early teens and started buying their albums in 1973 when Brain Salad Surgery came out and ended up with every album they released as a band to the end. Sadly, they all got let behind after splitting with my first wife 😞 Anyway, your ranking, in my opinion is spot on with my assessment, even the struggle between their first album and Trilogy as their very best. Cheers! Oh, and if your not already aware of it, check out the Trilogy cover by the Jad & Den Quintet with Thierry Eliez on piano and vocalist Ceilin Poggi. Absolutely amazing and an incredible tribute to Emerson's work

[@louisricchiuto9255]

Get on with it!!

[@diogenes2550]

Good video delivered with bombast and gusto.

[@warrenbutson349]

Enjoying thoughtful review of the career of ELP. I like the way you contextualise the eponymous album to justify why it is number one which I can agree even if I hate 3 fates. My only argument is Pictures. Tge audio quality is astounding for 1970 and you are right in the front seat. It’s a thrill ride hot sweaty and bombastic! Welcome back in the other hand is overblown and sounds like it was recorded from the nosebleeders! Though it does have the amazing live version of battlefield

[@timwestcott361]

Keith Emerson - ground zero. Finally getting his props. His work with Moog to bend the notes and 'jimi-fy' the keyboard sounds ( on top of classic and 'knees-up' underpinnings ) stopped you in your tracks. What is THAT sound ? The synth break on Lucky Man launched 1000 prog fans. An actual genius. And a really nice guy - his relationship with Rachel Flowers. And his tragic demise. Top 5 music influencers on me. Thanks.

[@fossilmatic]

I’m giving Andy another two years of sober reflection before elevating Ummagumma and Astral Weeks to their rightful positions in the rock pantheon.😅 No mention of the parallel adventures and influence of the Brian Auger Trinity? No mention of the resemblance of the first three minutes of the Trilogy album with the soundtrack for Planet of the Apes? Perhaps a few more years and Andy can see Soft Machine (Wyatt years) in the context of the avant garde of the South of France and the lens they put on bebop and Schoenberg et al in the 60s. I guess all the best music has its own World and suffers by comparison outside of its environment. One request: look at something truly esoteric, like the relationship between Peter Green and Ralph Vaughan Williams 😊.

[@PaulMcGarry-bo3jg]

Bravo Andy. Emerson was in his own lane.

[@vizzini589]

Really enjoyed your perspective on ELP. Their first album was always my favourite. Saw them a couple of times, including their tour with the orchestra in Montreal, and they always blew my hair back.

[@robertmac9057]

One of the things I loved most about ELP - similar to Yes - is that they could do all the eclectic and ornate stuff but could also be brutal and heavy. They rocked!

[@mariobarrela]

Thanks Andy you summarize what I think about the importance of ELP. About BSS, the cover of Brain Sallad Surgery is made by H. R. Giger. He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, and was responsible for creating the titular Alien itself! Another curiosity, the photo in the open sleeve of Trilogy is taken where had happen the Battle of the Epping Forest, the Genesis’s song from Selling England by the Pound.

[@jedtulman46]

Tarkus & Trilogy period . Love you andy ❤️😊

[@PerryPapanier]

First concert I went to was ELP back in 1974. Great album rundown. I find myself always coming back to Trilogy.

[@Saffy-yr8vo]

My long comment didn’t show so in a nutshell fave albums Tarkus and Pictures equal 1st. I enjoyed your bombastic dissertation. You made me laugh!

[@craigfazekas3923]

I love the fact that after ELP's 1st album ? They had humor in their music, starting with the jokey Jeremy Bender & Are You Ready, Eddie ? Otherwise, they'd have been as serious as cancer; they well knew this, and it worked.... 🚬😎👍

[@mikewest1542]

Probably the best review of ELP albums I’ve even seen , thanks . I think like you Andy my number 1 & 2 has changed after 20 years , Brain Salad was number 1 for years, but I played it to death and like you the mixing / engineering needs a lot to be desired. I then put Trilogy at no1 but until recently I have the debut at no 1 and Trilogy at 2 , BSS at No 3 So No 4 Tarkus No 5 Pictures No 6 WBMFTTSTNE No 7 Works 2 No 8 Love Beach No 9 Black Moon No 10 Works 1

[@RobertVeasquez]

I’ve been a huge fan ELP from their beginning. This has been a grand video Andy, and uts wonderful to see you make a ‘turnaround.’

[@mikewest1542]

Can’t wait Andy !

[@grahamallen9393]

Glad you mentioned Palmers playing on Love Beach , he switched to wooden Gretsch and in my opinion his tastiest stripped back playing , even plays his version of When the Levee Breaks groove 👍

[@slobodanudarac5]

Great analysis, Andy! Bombast and Gusto! ❤❤❤ Can't believe you finally changed your tune (No pun intended)

[@alexeyulko]

Thank you so much for your wonderful analysis! It has been a huge relief listening to you.

[@JosiMorreale]

congratulations on a very informative video, even though again on the long side, it still managed to get my full attention all the way thru. i learned a few things about ELP i did not know and i have been a massive fan of them since the early seventies. So happy that you have finally come round liking them! also, for my personal taste, you nailed the ranking, though as a favourite i just cannot choose between their first eponymous Album and Trilogy so i put them level :) to this day, i still regularly listen to them. hope one day you will also get round to liking Supertramp and look forward to seeing a video from you about them

[@kenshankman9776]

Love your show tonight as per usual . ELP 1 is the 1st and best - no need to hear another ! btw , The Barbarian was stolen from Bela Bartok- Barbaro Allegro - just a tid bit - think they were sued on that one - Saw ELP @ The Fillmore East - - great show -

[@99proff]

I thought it was just me being shallow so I was surprised hearing you talk about Love Beach and the importance of an album's cover. Beacause, in fact, I was gifted that record many many years ago and I thought it looked completely embarrassing. For years I didn't even give it a chance. Recently I listened to it a bit after reading bad reviews and, surprisingly, it also struck me as not that bad at all musically. The visual aspect does carry an artistic message that can interfere with one's appreciation of the music.

[@johndrx165]

Thanks for your deep dive into them. Awesome!

[@TripleBerg]

I agree with your top two choices. Never heard Love Beach and don’t think I ever will.

[@gokhanaya]

I am very glad that someone, and a knowledgeable music man like you, finally gave that glowing first album its due! Now, my fave ELP album is Brain Salad Surgery, I'm not putting up the first album at the top BUT throughout the years I found myself listening to that album much much more than the others of their discography. My top three is BSS, first album and Trilogy.

[@henrycrinkle821]

Bombast & Gusto.

[@markperry9427]

The first prog albums I ever bought were ELP - Tarkus and Yes - Close To the Edge, and they are still two of my favourite albums. I love Tarkus, have from the first time I heard it, I don't mind the second side. You have been very objective once again , I see where you are coming from, the fact they nailed prog and a certain sound on the first album probably means it should be number one. Trilogy is also amazing, I cannot play that album without having to play Hoedown at least three times. Now you have highlighted the fact that BSS has a different engineer, I get why I don't rate it as high, id probably put it in the same place as you. The only 90's album I have is Black Moon and I love that album, some of Greg Lake's finest songs. I would also agree that Love Beach is not a bad album, however, with a cover like that, I can never own it 😅

[@rolfjamne8922]

The Dutch band Ekseption led by Rick van der Linden was very much inspired by The Nice and clasical music. Their debut album was released in 1968.

[@ChasingTone666]

As a kid I thought Brain Salad Surgery was the best. My older brother had it and I loved the cover therefore it had to be the best. However years later I heard the first album and have loved it ever since. Great videos as usual. I might even say it was bombastic.

[@davidwylde8426]

Really looking forward to this one, not because they’re my favourite band or anything, but like you I have had a bit of a chequered history with them. In their best moments I do think they’re as good as anybody, but I do think they can be a fraction inconsistent, and I nearly ‘always’ think that they could do with distilling some of their arrangements down a bit,( Tarkus being a case in point).

[@ChasingTone666]

I fell in love with the debut album because of Luck Man. But as an older man now. I realize the song that stuck with me the longest is Take A Pebble.

[@Kottiman1]

A very cogent argument regarding Emerson's importance in the development of progressive rock. He was a consummate showman in a band of consummate musicians.

[@kratino]

Greg played some amazing lead guitar on Karn Evil 9 and Tarkus, among others. At one point in Lucky Man, he's on acoustic, lead, and bass all at the same time. Impossible to pull off in concert, so he always played it alone.

[@itayshani3614]

Hi Andy, Rare Bird had a 20 minutes epic even earlier, in 1970. It's called 'as your mind fly by' from an album by the same name.

[@panurge987]

The sound quality of Pictures at an Exhibition is much, much better than the sound quality of Welcom Back My Friends, which sounds like it was recorded with a couple of microphones at the back of the arena.

[@Rico_G]

Love your thoughts, Andy. Here's a comment for the YT algorithm.

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Thanks for that!

[@bobsbigboy_]

Andy, you're not being politically incorrect. Ive been diagnosed since 2004! A true and true autistic progger

[@richardberesford3993]

I did not agree with your choice of best Santana Album. But here you have nailed it. The first ELP album is perfect.

[@henrycrinkle821]

We're all on the Spectrum Andy.

[@davidcox3833]

Chas 'n' Dave. Prog? Looking forward to that video.

[@daicullinane7746]

Top 10 ELP tracks The Barbarian and Knife Edge are definitely there.

[@craigkarsten6719]

Been a fan since '72. Back then I was a big fan. As I started to listen to jazz, jazz fusion etc. I lost interest in ELP. Several years ago I started listening to ELP with a more critical ear and enjoyed listening to them. They're now probably the prog rock band I listen to the most these days especially Tarkus. There's an excellent book on them called "The Endless Enigma" by Edward Macan analysing their compositional style. Go the Persian rug.

[@davidwylde8426]

To be continued…… (look forward to it). Let’s not get carried away though …. ELP better than Genesis ??? Time to dip back into the ultimate English aesthetic band that could suddenly burst into fusion level instrumental passages, and dip straight back out without labouring the point so to speak. 😉

[@andrewmacardle9872]

My introduction to ELP was two accidents. The first was a swap of Queen's Killer Queen single for a 2nd hand copy of Trilogy. Why oh why my schoolmate not like ELP, I don't know. The second was hearing Lucky man on the Alan Freeman radio show. Super, smashing, great.

[@AndrewjWilson]

Another great video Andy. All the best

[@colinburroughs9871]

I like Brain Salad Surgery and the first 3 minutes of Tarkus and then there's a few other FM hits that are fine if easy to lose track of it's them or any number of other early 70's bands. I think I probably like ELP pretty well, but I wouldn't tell you that I'm deeply moved by any of it. I saw Carl Palmer last summer since it was local and something to do. He's kept up the athletic chops pretty well for an old guy (aside from a notable double bass duff).

[@michaelmartin3040]

I bought Pictures only knowing it was an ELP live album. It made me a lifelong classical music fan.

[@fredcilano899]

Carl Palmer was committed to Asia and Carl recommended Cozy Powell to the other two guys. Greg Lake was in Asia for about three weeks to fulfill a contract with MTV for concerts in Japan. John Wetton had been fired and Greg did it as a favor to Carl. The Asia in Asia concert was broadcast live on MTV and is available on KZbin.

[@MisterWondrous]

I was their #1 fan in Charlotte at one time, and one of very few, yet by '74 they joined PFM and others to fill the speedway with 250,000 fans. In August. Down South. There was sweat. But they also had 4 towers scattered around the middle area, which sounded really cool at the end of Karn Evil 9, which was newly quad. That's when the fireworks went off, and at night. I had all your top ones, and treasured the live one perhaps the most. It had it all, plus it had Aquatarkus. Mmmm good. Headphone Heaven. My top rotate among "Welcome Back", First One, Pictures, and Tarkus. I never cared for the goofball songs as a teen.

[@richard127gm]

The sound on Brain Salad Surgery has an empty, hollow sound. All the albums before that had a warmth to them. I suppose it depends on what you like, but I agree with you on this.

[@deansusec8745]

Wow, Andy, just wow.

[@thomashopper8616]

Emerson, Lake and Palmer are my gateway drug to prog and Trilogy was my gateway drug to ELP. It’s a photo finish for the top four spots. You could make an argument for any of the first four studio albums for being ELP’s best album. The fire burned in ELP and it shows and is why listening to those four albums is such a joy. I was a teenager in the late 70s and I had all the albums including Love Beach. I enjoyed all of them. The three-disc live album was our go-to album when we enjoyed the jazz herb. I remember parking my head between the speakers and listening to the live version of Aqua-Tarkus. It was an epiphany. I lost interest in ELP in the 80s. I picked up the debut album and Trilogy when they came out on CD. When Emerson took his life, it sparked a renewed interest for me in the band and I now have all the albums through Works One and I listen to them frequently.

[@fredcilano899]

I really enjoyed that, thanks.

[@aindriubradleymarshall6226]

Very well thought through ranking.

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@NelsonMontana1234]

Very true about the awful sound of Brain Salad Surgery. I'm amazed it hasn't been re-mixed and re-mastered. That'd be amazing. And yes, the first ELP is an absolute masterpiece EXCEPT for that awful guitar tinkering in the middle in "Take a Pebble" . Cut two minutes of that and it's perfect. And as far as Love Beach -- it's true that it isn't as bad as a lot of people say ...it's worse.