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Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Musical Group
Forprogressive rock listeners, classic rock fans curious about prog, and readers who enjoy long-form album criticism (including dissenting takes).
26 Reviews 74 Definitions 220 Charts
Progressive Rock Classical

The Profile

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed by keyboardist Keith Emerson, bassist/vocalist/guitarist Greg Lake, and drummer/percussionist Carl Palmer. Known for virtuosic playing and fusing rock with classical adaptations and synthesizers, they rose in the early 1970s with ambitious suites and major live performances, later facing backlash as musical tastes shifted, and reuniting in the early 1990s for albums such as Black Moon.

Formed in 1970; members: Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer. Often labeled a progressive rock/symphonic rock supergroup. Noted for adapting classical composers (e.g., Mussorgsky; Copland; Ginastera) and for long suites (e.g., Tarkus; Karn Evil 9).

Across 23 reviews, DeBaser writers treat Emerson, Lake & Palmer as a defining prog supergroup: staggering technique, classical/rock fusion, and big-ego grandeur. The peak era centers on Tarkus, Trilogy, Pictures at an Exhibition, and especially Brain Salad Surgery, praised for its suites, electronics, and theatrical sci‑fi mood. Later releases (Works Vol. 2, Works Volume 1, Love Beach) are described as uneven, controversial, or outright hated, often framed as symptoms of decline. Live power is repeatedly celebrated, with “Welcome Back My Friends…” portrayed as overwhelming and grandiose.

Notable Quotes

❝ Brain Salad Surgery, in its vast power, in its meticulous rehearsing perfection, is in some ways a necessary evil.
❝ This album sucks. And it stinks, too.
❝ Emerson, Lake & Palmer concerts were simply overwhelming: perhaps rough, perhaps approximate, but overwhelming.
❝ It's not that ELP are great musicians" observes Lake "it's the chemistry within the band that really matters".
❝ The comeback album...
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