Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Love Beach

So, given that we are talking about a group where TALENT and TECHNIQUE, how to say, have never been in doubt, on the contrary...

From the beginning, their idea was to be both victim and executioner of the more commercial side of music, particularly Prog, where today you are revered in magazines and tomorrow you're cast aside to make way for musicians who are your exact opposite. The one to bear the brunt of all this would be Keith Emerson, the greatest keyboard interpreter of all time, yet an infinitely shy and characteristically fragile boy. Few know or knew that the true leader, even from a managerial standpoint and not just a production one, was Greg Lake, a boy from a good family and seemingly affluent even at the time of his debut with King Crimson.

A series of beautiful, yet not perfect albums, and not from a creative standpoint, mind you. An impactful debut with almost foretold success (each of the magnificent three came from cult bands), followed by TARKUS conceived amid internal conflicts (Lake didn’t want to participate or didn’t believe in the suite prepared by Emerson) and rushed to capitalize on the still fresh success of the debut album (see the B-SIDE...). A bit of omnipotence and self-indulgence in the live mix of PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION, a more measured TRILOGY followed by the beautiful BRAIN SALAD SURGERY, but recorded in haste, especially noticeable in the suite KARN EVIL 9 (I would add too much haste in the arrangements which often in some E,L,P productions age quickly, especially the drum lines). A lot of fizz followed with triple live albums and then the dream of every respectable keyboardist, to make an album with an orchestra.

Yes, here was Lake's incredible mistake, giving Emerson the go-ahead for a costly and risky operation, and ultimately pointless, as the Trio's music found success not only in the compositions but also in the sound. The live dates with the orchestra (with many elements certainly not playing for free) didn’t sell out. In fact, what soon ran out were the funds and the patience of the audience who, already provoked by this project, also had to endure the two WORKS published to recover money quickly.

It's worth saying the band was as jaded as possible by then, Lake was a businessman often more interested in playing to make certain numbers (and the numbers had to be high) rather than for passion. Emerson was a musician with heart and a great daredevil, both addicted to cocaine and not very attentive to what revolved around their fate. Their life was one of excess, but if Lake was a strong-willed boy, Emerson was not, and he overdid it with coke even to cure depression, perhaps arriving when it was decided that progressive rock and its top chart representatives (and thus He) were bidding farewell to an unrepeatable moment in their lives. No one like Emerson Lake & Palmer was acclaimed and spectacularly idolized, accused to the last that their music was all smoke and mirrors, but it’s not true. Often the band produced ALL AT ONCE, and this LOVE BEACH should be or sound like the coup de grâce, but for me, it's not.

.THE RECORD:

Pleasant, light, radio-friendly, only at times a bit wasted and never banal, on the contrary, it's somewhat melodic, but melody isn't a flaw at all costs. Here the problem is that it’s an E,L,P record so there needs to be that mix of excess, sci-fi, shock, Synth and classical that conflicts with rock...

I rather see a melodic rock that finally sees Lake singing like he never did even with King Crimson, Palmer on drums is much less noisy (sum) and very technical with jazz gems (particularly in the suite "Memoirs of an Officer and Gentleman"). Emerson, putting aside various Synths, will play his new passion the "YAMAHA GX1", also thanks to orders from above that commissioned the group for simpler work away from classic Prog, which influenced the result of a work also built on guitar lines, and it can be defined as the band's first true rock album. I find this album very enjoyable and if I have to pinpoint any really shady moments I’d say in the track "The Gambler".

Every group that has written pages of progressive rock had to tackle such an album, and if you add that the work was commissioned, then I say that Emerson Lake & Palmer did a good job, creating something romantic and rock at the same time, nothing truly mystical, certainly but from here to say it's a coarse-grained album there's a lot and worse before, if I had to give an example, I could consider it a precursor work of certain ASIA things, but with references to U,K which partly in the second album took up the verb of the same Emerson Lake & Palmer...

Greg Lake will consider it his worst work ever (probably speaking as a good producer), fans will be very harsh, already pissed off by the band's latest works, yet I find the track "Canario" to be a good prog track, the suite "Memoirs..." presents some intriguing lines and a good reminder of Rhodes Piano, "For You" a bit epic and hence beautiful, "Taste of My Love" somewhat romantic and somewhat harsh, "Love Beach" cheerful and playful but never vulgar or poor like a beach song can be, "All I Want Is You" is a bit drawn to the easy side but I believe this album, in the end, being a unique element in their discography has some truly interesting points...

This album marked the end of their career and it's not well understood why there was so much hostility to continue a new career with different numbers both of success and ranking. You can play live and still produce good music without the obligation to repeat oneself forever. Yet the group would repeat the same mistake in 1986 when they recruited the excellent Cozy Powell instead of Carl Palmer and released a notable album followed by only one tour and then nothing more, when at that time all the greats of rock were preparing for their return with due proportions.

E,L,P will always remain slaves to their records and past successes. Each of them will have a more than dignified career follow-up. Palmer will again enjoy the pleasure of chart success with Asia. Emerson, on the other hand, will compose soundtracks even for Dario Argento and will be confirmed as a great pianist on the Honky Tonk front. Lake will fade away after some solo work only to return to being a producer...

An un-fortunate band, but a great band that perhaps lacked guidance or perhaps moderation in managing a success that I believe ultimately created expectations and self-destructive consequences, I believe, partly towards Emerson more than anyone who will pay dearly for that period so exalting, yet without ever tarnishing his absolute Mastery with the keyboard. I never believed that Rick Wakeman could even remotely rival Emerson comprehensively, if not in Rock and classical but without ever winning for sure. Therefore, I consider this Love Beach a good effort made by even demotivated musicians but always extraordinary... My rating is a 3.75...;)