Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Trilogy

After the classical "hangover" of "Pictures At An Exhibition," E, L&P didn't think twice about releasing another album during the same year (1972). Trilogy is the fourth album, and it's worth mentioning that once again, Emerson and the gang really nailed it. Here, the group presents compositions that are not only good but also instrumentally a bit lighter compared to previous albums, which had a rougher sound. The cover, featuring the trio's profiles, almost perfectly aligns with the album's atmosphere. Album covers are a mystery for E, L&P. They themselves recount that whoever made their covers would somehow die afterwards! Something similar happened with "In The Court Of Crimson King" by King Crimson (a band Lake was part of). The famous album cover depicts the face of a very frightened man; well, it turns out that the person who drew it died of a heart attack in the middle of the street a few days later... that frightened man, was it a premonition of what was to come?

Back to the album... The curtain rises with "Endless Enigma (Part One)." The beginning is entrusted to the dark sounds of the synthesizer and violent piano breaks. Background bongos by Palmer and bass nuances perfectly complete the sound. The Hammond makes its first appearance in perfect harmony with the piano. Now the helm is definitively entrusted to the Hammond Keyboard, which, accompanied by a subtle bass line and a well-defined drum, guides us through one of our boys' typical improvisations. Calm has returned, carried by Lake's gentle voice. After this melodic interlude, the notes of the Hammond rise more and more, leaving the piano in the forefront. "Fugue" (from the title that suggests it), is a piano fugue in Emerson's unmistakable style. Almost at the end of the piece (which is also quite short), phrases can be noticed that refer to the melody of the previous piece. "Endless Enigma (Part Two)" is the reprise of the initial theme, rendered in a somewhat different form. The finale is characterized by a modest vocal high note from Lake, blended with Moog nuances. After this mini-suite, it's time for "From The Beginning," penned by Lake. Given his role in the group is as a guitarist/bassist, all his compositions are typically for acoustic guitar (rarely for Electric/Bass). The piece indeed starts with an acoustic guitar arpeggio, immediately followed by a rhythm. The song then flows between bongo background and an electric guitar solo. Emerson, on his part, limits himself to a synthesizer solo at the end. In "The Sheriff," here finally comes a drum solo by Palmer, which characterizes the introduction. Overall, the piece brings back memories of "Jeremy Bender" (Tarkus). At the end, we hear a playful Emerson on the honky-tonk piano (a fundamental element in the Keyboardist's style, who years later would dedicate a composition to it: "Honky Train Blues"). With "Hoedown," the genre changes completely. It's an adaptation of Aaron Copland's Rodeo, with Emerson making it a "blend" of Moog and Hammond. The Bass and Drums contribute to strengthening the sound, making it very engaging. It's time to talk about the Title-Track. It is the longest composition of the whole album, with an anguished and mysterious atmosphere. The song in question starts with a Synthesizer imitation of Violins and then lets itself be carried away by Piano notes and Lake's relaxed voice. A brief Piano improvisation follows, dissolving into a Moog sound crossover. Lake accompanies himself with his voice, "hidden" among the Synthesizer sounds, while Palmer maintains a well-satisfied rhythm, and Keith Emerson thoughtfully concludes this majestic composition with a Blues phrasing. "Living Sin" has nothing to envy from the previous pieces; it can be said to be the most wicked, hardest track on the album. It unfolds (almost) entirely around a Hammond riff, accompanying Lake's "black man" voice, with various high notes of anger. Here, Palmer's rhythm seems to be "disoriented." The closure of the album is entrusted to "Abaddon's Bolero," a piece that conjures up an image of a bersaglieri charge, mainly thanks to the strongly emphasized Drums. The piece lacks characteristics, apart from executing the same musical theme, each time more transformed, for its entire duration.

In short, an interesting thing for our ears! Trilogy was (and still is) an overrated album for being lighter than the previous albums, but not for this to be thrown away. From here on, the trio would slowly begin to modify their sound, reaching its peak with the album "Works." Nevertheless, this album has become legendary for its emotionally magical atmosphere.