Trilogy (Emerson, Lake & Palmer album)
| Trilogy | ||||
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| Studio album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer | ||||
| Released | 6 July 1972 | |||
| Recorded | January 1972, Advision Studios, London, England | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 42:23 | |||
| Label | Island (UK) Atlantic (US) |
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| Producer | Greg Lake | |||
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C−[2] |
Trilogy is the third studio album by the English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1972. The front cover depicts Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, while the interior of the original gatefold sleeve features a photomontage showing multiple images of the band in Epping Forest carpeted with Autumn leaves.
The band had already released two very carefully performed studio albums, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970) and Tarkus. Trilogy increased ELP's worldwide popularity, and included "Hoedown", an arrangement of the Aaron Copland composition, which was one of their most popular songs when performing live.
The Quadraphonic mix of this album was available only on the Quadraphonic 8-track tape cartridge format.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Side one
- "The Endless Enigma (Part One)" (Keith Emerson, Greg Lake) – 6:37
- "Fugue" (Emerson) – 1:57
- "The Endless Enigma (Part Two)" (Emerson, Lake) – 2:00
- "From the Beginning" (Lake) – 4:14
- "The Sheriff" (Emerson, Lake) – 3:22
- "Hoedown" Taken from Rodeo (Aaron Copland) – 3:48
[edit] Side two
- "Trilogy" (Emerson, Lake) – 8:54
- "Living Sin" (Emerson, Lake, Carl Palmer) – 3:11
- "Abaddon's Bolero" (Emerson) – 8:13
[edit] Bonus track on the 2002 CD reissue
- "Hoedown" (Copland) - 4:06 (Live)
[edit] The Endless Enigma
The Endless Enigma consists of three parts: Endless Enigma Part One, Fugue and Endless Enigma Part Two. Endless Enigma Part One has a quiet intro lasting 1 minute and 36 seconds. This intro section consists of the Moog, bass drum and Piano. The song Endless Enigma Part One opens with the sound of a beating heart, an effect created by the Ludwig Speed King bass drum pedal of Palmer's Ludwig Octaplus kit. The album having been released in 1972 meant that Palmer used the effect before it was used on Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, and Queen's Queen II, all released in 1973.
[edit] From the Beginning
Charting higher than their earlier single, Lucky Man, "From the Beginning" is a soft, acoustic guitar based piece that peaked at #39 on the US charts.[3] More often appearing in ELP compilations than live concerts, the track lent its name to a 1997 retrospective of Greg Lake's work.[4] The song was also covered by Czech folk rock band Marsyas, albeit under a different name (Studená koupel - Cold Bath) and with Czech lyrics.[5]
[edit] The Sheriff
The opening drum solo on the track "The Sheriff" features a mistake by drummer Carl Palmer where he accidentally hits the rim of his tom-tom with a drumstick. He responded with the word "shit" which can be heard when listening carefully. The Sheriff ends with a Honky Tonk type piano solo with Carl playing woodblocks.[citation needed]
[edit] Hoedown
This Copland adaptation features a rollicking organ theme with Emerson's synthesizer flourishes adding strength to the piece. It became the opening song for both the Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery tours.
[edit] Trilogy
The album's title track opens with a ballad-like string-type arrangement with Lake's vocals. Emerson's piano fill segues into a full-blown section featuring the entire band, continuing with the opening theme and finishing with an instrumental section.
[edit] Abaddon's Bolero
"Abaddon's Bolero" sounds like a martialised Bolero (in 4/4 rhythm rather than the usual 3/4). A single melody containing multiple modulations within itself is repeated over and over in ever more thickly layered arrangements, starting from a quiet Hammond organ making a flute-like sound over a snare drum, and building up to an ear-shattering wall of sound. This aspect may well be a nod to the similar effect in Maurice Ravel's famous Bolero. Abaddon's Bolero is replete with overdubs. Almost every time an instrument comes in, another overdub follows.
[edit] Personnel
- Greg Lake: Vocals, Electric guitars & acoustic guitars, bass guitar
- Keith Emerson: Hammond organ C3, Steinway piano, Moog synthesizer III-C, Mini-Moog model D, Zurna (listed as "Zoukra")
- Carl Palmer: Drums, percussion
- Eddie Offord: Engineer
- Barry Diament: Mastering
[edit] Singles
- From the Beginning / Living Sin
[edit] Reception
The album reached #5 on the Billboard 200[6] and peaked at #2 on the UK album charts.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Couture, F.. "Trilogy - Emerson, Lake & Palmer | AllMusic". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r6754. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Christgau, R.. "Robert Christgau: CG: Emerson". robertchristgau.com. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Emerson. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ "AllMusic From the Beginning". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/song/from-the-beginning-t1538004. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
- ^ "AllMusic From the Beginning: Retrospective". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/from-the-beginning-retrospective-r259643. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
- ^ Youtube Marsyas-Studena koupel
- ^ "Billboard". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/emerson-lake-palmer-p4186/charts-awards. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ "UK chart info Trilogy". www.chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=37383. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
