Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 1972
Rating: 4.5/5
By the time their fourth (third studio) album, fittingly titled “Trilogy”, came out, the legendary prog rock trio, the most authentic incarnation of everything good and bad about progressive rock, already had a worldwide reputation as the key band that bridged the gap between classical and rock/popular music with outstanding albums like their self-titled debut (1970), “Tarkus” (1971) and “Pictures At An Exhibition” (1971). ELP managed to bring classical music closer even to those (traditionally rock-minded) listeners who, in their own way, rejected the excessive elitism and snobbery of the representatives of the oldest musical genre of the day. The latter initially often saw the band, especially Emerson’s arrangements of some classics from the first half of the 20th century, as a direct attack, if not outright sacrilege (the famous American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, for instance, with whom Emerson had copyright headaches already in his previous band, The Nice), but over time that attitude shifted, and nobody could deny anymore that after ELP came along, attendance at classical concerts among young people went up, while in rock virtuosity and adventurousness became the buzzwords of the day.
“Trilogy” built on the success of the earlier albums in many ways, with the band pushing their signature sound even further and all three members collaborating even more closely on writing the compositions. Instead of 20-plus-minute epic suites in the style of the inimitable “Tarkus” and Emerson’s adaptations of classical works, this time slightly shorter and a touch more rock-leaning pieces took priority, though they embodied all the qualities that earned the band their reputation as the biggest attraction in prog rock at the time.
The centerpiece of the album is without a doubt “Endless Enigma”, which is also one of the best things they ever created. It’s a majestic 11-minute opus split into three separate parts. “Part One” opens with mysterious ambient synth inserts from Emerson before moving into marching passages on piano and Palmer’s drums and percussion. This intro could easily be used for some dark thriller. But that feeling is gone in an instant when Lake’s mighty vocals kick in and completely change the nature of the piece, which suddenly shifts into much brighter shades. That’s when all of ELP’s core strengths shine at full power: Lake’s baritone and Emerson’s magnificent palettes of keyboards together with Palmer’s kinetic drumming. “Fugue”, the middle part of the suite, features varied piano passages from Emerson that radiate both elegance and outstanding virtuosity. “Part Two” arrives with a piano solo, sprawling drums, and the sound of bells and moog synthesizer, where the magnificent chorus from the first part comes back once more. Lake’s outstanding vocal performance, fueled by a kingdom of symphonic keyboard passages and massive drums, reaches its victorious conclusion in the ideal way.
Next comes the romantic “From The Beginning”, one of Lake’s most beautiful folk love ballads, marked by a gentle interplay of pastoral chords on acoustic guitar, spacey mini moog sounds and dreamy singing. Acoustic troubadour Lake always had an exceptional knack for great romantic ballads (among the best and most beloved are surely also “Lucky Man” and “Still You Turn Me On”), which showed a completely different side of the band from the symphonic, virtuosic one they were most often associated with and which was mainly represented by Emerson. “The Sheriff” is a tongue-in-cheek burlesque that suddenly whisks the listener off to the saloons of the old Wild West, where a starry-eyed sheriff enforces the law by his own standards and ends up in a shootout. After the opening drum fills comes a playful central melody built on comic singing, sarcastic lyrics and rainbow-colored passages on moog synthesizer and piano. The closing saloon piano solo adds especially to the authentic cowboy atmosphere. This little ditty continues their tradition of comic pieces in the vein of “Jeremy Bender” and “Are You Ready Eddy?”, which usually served as a breather after epic and complex compositions. ELP proved time and again that they had a distinctive sense of black humor, the kind that’s all too often missing in this genre.
“The Sheriff”, with its western vibe, sets the stage nicely for the instrumental “Hoedown”, yet another ELP classic. This excellent adaptation of a piece from the classical suite “Rodeo”, in the original version by the American composer Aaron Copland, is a real treat for all fans of Emerson’s keyboard wizardry and Palmer’s drumming acrobatics. It’s an exceptionally spirited creation, distinguished by rowdy and mighty drum fills fueled by vivid moog synthesizer sounds and fiery hammond organ passages, whose energy never lets up from start to finish. How popular this classic is speaks volumes in the fact that, even decades later, it’s the only piece from this album that both Emerson and Palmer never leave out of their solo shows. Next up is the epic title masterpiece “Trilogy”, which can stand shoulder to shoulder with the “Endless Enigma” suite as the best creation on the album. It’s a majestic and very well-structured composition that positively teems with symphonic complexity and sudden instrumental inserts. Its almost romantic intro features gentle piano passages and melancholic singing. Then in the second part it moves into a more complex instrumental section, with fiery keyboard solos and outstanding drum fills following one another. Here Emerson again gets lots of room for his magnificent and supersonic keyboard excursions (some would call them outright masturbation), which are still a major source of inspiration for countless keyboard virtuosos around the world today. The closing section brings a few almost jazzy improvisational bits that reflect both the band’s exceptional virtuosity and their musical breadth.
The mighty “Living Sin” is a somewhat darker affair with ominous vocals from Lake, who returns to his trademark baritone with the first transition, delivering lyrics steeped in black humor. There’s no shortage of testosterone-fueled hammond organ passages and a jaw-dropping drum performance, either. The closing instrumental “Abbadon’s Bolero”, which opens like some kind of military march, is one of the band’s most unique creations and the only piece on the album where you can pick up that mood, or aura, that dominated “Tarkus”. Over a building, marching drum foundation, Emerson keeps layering on new palettes of keyboards, which gradually create a vast ambient atmosphere that contrasts nicely with the military rhythm. And of course it wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory pompous finale, as befits ELP.
“Trilogy” is one of the classics of progressive rock and, like all the albums from their early period, one of the biggest achievements in the band’s story. You could easily say that on “Trilogy” the band finally shaped their recognizable sound, and the album was hugely influential on countless later generations of prog rock musicians. More than any of their other albums, it established them as rock stars, known for their extravagant and pompous performances. They were no longer seen merely as one of the main innovators in popular music, but had become a mighty rock institution, for better and for worse. Sadly, on the tour that followed the release of “Trilogy”, it turned out that apart from “From The Beginning” and “Hoedown”, none of the album’s other main pieces had the desired effect live, so they soon stopped playing them. After “Trilogy” came out, many of the band’s followers wondered if this was their peak. In their wildest dreams they couldn’t have imagined what came next.
Lineup
Keith Emerson – hammond organ C3, piano, moog synthesizer IIIC, mini moog model D
Greg Lake – vocals, bass guitar, electric & acoustic guitar
Carl Palmer – drums, percussion
Production
Greg Lake
Track list
1. The Endless Enigma (Part One) (6:42)
2. Fugue (1:57)
3. The Endless Enigma (Part Two) (2:05)
4. From The Beginning (4:17)
5. The Sheriff (3:23)
6. Hoedown (Taken from Rodeo) {Aaron Copland, arranged by Emerson / Lake / Palmer} (3:47)
7. Trilogy (8:54)
8. Living Sin (3:14)
9. Abaddon’s Bolero (8:08)
Album length: 42:29
