George Forrester

It is a most readable book, added to after their 2010 reunion concert, and with a very honest and heartbreaking forward by Carl Palmer to this 2013 edition. ELP were an audacious band, bringing classical music to the forefront with their recordings of Bartok, Ginastera, and of course Mussorgsky. The authors are admitted fans and are unstinting in their putting to rest rumors about whether Jimi Hendrix was approached as a member of the band (he wasn't, but his drummer was), their grueling touring schedule, and the clashes these musical geniuses had throughout their careers.

The book begins with a mini-bio chapter of each member of the band, including early work with the instrument of choice, gigs, touring, and early bands. Also included is the famous meeting between Emerson and Lake that led to the formation of ELP, and the phone call that brought a young (20!) Palmer into the trio.

Each record the band made is discussed in detail, including the stories behind acquiring Ginastera's blessing for his Toccata, being obliged to include Bartok in the credits for the first ELP album in the song "Barbarian", and the impact that recording "Pictures at an Exhibition" had on music at large. Forrester et.al. are the first to say that the crowds absolutely loved the music they were hearing, and that most of the critics couldn't give them a positive review. Some could, of course, but the disparity between multi-million album sales, sold-out shows, and the cold shoulder from critics is written time and time again, to reinforce that their success was no mistake.

The honesty again is faced with the ill-fated 1977 tour, including the cost of the orchestra, differing opinions about how an orchestra could have been used effectively, and the fall-out from this tour and the two "Works" albums. A full discussion of "Works Vol. I" is given, again with the audacity of a complete piano concerto written by a rock musician, the stories behind Lake's side of the album, and the disappointment that "Concerto for Percussion" was not released until many years later. And the creation of one of the greatest pieces of modern music, "Pirates", is told in full and without apology. The video of this piece from the Montreal concert shows three master musicians audaciously creating something never before attempted, complete with an orchestra, a Voice that was effortless, and music that was ever-changing to fit the story.

The many incarnations of these three band members are discussed in detail, including bits of interviews with the late Cozy Powell and his untimely death, the re-creation of Emerson's musical input with the group "3", and the enormous and deserved success of Asia. Details of their 1992 reunion album, "Black Moon" are also given as a new start for this band and the review of this album gave me a greater appreciation for it in the ELP canon. I was able to see all of these incarnations of this band during this time and the memory of the ELP tour, complete with large screens for those of us in the back that showed Emerson's hands creating music, were a highlight of that tour. As was the Moog and all its plugs and wires.

The final chapter is the most scattered, probably due to the material it covers: what each of the band members was doing starting in the early 2000's and 2001. All of it. And there's really no way to consolidate the different changes, tours, groups, and the like during this phase. The final reunion concert is given as a part of this time, built from the unplugged-style concerts by Emerson and Lake and finally including Palmer for the final show. Palmer's forward is, again, honest about his call that this should be the final show, that ELP should end on a high and joyful note.

To all of us who remember the musicianship and audacity of the progressive rock era, to all of us who were moved to play music, of whatever sort, and to those of us who were saddened by Emerson's and Lake's deaths, this book is a must-have for the collection.… (meer)