Emerson, Lake & Palmer

 "Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends"

Genres: Progressive rock, synth rock, avantgarde, symphonic rock, art rock
Recording decades: 1970s, 1990s

Classic lineup:
Keith Emerson - keys
Greg Lake - bass, guitar, vocals
Carl Palmer - drums

Favorite album: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Quintessential album: Works (Volume 1 and 2)

To my ears, any time Keith Emerson is involved with something, you can be certain that the philosophy is going to be "chops first, theory second, and melody a distant third".  It's fine if that's what you're into-- I'm not going to shame anyone else's masochism-- but it's not what I'm looking for when I listen to prog rock or anything else.  Yes, I daresay you can cast aside any pseudo-Marxist interpretations of rock genres when it comes to my personal tastes, because it's been years since I dashed toward complexity simply for the purpose of thumbing my nose at all the supposed unwashed simpletons who didn't "get it".  I promise you that I tend to gravitate toward prog for the variety, the narratives, the otherworldly textures and vibes, and the unconventional approaches, rather than for the sheer complexity of it.  Now, will I embrace said complexity once I'm already seated for the other elements?  Yes, gladly!  But complexity alone won't put my ass in the seat, and that's why I have a lot of trouble with ELP.

Apart from the rant-inducing Keith Emerson, you've also got Greg Lake, having cut his teeth in King Crimson and now free to belt out all sorts of showy yet emotional splashes throughout these dizzying suites.  Finally, there's Carl Palmer, fresh out of Atomic Rooster and still playing like the frenzied, wannabe jazz professor we know and...well, sometimes love.  These three guys together do not a regular bar band make, and you'll not forget it as they embark on their next synth-drenched polyrhythmic movement to some other world.

Those complaints aside, the first two albums are still regular listens for me, and I'll occasionally go back to the others, albeit more out of "politeness" than anything else.  Keith Emerson must still have a major posthumous hold on all of us in some way, right?

Albums:

Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Tarkus
Trilogy
Brain Salad Surgery
Works Volume 1
Works Volume 2
Love Beach
Black Moon
In the Hot Seat