Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Works, Vol. 1 (1977)

If ELP's first record was unpretentious, Works, Vol. 1 is the precise opposite. On this record, each member was given one side for himself, with the final side devoted to a group effort. It's kind of like having three mini solo albums and one mini-group album sold as one package. I believe that this record has received generally positive reviews, but I find it hard to understand why that is.

Keith Emerson's piano concerto is pedestrian. I think the rest of the record fairs better, especially Carl Palmer's tracks, though as a package, the record doesn't really work for me. I do genuinely like some of what this band has done, but this record is hardly required listening.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)

It case you don't already know, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (or ELP) was formed by Keith Emerson of The Nice, Greg Lake of King Crimson, and Carl Palmer from Atomic Rooster. The band focused its energy on classical and jazz-influenced compositions. In other words, this is prog rock. I think many people dislike prog because it seems pretentious and overblown. I admit that I do like some prog rock, but certainly not all of it. On the positive side, Allmusic referred to this, ELP's debut record, as showcasing "the group at its least pretentious." That made me laugh.

If you know any tunes from ELP, it's likely to be Lucky Man.