EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER Reissue Three More Classic Albums
September 12, 2016, 8 years ago
Trilogy, Brain Salad Surgery and Welcome Back, My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends are the next three classic Emerson, Lake & Palmer albums released by BMG on September 30th. This important event is part of an on-going comprehensive re-issue campaign that spotlights ELP’s nine studio albums as well as their live recordings and compilations. All ELP albums have been re-mastered and are available in a variety of formats including high quality CD, freshly cut vinyl LP and HD digital download. At the special request of Greg Lake, the LPs are presented on 140g vinyl to endure a superior, high quality sound.
The CD booklets contain extensive liner notes with new band interviews by legendary rock journalist Chris Welch and the audio has been re-mastered by world-renowned rock studio engineer Andy Pearce.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer was one of the most successful and innovative British groups of the 1970s. Blending different styles from rock to classical and jazz they were pioneers of a Progressive Rock genre currently enjoying a major resurgence in popularity.
The founding members were Keith Emerson, their superb keyboard virtuoso and composer, Greg Lake, lead singer, guitarist, bass player, composer and producer and Carl Palmer, percussionist and showman drummer. The group was formed in 1970 and made its debut at the Isle of Wight Festival, when their explosive stage act and dynamic music stole the show.
The trio went onto conquer the rock world as they embarked on massive stadium tours, sold over 40 million albums and enjoyed hit singles with “Lucky Man” and “Fanfare For The Common Man”. They delighted fans with spectacular shows that featured lyrical songs and epic arrangements like the 21-minute composition “Tarkus” now hailed as a Prog Rock milestone.
All of ELP’s first seven albums were UK Album Chart Top 10 hits, US Top 20 hits, and are Certified Gold by the RIAA. The first three - Emerson, Lake & Palmer, (1970), Tarkus (1971) and Pictures At An Exhibition (1971) - were re-issued by BMG on July 29th. The latest batch, to be released on September 30th, comprises Trilogy (1972), Brain Salad Surgery (1973) and Welcome Back, My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends – Ladies And Gentlemen - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1974).
Trilogy - Trilogy was the group’s third studio album that shot to Number 2 in the UK and Number 5 on the US album charts in 1972. It has eight classical-rock numbers, including a joyful version of Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” that would become the band’s signature tune, as well as Greg Lake’s US Top 40 hit single ballad “From The Beginning”.
One of the group’s own favourite albums, it is packed with exciting, challenging music, and is full of stunning musicianship, with Keith Emerson playing grand piano, organ and synthesizer with commanding expertise. “The Sheriff” shows his versatility when where he plays authentic ragtime piano.
Trilogy will be presented in a 2CD format. Disc 1 has the original 9 track 1972 album, as remastered in 2015. Disc 2 is an 11-track Alternate Album utilizing Jakko M. Jakszyk’s 2015 stereo mixes, with an alternate version of “From The Beginning” and a ‘live’ “Hoedown” from 1972. The LP version is cut from 2014 remastered files with the original sleeve and distinctive artwork faithfully reproduced, together with a foreword by Greg Lake.
Brain Salad Surgery - ELP’s boldest and most popular album. A massive best seller it represented the group at its best in terms of playing, production and creativity. The first release on their own label Manticore Records it dominated the charts and airwaves, reaching Number 2 in the UK and Number 11 on the US album charts.
Disc 1 of the 2CD set has the original 8 track 1973 album, presented in its 2014 re-mastered version. Among the highlights is Greg Lake’s superb vocal rendition of the much loved hymn “Jerusalem” and the ballad “Still…You Turn Me On” while Keith Emerson’s keyboard brilliance shines through the aggressive “Toccata” and extended concept piece “Karn Evil 9”.
Disc 2 is The Alternate Album with Jakko M. Jakszyks’ 2014 Stereo Mixes of 13 tracks including B-Side single versions of the tongue in cheek “When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I’ll Be Your Valentine” and “Brain Salad Surgery”. Together with alternate versions of the “Karn Evil 9” tracks and an extract from a rare NME Flexi Disc, this will be of special interest to die-hard ELP fans and collectors.
The vinyl LP is cut for the first time from 2014 remastered files and the elaborate original sleeve is reproduced with a die-cut gatefold sleeve and fold out poster and a foreword from Greg Lake about the 140 gsm LP format.
Welcome Back, My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends – Ladies And Gentlemen - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Originally released in 1974 as the first ever triple vinyl ‘live’ rock album, ‘Welcome Back My Friends…’ would reach Number 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, the group’s highest ever placing in America. It was an artistic triumph, with superb in-concert performances of many of ELP’s finest compositions and arrangements capturing the adrenalin fuelled the atmosphere created during the band’s marathon 1973/74 Get Me A Ladder world tour.
Among the nine tracks are dynamic renditions of “Hoedown”, “Jerusalem”, “Toccata”, “Tarkus”, “Take A Pebble” and “Karn Evil 9” played with the zest of a band responding to ecstatic audience reactions.
The 2 CD set features a new 24/96 2016 remaster of the original 1974 release taken from the master tapes. As with all the CDs there is a booklet with liner notes by Chris Welch, including revealing new band member interviews. The vinyl LP version is a 2016 remaster of the original album and the original LP artwork is faithfully reproduced, with a die-cut triple gatefold sleeve and embossed logo. The CD and vinyl formats are accompanied by the first release of MFiT and HD digital versions of the original album.
Keith Emerson: “Emerson, Lake & Palmer are very proud to have brought this great music to a new generation of musicians and fans.
All of the Emerson, Lake & Palmer albums reissued by BMG are dedicated to the memory of Keith Emerson, born November 2, 1944 who died on March 10, 2016.
Pe-order links below:
Welcome Back My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends – Ladies and Gentlemen – Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
- CD
- LP
