Uncle G’s FUN Music Reviews: Emerson, Lake, & Powell – Complete Collection (2024)

Date Published: 13 April 2024

Uncle G’s FUN Music Reviews
Spotlight: Emerson, Lake, & Powell – Complete Collection (2024 Cherry Red Records)

By Gary “Uncle G” Brown
GaryBrown@garyunclegbrownarchives.com

I grew up a huge Emerson, Lake, & Palmer fan. I remember their classic album, Brain Salad Surgery when it was new. Around the time that I was becoming aware of them. I was a young teenager back then. The album was very popular with cuts being played on several radio stations I listened to, mostly out of New York City. A gem in my collection that I still play every so often.

When I was 16 years old, I was lucky enough to have seen the 3 piece band live at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with a full orchestra. They were touring their newest studio album, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer – Works Volume 1. Came out a few years after Brain Salad Surgery. Works Volume 1 was a double album. Very ambitious! Released in 1977. The sold-out show I witnessed promoting this, blew me away, as I’m sure it did the 20,000 people who were also there. This ends up being my first time seeing ELP, over the years. I followed the band when together, and then supported whatever each individual did during the times they were all on hiatus, which is a nice way of saying, broken up. Over the decades that followed the success they had in the 1970s, Keith, Carl, and Greg would regroup doing albums and tours. ELP’s last performance together was in 2010 at the High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park, London.

In 1986, with their drummer Carl Palmer busy with the supergroup Asia, the remainder of Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Keith Emerson, and Greg Lake, regrouped and joined drummer Cozy Powell. Their debut studio album soon followed; Emerson, Lake, & Powell. In a nutshell, think of it as Emerson, Lake, & Palmer on steroids.

My life back then was in an absolute tailspin. What was my first marriage, had fallen apart. I couldn’t hold a job. Looking back, I don’t know where my head was. I definitely was having a hard time with things. To make matters worse, I looked for solutions in all the wrong places including booze, and drugs, with cocaine being my drug of choice. No defense, but it was all the rage back then. Readily available. Frankly, it was too easy to fall into its clutches. It is today, but I don’t see people walking around with cocaine spoons hanging from their necks like I did back then.

I also sought a geographical cure. After twenty years of living in New Jersey, mostly on the Shore, where I grew up, I first moved to Bennettsville and then settled in McColl, South Carolina, where I quickly became the new town drunk. Some months later, I found myself hitchhiking from there to Houston, Texas. Crazy! I had less than $50 in my pocket. It took about 4 or 5 days, maybe a week? Michelob being my beer of choice, I drank my last penny away, on my first full day there in Space City.

It was summertime in Houston, Texas, when I arrived. The weather was hot and humid. I saw the Astrodome and slept on a park bench in Herman Park. I was awoken by the awful sting of fire ants. Long story short, I was lucky to still be alive and ended up thankfully in a halfway house. Free for men who had a desire to stop drinking alcohol. That and the coke was killing me. Loss a lot of weight, due to barely eating. They and the Star of Hope Mission, where I detoxed, litterly saved my life.

It was while at the halfway house, located in Beaumont, Texas, that I heard a commercial on the radio for Emerson, Lake, & Powell. I believe up to the point when I arrived in Texas, I didn’t know anything about this project. To my knowledge, ELP had broken up. Period! So, this was news to me. Still ELP, but replacing Carl Palmer, was Cozy Powell. Life goes on, right? A new beginning. Like what I was doing at the time.

A concert that was going to be held at Six Flags Astroworld in August supported the band’s debut album. I wish that I were able to go. As I said, I had no money and was living voluntarily in a halfway house. Early sobriety.

Get this! I have a brother from another mother, who attended the ELPowell Astroworld concert. This means that I got to hear stories from him. Years later, my friend Kevin Landreneau, whom I am referring to, and I would years later, both go and see Emerson, Lake, & Palmer support the new album they had at the time; ELP – Black Moon (1992), and then a reunion tour in St. Louis, MO., five years later. Fantastic performances, both of them, with the St. Louis concert, capped off by us doing an impromptu meet and greet with the guys. I had a real conversation with Keith Emerson, who wanted to know my opinion on the samples of his autobiography that he was putting online. Ends up that I was one of the people online that was reading this. I mentioned this to Mr. Emerson while standing directly in front of him, which by his actions, certainly caught his attention. A cool guy, Keith signed my concert ticket and then motioned me to follow him as he signed stuff for other people. We chatted for a few minutes. I know now that Keith was looking for feedback. He wondered if it was too British for me. I explained that I understood everything that I had read so far. During the short time we conversed, the both of us got along well. The experience gave me the impression that when off stage, Keith was a polite, down-to-earth guy with an excellent sense of humor. Glad I could help out.

“Uncle G” Discusses…Emerson, Lake, & Powell – Complete Collection

In 1986, I purchased the self-titled debut studio album Emerson, Lake & Powell, on cassette, at a nearby Target department store. I could not even try guessing sitting here now, the number of plays I gave that tape. In the 1990s or 2000s, I upped the sound quality and got the only studio album these men ever did, on compact disc. I believe it was a Japanese import that included a bonus song. Their cover of, The Loco-Motion. My current CD collection is in a storage unit, some 2,700 miles away (give or take a few miles). Hard to verify. I’m soon to be reunited. I’m not 100 percent sure if another bonus song was on that disc or not; Vacant Possession. Listening to it now on Disc One of this 3 CD box set, it sounds vaguely familiar. I know that I heard the song before. Regardless, grows on you. Honestly, not one of their best, but not one of their worst either. I never really rag on bonus tracks, or let them change whatever my rating is on any reviews I do on whatever the main release was.

Disc One (ELPowell debut studio album remastered with 3 bonus tracks)

Off the bat, this new release of a prog-rock classic has been re-mastered. Sounds great being played out loud, or on a decent pair of headphones. I have done both!

Also, and this needs mentioning, the families of the now three deceased musicians all signed off on this new and exciting Cherry Red Records 3 disc box set. Music that deserves to be in collections, played and enjoyed occasionally, and never forgotten. With these three musicians, I highly doubt that would happen. So talented are they that their music will be played centuries from now, on planets and universes we earthlings have and have not yet discovered. How’s this for an intro?

The first four songs offered are good enough to warrant a follow-up album, but sadly that never happened. These songs are:

01.) The Score
02.) Learning To Fly
03.) The Miracle
04.) Touch And Go

The first three are Emerson (music) and Lake (lyrics). The 4th was the album’s most popular song. So much so that Emerson, Lake, & Palmer played the catchy tune in concert, years later when regrouping. The songs before Touch And Go are the strongest material done by Keith and Greg in my opinion, since Brain Salad Surgery.

The next three songs show off the talents of Greg Lake. Music again by Keith Emerson and most of the lyrics by Mr. Lake except for track 7, Lay Down Your Guns, where he shares lyric credit with Steve Gould (singer-bass player). Nothing here is dreadful. Solid songs, all three of them:

05.) Love Blind
06.) Step Aside
07.) Lay Down Your Guns

The 8th, the closing track on the original album released in 1986, is perfect for the drummer, Cozy Powell, and right up the alley of the other two musicians he’s working with. Keith Emerson and Greg Lake are old pros at making a classical number, rock. An instrumental that starts off being mellow and then builds itself up. Cozy uses the tune Mars, the Bringer of War from Gustav Holst – The Planets, to include his drum solo. Fits perfectly! He also gets credit for helping adapt the tune, along with Keith and Greg.

Bonus Tracks

Track 9 on this new Cherry Red Records release, is an instrumental cover of a 1962 classic called The Loco-Motion. I enjoy ELPowell’s take on it. Others, I’m not sure. In the ears of a lady, who could not help but hear the cover while playing the song aloud, it sucks. Could just be a Little Eva or Grand Funk Railroad fan?

An original Emerson/Lake song called Vacant Possession is the second bonus cut. I think it’s a decent song.

The last track on disc one of this 3-disc box set is an edited version of, The Score. I love the song, but I never really liked edited versions of anything. Yet I don’t mind, medleys. Go figure! Anyway, I understand the reason behind doing it; radio play – greater exposure. And it’s cool as a collector/completist, to have the edited version included.

Disc Two (The Sprocket Sessions – Rehearsal Tapes)

Imagine being a fly on the wall where ELPowell is rehearsing for their up-and-coming concert tour. You get to hear/see a dozen songs performed. Half are Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, and the other half are Emerson, Lake, & Powell tunes. Strong material, and is a well-thought-out setlist. Played close to the album versions, with subtle differences scattered throughout. Starts with an intro to an ELP greatest hit, Fanfare For The Common Man, and from there goes into three ELPowell songs; The Score – Learning To Fly – The Miracle. During the 3rd track, one could hear a little direction from the vocalist and bass player, Greg Lake. By the time the disc was done playing, I had the idea that Greg was keeping on top of everything. A well-done workout by all three musicians. A little more ELPowell material is present on this disc than the 3rd disc, which is live in concert. More about that in a few. I was left impressed by Cozy Powell, and how he did wonderful justice to Carl Palmer’s drum parts, doing the ELPalmer music. Carl Palmer is, in my opinion, one of the best technically proficient drummers of all time. Cozy was outstanding himself, which is evident on all three discs of this box set. The rest of the Sprocket Sessions contain lots of enjoyable music, in which we get to hear a solid prog-rock band at work, getting ready for the big show(s):

04. – Knife Edge (5:38) / 05. Tarkus (10:18) / 06. (Excerpt) Pictures At An Exhibition (5:34) / 07. (Excerpt) Lucky Man (0:47) / 08. Still…You Turn Me On (3:09) / 09. Love Blind (3:15) / 10. Mars, the Bringer Of War (12:03) / 11. Touch and Go (3:35).

Disc Three (Live In Concert)

This band rocks! Cozy behind the drum kit made ELPowell a harder rock band compared to the original ELP. And it’s cool! I like what is offered here. It’s a good representation of what musical talents all three men possess.

My guess/research shows that this show was recorded on October 4th at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida (USA). It’s almost the entire concert except for Still… You Turn Me On, and, Learning To Fly. If I were there, I’d be pretty satisfied. Not exactly the Sprocket Sessions. There is some different material to be found here.

01 The Score
02 Touch & Go
03 Knife Edge
04 Pirates
05 From The Beginning
06 Lucky Man
07 Fanfare For the Common Man
08 Mars, the Bringer of War / Drum Solo
09 Medley – Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression)/ America/ Rondo

“Uncle G” RATES…Emerson, Lake, & Powell – Complete Collection (2024 Cherry Red Records)

Using a scale of one to five stars where one star means it’s a waste of time and money to five stars which means I strongly recommend it for your collection, I give Cherry Red Records archival project, Emerson, Lake, & Powell – Complete Collection, 5 stars! It’s remastered. A solid archival project! I got a reviewer copy, so I am minus the detailed booklet it comes with. The most important thing…sounds fantastic! Various versions of what’s on disc 2 and 3, have been making the trading circles for years. Nice to have that cleaned up, and presented all in one place. The music itself warrants that. Many incredible moments! Three different experiences; studio – rehearsal – live performance. Worth preserving! For generations from now will still…be turned on.

*Rest In Peace*

Keith Emerson: 1944 – 2016

Greg Lake: 1947 – 2016

Cozy Powell: 1947 – 1998

Useful Weblinks

Cherry Red Records: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/emerson-lake-and-powell-the-complete-collection-3cd-box

Promotion: Glass Onyon PR: www.glassonyonpr.com

End of Article

Website Maintenance aka Opportunity Knocks

Please Help Keep the Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives Online

Gary’s Tip Jar

Pardon me. But before you leave, could you help out an aging altar boy? Boy Scout? An almost always penniless, freelance writer? If possible and not struggling yourself, whatever you can donate big or small is more than welcome and very appreciated.

Coming Soon: Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives Merchandise; Tee Shirt(s) – Keychain(s) – Coffee Mugs – Umbrellas (Staying dry with “Uncle G”).

Thanks for visiting. You ROCK! Don’t forget to bookmark the Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives, and keep coming back.

Oh…one last thing. The Gary “Uncle G” Brown Archives doesn’t advertise. Way too expensive! Can’t afford it! This ideal costs nothing but your time, and it would help a great deal. Sharing links and positive word of mouth about the website means the world to the author. Please do, if possible. Odds are it will yield positive results. And thanks, again. Your favorite “Uncle G” would be very grateful.