God ELP Us! Emerson, Lake, and Palmer feel inspired.
LONDON (Special to TSD After Dark) Generations of music fans raised on samples, loops and multi-tracked voices are turning to the epic albums of their parents’ generation for inspiration and new discoveries. Art-Rock supergroups like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson, seem to never go away. One form or another of these time-tested groups continue to endure. Now, one of the most popular of these bands – Emerson, Lake and Palmer, have decided to give it a go again. But the inspiration for their reunion seems odd.
“We’ve certainly had our creative differences over the years,” said 64 year old keyboard whiz, Keith Emerson. “But if Mullah Mohammed Omar can reorganize his Taliban under the constant threat of bunker busters and cluster bombs on an hourly basis, I’m sure we can settle on which synthesizer sounds work best against the backdrop of a multi-screen/laser show hybrid depicting pan-global dance routines.”
Bassist and Vocalist Greg Lake concurs.
“I am not a big fan of Omar’s work,” he said. “But you’ve got to give the guy credit for his tenaciousness. So, if he can do it, so can we.”
Emerson, Lake and Palmer or ELP, as they are more commonly known, have attempted several reunions since their mid-70’s heyday; Some successful, others not so successful. However, the trio is convinced this time will be different and may have staying power.
“You sit around and look at your life,” said drummer Carl Palmer. “And you begin to realize you really only get one, maybe two chances at doing something that matters to people. In our case it was performing bombastic, over-the-top, self-indulgent art-rock while getting the ladies damp by wearing spandex trousers which revealed our prodigious bulges. Is that so bad? It’s better than flipping burgers.”
Tags: ELP