Welcome back my friends to the ELP ALBUMS POLL that never ends

go love beach!

"Brain Salad Surgery". Because it mostly consists of "Karn Evil"

trilogy because of lots of reasons

I honestly can't decide...

Voted Love Beach in protest at Pete Sinfield's lyrics.

All in all, in terms of consistency I'd say Trilogy. But the biggest peaks were with Brain Salad Surgery.

Voted Love Beach in protest at Pete Sinfield's lyrics.

Huh? Sinfield is credited on every single song on Love Beach, except for an instrumental cover.

"Karn Evil".

Good lord.

I must confess to never hearing that, but it sounds like something ICP would have come up with.

I heard it once, on an Alan Freeman sampler LP. It was less loathsome than I was expecting, but not something I was yearning for, or to hear again...

Carl Palmer's bushy faux-mink stole up there probably didn't earn him very many kind words from the lads in the pub, I'm guessing.

Tarkus, pretty clearly. While it may sound ridiculous to talk about some prog act's "soulfulness," I'm gonna do exactly that, at least in the sense of the term that implies heavy emotional intensity. Look at "Stones of Years" for impassioned vocals, and the part that begins "Battlefield" for same, transmitted through guitar.

For my money, no other album from ELP features moments as emotionally intense. It's a high point for the genre as a whole, really.

Besides, "Bitches Crystal" absolutely kicks ass.

And you know for a while there, how ELP would put one drunken pub-rocker on each album? Well, "Jeremy Bender" is the best one. On the other hand, "Benny the Bouncer" is probably the worst.

No-one else gets annoyed at that "Welcome Back My friends" shit?

Always loved "Jerusalem," though.

jeez you guys never stop teasing Patrin.

Debut for me, the only one I've ever considered buying on CD. Despite the war-horseness of "Lucky Man," I remember "The Three Fates" fondly as some of the first prog I ever heard. "Take A Pebble" is beautiful, and the drum solo in "Tank" rocks.

Keith Emerson and Johnny Rotten are friends?! Yep:

http://www.keithemerson.com/Gallery/2006Appearances/200603-KEandJR.html

http://www.johnlydon.com/nordoff_robbins.html

And Dave Gilmore too, apparently.

Welcome back my friends to the ELP ALBUMS POLL that never ends

BIG JOHN aka the McCaindriver

Love Beach, by a wide margin.

The live album (triple vinyl! Just like Lotus and Yessongs and Wings Over America!) for me. Because the versions of "Tarkus" and "Karn Evil 9" are each 6-7 minutes longer than the studio takes.

I got the Shout! Factory reissues of everything up through Works (both volumes) in the mail a few weeks back, by the way. They sound great and are well worth picking up if you don't already own this stuff.

Live album for the same reasons and the utterly tyrannical performance. The absolute top of their mid-Seventies hegemony on the US arena circuit. In fact, I think I'll put it on now.

yeah nothing really speaks to me like the live album

Brain Salad Surgery is pretty great.

Oh my goodness. You guys are embarassing me.
I want to have a ELP albums poll too.
Hoos? Tell me which one is best.
Preferably with live album in tow. Thanks.

Tarkus, because it's the only one that doesn't annoy me.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

oj

trilogy got no love at all. wtf?

Pictures at an Exhibition (live) (1971) #3 UK, #10 US

i think im the only one that thinks this album totally rocks ass

Who are those three crazy people voting for "Love Beach". They must be out of their minds. Surely, the album isn't all bad as the second half is "Memoirs of An Officer And a Gentleman", but their best????? Seriously????????

My review of the ELP reissues is in this week's Voice. Link here.

I'm proud to have voted for Love Beach. It's their crowning achievement. A Taste Of My Love and the title track should be on the Mount Rushmore of ELP songs.

yeah saw that phil good work xp

i have brain salad surgery and still have never listened to it!!

i will tonight

And did he?

Trilogy gets no respect and the best singing is on that one. Or should I say, the most singing.

Yeah, Trilogy is the most neglected ELP record. It's my favorite (tho I forgot to vote in this poll).