Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Trilogy

Symphonic Progressive Rock

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Trilogy - 1972

Tracks.

01. The Endless Enigma, Pt. 1 6:41

02. Fugue 1:56

03. The Endless Enigma, Pt. 2 2:00

04. From the Beginning 4:13

05. The Sheriff 3:21

06. Hoedown 3:43

07. Trilogy 8:53

08. Living Sin 3:12

09. Abaddon's Bolero 8:07
Members.
- Keith Emerson / Hammond organ C3, Steinway piano, Zoukra, Moog synthesizer IIIC, Mini Moog Model D
- Greg Lake / vocals, bass, electric & acoustic guitar
- Carl Palmer / drums, percussion

Godspeed!

Trilogy is the third studio album by British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, originally released in 1972.

The band had already released two very carefully performed studio albums, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970) and Tarkus (1971), the former being dominated by virtuoso keyboards and drumming; the latter being as bombastic as it was ambitious. Trilogy, their third studio album, increased ELP's worldwide popularity, and included "Hoedown", which was one of their most popular songs when performing live.

The song "Endless Enigma Part One" opens with the sound of a beating heart, an effect created by the bass drum pedal of Palmer's Ludwig Octoplus kit. Notably, this effect was invented by Carl Palmer long before it was ever used on Jethro Tull's A Passion Play.

The opening drum solo on the track "The Sheriff" features a slight time-mistake, followed by drummer Carl Palmer responding with the word "shit" which can be heard when listening carefully.

"Abaddon's Bolero" sounds like a martialized Bolero (in 4/4 rhythm rather than the usual 3/4). A single melody containing multiple modulations within itself is repeated over and over in ever more thickly layered arrangements, starting from a quiet flute-like sound over a single drum, and building up to an ear-shattering wall of sound. This aspect may well be a nod to the similar effect in Maurice Ravel's famous Bolero.