Emerson, Lake & Palmer Album: “The Best Of Emerson, Lake...(Atlantic)”

This CD is out of print, but just in case you're a person interested in buying an ELP greatest hit compliation and you see this in a cutout bin, ignore this one completely. It was released in 1980 as part of a contractual obligation so ELP could be released from their Atlantic contract, and the lackadasical approach to it is obvious when you read the track listing. The album has nothing at all from Tarkus or Pictures at an Exhibition for starters, and the only long track on it is the title track from Trilogy (an interesting choice and a good song, but not worth buying the CD for). The song selection is ridiculous. It has only the first impression, part two of Karn Evil 9, a horrifically edited version of Fanfare for the Common Man, and the live version of Peter Gunn, which was never very good to begin with. In other words, this was a hastily thrown together compliation to satisfy a legal obligation, not a genuine greatest hits compliation (not to mention the worst cover art in the ELP cannon, worse than Love Beach). There are many others that are vastly superior to this....

The original domestic release was the first CD I bought. As I recall the sound was tissue-thin, but it was ELP on CD. How could it be anything but glorious?

That said, in its original configuration this was a weak compilation. The time restrictions of vinyl notwithstanding, leaving off "From the Beginning" was inexcusable. Unless Atlantic was seeking to cut back on royalties by having only nine tracks.

Anyway, fast forward to 2011 and the UK re-release, mercifully remastered (sounds terrific; clean and with the dynamics fully present - no loudness wars here!) and with extra tracks including "From the Beginning." I would have preferred "Pirates" also make the cut, and the absence of "Tarkus" is lamentable, but a single CD can't possibly hold all the essential ELP.

Is this the greatest ELP compilation? No, it's far too short. Still, it's ELP. How can it be anything but glorious?

I bought this CD for Carl Palmer to autograph when I saw him with Asia again in April (he signed the Asia CD instead). Since I have grown to love prog over the past several years, I thought maybe I'll play this. You get "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Jerusalem", and "Lucky Man". Lacking are "From the Beginning", "Knife Edge", and "Pictures at an Exhibition" due to lack of space, though they appear on later, superior compilations anyway. I'm just starting to like ELP, and if you are as well, this is the way to go. This time, I will slowly add the studio and live albums, instead of just getting them all at once.

This particular release is long out-of-print, as they've changed labels a few times, recently to Shout! Factory in North America. My copy is an early West German import for US release.

There are some great songs to be found on the umpteenth Emerson Lake & Palmer compilation. In fact, they are all great songs. ELP have always been one of my favorite bands, and it is for that reason that this gets one star. This is Sony Music milking ELP to the -nth degree, similar to what they have done with The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Kansas, and Jefferson Airplane/Starship. This is a cash-hungry, money-loving company. ELP had nothing to do with this release. This is all of the bigwig record executives getting together and putting this one out.

Every song on here is a classic, no denying it. If it's ELP, it has to be good and worth listening to (yes, for your information, I do like 'Love Beach' and 1994's 'In the Hot Seat' a lot, thank you very much). But this is just greed, plain and simple.

Want some ELP? Go buy all of the studio albums and live albums, and if you can, try to find yourself some bootlegs (a personal favorite is the Anaheim 1974 and the New Haven 1977 show, plus the Poland 1997 show which has since been officially released). That way, you get a taste of what ELP was like. That was, is, and will always be the best way to enjoy this legendary trio. Steer clear of this release though. You will be disappointed, longtime ELP fans.

Not recommended, not even for the casual fan.

I bought this CD for Carl Palmer to autograph when I saw him with Asia again in April (he signed the 1982 Asia CD instead). Since I have grown to love prog over the past several years, I thought maybe I'll play this. You get "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Jerusalem", and "Lucky Man". Lacking are "From the Beginning", "Knife Edge", and "Pictures at an Exhibition" due to lack of space, though they appear on later, superior compilations anyway. I'm just starting to like ELP, and if you are as well, this is the way to go. This time, I will slowly add the studio and live albums, instead of just getting them all at once.

This particular release is long out-of-print, as they've changed labels a few times, recently to Shout! Factory in North America. My copy is an early West German import for US release.