Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pretentious $hite!

On a Facebook forum, I recently responded to the question, “What top rock bands do you think are overrated?” My answer was ‘Emerson, Lake and Palmer’ who I've never really 'got'. Well did I get some stick! The number of people who couldn’t comprehend why I don’t like ELP was amazing.

Now, firstly I do need to say I’m not a prog’ hater. Indeed I freely admit to being no stranger to prog’ rock. Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush and early Marillion are all favourites of mine, so on paper, Emerson, Lake and Palmer were a band I should at least like, if not love. So why don’t I?

Well it’s not that I don’t think their music is as good as their fans make out, or that those same fans are somehow wrong in their judgement. This isn’t the case, Emerson, Lake and Palmer were a band that I did totally understand why fans would go crazy over (and they certainly still do!!) - it’s just that I’m not one of them! They’re usually regarded as one of those quintessential progressive rock bands and they were good at what they did. If prog’ is all about experimenting with instrumental virtuosity, new forms and structures, captivating the listener’s attention and keeping them studying forever, then Emerson, Lake and Palmer have definitely earned their place among the genre’s most successful bands. 

But !!!

To put it bluntly, Emerson, Lake and Palmer didn’t connect with me at all. It was all so pretentious. They always seemed so distant and at times even alien to me. They were always so preoccupied with playing their instruments that they forgot to engage with their audience who happened to be sat there. It always seemed that there’s no emotion in their work, no genuine passion. There was nothing in Greg Lake’s vocals; nor in Keith Emerson’s often, (admittedly) innovative playing that connected me on a personal level; that grabbed out and held me. Then there was the whole opulence the band projected, Greg Lake’s £6,000.00 Persian Rug that he used to have to stand on to perform! Really??? I mean the rug even had its own ‘rug-roadie’!! Not entirely adhering themselves to the man on the street there! 

Maybe it is just me. As I’ve said, Emerson, Lake and Palmer still have a dedicated group of followers who must either experience their music differently to me, or just don’t care about connecting with it as long as it’s interesting musically. Either way, I'm no putting them down in any way. Quite the contrary really, I’d like to read some comments defending the band.

For me, you really have to have some emotional connection to music to enjoy it fully. This comes in many forms for me and ranges from The Clash to Beyoncé, from Otis Redding to Motorhead. It’s just that Emerson, Lake and Palmer are always somewhere in-between. I appreciate what they’ve done for the prog’ genre, I just don’t feel it enough to call myself a fan.

I’ve always adhered to the ‘Big House’ theory of rock music where they all live in a large mansion. I suspect that in this house you’d find groups like Emerson, Lake and Palmer occupying the drawing room while others like Chicago would be in the bedroom. Then bands like The Who, Sex Pistols and The Happy Mondays take over the garage etc. They all have their place in the grand scheme of rock music. – And you don’t have to like all of them.