Emerson, Lake and Palmer : The Show That Never Ends (Revised)

Rating:
Summary: Should have been better
Review: An entertaining and informative read from cover to cover,The Show that never ends covers the bands history from beginning until now. The music analysis chapter by George Forrester is enlightening and fascinating.

Nice to see ELP getting some exposure and coverage again,if you havent heard them,get Tarkus or Brain Salad Surgery.

Bring on the Hammonds,Moogs&daggers!!!

Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but it's all ELP fans have to date
Review: As the only extant full-length bio of ELP, "Welcome Back My Friends" serves the purpose of telling their story in as straightforward a manner as possible, going year-by-year and covering all of the high and low points with a fair amount of detail and research. It could be much more detailed, and as mentioned it is somewhat of a whitewash, since the authors are so clearly in love with the band that even low points like "Love Beach" and "In The Hot Seat" are given positive spins.(Ironically, one of ELP's best projects, the "Pictures At An Exhibition" film from 1971, is one of the few things that is harshly criticized here).

As a basic resource and information manual, the book does its job by providing in-depth song analyses, a very complete discography and complete concert date list. The song analyses are interesting, although some tracks are reviewed in much greater detail than others. The information on the bandmembers' personal lives if perhaps the weakest, although there is as much as could be gleaned from interviews. Until Emerson's elusive autobiography is released, this is the best way for ELP fans, both old and new, to read up on as much info as is currently available on the group. However, the best rock bios tend to put the artist in question against an overview of the era they influenced and were influenced by, and this is largely ignored outside of passing references to other prog acts, making it seem unusually insular.

Rating:
Summary: Come Inside The Show's About To Start......
Review: At long last a book on the greatest band ever to ever exist.This book will not be a disappointment for ELP fans.It digs deep into the band's creativity and what drove them to make the best music possible.It also delves into the personal histories of the band;upbringing,musical influences, earlier bands and musical projects outside of ELP.The book also includes an excellent analysis of their music album by album.This section alone is worth the price of admission.It explains in great detail how ideas for songs came about and how they developed as well as paying great attention to technical detail.Also included are tour dates and a discography unlike any other seen before.Make no mistake,this band produced the most creative music ever heard.They defied traditional rock music by combining it with elements of folk,jazz and of course the classics.As individuals they excelled: Keith Emerson,who single-handedly brought keyboards to the forefront and is a master composer.Then there's Greg Lake,whose voice and lyrics-some written with King Crimson bandmate Pete Sinfield-were the perfect compliment for Emerson's adventurous music.Also notwithstanding are his skills as a bassist,guitarist and producer.Last but by no means least is Carl Palmer,quite simply the greatest drummer in rock history.This is a book that belongs on every fan's bookshelf.It is a complete and thorough history and it will not disappoint.As a longtime fan,I thank the authors for a job well done and highly recommend this book

Rating:
Summary: Worth The Wait
Review: Despite opinions to the contrary, I think this book is well-researched and very well-written. Having been a fan of ELP for nearly 30 years, I've always wanted to have book about them. And since Keith Emerson is taking forever and a day to publish his autobiography, this book stands as the definitive tome about the greatest progressive rock band of all time. And while it is not perfect (what book is?) it is engrossing and thoroughly entertaining. Just like the band itself. I've seen ELP live four times over the past 28 years and this brought back a lot of memories. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Something Better
Review: George Forrester, et al, have created a straightforward and earnest look at Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, a band incorrectly reviled for their musical excellence, showmanship, and pretentions. In the early 1970's, few events were more exiting than hearing a new ELP release, and then seeing them perform live. In an era plagued with boogie rock, nascent glam, and the brewing punk, ELP plunged ahead towards a modernist reading of music. Combining their classical chops, jazz free-styling, and heavy-metal sound, they created not just a sound, but a world around their music.

George Forrester's book explains the history of the band, their musical steps, and mis-steps in clear, straightforward prose. While other works such as Paul Stump's The Music All's That Matter seems written with a distain for Prog and ELP, ELP: The Show Never Ends is an unabashed love letter for the devoted fan.

The books concludes with a musical exegesis of Keith Emerson's work, and to anyone who understands music, these analyses are enlightening, and thought-provoking.

If you want to learn about ELP, this is the place. If you want to relive the salad days, this is the place. If you want a picture of the rollercoaster ride of 1970's rock, this book will show you how a band was greeted with great hope and then dismissed into oblivion mostly because they knew how to play their instruments well.

Rating:
Summary: A fine work about a misunderstood band
Review: George Forrester, et al, have created a straightforward and earnest look at Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, a band incorrectly reviled for their musical excellence, showmanship, and pretentions. In the early 1970's, few events were more exiting than hearing a new ELP release, and then seeing them perform live. In an era plagued with boogie rock, nascent glam, and the brewing punk, ELP plunged ahead towards a modernist reading of music. Combining their classical chops, jazz free-styling, and heavy-metal sound, they created not just a sound, but a world around their music.

George Forrester's book explains the history of the band, their musical steps, and mis-steps in clear, straightforward prose. While other works such as Paul Stump's The Music All's That Matter seems written with a distain for Prog and ELP, ELP: The Show Never Ends is an unabashed love letter for the devoted fan.

The books concludes with a musical exegesis of Keith Emerson's work, and to anyone who understands music, these analyses are enlightening, and thought-provoking.

If you want to learn about ELP, this is the place. If you want to relive the salad days, this is the place. If you want a picture of the rollercoaster ride of 1970's rock, this book will show you how a band was greeted with great hope and then dismissed into oblivion mostly because they knew how to play their instruments well.

Rating:
Summary: At last, the ELP biography
Review: It was about time somebody decided to write the story of this trio of musicians who, for years, were the alliance of technic and fury in Progressive Rock. All that you wanna to know about them, you'll find here (tours, pool awards,individual biography, etc...). It was a work that certainly took decades to be conceived and the result is remarkable. A must for all ELP fans and those who wants to know how advanced and far they were in their own time. Hooray ELP !!!

Rating:
Summary: This Book Belongs in Your Collection
Review: Once I began reading this book it was hard to put down. This is the definitive, end-all story, from beginning to end, of ELP. Its all here: the early days of E, L, and P, the formation of the "Show That Never Ends", the hits, the misses, the fights, the breakups, the reconciliations, more fights, more reconciliations and tours, etc. etc. Also, there is plenty of trivia, behind the scenes information, and analysis of the music, instruments and people connected with the band. This book is laid out very logically, in a chronological order and represents the first time a publication has been available which tells the entire story, in a professional manner, from beginning to end. George Forrester and company are to be commended on being factual without being opinionated or judgmental. ELP had plenty of "wrong turns" and less than successful changes in musical direction through the years, but those events are all reported in a factual manner rather than a condescending one. One of the hidden gems of this book is the information provided in the back. George Forrester gives us a piece by piece analysis of all the major album tracks. Even more valuable is a chronological listing of EVERY concert ever played by the guys, from the beginning all the way through recent years, along with radio broadcasts and interviews. There's even internet sources listed for staying current on the band's activities. This is one of those must-own items if you are, or ever were a fan of the greatest band in rock n roll.

Rating:
Summary: Short on information, insight
Review: This is a fan's book about ELP. That's good; I've read enough condescension about ELP from rock writers, who aren't always the bravest of people when it comes to expressing an unfashionable opinion. So it's good have a book focussing on the music, and recognising that at this band's best they were extraordinary.

And I can recommend it to fans, for the usual things books of this kind are good at: stories behind the pieces, such as the power struggle over producing "Tarkus". And it solves some long-term puzzles - eg who was the "Frazer" who co-wrote songs with Lake on the first two albums? It turns out he was one of their roadies, not some mysterious Pete Sinfield character...

Its weakness is not wanting to talk about the downside: Lake's vocal problems, the reasons behind the atrocity that was "Love Beach", and other such things. There a little more probing, and a preparedness to write unpalatable truths would have made a useful book better.

That said, this is a useful, honest and admirable book. I read it more or less at a gulp: after all, I've been waiting for it for about 25 years... If you're ELP fan enough to have looked up this book at all, then I'd recommend that you get it.

Cheers!

Laon