The ELP sound is dominated by the Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer of the flamboyant Emerson. The band's compositions are heavily influenced by classical music in addition to jazz and โ at least in their early years โ hard rock. Many of their pieces are arrangements of, or contain quotations from, classical music, and they can be said to fit into the sub-genre of symphonic rock. However, Lake ensured that their albums contained a regular stream of simple, accessible acoustic ballads, many of which received heavy radio airplay. Lake, besides providing vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar and lyrics, also produced the band's first five albums.
On two occasions in 1969, The Nice (with Keith Emerson on keyboards) and King Crimson (with Greg Lake on vocals and bass) shared the same venue, first on 10th August 1969 at the 9th Jazz and Blues Pop Festival in Plumpton, England, and on 17th October 1969 at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England. After playing at a few of the same concerts, Emerson and Lake tried working together and found their styles to be not only compatible but complementary. Emerson wanted to make the "best damned three-piece band in the world", and thought the line-up of The Nice (keyboard, bass, drums) was the way to go.
Before settling on drummer Carl Palmer (formerly Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown), they approached Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience; Mitchell was uninterested but passed the idea to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix, tired of his band and wanting to try something different, expressed an interest in playing with the group; the British press, after hearing about this, speculated that such a supergroup would have been called "Hendrix, Emerson, Lake & Palmer", or HELP. Due to scheduling conflicts such plans were not immediately realised, but the initial three planned on a jam session with Hendrix after their dรฉbut at the Isle of Wight Festival, with the possibility of him joining. Hendrix died shortly thereafter, so the three pressed on as Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Their first four years were a creatively fertile period. Lake produced their first six albums, starting with Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970), which contained the hit "Lucky Man" featuring Emerson's first experiments with Moog. Tarkus (1971) was their first successful concept album, described as a story about "reverse evolution". The March 1971 live recording (Newcastle, U.K.) of the band's interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was issued as a low-priced record, the success of which contributed to the band's overall popularity. The 1972 album Trilogy contained ELP's best-selling single to date, the understated "From the Beginning".
In late 1973 Brain Salad Surgery, with an eye-catching sleeve designed by H.R. Giger, was released and became the band's best-known studio album. The lyrics were partly written by Peter Sinfield, who was the creator of the King Crimson concept and lyricist for their first four albums. The subsequent world tours were documented with a massive three-LP live recording, "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends".
Their best known early performance had been a relatively modest show at the August 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, one of the last of the great Woodstock-era festivals. At the end of their set, Emerson and Lake lit two cannons either side of the stage. By April 1974, ELP were joint headliners of the California Jam Festival, and completed the concert when co-stars Deep Purple elected to go on stage first. ELP's California Jam performance was broadcast nationwide in the US and is often seen as the summit of the band's career.
After taking a break, the band began working with an orchestra and released Works Volume 1 in 1977 to mixed reviews. The album contained the band's signature tune, "Fanfare for the Common Man", reaching number two in the British charts. However, punk rock had began influencing the music scene, and the progressive rock giants of the time were suffering as a result. Rifts within the band were beginning to show, and the following albums, Works Volume 2 and Love Beach (one released in 1977,the other in 1978) were mainly made to finish their record contract. They released Works Live in 1979 with the orchestra, but touring was overly expensive and so the orchestra were dropped half way through the tour.
The band split in 1979, with each member doing his own thing. Carl Palmer joined Asia and had commercial success. In 1985 Emerson and Lake wanted to reform, but with Palmer in Asia, they tried out other drummers such as Simon Phillips, but settled on Cozy Powell. Emerson, Lake & Powell released one self-titled album in 1986.
Since then the original ELP have reformed in 1991 and released two studio albums: Black Moon (1992) and In the Hot Seat (1994). Neither albums were critically acclaimed, but the band still managed to sell out venues as they toured the world. The band split again in 1998.
On 25 July 2010, ELP reunited for a single show to commemorate their 40th anniversary. But this reunion was only to celebrate their anniversary and after that show they split again in 2010.
Emerson died on 11 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was found at his Santa Monica home. Following an autopsy, the medical examiner ruled Emerson's death a suicide, and concluded that he had also suffered from heart disease and from depression associated with alcohol. According to Emerson's girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi, Emerson had become "depressed, nervous and anxious" because nerve damage had hampered his playing, and he was worried that he would perform poorly at upcoming concerts and disappoint his fans.
Lake died in London on 7 December 2016, at the age of 69, after suffering from cancer. His manager announced the news on Twitter, describing Lake's battle with the illness as "long and stubborn". Numerous fellow musicians paid tribute, including Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett, Ringo Starr, John Wetton, and ELP drummer Carl Palmer. With Lake's death and that of Keith Emerson earlier in 2016, Palmer is the last surviving member of the group.
Better Days
Emerson Lake & Palmer Lyrics
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I could see somebody lying on a chair
I went over to him
I said, hey man, what are you doing there
And have you got a smoke
I said you'd better come in out of the rain
Before you get yourself soaked
How deep the oceans, heartaches hide
CHORUS
So stand on me, I'll catch you falling
You can stand on me and I'll help you find a way
Stand on me, I can see our ship turning
Stand on me, we're sailing on the wind of better days
And they accuse you when you're over and out
Ulterior motives, that's what it's all about
It's just human nature, they try to make you flinch
But we're takin' the higher ground inch by inch
No one cal feel inside
How deep the oceans, heartaches hide
CHORUS
And if you tumble when the snowflakes fall
(This is a jungle, it's not a waterfall)
From where you're standing you can't get no change
They keep moving the target clean out of range
The Emerson Lake & Palmer song "Better Days" tells a story of compassion, hope, and standing by one's loved ones. The singer walks into a train station and sees a stranger lying on a chair. He asks him if he needs a cigarette and invites him to come in out of the rain. The chorus declares that the singer is ready and willing to catch the fallen man and help him find a way out of the darkness of his circumstances.
The third verse broadens the narrative and points out that society is inherently flawed. Sometimes people try to make you fail or flinch. However, the singer declares that he will not give in to such negativity. He promises to meet them step by step and take the higher ground. The chorus repeats this resolution to move forward in life with strength and determination.
"Better Days" is a song of encouragement that urges us to stand by each other and believe that things will get better. It is a powerful reminder that sometimes all someone needs is a helping hand to lift them out of difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
I was walking on this station
The singer was walking through a train station.
I could see somebody lying on a chair
The singer noticed a person lying on a chair.
I went over to him
The singer walked up to the person.
I said, hey man, what are you doing there
The singer asked the person what they were doing.
And have you got a smoke
The singer asked the person if they had a cigarette.
I said you'd better come in out of the rain
The singer suggested that the person should go inside to avoid getting wet in the rain.
Before you get yourself soaked
The singer was warning the person that they might get wet if they don't go inside.
No one can feel inside
It's impossible for anyone to completely understand how someone else feels.
How deep the oceans, heartaches hide
Emotional pain can be as deep and vast as the ocean.
So stand on me, I'll catch you falling
The singer is offering to support and help the person if they fall or need assistance.
You can stand on me and I'll help you find a way
The singer is saying that they will be there for the person and help them through their struggles.
Stand on me, I can see our ship turning
The singer is confident that they can help the person turn their situation around.
Stand on me, we're sailing on the wind of better days
The singer believes that they can help the person move towards a brighter future.
And they accuse you when you're over and out
Others may blame and criticize the person when they are struggling or down on their luck.
Ulterior motives, that's what it's all about
Some people may have hidden agendas or motives for their actions.
It's just human nature, they try to make you flinch
It's natural for people to make others feel uncomfortable or doubt themselves.
But we're takin' the higher ground inch by inch
The singer and the person are working towards a better future, slowly but surely.
And if you tumble when the snowflakes fall
The singer is acknowledging that the person may stumble or fall during difficult times.
(This is a jungle, it's not a waterfall)
Life can be unpredictable and dangerous, unlike a calm waterfall.
From where you're standing you can't get no change
The person may feel stuck in their current situation and unable to change their circumstances.
They keep moving the target clean out of range
The person's goals or aspirations may seem unattainable or out of reach.
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