A Promise Deferred

The British group Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) became synonymous in the eyes of some critics with the worst excesses of progressive rock. ¹ As only one example of their tendency toward grandiose presentation, their 1973–74 world tour involved 36 tons of equipment (including a quadraphonic sound system and lasers), ² which led critic Lester Bangs to brand them as “war criminals” committing “energy atrocities” at the height of the energy crisis. ³ Keyboard player Keith Emerson's solos (which often emphasized virtuosity at the expense of restraint) attracted the most criticism, as well as the group's overly precious “arrangements” of classical repertoire such as Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. However, few critics have discussed ELP's original songs, the bulk of their recorded output.