Conrad Stinnett
Winter 2000
 

     ELP was my portal into music beyond rock n’ roll. As a Midwestern teenager attending high school in the late 70s, my personal soundtrack consisted of a steady diet of Ted Nugent, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. My exposure to music other than rock -  the classics, jazz, etc - was the stuff I would play in the school band or would occasionally hear on the radio if I happened to be tuning between stations. I found much of it boring and really didn’t want to take the time to appreciate it. No, I just wanted to rock. Though my rock band did a cover of Lucky Man ( as an obligatory slow tune), my first real exposure to ELP came when Works Vol. I was released in 1977.  My favorite radio station played Pirates one day - and I was simply blown away. This was not a wimpy classical piece; no way! It was powerful. It had passion. It, quite simply, rocked! It also had cool lyrics about finding gold, drinking toasts to the devil and “wicked, wild eyed women.” I had no idea orchestras could be used in such a dynamic and exciting way! I wanted to hear more of the kind of music ELP did.

     The work of ELP was to follow me to college. During that time, I had acquired a copy of the live “Welcome back my friends. . . “ and played it a lot. I then slowly acquired all their albums.  I was always struck by how diverse a band ELP was. They would do powerful anthems, sensitive acoustic ballads, covers of classical tunes and much more. College is a time for discovering new things, and discover I did. Theater, literature and the arts opened my mind. I still liked to rock ( still do), but began to think other kinds of music could be cool, too. ELP helped in this regard. After all, this was the band that did rocking versions of Copland’s Hoedown and Fanfare for the Common Man, adapted Ginastera’s Toccata for rock trio and dared to do put lyrics to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Classical music, with all its complexities, can be daunting to new listeners. ELP, by incorporating classical music into their compositions, made it more accessible to new listeners. Plus, if these rock guys dug Mussorgsky and Bartok, it was OK if I did, too. As a result, I became increasingly curious about classical music. What else had this Copland guy done? What is a “concerto”? What is a “fanfare?”  What exactly is a “symphony?” These questions, and many others, motivated me to listen to the classics more. Besides Copland, Mussorgsky and Ginastera, ELP also turned me on to the works of Holst ( Mars on ELPowell), Janacek ( “Sinfonia” section in Knife Edge), Prokofiev, Guida, Bach and several other classical composers.  ( A slight digression: I cannot - to this day - listen to a “straight” version of Fanfare for the Common Man without 
mentally cuing up the part in ELP’s version where the bass and drums come in.)

     ELP embraced other forms of music, as well . The works of Jazz greats like Scott Joplin, Mead (Lux) Lewis and Dave Brubeck were covered by ELP. Even original compositions showed evidence of influence beyond rock n’ roll. Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer’s  Tank ( 1st album and Works Vol. I) showed a strong progressive jazz feel, as do several of the songs on the Palmer side of Works. Greg Lake’s Cie La Vie and Closer to Believing both reflect the soft, melancholy sound reminiscent of French cabaret composer Jacques Brel. And, of course, Keith Emerson’s Piano Concerto #1 and Honorable Company ( from Memoirs of An Officer and a Gentleman), not only incorporate classical and jazz influences, but his pioneering use of synthesizers in the music of ELP places him firmly in the ranks of modern 20th century composers. The complex musical interests of each member contributed toward making ELP one of the most musically diverse bands around.

    Of course, they rocked. The passion and power that ELP brought to the music they played - whether original songs or adapting the works of other composers - made all the difference to this once-young man. They may have incorporated other forms of music into what they played, but their approach to playing it was rock n’ roll all the way.I have heard criticism that the  music of ELP was “pretentious.” I always thought that, in order to get anywhere, you have to be bold and reach out. Playing it safe was not what ELP did. They may have, at times, been over the top, but they were never, ever dull. Nor were they apologetic for moving in new directions, but challenged their listeners to expand themselves and climb on board their amazing musical journey. I never knew where they were going, but always enjoyed the ride.

     What have I learned about music?  There is a lot of it out there. Some I might not like, but some I will. How will I know if I like it? There’s only one way: Try it and see.  Rock has power and energy, but a lot of other musical genres do too. Don’t be afraid to experiment with music and risk closing yourself off to some great stuff. This attitude has allowed me to have a lot of great music listening experiences throughout the years, with many more to come. ELP were great teachers in this regard. They opened up a wide world of music for me ( and for many others, I suspect). What can be said to the trio who helped bridge the gap between rock and other musics? For my part, I can only say “thanks” and hope that, someday, they’ll be ready to do it all again!