In 2016 Prog marked the unbelievable profession of Greg Lake by choosing 10 important songs that illustrate his extraordinary musical journey.
Within the solo reside reveals of his final years, Greg Lake loved reminiscing over his vibrant profession. His eyewitness anecdotes of hanging out with The Beatles, Hendrix, The Who et al had been illuminating and irreverent.
Nevertheless it was a youthful go to to an Elvis gig which gave him humility. He discovered it each elating and miserable as a result of, he mentioned, “I realised I’d by no means be that good. However you simply have to just accept who you might be and make the very best of it.” He paused. “It didn’t prove so unhealthy.”
Lake’s was a rare musical journey, from the pioneering sounds of King Crimson by way of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s interval of world domination and on to a solo profession mastheaded by that Christmas music.
Shy Limbs – Love (1969)
Psychedelic keyboard-laden wig-outs impressed by A Whiter Shade Of Pale had been widespread in loved-up late 60s England, and Dorset was not immune. Lake sang and performed a number of devices on this youthful learning-curve outfit, and whereas their single’s A-side Popularity is the trippier deal with, Lake’s the singer on the b-side, Love, which shows his consciousness of Chris Squire’s sky-high bass stylings. The band managed two singles earlier than fame got here calling for one member…
King Crimson – The Courtroom Of The Crimson King (1969)
A schoolmate of Robert Fripp, Lake was primarily a guitarist when persuaded by Fripp to hitch King Crimson as bassist after Giles, Giles and Fripp imploded. They quickly realised he may carry a tune too, and tasked him with singing on the debut album, In The Courtroom Of The Crimson King, a monolithic landmark launched a couple of months after Crimson’s first gig – supporting the Stones in entrance of half one million individuals at Hyde Park. For a lot of, this neurotic nine-minute innovation was the dawning of prog.
King Crimson – twenty first Century Schizoid Man (1969)
That debut album’s opener – “an uncanny masterpiece”, mentioned The Who’s Pete Townshend – stays its most recognised calling card, and Lake’s handled, distorted vocals, singing Pete Sinfield’s lyrics about evil politicians, napalm and funeral pyres, evoke ranges of concern and loathing which took rock into uncharted territory. “If it sounded well-liked”, declared Sinfield, “it was out”. Its nervy, counter-intuitive energy transcended style: some have mentioned it foreshadowed grunge, whereas in 2010 even Kanye West sampled it.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Fortunate Man (1970)
The massive kahuna of supergroups, ELP introduced collectively the trio of ex-The Good keyboard wizard Keith Emerson, ex-Atomic Rooster drummer Carl Palmer and Lake, who’d agreed to sing on the second Crimson album in alternate for his or her PA gear. This ELP immediately put to good use, enjoying the Isle Of Wight Competition and successful an Atlantic deal. Their debut album noticed classics and pomp, however Lake’s light folks ballad closed it. When Emerson returned from the pub, he whacked that insane Moog solo over the tip.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Nonetheless… You Flip Me On (1973)
Lake would joke in later years that his softer ballads provided one thing for the women amongst all of the nerd-friendly toccata and trickery of ELP’s indisputably advanced, most likely extreme, noodlings. The epic Mind Salad Surgical procedure album kick-started their largest world tour but and took its title – Somebody Get Me A Ladder – from this quantity. These random bursts of wah-wah guitar remind us you could by no means confidently predict the place an ELP observe would possibly go subsequent.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Half 2 (1973)
The kind of factor which bought prog a nasty title however which now appears more and more daring and impressive in our age of beige conservatism. Karn Evil 9 is half an hour lengthy in complete however its finest part is that this, providing up their catchphrase “Welcome again my associates to the present that by no means ends…” A nebulous idea about computer systems scheming towards unwitting people – topical a lot? – it showcases the trio’s musicianship to riotous, ridiculous impact.
Greg Lake – I Consider In Father Christmas (1975)
Not content material with being in one of many world’s largest, loudest bands, Lake virtually by chance launched what’s develop into a Christmas evergreen pop single. Thwarted from reaching the Number one spot solely by Bohemian Rhapsody, it was co-written with fellow Crimson alumnus Sinfield, and the pair have given differing views on whether or not it’s pro- or anti- faith. Definitely it has a straight-faced gravitas – and a splash of Prokofiev – which has saved it beloved for 4 a long time plus.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – C’est La Vie (1977)
The fifth ELP studio album, a double, noticed the band taking cost of a aspect every and fortunately touchdown on Fanfare For The Widespread Man on Aspect 4, thus having fun with their largest hit single proper on the peak of punk. A lot for logic. Lake wrote Aspect Two with Pete Sinfield, indulging his acoustic ballad aspect. Its autumnal, virtually Gallic melancholy is a good distance from Robert Fripp and even farther from the Bucks Fizz lyrics Sinfield was to maneuver on to. As all the time, Lake sings with candy sincerity.
Emerson, Lake & Powell – Contact And Go (1986)
With Palmer having moved on to Asia (Lake had a short spell with them too), Emerson and Lake elected to reform, after seven years aside, with a brand new drummer. In Cozy Powell they discovered the best selection as they didn’t even have to alter their acronym. Their solitary album discovered, maybe oddly, an enormous cult following amongst followers of Japanese wrestling, by which world their observe The Rating is an anthem. Contact And Go, based mostly on an outdated folks music, is retooled into 80s AOR with a shiny sheen and a gutsy underbelly.
Greg Lake – Nuclear Assault (1981)
Lake’s debut solo album noticed him teaming up with guitarist Gary Moore, who wrote this opening salvo (E Road Band sax hero Clarence Clemons was additionally on the album’s visitor record). It’s nearer to Moore’s hard-rocking Skinny Lizzy days than virtually anything in Lake’s output, although the album additionally took detours by way of Dylan and Smokey Robinson songs. The pair powered by way of one other album, Manoeuvres, two years later. Again-to-roots stuff from the teenage Johnny Kidd fan.
