Emerson, Lake & Powell

My actual rating is 4.5 stars. Uh, Like WOW! I like Carl Palmer both as a musician and a person. That's all I'm going to say in comparison to the late Cozy Powell, who was a unique individual and musician in his own right, as this album proves. He lit a fire under Keith Emerson and Greg Lake that cannot ever be extinguished from this album, no matter how many years will pass since its release. ELPowell is an unsung, underrated creation that still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Emerson unleashed on the relatively sophisticated keyboard technology of the 1980s is a scary, exhilarating thing to hear. And as I always say when I'm deadly serious: I'M NOT KIDDING. 'The Score', 'Learning How To Fly' and 'The Miracle' pack a timeless, sophisticated prog-rock 1-2-3 punch that will leave you breathless. And every other track on the album will impress with their energy and conviction. Oh sure, Cozy Powell thumps and bangs hard enough to raise the ghost of John Bonham, but he also plays with decades of canniness and musical intelligence. He does rock, jazz and... and... Cozy Powell on this fine album. If you've never heard the man's work, this recording is a good introduction. Emerson was in fine form both in playing chops and writing and Greg Lake proved once again that as a vocalist and bassist he is virtually peerless. Anyone reading this who has been reluctant to buy it because Carl Plamer isn't on it, don't be like some Yes fans pining for their favorite lineup, do yourself a favour. Buy this CD at once and let the formidable music do the talking. Could do with a top-notch digital remaster, though.

I bought this is album form when it come out in the 80s and fell in love with it then. I recently bought it on CD and fell in love with it all over. Cozi Powell has a harder more rock style that also gives this CD a more steady but powerful feel then I think Carl Palmers style. If you are a ELP fan like I am this is a much have too/

Emerson, Lake and Palmer, probably the most undeniably profound musically talented group in the rock era; also had their ups and downs. From the dynamic first four albums, to the Works symphonic albums (which I think were just as good if not better) to the dying Love Beach... ELP basically goes into hibernation... It was as if all the creative force were sucked out of the band with a truck load of kryptonite. While Carl went off to ASIA and stuck in a contract with them... Keith and Greg decided to awake from their several years of sleep and take a shot at their stuff once again... However, because of the contract there was no Carl Palmer... Thus in walks Cozy Powell... While many original ELP fans may look at this other "P" guy and say forget it, if it is not Carl Palmer it's not ELP, they are right... Carl Palmer's classical/rock virtuosity is second to none... But, if you never heard Carl, I think many would be energized by this Emerson, Lake and Powell trio. My personal favorite on the whole album is "Mars, The Bringer of War," adapted from the Holst symphonic piece "the Planets" is wonderful. Being a guy who considers himself first a classical musician at heart (being that Wagner's Ring was my first musical experience and study at the age of 5), Cozy Powell holds his own very well on this album. I often wondered if he listened to hours of Carl playing on Triology or Brain Salad Surgery, but he did a nice job for the boys... If you are en ELP fan and can get passed the "P" being a different guy... You will definately like this album... It definately has its place in the ELP repertoire.

Awesome release from a fantastic band that just kept plugging away at good music that always seemed to change with the times yet seamlessly so that you would not even notice. C Powell proves the point, in filling in for Carl Palmer this band did not skip a beat and this is one of the best albums they ever put out IMHO.

Awesome album, i have both LP and CD and LP of course has more details. However, CD is still a 5-star product. Recommended!

This was a 2/3 comeback by ELP, with drumming by Cozy Powell instead of Carl Palmer. This CD is worth purchasing for their version of "Mars, the Bringer of War" from Gustav Holst's classical composition "The Planets". I actually saw Emerson, Lake & Powell in concert in support of this record, and "Mars" was one of the highlights of the show. The bonus tracks are okay, but I prefer the original song selections. The best parts of this CD are the first 4 song, and "Mars". The others seem to be at best throw-aways. Although this version of ELP was pretty much a one-off edition, it is worth a listen, particularly if you like the original ELP.

it's Emerson Lake and Powell!impossible to say anything bad about it :p

When this album was released back in 1986 many ELP fans brushed it off because Carl Palmer was not a part of this work. Carl was under obligation to ASIA. Keith Emerson and Greg Lake chose Cozy Powell to replace Carl for this album. Cozy Powell was a superb drummer and he could not have been a better choice to sit in for Carl Palmer. I saw the resulting tour live and it was every bit as good as the other ELP shows I have seen.The album is very good. The music is vintage ELP and yet has a bit more of the commercial creations featuring Greg Lake's vocals. There are some gems on the album. "Touch and Go" is vintage heyday ELP, while "Lay Down Your Arms" is a beautiful ballad that Greg Lake has become so well known for. His voice has matured slightly bit but still packs the power to deliver a beautiful vocal.Don't let this album slip buy your attention. This is well worth the listen.