Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Love Beach (1978) (2017) (Vinyl / LP / Reissue / Remastered) (WavPack)

Recorded at Compass Point in the Bahamas, Love Beach basks in the glow of ELP's tireless ‘70s run. Full of lust and tumult, “For You” is a foreboding ballad, while “Love Beach” is a lean, luminous rock single to rival newcomers like Boston and The Police. They'll indulge in the rum-soaked blues of “The Gambler,” but ELP won't forsake their ambitions. “Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman” is a four-part suite about a widowed soldier in WWII. Its muscular “Prologue” is a triumphant farewell for an unstoppable trio.

BMG have been reissuing the ELP catalog here in 2017, and now we've come to their 1978 release Love Beach, easily the weakest album in their catalog, one that was lambasted upon its release back at the close of the 1970s. Looking back, many of the famous progressive rock bands were moving into poppier directions, as punk & disco were all the rage and new wave was just starting to appear on the horizon. Though fans were in an uproar back when Love Beach was first released, ELP really weren't doing anything bands like Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, Rush, and Jethro Tull hasn't already done, which was move into more commercial waters to keep up with then current music trends.

Tracklist
01. All I Want Is You (2:36)
02. Love Beach (2:46)
03. Taste Of My Love (3:33)
04. The Gambler (3:23)
05. For You (4:29)
06. Canario (3:59)

Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman
07. Prologue / The Education Of A Gentleman (5:36)
08. Love At First Sight (5:37)
09. Letters From The Front (5:18)
10. Honourable Company (A March) (3:46)

Download