I attended a carl palmer drum clinic decades ago and he said the band went to disneyland and rode through the pirates of the caribbean ride for almost a whole day........to get the feel of pirates lol
I was fortunate to be around back in the seventies to follow them. I loved Pirates from the minute I heard it in 1977. Awesome musicians, we will never see their like again sadly.
@@stevestevens1154 Yep, all that smoking eventually caught up with him and deepened and roughened up his voice. If you listen to the way he sings on _Black Moon_ and compare it to how he sang on _Trilogy_ for example, you'll notice a huge difference.
I feel the same and I'm 67 now. I always go back and listen to this amazing band. I was lucky enough to see them 3 times and I'd come out of each concert saying to myself...WOW!!!! Their music just doesn't give me goosebumps, their music makes me cry with tears of joy. Still my favourite band of all time. Keith and Greg, you're sadly missed , but your music will always live on. RIP!!! gentlemen.
I’m so glad these three musicians path’s crossed…hard to imagine music without them. Also, what a great story teller greg lake was. He is surely missed. R.I.P Greg and Keith.
He was just about to hit his stride. Though he didn't do much in the '80s, his voice was at its best then. He sounds FANTASTIC on "Emerson, Lake & Powell," and his solo albums. Check out the song "Haunted." His depth of tone will blow your mind.
This is such a unique track. Not pop, not rock, but pure prog rock. The lyrics sung by Greg, just perfect . The arrangement by Keith and Sinfield absolutely amazing.
Whenever I want to escape the rigours of the day, I take my headphones, put Pirates on the Hi-Fi, and listen to a much-loved story. I always feel better for it.
Years ago I had this playing in the truck with a co-worker that sailed and knew lots of sailing history. He was very impressed how well they got the terminology and how accurately they portrayed things.
Pirates is one of my favorite pieces. Greg shined in that song. The words were magnificent. Greg's voice is incredible. Keith's arranging of this song was amazing. You close your eyes and you can almost feel you were there sailing with pirates. If you really know about Pirates and broadsides and the things they did this song will all and all be mind blowing ELP the greatest Prog Rock Band that ever was
Keith did not do arranging for ELP. That was Peter Sinfield who did most orchestrations and arranging. He met Greg Lake in King Crimson but shied away from performing after King Crimson.
@@fsinjin60 Moot point I m certain Keith was in on it. I don't know personally ELPs music always did do what he said take you somewhere else other than where you were. That is what drew me to them. More than just music.
The studio recording of Pirates gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it! Lake's vocals are perfect!! Pirates, Tarkus, Karn Evil 9, Jerusalem, Hoedown, Fanfare For the Common Man... my favorites!
Doug, July 9th, 1977. ELP played Madison Square Garden, with the short lived orchestra. Of course Pirates was played. I don't have to tell you how amazing the night was. My friends and I were floored.
I was there! Great, fantastic concert. Seeing and hearing the piano concerto was a moving experience for me (being a classically trained keyboardist). The whole concert was great. And of course Pirates was wonderful))
I think I was there too. Just after the 4th of July and you had some of the audience setting off a few firecrackers…do you remember the music stopped and Greg asked the audience for safeties sake to cease. Regretted never getting to another ELP performance….but I still treasure all the vinyl.
ELP without question the greatest Live band of their generation, and I thank god how fortunate I was to have seen them LIVE from Keith's beginning with the Nice backing PP Arnold at Dreamland, Margate, Corn Exchange Bristol, and saw their reform tours. We have lost 2 unique talented musicians at their prime.
I'm not ashamed to say that I was very moved to accompany this fantastic song by the sacred EL&P trio. My emotional cry goes out to all of them. Thank you and a hug from Brazil. 👏🏻😢🇧🇷
@marcoscamargo7763, Doug's analyzis are always amazing, and this is one of my favorite songs eve. Nice to know there is another Brazilian fan here. I close my eyes and I can see Pirates at Tortuga drinking and fighting. Even I can picture Jack Sparrow sometimes running in that funny way!
One of my top 3 songs of ALL Time. It is perfect. Everything about it is done completely and to the hilt. I cannot believe this was a rock band putting this together. All Hail Emerson, Lake and Palmer!!!!!!!!!!!
This, in my humble opinion, is the Apex of Progressive Rock! It was the best ever written song to tell a story with perfect arrangements. After Pirates of Caribbean I can’t listen to this song without seeing Jack Sparrow!
This is my favourite Band/Orchestra colab (after Days of Future Passed). I listen with tears rolling down my face at the memory of two lost souls, both at their peak. Keith and Greg never played better than this, and Carl just shows his usual brilliance (so "usual" that he can be easily overlooked) Thanks Doug. They will never be forgotten.
A monumental piece that caps their long reign. I spoke with Carl a few years ago and this piece came up in the conversation because we were talking about classically trained percussionists and drummers who, like himself, went on to rock bands. He said it was a difficult piece to lay down with the orchestra. But his background of being technically taught in the classical genre when he was younger helped immensely during these sessions. The song is a masterpiece and still stands the test of time.
So, I saw this live in Montreal. I have seen a lot of great concerts... Yes, Black Sabbath, Queen, Led Zeppelin and many others. The Pirates at Montreal blew my mind.
I bet I've listened to this 1000 times. I was a rabid 13 year-old ELP fan when this album came out. When I first heard this, I felt like I was watching a movie. I had never heard a song so cinematic in its style. It wasn't the ELP I was used to, but it still blew me away. I saw them on their first date of the Works Tour in Louisville with the full orchestra, and heard this song in all it's glory, live, 100 feet in front of me. It was amazing. I never expected Doug to really like this; it wasn't pure or original, but gosh, what a fun ride it is.
Listen to Doug’s discussion. Pirates uses hooks and passages borrowed from naval movie’s musical scores to give the aura of seafaring pirates. Even Robert Louis Stevenson felt his pirate tales were derivative. The British have a long heritage of naval composition that Americans are fairly unfamiliar with. Derivative and impure are not necessarily bad things. Being 100% derivative doesn’t make Raiders of the Lost Ark a bad movie. It’s what you do with it.
@@kratino That's what I said. "Being 100% derivative doesn’t make Raiders of the Lost Ark a bad movie. " It's just a way to be critical without being constructive
I totally agree with you, Doug. Everything about this song: Keith's composition and performance, Greg's soaring vocals, Palmer's on-point percussion, the orchestral arrangement, the mixdown, the idyllic lyrics... all of it. Spectacular! Spectacular!
Greg is in my top 3 all time favorite vocalists. What gets overlooked all the time, and criminally so, is what a fantastic, excellent bassist he was - also in my top 3 of all time))
Greg as you know comes from the same city as Rob Fripp. So he took up the bass in King Crimson. Greg admits jazz had no feeling, but he held his own against Keith and Carl!!
Ya know at some point Doug needs to take a look at "The Three Fates" off of the first album. The organ solo is (in my humble opinion) one of KE's masterpieces.
I saw one of the other "reaction guys" review it. But yeah, I agree. Have you seen anyone do a cover of that solo? there is at least one; I believe he is a German concert pianist. Does a good job--but without feeling, and occasionally messes up[ the tempo. RIP, Keith.
Can't get over how much I enjoyed this reaction Doug! Wish I could hear this piece again for the first time of course, but your expressions and insight makes it even better!
7-7-77 Madison Square Garden with Orchestra. My first concert and it was ELP. Memories seared into my soul. It was spectacular. Pirates was not the closing piece but it was astounding.
They did 3 shows at MSG with orch. and I believe they only did 7 shows worldwide with it because it was too expensive to stage. I saw all 3 shows and spectacular is an understatement!!!
I know that there has been a lot of dislike thrown at Love Beach, but Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is easily as epic as Pirates and quite sad thanks to that songs story. If you haven't already gave that song a listen, I suggest either checking it out or putting it in the rotation of your analysis videos. It's truly wonderful!
Memoirs always sounded like a work in progress to me, although I agree there were some great musical ideas in that piece they were never properly resolved and the lyrics were not up to standard.
Saw this with full orchestra in 1977, still have the t-shirt. Pirates was Awesome. Only 70s concert that I wish I had my dad along. He was a HS Band Director and love Brass horns. He would have loved this. General Admission, sitting on the floor, those were the days.....
This brings back so many memories. I purchased Works Vol 1, late in my senior year in college, and quickly followed that with tickets to the tour at Soldier Field in Chicago that summer (Super Bowl of Rock). Fabulous show with full orchestra.
COMPLETELY agree! I think each of these prog bands got famous for some long song, but those were early, ambitious efforts and often unfocused and lacked editorial discipline. Pirates is ELP's crowning achievement, it has everything we love about ELP's longer tracks, but way more focused and disciplined.
FINALLY!!! Been requesting this forever - now so happy! One of my ELP faves. Great lyrics, cool story, belongs on stage in a play. All of them shine and I always love ELP with an orchestra.
0:44 Figured I'd comment now. It's gonna be a lot of fun watching you react to this masterpiece of prog rock. Emerson got the whole mercenary/pirate feel nailed, and Lake's lyrics tied up the package perfectly. Been a favourite of mine since it first released, as I bought my vinyl copy the week it dropped. Bet you'll return to it many times in future. It's timeless.
In the mid 90s my Dad got our first CD player and he began to get copies of a lot of the music from his youth, and he got the then new Live At the Royal Albert Hall by ELP, I was 12 or 13 and he told me I had to listen to the live version of this song. At the time my favorite music was Garth Brooks, I'd never heard a note of prog. This song changed my musical life. Yes was over my head for a few more years, but I fell in love with ELP and Genesis. The rest is history.
In 1997, my family saw ELP with Jethro Tull from the grass at the back of the Concord Pavilion. They played this piece. My son was around 4-months old and we wanted to be far enough from the speakers that it wouldn't hurt his ears. The grass is where most families chose to sit. ELP had fantastic lights and a screen show that accompanied their music. My son was riveted to the spectacle for 20 minutes. And then he collapsed exhausted. The longest I had seen him concentrate on anything to that point. A great concert and memory!
Id love to see your reaction not this first time, but after ten or twelve times when you really get to know it with every detail as a whole almost perfect piece
So pleased by your analysis of this piece. It is a wonderful theatrical performance from band and orchestra which I totally agree is close to perfect in execution mix and arrangement. There is nothing to remove or add. Is it classic ELP maybe not but as a wonderful musical adventure that totally captures the mood and essence of all pirate films and literature it is a monumental success. At the hight of Punk and disco maybe it fell on deaf ears but I think it’s a masterpiece in its achievement. As you say superb singing perhaps Greg’s best ever delivery and something few if any band could pull off
'Pirates' is a brilliant piece. The complexity of the orchestration is just amazing. As is 'Fanfare for The Common Man'..a signature piece for ELP. RIP Gregg and Keith. I had occasion to meet Carl Palmer a gentleman in addition to an amazing talent.
God!!!! Greg was an amazing vocalist. Powerful, emotional and yet subtle when need be. He was quite unique. ELP were my favourite band and still are. Just listen to King Crimson's 21st Schidzoid Man and then listen to I Talk To The Wind....one a powerful vocal and then the other totally soft and subtle. Him and Keith are missed greatly, but their music will live on forever.
One of the very best from a band that created some astonishing music. All 3 had great talent with their instruments (including Greg's wonderfully theatrical voice). Emerson was also a pretty darned good composer and arranger, certainly one of the best at fusing classical and rock!
Glad you got to this one, really shows the talent of the band! I played this song over and over when this album came out! Fantastic, glad you enjoyed it, one of my favorite ELP songs!!
This is my favorite song. Greg's voice is off the charts. If you really know about real pirates the words to this song will blow your mind. Keith and Carl are also great. Emerson Lake & Palmer are the greatest progressive rock band in the history of rock n roll. Their statistical density is on matched
I saw ELP play on the Works tour, summer of '77, I believe. Madison Square Garden, NYC. They played with a full orchestra for part of the concert, Pirates, Keith's Concerto, Fanfare for the common man, etc. Each musician was separately miked and mixed so the sound was well balanced. It was stunning. I should mention that we lit a bong in my friends VW minibus before going in and out was really the first time I ever got fully baked. Thankfully I had good friends guiding me , lol.
As always and first and foremost, thank you, Doug, for more excellent stuff, and for all the stuff you do! As for "Pirates", I think you nailed it when at one point you said "Reminds me of 'Tarkus'." To me, this feels like Keith taking his own compositional tendencies and turning them into a kind of parody of himself. The fact that this was originally written for a film makes it possible that--especially if it was going to be used exclusively as background music during action scenes, as a lot of this music seems to suggest--that he might have thought he might just play around a bit with some things he liked to do, turn it in, have an orchestra play it, and take home a paycheck. Obviously, it wasn't something he originally intended to be an ELP number. But you're right that it's a fun listen (after not having heard it in forty-something years--now I can put it to bed, I think), and yes, Greg Lake's voice was one of the prettiest voices in all of rock. Thanks again, Doug. See you over on the Patreon!
Peter Sinfield is such an amazing lyricist! According to Wikipedia: With King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) - lyrics, production - In the Wake of Poseidon (1970) - lyrics, production - Lizard (1970) - lyrics, VCS3, production - Islands (1971) - lyrics, production - Sailors' Tales 1970-1972, 27-disc boxed set (2017) - lyrics, production, live sound mix With Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (1973) - lyrics for "Benny the Bouncer" and "Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression" - Works Volume I (1977) - lyrics - Works Volume 2 (1977) - lyrics for "Watching Over You", and "I Believe in Father Christmas" - Love Beach (1978) - lyrics
I don't read music or understand music composition but I like the way this guy reviews music.He comes from a classical background so you know he knows what he's listening to & he makes it all sound highly interesting.
At last, thank you so very much Doug. Completely different from their usual output, but then again, they never were predictable. Love everything ELP produced.
YAY! Pirates, finally! Thank you Doug for getting to this masterpiece by ELP! It’s one of their finest compositions IMO. I agree totally with you that this is such a fun piece to listen to!. Also, I consider this one of Greg’s greatest vocal performances with masterful lyrical composition by Pete Sinfield. I had the pleasure of hearing them perform this piece, alas, sans orchestra, a few times, but it was still exhilarating! Okay Doug, I would like to humbly request that the next ELP piece you review to be a song entitled Burning Bridges off of their Black Moon album. It is really an under appreciated gem of theirs IMO. Please give it a listen. I would love to hear what you think and record your reaction to it. In the meantime, stay well and “come drink a toast with meee…!” Cheers!
Greetings from Oregon. Cobo Arena Detroit 1978. We were asked to stand as the London Philharmonic Orchestra walked to their place. ELP Works. We knew we in for something special. Great reaction
Yes, one of ELP's finest moments. There's a live video somewhere of them performing it with orchestra in Montreal. However they later ELP performed it, without orchestra and always did a surprisingly good version.
Doug, I am newer to you channel. I love the videos and reviews. I have been an ELP fan since the mid 1970's. I still love the music and talent that ELP has. I come to appreciate the music more and more each time I listen to it.
I can remember, many, many moons ago, ELP tried to tour with an orchestra. I almost bankrupted them. They pulled back and continued the tour as the traditional trio. The King Biscuit Flower Hour (anyone else remember?) broadcast a show from the second half of that tour. Keith was playing that monstrous Yamaha polysynth. They did "Pirates" and it was great! I saw them on the Black Moon tour in '92 at Jones Beach. (My wife's birthday present to me. I even canceled a show I was supposed to play.) With all of the MIDI and other toys available then, that version of "Pirates" it was absolutely incredible. I knew from the first note what the song was, stood up and shouted; Greg Lake pointed at me and smiled.
The fact they almost went bankrupt on that tour with the orchestra was the reason they rushed into the studio to record Love Beach, which is sad because that wasn't a terrible album but was certainty didn't live up to past albums...
Doug… I discovered your channel just a few months after you started it. When I watched you react to "Close to the Edge" by Yes, I was immediately hooked on your channel. I knew instantly I wanted to hear you review Dark Side of Moon, Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto #1, and Pirates. You finally completed that trilogy of my favorite prog rock pieces. It was such a joy to watch you discover this amazing piece of music that I've been listening to and enjoying for decades. It makes you want to invent a time machine, run out and join a bunch of pirates. As the last line of the story says, "Gold drives a man to dream." The piece makes me dream of being an old-fashioned pirate. I'm glad that you finally got to share in the dream. I was fortunate enough to see ELP in the "Works" tour when they were touring with a full orchestra. As you probably know, that became prohibitively expensive and they had to cancel the latter half of that tour. The last performance they gave with the orchestra was here in Indianapolis and I was there. It was a night I'll never forget. Keep up the good work. If you need something else to check out, we want to hear Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and Jeff Wayne's "War of the Words". They are both very long concept albums. Sorry, I can't afford to be a Patreon supporter and thanks so much for eventually releasing your longer Friday videos to the general public.
Ha ha, I saw the works double album behind you and was wondering if you were going to react to Pirates, but then I just figured you’ve heard it. Ahoy Mateys!!!
One thing I LOVE about this track is the production. It's the 3-piece band and an orchestra, you can hear both, and at some points the orchestra drops out, while the band plays, and there is NO real change in intensity. I don't know how they managed it.
I enjoyed your comment on this song. I am happy that people are discovering ELP for the first time. I know that this is not your first time hearing them but it is for this song. Ever since I bought the Works Vol 1 I fell in love with this song. I closed my eyes and remembered all the old Errol Flin movies ans All the one since and it really had a hugh impact on me. For decades I have wanted to make a video of this song by just clipping up old pirate movies but I havent the funds or the equipment to do it. If you have any friends that would consider taking on this challenge it would be great for all the hard core ELP fans like me. Keep up the good work I enjoy your site and your knowledge. By the way the last line was difficult for Peter but s casual sentence by some one lead to.Gold drives a man to dream. Excellent.
A fanatic of the band since mid 70's. It's probably a bit controversial to many fans of ELP but to me it's their finest hour. Yes I play all the usual suspects often but it's this that I always come home to. I just lost in all the visions in my mind it vividly conjures up musically and lyrically. After almost 40 years I still find it is as fresh as the day I fist plonked the stylus down on the flat black spinney thing!!! 2016 was a very dark year. "Gold does drive a man to dream!" God bless you KE and GL.
It's 1977, I had just graduated from high school. That summer getting ready to go to AU in Washington DC. ELP was one of groups that became the foundation of my musical house. I used to listen to WNEW FM all the time, and my favorite DJ was the amazing Nightbird, alison steele (who I know you have heard of). Anyway, she always opened her show with a "story", and one night that summer she was talking about a request she received for a specific song to play. Seemed there was a family leaving NY Harbor that night and they were going to sail across the Atlantic, and wanted to hear a specific song as they left the view of the harbor and coast. That song, Pirates. I can only imagine them sitting there that night as the sailed away from NYC, listening to this song. One of my favorites.
That was the greatest rock show I ever saw. I didn't know what ELPowell were going to play. It seemed a lot of prog bands were eschewing their older epics in those days (Genesis, Yes, Rush etc) so I kind of expected the new album and a smattering of Lake ballads. I was wrong. I heard the Bb and C played and held and I thought "Wait... Are they playing Pirates?? Or is this a tease for a medley of 30 seconds each of a bunch of songs in a row?? Wait They're not stopping!!!!" Seeing Emerson play Pirates for the first time in '86 still gives me chills. I have a GREAT audience bootleg of that show and I can experience that 16 year old's joy and excitement in stereo still to this day playing it loud in the car! The GX-1 on that tour sounded INCREDIBLE!
You can't hear music for the first time more than once but, you can get close when your hearing along with another for their first time. I remember being 18 and they premiered this the day before its release on a local station. I was blown away. Fortunately I taped it and had to listen to it 5 times. The Next day I ran out and bought it and ever since it has been my favorite song. It still gives me the chills!
Thanks Doug - you hit it right. You also mentioned the American style & you got me thinking of what connection between this and Fanfare for a Common Man might be. Seemingly an odd paring but Keith adds Fifths to embellish wide open seas, hum, maybe in a Copland’ish nod. As you beautifully point out Keith is strong on Forths as well as sus chords. I enjoy your work tremendously and am extremely pleased with your content. Rock on my Bro 👍
I've always loved Pirates and I was happy when ELP played it the day I saw them at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland in 1992. I'm only 52. So, I am very thankful that I saw ELP that year. It was an incredible show!
I was at that show also David back in 1992, I had not seen ELP live since 1977 and was beyond excited just to see my favorite band again. I buzzed all the way back home to rural Virginia that nite and Pirates was a definite highlight for me. By the way, the first time I saw ELP live was in Summer of 1972 and that's exactly 20 years prior and it was at the Meriwether Pavilion!!!
Good one Doug. I'm glad that after the tune you quoted Pete Sinfield's thoughts about the lyrics. I love the band and orchestra and the arrangement on Pirates and of course Greg's wonderful singing. But the lyrics of Pirates are astonishing to me. So descriptive. It makes me feel like I am there in the Caribbean living the life with these Pirates. Amazing tune. Mind blowing lyrics!
Doug, since you like Greg Lake's voice so much, you perhaps should pay attention to two of my favorite songs by Him from the same album. They are " Lend your love to me tonight" and " Closer to believing". By the way "closer to believing" was redone by Him prior to his passing in 2016 and is available on you tube ( short version ) and on his Anthology ( long version ).
10% Off Status Between 3ANC Wireless Earbuds - Promo Code: DailyDoug
www.status.co/DailyDoug
I attended a carl palmer drum clinic decades ago and he said the band went to disneyland and rode through the pirates of the caribbean ride for almost a whole day........to get the feel of pirates lol
I was fortunate to be around back in the seventies to follow them. I loved Pirates from the minute I heard it in 1977. Awesome musicians, we will never see their like again sadly.
Nothing like them in all of popular music. This is the single most sophisticated piece in popular music.
Gregg's voice was truly unique. So full and warm and emotional
This was just as Greg’s voice stated to change.
He's one of my favorites ever.
@@stevestevens1154 Yep, all that smoking eventually caught up with him and deepened and roughened up his voice. If you listen to the way he sings on _Black Moon_ and compare it to how he sang on _Trilogy_ for example, you'll notice a huge difference.
I was truly blessed to see them in the 70s and 90s. There never be a voice like Greg
@@TheReaperMan275 His voice deepened, but it never roughened. It was beautiful until the end.
I'm now 64 and this piece still makes me tingle and goosebump, been that way since I first heard this album when it came out.
I feel the same and I'm 67 now. I always go back and listen to this amazing band. I was lucky enough to see them 3 times and I'd come out of each concert saying to myself...WOW!!!! Their music just doesn't give me goosebumps, their music makes me cry with tears of joy. Still my favourite band of all time. Keith and Greg, you're sadly missed , but your music will always live on. RIP!!! gentlemen.
I am 64 also.....I caught this show in Detroit and it was fire.
I’m so glad these three musicians path’s crossed…hard to imagine music without them. Also, what a great story teller greg lake was. He is surely missed. R.I.P Greg and Keith.
Four musicians: Peter Sinfield was so important to this quadruple album series.
Greg Lake's vocals are so spirited on this track -- it really transports you into the lyrics
He was just about to hit his stride. Though he didn't do much in the '80s, his voice was at its best then. He sounds FANTASTIC on "Emerson, Lake & Powell," and his solo albums. Check out the song "Haunted." His depth of tone will blow your mind.
His voice was always the best thing about this song for me. Even better than the instrumentals I'd say. Greg Lake had a incredible voice
Lake use to play the bass like a mad too.
This is such a unique track. Not pop, not rock, but pure prog rock. The lyrics sung by Greg, just perfect . The arrangement by Keith and Sinfield absolutely amazing.
timeless music. Those late 70s and 80's critics who hated ELP were clueless.
THEY WERE SIMPLY IDIOTS
Right
As they say "those who can, do and those that can't criticize!!"
Whenever I want to escape the rigours of the day, I take my headphones, put Pirates on the Hi-Fi, and listen to a much-loved story. I always feel better for it.
Years ago I had this playing in the truck with a co-worker that sailed and knew lots of sailing history. He was very impressed how well they got the terminology and how accurately they portrayed things.
Hands up if you sing along! 🙌
@@joekrepps 👐🙌🎶
I remember in the 60's as a boy watching the old errol flynn pirate movies with my mom together.....
@@joekrepps 🤲you can't help it, but sometimes I just keep still, turn it up, and let Greg's voice wash all over me for the journey 🎶🏴☠️🎶🎸
One of the best voices in rock.
Pirates is one of my favorite pieces. Greg shined in that song. The words were magnificent. Greg's voice is incredible. Keith's arranging of this song was amazing. You close your eyes and you can almost feel you were there sailing with pirates. If you really know about Pirates and broadsides and the things they did this song will all and all be mind blowing ELP the greatest Prog Rock Band that ever was
Ikr? It's a nice little light opera, and it's one of my favorites from _Works, Vol. 1._
Their music immerses you into it. More depth It is a full sensory experience.
Keith did not do arranging for ELP. That was Peter Sinfield who did most orchestrations and arranging. He met Greg Lake in King Crimson but shied away from performing after King Crimson.
@@fsinjin60 Moot point I m certain Keith was in on it. I don't know personally ELPs music always did do what he said take you somewhere else other than where you were. That is what drew me to them. More than just music.
@@robertadams6606 listen to the commentary. One whole side was Sinfield’s.
The studio recording of Pirates gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it! Lake's vocals are perfect!! Pirates, Tarkus, Karn Evil 9, Jerusalem, Hoedown, Fanfare For the Common Man... my favorites!
I am very happy you got to this. The crown jewel of this album in my opinion.
Agreed!
Doug, July 9th, 1977. ELP played Madison Square Garden, with the short lived orchestra. Of course Pirates was played. I don't have to tell you how amazing the night was. My friends and I were floored.
I was there! Great, fantastic concert. Seeing and hearing the piano concerto was a moving experience for me (being a classically trained keyboardist). The whole concert was great. And of course Pirates was wonderful))
I was there too. Will never forget that show.
I think I was there too. Just after the 4th of July and you had some of the audience setting off a few firecrackers…do you remember the music stopped and Greg asked the audience for safeties sake to cease. Regretted never getting to another ELP performance….but I still treasure all the vinyl.
Detroit show and it was awesome.
I was there - 7th row center. AMAZING concert
ELP doing what ELP does best! Great as always and RIP Keith and Greg ... never forgotten!
ELP without question the greatest Live band of their generation, and I thank god how fortunate I was to have seen them LIVE from Keith's beginning with the Nice backing PP Arnold at Dreamland, Margate, Corn Exchange Bristol, and saw their reform tours. We have lost 2 unique talented musicians at their prime.
I'm not ashamed to say that I was very moved to accompany this fantastic song by the sacred EL&P trio. My emotional cry goes out to all of them. Thank you and a hug from Brazil. 👏🏻😢🇧🇷
@marcoscamargo7763, Doug's analyzis are always amazing, and this is one of my favorite songs eve. Nice to know there is another Brazilian fan here. I close my eyes and I can see Pirates at Tortuga drinking and fighting. Even I can picture Jack Sparrow sometimes running in that funny way!
One of my top 3 songs of ALL Time. It is perfect. Everything about it is done completely and to the hilt. I cannot believe this was a rock band putting this together. All Hail Emerson, Lake and Palmer!!!!!!!!!!!
🙏🙏🙏
This, in my humble opinion, is the Apex of Progressive Rock! It was the best ever written song to tell a story with perfect arrangements. After Pirates of Caribbean I can’t listen to this song without seeing Jack Sparrow!
This is my favourite Band/Orchestra colab (after Days of Future Passed). I listen with tears rolling down my face at the memory of two lost souls, both at their peak. Keith and Greg never played better than this, and Carl just shows his usual brilliance (so "usual" that he can be easily overlooked) Thanks Doug. They will never be forgotten.
Glad you like this track. I have loved it from the very first time I heard it back in 79. And you are so right about Greg Lake's voice - unique.
Greg and Pete Seinfeld actually learnt all they could about pirates an amazing tune Keith, Greg and Carl doing great things.
This piece of music is very much a part of my youth, your enjoyment of it made me quite emotional. Thank you.
A monumental piece that caps their long reign. I spoke with Carl a few years ago and this piece came up in the conversation because we were talking about classically trained percussionists and drummers who, like himself, went on to rock bands. He said it was a difficult piece to lay down with the orchestra. But his background of being technically taught in the classical genre when he was younger helped immensely during these sessions. The song is a masterpiece and still stands the test of time.
So, I saw this live in Montreal. I have seen a lot of great concerts... Yes, Black Sabbath, Queen, Led Zeppelin and many others. The Pirates at Montreal blew my mind.
I bet I've listened to this 1000 times. I was a rabid 13 year-old ELP fan when this album came out. When I first heard this, I felt like I was watching a movie. I had never heard a song so cinematic in its style. It wasn't the ELP I was used to, but it still blew me away.
I saw them on their first date of the Works Tour in Louisville with the full orchestra, and heard this song in all it's glory, live, 100 feet in front of me. It was amazing. I never expected Doug to really like this; it wasn't pure or original, but gosh, what a fun ride it is.
It wasn't pure or original? Could you please explain?
I was 15.....seen them in concert that year
Listen to Doug’s discussion. Pirates uses hooks and passages borrowed from naval movie’s musical scores to give the aura of seafaring pirates. Even Robert Louis Stevenson felt his pirate tales were derivative. The British have a long heritage of naval composition that Americans are fairly unfamiliar with.
Derivative and impure are not necessarily bad things. Being 100% derivative doesn’t make Raiders of the Lost Ark a bad movie. It’s what you do with it.
@@fsinjin60 I have listened to Doug’s discussion. I don’t get your point. Most everything is derivative of something.
@@kratino That's what I said. "Being 100% derivative doesn’t make Raiders of the Lost Ark a bad movie. " It's just a way to be critical without being constructive
I totally agree with you, Doug. Everything about this song: Keith's composition and performance, Greg's soaring vocals, Palmer's on-point percussion, the orchestral arrangement, the mixdown, the idyllic lyrics... all of it. Spectacular! Spectacular!
Greg is in my top 3 all time favorite vocalists. What gets overlooked all the time, and criminally so, is what a fantastic, excellent bassist he was - also in my top 3 of all time))
And Producer!
Greg as you know comes from the same city as Rob Fripp. So he took up the bass in King Crimson. Greg admits jazz had no feeling, but he held his own against Keith and Carl!!
He even filled in for a disgruntled (drunken) John Wetton on an Asia tour.
Ya know at some point Doug needs to take a look at "The Three Fates" off of the first album. The organ solo is (in my humble opinion) one of KE's masterpieces.
I saw one of the other "reaction guys" review it. But yeah, I agree. Have you seen anyone do a cover of that solo? there is at least one; I believe he is a German concert pianist. Does a good job--but without feeling, and occasionally messes up[ the tempo. RIP, Keith.
Magnificent piece.
Absolutely! 3 Fates and Tank are often forgotten, but great songs.
For me too
BEST ELP song !!!!!!!!
Can't get over how much I enjoyed this reaction Doug! Wish I could hear this piece again for the first time of course, but your expressions and insight makes it even better!
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends!
7-7-77 Madison Square Garden with Orchestra. My first concert and it was ELP. Memories seared into my soul. It was spectacular. Pirates was not the closing piece but it was astounding.
I was at the show, fantastic
They did 3 shows at MSG with orch. and I believe they only did 7 shows worldwide with it because it was too expensive to stage. I saw all 3 shows and spectacular is an understatement!!!
@@tom587 saw two of 'em
I know that there has been a lot of dislike thrown at Love Beach, but Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is easily as epic as Pirates and quite sad thanks to that songs story. If you haven't already gave that song a listen, I suggest either checking it out or putting it in the rotation of your analysis videos. It's truly wonderful!
"Memoirs" and "Canario" are worthy high spots on that album for sure.
Canario, yes I agree! It’s a rollicking piece that puts both even Keith’s and Carl’s formidable talents to the challenge!
@@gerarddion4859 Don't forget Greg Lake's immaculate electric guitar work on "Canario." There's very little of that in the ELP catalog.
Canario is a great song.
Memoirs always sounded like a work in progress to me, although I agree there were some great musical ideas in that piece they were never properly resolved and the lyrics were not up to standard.
Saw this with full orchestra in 1977, still have the t-shirt. Pirates was Awesome. Only 70s concert that I wish I had my dad along. He was a HS Band Director and love Brass horns. He would have loved this. General Admission, sitting on the floor, those were the days.....
This brings back so many memories. I purchased Works Vol 1, late in my senior year in college, and quickly followed that with tickets to the tour at Soldier Field in Chicago that summer (Super Bowl of Rock). Fabulous show with full orchestra.
COMPLETELY agree! I think each of these prog bands got famous for some long song, but those were early, ambitious efforts and often unfocused and lacked editorial discipline. Pirates is ELP's crowning achievement, it has everything we love about ELP's longer tracks, but way more focused and disciplined.
FINALLY!!! Been requesting this forever - now so happy! One of my ELP faves. Great lyrics, cool story, belongs on stage in a play. All of them shine and I always love ELP with an orchestra.
Me too!
This is actually one of ELP's great songs. I tend to always think of Tarkus, Endless Enigma, Karn Evil 9, etc. But this song is very good too.
@@reliantncc1864 Yeah. The first ELP might even be my favorite. Every song is tremendous and different. Never get bored listening to that one.
@@reliantncc1864 The live version!
Doug has reacted to all of those. :)
0:44 Figured I'd comment now. It's gonna be a lot of fun watching you react to this masterpiece of prog rock. Emerson got the whole mercenary/pirate feel nailed, and Lake's lyrics tied up the package perfectly. Been a favourite of mine since it first released, as I bought my vinyl copy the week it dropped. Bet you'll return to it many times in future. It's timeless.
Fantastic!! I have been waiting for a long, long time for you to do this piece.
ELP's "Pirates" is, in my ears, a perfect piece of music.
In the mid 90s my Dad got our first CD player and he began to get copies of a lot of the music from his youth, and he got the then new Live At the Royal Albert Hall by ELP, I was 12 or 13 and he told me I had to listen to the live version of this song. At the time my favorite music was Garth Brooks, I'd never heard a note of prog. This song changed my musical life. Yes was over my head for a few more years, but I fell in love with ELP and Genesis. The rest is history.
In 1997, my family saw ELP with Jethro Tull from the grass at the back of the Concord Pavilion. They played this piece. My son was around 4-months old and we wanted to be far enough from the speakers that it wouldn't hurt his ears. The grass is where most families chose to sit. ELP had fantastic lights and a screen show that accompanied their music. My son was riveted to the spectacle for 20 minutes. And then he collapsed exhausted. The longest I had seen him concentrate on anything to that point. A great concert and memory!
I met tull, jobson 1980 Philadelphia
Great story😊
This is one of my favourite ELP songs. When I need cheering up I listen to this turned up loud. Thanks for covering this.
Id love to see your reaction not this first time, but after ten or twelve times when you really get to know it with every detail as a whole almost perfect piece
So pleased by your analysis of this piece. It is a wonderful theatrical performance from band and orchestra which I totally agree is close to perfect in execution mix and arrangement. There is nothing to remove or add. Is it classic ELP maybe not but as a wonderful musical adventure that totally captures the mood and essence of all pirate films and literature it is a monumental success. At the hight of Punk and disco maybe it fell on deaf ears but I think it’s a masterpiece in its achievement. As you say superb singing perhaps Greg’s best ever delivery and something few if any band could pull off
I’m just waiting for Errol Flynn to fly around the ship! Tremendous amount of talent in this song and the album. Long live the memories of ELP.
'Pirates' is a brilliant piece. The complexity of the orchestration is just amazing. As is 'Fanfare for The Common Man'..a signature piece for ELP. RIP Gregg and Keith. I had occasion to meet Carl Palmer a gentleman in addition to an amazing talent.
God!!!! Greg was an amazing vocalist. Powerful, emotional and yet subtle when need be. He was quite unique. ELP were my favourite band and still are. Just listen to King Crimson's 21st Schidzoid Man and then listen to I Talk To The Wind....one a powerful vocal and then the other totally soft and subtle. Him and Keith are missed greatly, but their music will live on forever.
Pirates is one of my favs since always.
Greg is in my opinion the best voice of prog music.
Thx Doug for this.
Yessssss, awesome! This is such a favorite of mine that doesn't seem to get much love. Gold drives a man to dream
One of the very best from a band that created some astonishing music. All 3 had great talent with their instruments (including Greg's wonderfully theatrical voice). Emerson was also a pretty darned good composer and arranger, certainly one of the best at fusing classical and rock!
Glad you got to this one, really shows the talent of the band! I played this song over and over when this album came out! Fantastic, glad you enjoyed it, one of my favorite ELP songs!!
Saw that live at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal with orchestra....what a show! A unique piece of Bravora! Thank you Doug!
I love that I am always introduced to new music. First time hearing this. What a fun piece of music.
One of my all time favorites. Haven’t listened to it in forever. Will do so tonight.
This is so cool. This is a portion of rock that is very special to me, but doesn't get enough attention. Thanks for being a real one, Doug.
This is my favorite song. Greg's voice is off the charts. If you really know about real pirates the words to this song will blow your mind. Keith and Carl are also great. Emerson Lake & Palmer are the greatest progressive rock band in the history of rock n roll. Their statistical density is on matched
I got to see ELP do this twice with their orchestra, in 1977, in Chicago, and then in Des Moines. One of the awesome things I've ever seen/heard.
I saw ELP play on the Works tour, summer of '77, I believe. Madison Square Garden, NYC. They played with a full orchestra for part of the concert, Pirates, Keith's Concerto, Fanfare for the common man, etc. Each musician was separately miked and mixed so the sound was well balanced. It was stunning. I should mention that we lit a bong in my friends VW minibus before going in and out was really the first time I ever got fully baked. Thankfully I had good friends guiding me , lol.
Even without any lyrics you’d just know this masterpiece was about being at sea.
These boys are KICKING it like a Swiss watch. The band is on fire, and Greg Lake's vocals are just ridiculous
As always and first and foremost, thank you, Doug, for more excellent stuff, and for all the stuff you do! As for "Pirates", I think you nailed it when at one point you said "Reminds me of 'Tarkus'." To me, this feels like Keith taking his own compositional tendencies and turning them into a kind of parody of himself. The fact that this was originally written for a film makes it possible that--especially if it was going to be used exclusively as background music during action scenes, as a lot of this music seems to suggest--that he might have thought he might just play around a bit with some things he liked to do, turn it in, have an orchestra play it, and take home a paycheck. Obviously, it wasn't something he originally intended to be an ELP number. But you're right that it's a fun listen (after not having heard it in forty-something years--now I can put it to bed, I think), and yes, Greg Lake's voice was one of the prettiest voices in all of rock.
Thanks again, Doug. See you over on the Patreon!
Bloody brilliant! Never forget the first time I heard this, I was there sailing the seas with a following wind and billowing sails…..sigh!😊
Different than most of ELP'S songs, the main instrument of this song is Greg's voice rather than Keith's keyboard.
Greg truly had an incredible voice
Peter Sinfield is such an amazing lyricist!
According to Wikipedia:
With King Crimson
- In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) - lyrics, production
- In the Wake of Poseidon (1970) - lyrics, production
- Lizard (1970) - lyrics, VCS3, production
- Islands (1971) - lyrics, production
- Sailors' Tales 1970-1972, 27-disc boxed set (2017) - lyrics, production, live sound mix
With Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Brain Salad Surgery (1973) - lyrics for "Benny the Bouncer" and "Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression"
- Works Volume I (1977) - lyrics
- Works Volume 2 (1977) - lyrics for "Watching Over You", and "I Believe in Father Christmas"
- Love Beach (1978) - lyrics
The greatest 13+ minutes of prog rock ever and the story/lyrics are totally epic.
I don't read music or understand music composition but I like the way this guy reviews music.He comes from a classical background so you know he knows what he's listening to & he makes it all sound highly interesting.
Am I the only one who realizes that Greg Lake playing bass was a damn genius???
Nope ... his Alembic 8-string is just NASTY and all over the mix. 😊
Been hoping and waiting for this one.
A absolute great song.. glad your doing this song..
I’ve been waiting for you to listen and comment on this piece. Always fun to watch Doug go nearly speechless! Thanks!
I agree with other comments ...you really need to see this live. ELP always said that most everything they wrote was written to be played Live.
it was great to see ELP doing pieces like Pirates in the big arenas back in the day . that's something you can never forget .
At last, thank you so very much Doug. Completely different from their usual output, but then again, they never were predictable. Love everything ELP produced.
My favorite ELP "story" song.... just captured me when I was young... imagery is amazing
YAY! Pirates, finally! Thank you Doug for getting to this masterpiece by ELP! It’s one of their finest compositions IMO. I agree totally with you that this is such a fun piece to listen to!. Also, I consider this one of Greg’s greatest vocal performances with masterful lyrical composition by Pete Sinfield. I had the pleasure of hearing them perform this piece, alas, sans orchestra, a few times, but it was still exhilarating! Okay Doug, I would like to humbly request that the next ELP piece you review to be a song entitled Burning Bridges off of their Black Moon album. It is really an under appreciated gem of theirs IMO. Please give it a listen. I would love to hear what you think and record your reaction to it. In the meantime, stay well and “come drink a toast with meee…!” Cheers!
Greetings from Oregon. Cobo Arena Detroit 1978. We were asked to stand as the London Philharmonic Orchestra walked to their place. ELP Works. We knew we in for something special. Great reaction
Saw ELP play this with the full orchestra when they headlined Soldier Field in Chicago in front of 70,000 folks in summer of '77. Stellar.
Yes, one of ELP's finest moments. There's a live video somewhere of them performing it with orchestra in Montreal. However they later ELP performed it, without orchestra and always did a surprisingly good version.
This is one of my top five favorite pieces ever recorded! I’m so glad you finally got to listen to it and critique it.
Doug, I am newer to you channel. I love the videos and reviews. I have been an ELP fan since the mid 1970's. I still love the music and talent that ELP has. I come to appreciate the music more and more each time I listen to it.
I can remember, many, many moons ago, ELP tried to tour with an orchestra. I almost bankrupted them. They pulled back and continued the tour as the traditional trio. The King Biscuit Flower Hour (anyone else remember?) broadcast a show from the second half of that tour. Keith was playing that monstrous Yamaha polysynth. They did "Pirates" and it was great! I saw them on the Black Moon tour in '92 at Jones Beach. (My wife's birthday present to me. I even canceled a show I was supposed to play.) With all of the MIDI and other toys available then, that version of "Pirates" it was absolutely incredible. I knew from the first note what the song was, stood up and shouted; Greg Lake pointed at me and smiled.
This is the Yamaha GX-1.
th-cam.com/video/WLSditiJVpc/w-d-xo.html
Great story, I saw the Black Moon tour show as well, just unforgettable
Saw the orchestra 2 night in a row at MSG.
The fact they almost went bankrupt on that tour with the orchestra was the reason they rushed into the studio to record Love Beach, which is sad because that wasn't a terrible album but was certainty didn't live up to past albums...
Never, in my fantasies of music did ever expect anyone to react to this piece. I thank you from the bottom of my humble heart.
Greg had a wonderful voice. It was so full at any range he sang..
Doug… I discovered your channel just a few months after you started it. When I watched you react to "Close to the Edge" by Yes, I was immediately hooked on your channel. I knew instantly I wanted to hear you review Dark Side of Moon, Keith Emerson's Piano Concerto #1, and Pirates. You finally completed that trilogy of my favorite prog rock pieces. It was such a joy to watch you discover this amazing piece of music that I've been listening to and enjoying for decades.
It makes you want to invent a time machine, run out and join a bunch of pirates.
As the last line of the story says, "Gold drives a man to dream." The piece makes me dream of being an old-fashioned pirate. I'm glad that you finally got to share in the dream.
I was fortunate enough to see ELP in the "Works" tour when they were touring with a full orchestra. As you probably know, that became prohibitively expensive and they had to cancel the latter half of that tour. The last performance they gave with the orchestra was here in Indianapolis and I was there. It was a night I'll never forget.
Keep up the good work. If you need something else to check out, we want to hear Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and Jeff Wayne's "War of the Words". They are both very long concept albums. Sorry, I can't afford to be a Patreon supporter and thanks so much for eventually releasing your longer Friday videos to the general public.
They didn't cancel the latter half of the tour. They continued without the orchestra.
Love this. I still have my vinyl, bought at release in 1977. So many memories from that time...
Ha ha, I saw the works double album behind you and was wondering if you were going to react to Pirates, but then I just figured you’ve heard it. Ahoy Mateys!!!
One thing I LOVE about this track is the production. It's the 3-piece band and an orchestra, you can hear both, and at some points the orchestra drops out, while the band plays, and there is NO real change in intensity. I don't know how they managed it.
I enjoyed your comment on this song. I am happy that people are discovering ELP for the first time. I know that this is not your first time hearing them but it is for this song. Ever since I bought the Works Vol 1 I fell in love with this song. I closed my eyes and remembered all the old Errol Flin movies ans All the one since and it really had a hugh impact on me. For decades I have wanted to make a video of this song by just clipping up old pirate movies but I havent the funds or the equipment to do it. If you have any friends that would consider taking on this challenge it would be great for all the hard core ELP fans like me. Keep up the good work I enjoy your site and your knowledge. By the way the last line was difficult for Peter but s casual sentence by some one lead to.Gold drives a man to dream. Excellent.
A fanatic of the band since mid 70's. It's probably a bit controversial to many fans of ELP but to me it's their finest hour. Yes I play all the usual suspects often but it's this that I always come home to. I just lost in all the visions in my mind it vividly conjures up musically and lyrically. After almost 40 years I still find it is as fresh as the day I fist plonked the stylus down on the flat black spinney thing!!! 2016 was a very dark year. "Gold does drive a man to dream!" God bless you KE and GL.
It's 1977, I had just graduated from high school. That summer getting ready to go to AU in Washington DC. ELP was one of groups that became the foundation of my musical house. I used to listen to WNEW FM all the time, and my favorite DJ was the amazing Nightbird, alison steele (who I know you have heard of). Anyway, she always opened her show with a "story", and one night that summer she was talking about a request she received for a specific song to play. Seemed there was a family leaving NY Harbor that night and they were going to sail across the Atlantic, and wanted to hear a specific song as they left the view of the harbor and coast. That song, Pirates. I can only imagine them sitting there that night as the sailed away from NYC, listening to this song. One of my favorites.
I saw Emerson, Lake & Powell PLAY THIS in 1987 ! They nailed it ! Small audience too.
That was the greatest rock show I ever saw. I didn't know what ELPowell were going to play. It seemed a lot of prog bands were eschewing their older epics in those days (Genesis, Yes, Rush etc) so I kind of expected the new album and a smattering of Lake ballads. I was wrong. I heard the Bb and C played and held and I thought "Wait... Are they playing Pirates?? Or is this a tease for a medley of 30 seconds each of a bunch of songs in a row?? Wait They're not stopping!!!!" Seeing Emerson play Pirates for the first time in '86 still gives me chills. I have a GREAT audience bootleg of that show and I can experience that 16 year old's joy and excitement in stereo still to this day playing it loud in the car! The GX-1 on that tour sounded INCREDIBLE!
I saw this show in Washingon, DC. It was awesome, and Pirates and Mars, Bringer of War were both out of this world.
You can't hear music for the first time more than once but, you can get close when your hearing along with another for their first time. I remember being 18 and they premiered this the day before its release on a local station. I was blown away. Fortunately I taped it and had to listen to it 5 times. The Next day I ran out and bought it and ever since it has been my favorite song. It still gives me the chills!
Thanks Doug - you hit it right. You also mentioned the American style & you got me thinking of what connection between this and Fanfare for a Common Man might be. Seemingly an odd paring but Keith adds Fifths to embellish wide open seas, hum, maybe in a Copland’ish nod. As you beautifully point out Keith is strong on Forths as well as sus chords. I enjoy your work tremendously and am extremely pleased with your content. Rock on my Bro 👍
I've always loved Pirates and I was happy when ELP played it the day I saw them at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland in 1992. I'm only 52. So, I am very thankful that I saw ELP that year. It was an incredible show!
I was at that show also David back in 1992, I had not seen ELP live since 1977 and was beyond excited just to see my favorite band again. I buzzed all the way back home to rural Virginia that nite and Pirates was a definite highlight for me. By the way, the first time I saw ELP live was in Summer of 1972 and that's exactly 20 years prior and it was at the Meriwether Pavilion!!!
@@robincarlysle-vo7pi - That's cool. What did you think of Bonham (the opening act)?
Thank you for giving props to one of the 70's great forgotten bands.....
Good one Doug. I'm glad that after the tune you quoted Pete Sinfield's thoughts about the lyrics. I love the band and orchestra and the arrangement on Pirates and of course Greg's wonderful singing. But the lyrics of Pirates are astonishing to me. So descriptive. It makes me feel like I am there in the Caribbean living the life with these Pirates. Amazing tune. Mind blowing lyrics!
I saw ELP , Cozy Powell,in 1986 NJ 10th row. Oh my Carl was busy with Asia.
My favourite ELP track. Nothing else by any band sounds like this
Always loved side 4 with two of their greatest compositions encompassing all their talents, near perfection or maybe…..❤
Doug, since you like Greg Lake's voice so much, you perhaps should pay attention to two of my favorite songs by Him from the same album. They are " Lend your love to me tonight" and " Closer to believing". By the way "closer to believing" was redone by Him prior to his passing in 2016 and is available on you tube ( short version ) and on his Anthology ( long version ).