As a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Greg Lake achieved and collected the kind of accolades most other musicians only dream about. His passing in 2016 left an indelible impression on those who love and follow his work. Though Lake’s activities outside of Crimson and ELP were infrequent and sporadic, there certainly is enough to fill the gaps of his 50-year career and warrant a double-disc retrospective of his distinguished musical journey in the aptly titled The Anthology.
The 33 songs comprising The Anthology thoroughly cover the highlights of Greg Lake’s music. There is the obvious argument regarding song choices, boiling down to why one was chosen over another. One glaring omission is ELP’s “Pirates,” which not only captures Lake’s authoritative voice — “a combination of power and subtlety,” as author Edward Macan in his bio about the group stated — but also comes to life with his and Pete Sinfield’s sea-faring narrative, carrying on like a long-lost chapter from Treasure Island. Frankly, the ELP selections in general could have been fleshed out a little more. It is nice, however, to have lesser-known nuggets like “The Only Way” and “Oh My Father,” which came to light when Tarkus was reissued in 2012, serve as brusque breakaways from “Lucky Man,” “From The Beginning,” and “I Believe In Father Christmas.”
Limitations in space tend to minimize impact. So, without getting the full dose of “The Endless Enigma,” a slice of “Part 2” minimizes the vocal performance. “Pictures At An Exhibition” and “Tarkus” excerpts underscore ELP’s range, though it’s not easy to fully appreciate the whole piece as it was intended. When you land on the second disc, it all becomes increasingly clear: needed allocation for Lake’s leaner material — a combination of ELP’s late 70s soft and saucy ballads (“C’est La Vie,” “Lend Your Love To Me Tonight,” “Watching Over You” and “For You”) and unremarkable solo numbers from the 80s (“Black And Blue,” “It Hurts,” “Haunted,” and “Slave To Love”). Why “Nuclear Attack,” the searing opener featuring Gary Moore on guitar from Lake’s 1981 self-titled solo debut album, didn’t make the cut is anyone’s guess.
“Touch & Go,” the sole entry from Emerson, Lake & Powell is a given, despite the fact that some of Lake’s best recorded vocals can be found elsewhere on the album this particular combination made together. The version of “Affairs Of The Heart” with Geoff Downes surpasses what ELP did with it in the 90s, almost making the rest of the selections from that period (“Paper Blood,” “Daddy,” and a re-recorded stab at “The Sage” from Pictures At An Exhibition) pale in comparison. The set winds down with live performances of King Crimson (“21st Century Schizoid Man” and “I Talk To The Wind”) and ELP (“Karn Evil 9 1st Impression – Part 2”) classics.
The final verdict really depends on where you sit with Greg Lake’s catalog. There’s three King Crimson songs, and only one of them is with King Crimson. The dramatic performance of “In The Court Of The Crimson King,” taken from the group’s appearance at the Fillmore West in 1969, will send a few scrambling for their Crimson live collections. For ELP fans, there’s little revelatory to offer because they have it all. For anyone else with a passing fancy, The Anthology provides an ample, full picture of what Greg Lake was all about. If it succeeds in you craving more, the legacy titles are out there, awaiting your consumption.
~ Shawn Perry
