As the voice of both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Greg Lake is undeniably a major cog in the progressive rock wheel. Along with the rich baritone, Lake excels as a guitar and bass player, providing both a folksy, melodic sense and a rigid bottom end to any group of musicians he’s involved with. As a songwriter, Lake brought ELP to the charts with “Lucky Man” and “From The Beginning.” Taken as a whole, Greg Lake’s musical contributions are unrivaled, no matter how you look at it.
For 2012, Lake is stepping back and celebrating his history on his Songs of a Lifetime tour. It will be the first time the singer-songwriter-guitarist will be going it completely alone on stages in America. Inspired by the tour he did with Keith Emerson n 2010, Lake will share songs from his own catalog, along with some from other catalogs, tell stories, crack jokes, take questions from the audience, and, as he told me, go on a journey.
As a longtime ELP fan, it was a special treat for me to talk with Lake. He was open and sincere, grateful to be able to go out, after over 40 years, and play his music to an adoring fan-base. The chance of another ELP reunion after 2010’s High Voltage appearance is not in the cards at the moment, but Lake takes it all in stride. As it is, he’s eager to explore what he’s done — King Crimson, ELP and his solo work — with an eye for doing even more in the future.
To read the rest of this interview, order your copy of
Conversations with the Masters:
The VintageRock.com Interviews, Par Deux
