Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Take A Pebble (1971)

Another true delight from the spring and summer of 1971 was this FM radio hit from the first Emerson, Lake & Palmer album, self-titled. Although released in November 1970 in the UK, it would not be released in the US until January 1971. The tracks from this album would not receive much air play until March 1971, and that was largely “Lucky Man.“ “Take A Pebble“ would follow as a MAJOR FM radio hit in May 1971 while “Lucky Man“ was busy rising on the pop charts. It would be among a small list of songs that year that would leave a lasting impression for the rest of my life. This largely sunny musical work features an especially long jazz piano piece after the second verse, so long, convoluted, delightful and well-executed that on first hearing I thought its conclusion was the also the conclusion of the song itself! The beautiful atmospheric opening scores the beginning of an otherwise dark and tragic tale of lost love, and does so deceptively enough. The first of t