After the breakup of
Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1978,
Greg Lake set out to launch a solo career. He teamed up with guitar virtuoso
Gary Moore and enlisted the talents of
Bruce Springsteen's sax player,
Clarence Clemmons, as well as
Toto veterans
Steve Lukather, David Paich, and Jeff Porcaro. The result was his 1981 self-titled debut album. After more than a decade with prog-rock legends
ELP and King Crimson, it is clear
Lake was looking for a musical change and a chance to perform as a guitarist, his primary instrument, after more than a decade mainly playing bass. The album is a guitar driven venture into straight forward rock & roll which features well written songs and some sizzling guitar work by
Gary Moore.
Lake's voice soars, as it did with
ELP, and we see that his guitar prowess is something too often hidden in the past. His skill as a producer is also evident as he brings out the power of each note with a big, energizing sound. There are probably
Greg Lake fans who would not wish to see him take this path with the rest of his career, but you can definitely tell that he enjoyed stepping out, and it translates to a powerful and enjoyable album. ~ Marc Loren