Although the
ELP acronym remained the same,
Emerson, Lake and
Powell otherwise failed to re-create the creative or commercial excitement of the earlier progressive rock trio that featured drummer
Carl Palmer instead of
Cozy Powell. After the original
ELP lineup disbanded in 1979, keyboardist
Keith Emerson composed a series of film scores, while bassist
Greg Lake pursued a solo career; however, in the wake of the hugely successful comeback of longtime prog-rock rivals
Yes,
Emerson and Lake agreed to reunite, although
Palmer -- now a member of
Asia -- declined the offer. Drummer
Powell, a veteran of such hard rock outfits as
Rainbow,
Whitesnake, and
Black Sabbath, was tapped as
Palmer's replacement, and in 1986 the trio issued a self-titled LP that cracked the U.S. Top 40, spurred on by the minor hit "Touch and Go." However, the famously mercurial
Powell left the new
ELP before the year was out, and with his departure
Emerson and Lake's reunion ground to an abrupt halt (at least until 1991, when
Palmer finally re-entered the fold). ~ Jason Ankeny