In September 1971, the band took a break in their summer North American tour promoting Tarkus and Pictures at an Exhibition to record new material for their next studio album. In a May 1972 magazine report, the album had yet to have a title. Emerson was pleased with the album after it was completed, noting its varied and difference in style to Tarkus. The artwork was designed by Hipgnosis. It depicts a combined bust of the three members, while the interior of the original gatefold sleeve features a photomontage of the three in Epping Forest. Spanish artist Salvador Dalí was approached to design it, but he requested $50,000 to do it and was subsequently turned down. The front cover depicts each of the band members' faces; Emerson said this was so as their previous albums had not featured them. References to a quad version of this album appeared in 1974 Harrison or Schwann record and tape guides, listing Trilogy in the Quadraphonic 8-track tape cartridge format. Collectors report never seeing a Trilogy Q8 at retail, despite its having a catalogue number "Cotillion QT-9903."
Songs
"The Endless Enigma" is a suite in three parts; the first section begins with the sound of a beating heart, an effect sometimes claimed to have been created by the Ludwig Speed King bass drum pedal of Palmer's Ludwig Octaplus kit. However, in the sleeve notes to the 2015 CD/DVD reissue, remix engineer Jakko Jakszyk is quoted as saying "I've discovered actually Greg playing... muted strings on his bass guitar". "From the Beginning" is a soft, acoustic guitar-based piece that peaked at on the US charts. More often appearing in ELP compilations than live concerts, the track lent its name to a 1997 retrospective of Greg Lake's work. The song was also covered by Czech folk rock band Marsyas, albeit under a different name and with Czech lyrics. During the opening drum solo on the track "The Sheriff", Carl Palmer accidentally hit the rim of his tom-tom with a drumstick. He can be heard responding with the word "Shit!" when listening carefully. "The Sheriff" ends with a honky tonk-type piano solo with Palmer playing woodblocks. "Hoedown" is a cover of "Hoe-Down" from the ballet Rodeo by Aaron Copland. It became the opening song for both the Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery tours. "Abaddon's Bolero" sounds like a bolero turned into a march. The song was originally titled Bellona's Bolero after the goddess of war. A single melody containing multiple modulations within itself is repeated over and over in ever more thickly layered arrangements, starting from a quiet Hammond organ making a flute-like sound over a snare drum, and building up to a wall of sound – Maurice Ravel's famous Boléro uses a similar effect. There is also a quote from the British traditional song "Girl I left Behind Me". "Abaddon's Bolero" is replete with overdubs. Almost every time an instrument comes in, another overdub follows. "Abaddon's Bolero" was only played live a handful of times, with Greg Lake handling Mellotron and additional Moog synthesizer duties ; the song turned out to be a disaster, and when the tape stopped mid-way through the song during one show, it was cut from the set list. The band brought the piece back for the start of their 1977 tour, during which they were accompanied by an orchestra.
Reception
The album reached on the Billboard 200 and peaked at on the UK album charts. It appeared in the Top 10 in Denmark for 4 non-consecutive weeks, peaking at. Billboard praised the album for Keith Emerson's "steady progression" on the Moog synthesizer. Robert Christgau wrote, "The pomposities of Tarkus and the monstrosities of the Moussorgsky homage clinch it – these guys are as stupid as their most pretentious fans."
Reissues
The album has been reissued a number of times, the most recent was part of a deluxe edition release campaign by Sony Record Group on the 27 April 2015. The original mix was included along with a brand new stereo mix across two CDs and featuring both on an audio DVD.
Track listing
2015 deluxe edition
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's 1972 liner notes. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
