ELP Digest Monday, 10 Aug 1992 Volume 2 : Issue 17 The "Has the Dawn Ever Seen Your Eyes" Edition Today's Topics: Comments on the comments on my BLACK MOON review :-) ELP Digest stuff elp (video, etc.) Tour dates Use on vintage Moog on Black Moon tour Olympics Use of Black Moon SPOILERS ELP GIG REVIEWS FOR 7/24 AND 7/26 ELP - Columbia, MD 7/28 ELP at Great Woods, 7/29/92 ELP GIG REVIEW FOR 7/31 ELP ON GMA AND "IN CONCERT" MY RENDEZVOUS WITH MR. CARL PALMER... ELP - Personal Concert Review Digest, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: J.Arnold@bull.com\ = for now, these are the same ELP-related info that you / want to put in the digest to: J.Arnold@bull.com Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message below. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 09:11:16 -0400 From: barrett@gleep.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett) Subject: Comments on the comments on my BLACK MOON review :-) Well, it seems like my negative BLACK MOON review has stirred up a lot of comments -- great! So let me add to some of the things you all are saying. :-) First of all, I don't take offense at all if people disagree with my review. That is fine. If you enjoy the album, I'm glad. Second, I got a very nice long letter from Mark McCarron-Fraser who disagreed with most everything I said, and he got me thinking that perhaps I stated something badly in the review. I did not mean to imply that music has to be complex in order to be good. Certainly there is a lot of bad, complex music out there; for example, Henry Cow's LEGEND is very complicated but doesn't interest me musically. What I should have said (and thank you to Mark for helping me realize this) is that BLACK MOON doesn't have enough *variety*. The endless repetition is dull. I will argue that variety is a necessary feature for music to be interesting, and BLACK MOON didn't have enough to sustain my interest. BTW, Mark, I do agree that it's "time for ELP to move on" and they don't have to produce "Tarkus Part II" to make me happy. I just wish they had moved in a direction away from, and not toward, pop music. Also thanks to Patrick (your check is in the mail :-)) for agreeing with me. I'm relieved to know I'm not the only die-hard ELP fan who was disappointed with BLACK MOON. And thanks to Damien DeSimone for the funniest sign-off I've seen in a while: > BOOM BOOM BAP, > Damien DeSimone 71221.2364@compuserve.com Finally, for you folks going to the Hartford CT show August 4, John Arnold says he'll be at: > Hartford (Bushnell Aud.): Mezz C, Row K, seats 215-217 By a bizarre coincidence (not), my wife and I will be in seats 211-213, so stop by and say hi!! Dan //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | Dan Barrett -- Dept of Computer Science, Lederle Graduate Research Center | | University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 -- barrett@cs.umass.edu | \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\///////////////////////////////////// ------------------------------ From: rmp@cosi.cosi.COM (Bob Petterson) Subject: ELP Digest stuff Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 12:44:32 EDT My Life as an ELP fan... Started with the release of the 1st album. I had an older cousin who turned me on to them, he being a real big fan of the "Nice" before. It was right about this time that I learned of the existence of FM radio, and moved from 77 WABC to the big-time of WNEW FM. (Any one remember "The Nightbird?) As much as I liked ELP's 1st, I remember always bugging my cousin to crank up the "Nice" whenever I visited. I've always been hooked on their double live album with the "Fantastique Orchestra". (To all ELP fans, I strongly recommend finding this treasure! The album has made the transition to CD, and even though two GREAT tracks are missing {"Country Pie" and "One of those people"}, its a wonderful collection of music) It wasn't till the release of "Brain Salad Surgery" that I actually owned a phonograph. My first purchase was "Pictures", which is still my favorite ELP release. None of their studio releases ever matched the energy or intensity of the release (with the exception of the "Aqua-Tarkus" jam on "Welcome Back"). I never got to see ELP live until the "Works" tour. I had seats in the blue section of Madison Square Garden. I arrived very early to the show and got to look over the stage before the show. The array of hardware wowed me and I couldn't wait for the show to begin. And, I was not dissapionted. I was never impressed with "Works", but on-stage they pulled the material of impressively. The only let down of the show was the encore of "Pirates", a tune I couldn't stand then and absoluted hate now (white-washed B'way tune). These days "Pictures", "The Dove" (1st release as I call it), "Tarkus" and "Welcome Back" live on my CD player. (note: I just got "Welcome Back" as a Japanese import release on disc last week...finally! You wanna laugh, you must see the words to the songs as translated by the Japanese...its a riot!). "Brain Salad" I listen to on occasion, but I don't think it has aged very well. "Triology" I'll probably never purchase on disc, though I love "The Endless Enigma", I can do without the rest of the selections. "Works 1&2" and "Love Beach" were trashed and will never be replaced. I did own breifly ELPowell, but it did nothing for me. Recently, a friend visited me and forgot to take his cassette copy of "Black Moon" home with him. I decided to give it a couple of runs to form an opinion. On the whole, that opinion is rather bleak. Like "Yes", who keep coming back from the grave, "Black Moon" is nothing new and very hollow. the problem with all these progrockers coming back is that they are picking the bones of past glories, and not trying to explore new avenues. I feel real sorry for Carl Palmer on "Black Moon". I keep thinking that its his age thats slowed him down and reduced him to BOOM BOOM BAPness. Why doesn't he just use a smaller drum set to compansate for the lose of speed, less distance to travel. (Something I noticed Buddy Rich has done over the years.) There are only sections of "Black Moon" I like, but they pass by so quick that the entire effort frustrates me. As for Emerson...will you PLEASE trash that Yamaha and bring the Moog back! I have nothing against the advance of technology, but since he started using the thing on "Works", 90% of the emotion their music had is gone. The Yamaha started the "Noble Horns" sound, which I can do without. For all that the Moog is outdated...hell, who uses patch-cords anymore?...its lose changed the sound of their music greatly and I think to their detriment. ARGH! I don't really wanna rag to much over this. Some of you folks really like the "Black Moon" stuff from what I've read here. Who needs another bad review? I will be seeing ELP on July 31. From the spoiler in the last ELP Digest, I am looking forward to some of what was listed in the playlist. Oh, I own a copy of "Pictures" on video-tape. Its a very raw rendition, maybe very early on doing it live. Lots of wonderful mistakes that are very uncharacteristic of ELP live. Aside from the horrible '60 psychedelic graphics, its a fun tape to watch and listen to (especially Keith trying to fake Carl out and blow him timing!). The MAJOR problem with this tape is...I saw this movie in its original form years ago, and the video tape cuts out the proformance of "Take a Pebble" and "Knife-Edge". Has anyone see this video for sale in its entire form? Also, I know there is a video tape release of the "Welcome Back" tour...has anyone seen this? I'd like to get my hands on it. (I'd seen this back in high-school on a double bill with Pink Floyds "Dark Side of the Moon" tour) All-in-all, I do look forward to seeing ELP next week. I still love the majority of their older works and I'll be crankin' them up till I'm 100 years old. Time was when ELP was the cutting edge of rock 'n' roll, and if anything, I hope "Black Moon" gets the attention of you younger folks out there and turns you on for the 1st time to their music of the early 70's. Its something we'll never hear new again. Lastly, I have a catalog for hard to find import CD's. There is a listing for an ELP concert from Anaheim in '78 (the "Works" tour). I am considering purchasing it, but as its $40+, I am a bit wary of going thru with it. If anyone else has it, please drop a review with a playlist and *most* importantly, how is the sound quality? I've purchased many bootlegs in the past and gotten burned. If its of decent quality, I'd add it to my collection, any opinions will be greatly appreciated!!! (They just got Angel's 1st release listed in the catalog, theres an ELP rip-off group for you! I'll probably purchase it as I always loved "The Tower". Oh, and speaking of rip-offs, who here remembers Triumvirats "Spartacus"? Another goody from the past!) (Actually, if I remember properly, there are 4 or 5 live ELP concerts listed in the catalog. I should post the additional titles for opinions here, but I didn't bring the catalog to work and I forgot what they were!) HAVE FUN!!!! PT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pt@cosi.com "I'm one of those people, my father tells my sister not to go out with. If I catch you in a corner, you can guarantee I'll want more then a good-night kiss." ________________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 16:34:44 pdt From: Jim Smith Subject: elp Congratulations on your new boy, John Arnold!!! Emerson, Lake and Palmer were on "CNN Headline News" on the evening of July 15, for a short piece about the reunion album and tour. They were interviewed in a studio control room, and bits of the "Black Moon" video were shown. They looked tired. No new information was given. Has anyone seen the "Black Moon" video shown anywhere outside of its premiere showing on "In Concert?" Does anyone who's seen them in concert this year know on what pieces Emerson uses his Modular Moog, or what his stage setup consists of? Regards, - Jim Smith smithj@hpsad.sad.hp.com ______________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 21:16:32 -0400 From: Macon N. Pegram Subject: Tour dates Hello; I've been looking thru my copies of the ELP digest and can't find any listings of tourdates (save for the odd announcement of single shows, most of them 1000's of miles from me). Could you or another poster please list a complete set of ELP American tour dates. I'd hate to think that I get this list and still miss them live like I did the last tour. Thanks the grinch [ Editor's note: Here is the US Tour schedule that we know about. I'm trying to get a copy of an official World-wide tour schedule for Digest readers outside the US and Canada. - John - July 24 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center 25 Wantaugh, NY Jones Beach 26 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center 28 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion 29 Mansfield, MA Great Woods 31 Stanhope, NJ Waterloo Village August 1 Syracuse, NY Empire Center 2 Albany, NY Palace Theater 4 Hartford, CT Bushnell 5 Quebec L'Agora 7 Montreal Montreal Forum 8 Rochester, NY Finger Lakes P.A.C. 9 Toronto, Canada Kingswood Amphitheater 11 Cleveland, OH Nautica 12 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Amphitheater 13 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Amphitheater 15 St. Louis, MO Riverport 16 Chicago, IL The World 17 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek 18 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park 20 Dallas, TX Starplex Amphitheater 21 Houston, TX Woodlands 22 San Antonio, TX Sunken Garden Theater 24 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion 26 San Diego, CA Open Air Theater 28 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amphitheater 29 Irvine, CA Bren Center 30 Las Vegas, NV Thomas Mack Center Sept. 1 Sacramento, CA Cal Expo Center 2 San Francisco, CA Concord Pavilion 4 Portland, OR Schnitzer Auditorium 5 George, WA Summer Music Theater 6 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theater 12 Japanese Tour begins... ] ------------------------------ Date: 01 Aug 92 13:13:48 EDT From: Damien DeSimone <71221.2364@CompuServe.COM> Subject: ELP ON GMA AND "IN CONCERT" Hello again everyone: I just found out some important news and wanted to pass it on. According to TV Guide, ELP will be on Good Morning America on Friday, August 7. Also, "In Concert" was filming at both ELP's rehearsal gig and at the July 29 show in Mansfield, MA. This footage will be shown on "In Concert" on August 14. Ride easy, Damien DeSimone 71221.2364@compuserve.com [ Editor's note: ELP was on Good Morning, America Friday (Aug. 7). Not much but the same, old questions. Greg played a solo version of "From the Beginning". = John = ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Aug 92 08:25:47 CDT From: doug@tellabs.com Subject: Use on vintage Moog on Black Moon tour Keith's use of vintage Moog on Black Moon Tour. Well the big tour has begun and I suppose several of you guys/gals out there have been out to see it already. I was wondering how much Keith used the old Moog on this tour. There was a great article in the latest Keyboard Magazine describing what the technicians and engineers had to do to get it operational. The article also outlined all the modules on the front panel. They also called it the World's Most Dangerous Synthesizer. I saw the old Moog back in 78, it was absent on the ELPowell tour, but was back on the 3 tour (although it seemed to be barely functioning). I will be going to the Chicago show on August 16th so I guess I'll see then, I was just a little curious. ;` Thanks!! ( ) __ ( ) ( ) ) ) ) (( (( / / )) (( )) (( (( ( (( )) ____/ / _____ __ __ _____)) ) (( )) ( (/ ___ / /___ / / / / / /___ /( (( )) (( ) ) )/ /__// //__// / /_/ / //__//)) ))( (_) )(( Doug David (( /_____/ /____/ /_____/ /___ /(( (( ) (_)) doug@tellabs.com ))__________________________// )) ))( ( ( /__________________________/ ( ( ( ) ------------------------------ Date: 06 Aug 92 23:43:26 EDT From: Damien DeSimone <71221.2364@CompuServe.COM> Subject: MY RENDEZVOUS WITH MR. CARL PALMER... Hello everyone: I just wanted to say that I got to meet Mr. Carl Palmer before the ELP show in Hartford, CT on 8/4. I arrived at the Bushnell Auditorium around 3:30 for the 7:30 show, so I had some time to kill. Having never been to Hartford before, I did not want to really leave the immediate area. So I decided to go hang around by one of the stage doors where I saw all the buses, trucks, etc. There were two other people there who had various photos and albums and things that they were hoping to get signed, so we talked for a bit, all the while keeping our eyes open in case somebody showed up or whatever. All of a sudden, I saw Carl Palmer emerge from the stage door and look around. There was nobody else around except me and the two girls I was talking to, so we said, "Hey Carl, can you sign a few things for us?" He replied: "Sure, come on over!" So we proceeded to walk over to him, and we talked with him for about ten minutes while he signed the things we had! One of the girls asked him how his daughter Kristin was, and he said she is nine years old now, and she takes some sort of lessons twice a week (I think he said piano lessons!). He also said that they were going to be on Good Morning America in a prerecorded piece, and that they would be on "In Concert" in the near future. Carl also said that they will probably do another video, and it will be for the song "Affairs Of The Heart." I was pretty much blown away by the fact that Carl Palmer was a few inches in front of me, so I can't really remember what else he said! All in all, he was extremely friendly and down to earth. He did not rush away from us, and seemed to be in a genuinely good mood. I expected him to be more reserved and just say hello and quickly give us an autograph, but he was just hangin' out and talkin' and havin' a good time! I also got to meet John Arnold and Dan Barrett before the show. Nice guys. I hope Dan thought the "Black Moon" tracks came across better live! :-) Oh, the show was great that night as usual. Considering it is very early in the tour, the band is EXTREMELY tight! See ya, Damien DeSimone 71221.2364@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Aug 92 14:42:25 CDT From: doug@tellabs.com Subject: Olympics Use of Black Moon Olympics Use of Black Moon Last night (8-5-92) I was watching the Olympics and they were showing some highlights and all of a sudden I noticed the intro to Black Moon. They kept looping the Brass part in the beginning so that there were no vocals. It kind of cracked me up because someone in Volume2 #16 of this digest mentioned that they could see someone using one of the songs in the Olympics. IT HAPPENED!!!! ( ) __ ( ) ( ) ) ) ) (( (( / / )) (( )) (( (( ( (( )) ____/ / _____ __ __ _____)) ) (( )) ( (/ ___ / /___ / / / / / /___ /( (( )) (( ) ) )/ /__// //__// / /_/ / //__//)) ))( (_) )(( Doug David (( /_____/ /____/ /_____/ /___ /(( (( ) (_)) doug@tellabs.com ))__________________________// )) ))( ( ( /__________________________/ ( ( ( ) [ Doug beat me to it. I was going to mention this, too. In fact, this music has been used at least twice during NBC's evening coverage of the Olympics. I heard the music used earlier in the week as well. - John - ] ------------------------------ SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER The rest of this digest contains detailed concert reviews. Don't read it if you want to be surprised. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER Date: 28 Jul 92 21:29:00 EDT From: Damien DeSimone <71221.2364@CompuServe.COM> Subject: ELP GIG REVIEWS FOR 7/24 AND 7/26 Hello Everybody: First up, congratulations John on the new addition to your family! I have attended two ELP gigs so far, and I will briefly review each. Before I do that, I just want to say that a friend of mine went to the dress rehearsal concert on July 22 at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, which was basically a press-only gig where ELP informally ran through their live show. Greg was having some problems with his voice that day, and apologized and said that they had been practicing everyday. My friend was lucky enough to get backstage and chat with the boys! Now for the brief reviews: JULY 24, MANN MUSIC CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA: This, of course, was the first show of the tour, so I was very excited! It was raining, but the place was packed when ELP came on at 9:05. It was an excellent show, and I wanted to provide the set list, but I forgot to bring my pen! Unfortunately, the band had several technical problems throughout the show. They even stopped playing KNIFE EDGE in the middle of the song because Greg's monitor system went out! Emerson in particular looked very uptight, but after all, it was the first night, so I'm sure the band was a bit nervous. All in all, it was a great show. Oh, Greg has lost a lot of weight, and he looks great! If it was not for the technical problems they had, it would have been a perfect show. JULY 26, GARDEN STATE ARTS CENTER, HOLMDEL, NJ: First let me say that THIS SHOW WAS FLAWLESS! The band did not have any technical problems, and they were simply amazing. I was pretty much blown away by the whole thing, especially since I was sitting in the 5th row center! I did bring my pen, and here is the set list: KARN EVIL 9, FIRST IMPRESSION, PART 2 TARKUS KNIFE EDGE PAPER BLOOD BLACK MOON EMERSON SOLO CREOLE DANCE CLOSE TO HOME FROM THE BEGINNING AFFAIRS OF THE HEART ROMEO AND JULIET PIRATES LUCKY MAN PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION (INCLUDING PALMER SOLO) Encore: FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN AMERICA/RONDO The set list for the first show was the same, except they did FAREWELL TO ARMS instead of PIRATES. The "Black Moon" material came across much better live, especially ROMEO AND JULIET. As I said, the whole show was killer, but the real highlights for me were PIRATES, PICTURES, which featured Carl playing the same drum solo he has played for the last 20 years but still was a joy to watch, and AMERICA/RONDO, which featured Keith doing his classic organ bit, daggers and all! The audience gave the band several standing ovations and were behind them 100% for the entire show. The band was also in a great mood, constantly smiling at each other and joking around, which was lacking a bit in the first show. I could go on and on with details of the show, but I don't want to take up too much room. I will be seeing ELP *three* more times: July 31 in Stanhope, NJ; August 4 in Hartford, CT; and August 15 in St. Louis, MO. I can't wait! Lastly, I think the exact date ELP will be on Good Morning America is August 5th. I got this info from ELP's publicist. See ya on the road, Damien DeSimone 71221.2364@compuserve.com ------------------------------ From: ECKMAN@DOBSON.LARC.NASA.GOV Subject: ELP - Columbia, MD 7/28 I saw ELP at Columbia, MD last night (7/28). After 14 years, they haven't lost much of their energy. Greg couldn't quite hit the high notes, but otherwise the show was extremely impressive. The set was typical ELP-style, similar to the last time I saw them in '78. Emerson's keyboards are housed in a bizarre, Klingonese-looking enclosure. The modular moog is there, but it appeared to be for show only. I didn't really see it being used. Lake was on the far right with his trademark persian (or similar) rug, and Palmer in the center, surrounded by drums, gongs, etc. What follows is the track list (to the best of my recollection), which seems very similar to the Holmdel, NJ concert of a few nights before, judging from the posting in the last ELP Digest. - Karn Evil 9, First Impression, part 2 (abbreviated) - Tarkus (abbreviated) - Knife Edge - Paper Blood - Black Moon - Ginastera piece (that Emerson did during Emerson, Lake & Powell tour) - Going Home (6-7 year old girl standing in back of me tells her father: 'Daddy, I recognize this one; it's from the new album!') - From the Beginning - Affairs of the Heart (Lake says this is the 'new single from the album')) - Romeo and Juliet - Pirates - Lucky Man - Pictures at an Exhibition (w/Palmer percussion solo, con brio, utterly amazing) Encore: - Fanfare for the Common Man - America / Rondo (Emerson wrestling and knifing the Hammond) The audience must have averaged around 30 years old. There were a lot of people considerably older, a few appeared to be in the 60s! Lots of parents with children, an interesting audience. Total playing time was about 1 hour 40 minutes. The group 'Bonham' opened the show. They sucked big time and really had no business opening for a band like ELP. It was certainly worth the 14-year wait. I hope to see them again in Concord, CA with my brother in September. A couple more tidbits: Program for the concert was hideously overpriced at $15, however it has nice photography and standard PR stuff. It also gives a US address for ELP fan info: ELP INFO c/o Hard to Handle 640 Lee Road, Suite 106 Wayne, PA 19087 Sounds much easier than dealing with the UK address. The program also contains a fascinating 'genealogy' of British progressive rock bands showing ELP's antecedents, descendents, and cousins. An article in last week's Philadelphia Inquirer also indicated that 'Black Moon' is the first of a two-record deal that ELP signed on for with Victory Records. Richard Eckman NASA Langley Hampton, VA ------------------------------ Subject: ELP at Great Woods, 7/29/92 Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 12:51:58 -0400 From: arnold General Comments ================ Very well put together show. The set list provided for some "quiet time" as well as the usual ELP thunder (not to mention the actual rain that was unwelcome to those with lawn seats. The crowd was enthusiastic, bigger than I expected (though still not a sell-out), and remarkably quiet and attentive during the quiet moments (like the piano solos and the acoustic bits). The tempo of the songs was more controlled that encountered during a 70s ELP show. No speed-of-light count-offs like Hoedown on the Welcome Back album. This worked well I think since it let some of the songs sound a little more funky (which, for ELP, still isn't exactly competing with the Motown sound). Mind you, I think they could still play as fast as ever if they wanted to. There were at least 4 or 5 people filming the concert (including a bit too much obnoxious `camera person blocking the view' behavior). I guess the annoyance of this will be more than overcome if any of the footage actually gets released. Emerson's setup was described quite well by an ELP Digest reader as "Klingon like". Essentially as Emerson looked out at the audience he would have a Hammond on GX-1-ish chrome legs on his right with another controller on top of the Hammond. Above and to the left of the Hammond, there is a "rear view" mirror which one could see Emerson check occasionally to get some abrupt start/stop/end of solo queues just right. Behind him there was his old modular unit. Hard to tell if this was MIDI-ed and, if so, for what sounds. One apparent use of this was the ribbon controller complete with some shooting fireworks that actually worked right for a change. To his left was a Yamaha MIDI grand. There was a stack of 2 controllers on top of the piano as well. Under the piano, there was a set of pedals that appeared to be mostly used to trigger sound effects during the show. In front of him (at his feet) was a pedal box that looked like it was hiding a set of Taurus pedals. Slightly off-stage there was a huge number of racks but they were draped such that it was next to impossible to tell what he was actually using for sound modules. Palmer's setup was typical of the set he's been using for a number of years. A double bass drum setup (with Remo logos and Carl Palmer signature on the front bass heads) with the gongs behind him and the usual huge assortment of toms and cymbals. I honestly couldn't tell if there was any MIDI trigger pads or not. Lake's setup was also the expected. The infamous Persian rug at his feet. Microphone. A battery of amps bhind him with 4 guitar stands. Before the show these held a 6-string electric, 2 kinds of basses, and a Gibson `Dove' acoustic. I couldn't tell what brand the other equipment was though the bass amps looked like they might be Trace Elliot (but that's a guess). For people who are into that sort of thing, I guess a highlight for me was being in the 3rd row on the Emerson side of the stage. For the encore, the security folks let people stand up against the edige of the stage to watch the antics of a grown man. At the very end of the show, Keith "brushed hands" (not real handshakes, probably for fear of getting pulled into the crowd) with a good percentage of those standing at the front. I was fortunate enough to have brushed his hands and say "good job" during this. The Set List ============ Exactly as discussed by those who attended the Holmdel, NJ show (I think). * Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2 (excerpt). The bubbling sample-and-hold sound starts, the boys emerge from behind their equipment and do the first few minutes of this piece but do not play it in its entirety. * Tarkus (excerpt) They start at the beginning of Tarkus (minus the long fade-in chord) and play through a great version of Stones of Years and the instrumental part after that which segues into... * Knife Edge An arrangement similar to that found on the In Concert album (minus the Orchestra, of course). * Paper Blood Introduced by Lake as a song off the new album. Good rendition. I noticed for this song (as others where I indicate) that Palmer was wearing headphones. Not clear why as I could hear no parts that would need sequencing (unless Lake is faking that harmonica part at the beginning!). There may been some synchronized background vocals during the chorus to more closely resemble the album version. The Hammond sounds and solos during this were very, very good. * Black Moon Introduced as another song of the new album, the arrangement was close to the album but with the solos carrying a few extra notes in the true Keith Emerson style. * Creole Dance (Emerson solo) The piano solo based on something by Ginastera that Keith's been playing on recent tours. Played quite well. * Close to Home (Emerson solo) The piano solo off of Black Moon. Here, the MIDI grand worked out very well since it allowed some layering of strings and other sounds to the basic piano part. I really liked this arrangement with the extra MIDI and foudn the performance very nice. * From the Beginning (Lake solo) Just Greg and his guitar. I don't remember if I'd ever seen him do this solo before. (Most of previous ELP experience had been when Lucky Man and Still... You Turn Me On (or C'est La Vie) had eclipsed From the Beginning. Though Lake's voice was little hoarse, this was nice to see played live and the guitar sound was very good. * Affairs of the Heart Introduced as the single off the new album. Played by all 3 members. Again Palmer donned headphones for this one. Arrangement like on the record, well executed. [ I think it was at this point, that a backdrop curtain was pulled away to reveal a backdrop resembling some Roman-esque columns. It was hardly breath-taking but it looked nice. ] * Romeo and Juliet Done with a bit more activity than on the album (i.e., more instrumental deviations from the plodding). I liked it better than the version on the album but still can think of no compelling reason why this is the classical cover they wanted to do other than that maybe they just like the piece. * Lucky Man One of the big surprises of the show, this was done performed by all 3 members of the band. I loved this since I'd become a bit weary of the solo acoustic version that's been played at every ELP concert I've ever been to. Once again, Carl wore headphones. It was funny watching Keith play the middle electric guitar solo on one of his keyboards with a pretty laid-back and bluesy feel. He played the "famous solo" at the end on the keyboard above his Hammond but am not convinced that this was connected to his modular unit. Probably had a sampler of a MIDI-d MiniMogg off stage. As you'd expect (since he's never really spoken highly of this, his most famous solo), he did NOT play it exactly as it appears on the record and at times he seemed to be either forgetting exactly how it goes or toying with those of us expecting every last slide and run of it. I really liked this change of pace. * Pirates A very nice version of this (which is one of my favorite ELP songs). As my brother pointed out on the drive home, the orchestra really brought out some interesting mixes of timbres on this which aren't quite captured when Keith has to cover all the parts (though the sounds were spread around enough keyboards to provide a good deal of tonal variety). The "indigo moonlit bay" part and the "Landlord, wine" parts were done with well-executed changes of emotion. It was funny to hear Lake get the words wrong at the end. Instead of getting to the "Gold drives a man to dream part" he accidentally repeated "This town is ours tonight" at the end of the song. No big deal for me though it probably annoyed him afterwards. * Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpt) Off to an inauspicious start when Emerson did the expected "We're gonna give you some Pictures at an Exhibition" only to have Lake step up to the microphone and say "could you give me a moment please" as he pointer to his throat. Greg apparently needed something to help out his throat. (The singing was by no means bad but it was obvious in parts that Lake has somehow strained his voice and that it's pretty fragile.) With that taken care of, a version of Pictures similar to that on the In Concert album. Some good fun during the quick start/stop parts with Emerson fooling a bit with the spacing between attacks. * (Encore) Fanafare for the Common Man; America/Rondo/etc. The boys return to stage as the trumpet beginning of Fanfare plays. The usual romp through Fanfare. At the end, Emerson disappears behind his setup and, as it turns around, he's playing America on what looked to be a smaller than usual Hammond (but maybe not) through a Marshall half-stack amp. The usual thrashing, stabbing, playing Bach from a backward position whilst lying on the floor, etc. ensues. No injuries were reported. Although all good fun, I would have rather seen another song like Farewell to Arms than this. But I guess not everyone has seen it as many times as I have and maybe it's charm has just worn off on me. As I hope you can tell, I enjoyed the concert but I hope Lake's voice makes it through the tour. I wonder if he's just not used to singing every day for a few hours. (All that time from touring!). I hope you get to see it at a venue near you or, barring that, maybe some of the footage will appear on that promised ELP video biography. - John - [ Notes on the Hartford show (8/4/92): same set list with the exception that the 2 piano solos were played in opposite order (Close to Home, then Creole Dance). I think this worked out better since the more aggressive playing came second. The light show was better since there seemed to be more use of the Vari*Lights and lasers. Maybe it was just me and I wasn't paying attention at Great Woods but I think they used fewer dramatic lighting effects since they wouldn't have transferred well to videotape (recall that the Great Woods show was videotaped in its entirety. Also, Greg got the words wrong to Pirates (again) but in different places than the mistakes at Great Woods. Guess he really needed the TV with scrolling lyrics that I think I saw him use during the Works, V. 1 tour.) = John = ] ------------------------------ Date: 01 Aug 92 02:05:34 EDT From: Damien DeSimone <71221.2364@CompuServe.COM> Subject: ELP GIG REVIEW FOR 7/31 ELP - WATERLOO VILLAGE, STANHOPE, NJ 7/31/92 Well, the weather was absolutely horrible on the day of the show in good 'ol New Jersey: very heavy rain, thunderstorms, etc. The show was rain or shine, so off I went! It was a field show, so when I arrived it was a big mudbath. I got there early enough to hear the brief soundcheck. Carl was fooling around on the drums and said "Let's do something!," and then the skies opened up and another thunderstorm started! We all went out on the field and sat there for an hour and a half in the pouring rain. I managed to get directly in front of the stage, so I was pretty happy! I saw Carl poke his head out from the side of the stage at one point, and he had a look on his face like he couldn't believe everyone was sitting on mud in the pouring rain! Someone came out a little before 8:00 and said that Bonham would not be performing (Too bad! :-) ) so that ELP could try to get their full show in before more storms hit. Well, the weather improved a bit and ELP came on at 8:00 and performed another killer show! The audience was really into it, rain and all, and the band was having a good time, too, especially Keith, who was really hamming it up! The set list was basically the same as most of the other shows so far. When the show was over, the band thanked everyone for sticking it out through the rain. Since I was front row center, I was blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I almost caught one of Palmer's drumsticks! I'm glad that the next show I see in Hartford is indoors! Hey, have fun everyone seeing the mighty ELP when they come to your town! More gig reviews to follow... BOOM BOOM BAP, Damien DeSimone 71221.2364@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Aug 92 13:09:58 EDT From: Brian=Podesta%COMPUTER%UMASS@BANYAN.UMMED.EDU Subject: ELP - Personal Concert Review July 29th 1992 - Great Woods, Mansfield Massachusetts USA ========================================================= It was great to see the lads back together again. The 90 minutes worth of music went by too quickly. A few words re: Highlights: o Prior to the start of the show, the crowds' reaction peaked when the roadies pulled off the covers to Emerson's ensemble. This got the blood flowing. o ELP had merged the new sound with the old tunes. For instance, when Tarkus was being played, I heard the familiar Hammond chop that is present at 3:48 of the Burining_Bridges tune from Black Moon. o Several professional cameramen were onstage taping Keith and Carl. An additional cameraman was in the center of the Great Woods crowd taping Greg. o Keith moving very fast during Black_Moon. I counted four separate keyboards being handled during the song. o With Lucky_Man, it was nice to hear E&P play with Greg on the song. (The Atlantic years was always one of GL's solos). Incidentally, Greg had performed this with his solo band in the early '80s (Fanfare as well). o Keith with the infamous knives again. I wonder if he'll do this at every show? Was it just for the Camera's? o ELP Digest members: Please send earplugs and cotton balls to J.Arnold. He still must have hearing problems from sitting in front of those amps. [ Ed. note: Actually, my ears were fine after the concert. Of course, for the past few years I've worn 29db-suppression hearing protectors (like that sold to people who shoot guns). They worked remarkably well though you do have to suffer with a pretty muted (especially in the higher frequencies) listening of the show. Better than being deaf, however. = John = ] o 15 dollars for an ELP program. $23.00 for T-Shirts. [ Ed. note: And ELP logo hats (white logo on black baseball cap) are ~$18US. = John = ] Here's to a successful ELP tour. Get ready Europe and Asia. - Bye ------------------------------ End of ELP Digest [Volume 2 Issue 17] *************************************