ELP Digest Friday, 18 Nov 1994 Volume 4 : Issue 24 The "To Do What Was Right" Edition Today's Topics: ELP Digest address change... ITHS & Progressive Music In The Hot Seat Trilogy Ultradisc Carl Palmer Solo Album Re: My Last ItHS Review Re: ELP Digest V4 #21 (more on the ItHS) ELP Clones Prelude ======= This is the last ELP Digest you'll get from me at Bull. The next one will be from me as arnold@iii.net. Please use the new address (see below) since the "old" one will stop working at some point. Thanks to those of you who already have started using the new address! - John - [ Administrative information appears at the end of this Digest. ] ------------------------------------------------------------ To: arnold@iii.net Subject: ELP Digest address change... Date: Thu, 17 Nov 94 15:47:27 EST From: arnold@iii.net Hi! Please take note of the new contact address for the ELP Digest. From now on, all the ELP-related mail should be sent to me as: arnold@iii.net The ELP Digest will still work the same way. Just a new place to contact me since my Bull address will be going away in the not too distant future. - John Arnold - ELP Digest, Editor and Mailing List Maintainer ------------------------------ From: dave.bentley@ps.com (Dave Bentley) Subject: ITHS & Progressive Music Date: Sat, 12 Nov 1994 01:28:00 GMT To: j.arnold@ma30.bull.com I was one of the lucky (if you can call it that) ones to hear ITHS before release last summer and I posted a quick message to the digest on my intial impressions. Well...after several listenings, my opinions have not changed: This album is the worst ELP album since Love Beach and doesn't even have any tracks like "Memoirs" which, despite the awful lyrics, was a redeaming feature of that album. To call ELP "progressive" is now a complete joke. I am very saddened that it looks as though Greg has had far too much say in the production of this "pop" album. I agree with the comments in the last digest...Greg is basically a "pop" musician, just listen to his two solo albums to work that out. I find his refusal to work with Asia a few years ago, because he didn't like their "commercial" direction, a bit of a joke now. Being a follower of Keith's music from his Nice days even his keyboard playing on this album upsets me as he is capable of so much more. (I have been saying this ever since the release of "Works 2"). What has happened to the pure raw excitement, chord structures, jazziness etc of his best works e.g. "Tarkus", "Blues Variation", "For Example", "Karn Evil 9", "Living Sin", Endless Enigma", "Five Bridges", to name just a few. I don't know what the reason is for the bland offerings we've been given. I remember reading in a Keith interview around the time of Black Moon, that he doesn't think that people are impressed or want to listen to "flash technique" any more. Well I would disagree. I was lucky enough to see today's standard bearers of progressive rock, Marillion, this summer on their "Brave" tour. They performed the entire concept album from start to finish, the music was incredible, very complex, but it hit you emotionally (which is what ELP's early stuff STILL does to me even now) and the audience loved it! I play "Brave" regularly, as I do with recent offerings from Tori Amos and Pink Floyd, but I've only played ITHS about 5 times...it now rests at the bottom of my CD collection. A lot of people say that the album has grown on them after several listenings....this is only natural...if you listen to anything a few times (even utter rubbish) your brain becomes desensitised to what on first impression sounded bland and uninspired. Before ELP reformed I had all but given up on any decent new releases in the Rock genre and had taken up listening to more classical music and Jazz particularly Brubeck and Jimmy Smith (both K.E. influences incidentally), and a new exciting Jazz Organist on the Hammond called Barbara Dennerlein (you should check out her album "Hot Stuff"). After the release of ITHS it looks as though I will have to go back to listening to these artists for my musical satisfaction. I think it is tragic that Keith wasted his talents so much in the 80s. He could have made a decent living playing the music he loves most of all (i.e. Jazz) to a different audience. I know that we have to make allowances for Keith's arm but music doesn't HAVE to be full of flash technique to be effective. Some simple ideas can be very powerful. The problem with ITHS is that it lacks any identity, it doesn't have the K.E. trademark sound, the drummming is so basic it bores you stiff, Greg's voice is over-produced, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY it sounds like any old AOR pop album and it will not stand the test of time the way masterpieces such as Tarkus and BSS have. Any comments fellow digesters? --- * POW 1.2 On Trial * Powerline Offline reader for Windows - QWK mail reader ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Nov 94 10:24 CST From: doug@tellabs.com (Doug David) To: j.arnold@bull.com Subject: In The Hot Seat Simple Review of "In The Hot Seat": The Love Beach of the 90's! Later, -- ( ) __ ( ) ( ) ) ) ) (( (( / / )) (( )) (( (( ( (( )) ____/ / _____ __ __ _____)) ) (( )) ( (/ ___ / /___ / / / / / /___ /( (( )) (( ) ) )/ /__// //__// / /_/ / //__//)) ))( (_) )(( Doug David (( /_____/ /____/ /_____/ /___ /(( (( ) (_)) doug@tellabs.com ))__________________________// )) ))( ( ( /__________________________/ ( ( ( ) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 19:55:32 -0800 From: dtratt@lmg.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (David M. Tratt) To: j.arnold@ma30.bull.com Subject: Trilogy Ultradisc I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing this mentioned yet - MFSL are releasing an Ultradisc of "Trilogy" on January 10. Dave ------------------------------ From: Tim Holmes Subject: Carl Palmer Solo Album To: J.Arnold@ma30.bull.com Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 20:49:41 +0100 (GMT) Many years ago, around the time of "PM" (Palmers Men!), there was a Radio 1 (UK) interview with Carl Palmer. There were a few calls about which guitar Carl played (my more informed ELP related question was never used!) but interestingly he talked about a solo orchestral LP he'd recorded with a London based orchestra (memory fading now). He played lots of melodic percussive instruments as well as drums (!) apparently and he did say that it was all "in the can" and ready for release, although he was waiting for the right time to do this. I've never heard anything more about this and was wondering if anyone else knows what happended to it. BTW Carl and his family live in Tenerife (Spain), I know this as my younger brother taught spanish there for a while and met his wife and Kids. As for memorabilia, I have a tape of an interview with ELPowell conducted unannounced by Alan Freeman just before the release of that particular album. Its interesting to know that it did quite well in the UK (at least 35), whereas BM/RotM/ItHS have made no showing at all (Black Moon did get on to TVam, and Live at the Royal Albert Hall - I was there! - was broadcast live on Radio 1). Tim. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Nov 94 10:18 CST From: doug@tellabs.com (Doug David) To: j.arnold@bull.com Subject: Re: My Last ItHS Review Hey Everyone, After listening to ItHS a few more times, I beginning to like it. I said in my last post that ItHS was "The Love Beach of the 90's". OUCH! I fully retract that statement. There's a lot more there than I heard on the first spin. In particular, the songs that I really like are: Hand of Truth Daddy Thin Line Man in The Long Black Coat Sreet War isn't to bad either. It's obvious that Keith was favoring his hands and holding back. The organ playing in Thin Line is not as aggressive as usual. If my hands were worth what Keith's hands are worth, I would be taking it easy on them too. Greg's voice sounds a little ruff in parts. He still has a great voice even if it is a little more raspy these days. Doug -- ( ) __ ( ) ( ) ) ) ) (( (( / / )) (( )) (( (( ( (( )) ____/ / _____ __ __ _____)) ) (( )) ( (/ ___ / /___ / / / / / /___ /( (( )) (( ) ) )/ /__// //__// / /_/ / //__//)) ))( (_) )(( Doug David (( /_____/ /____/ /_____/ /___ /(( (( ) (_)) doug@tellabs.com ))__________________________// )) ))( ( ( /__________________________/ ( ( ( ) ------------------------------ From: smithdn@utdallas.edu To: J.Arnold@ma30.bull.com Subject: Re: ELP Digest V4 #21 Date: Wed, 16 Nov 1994 21:25:26 -0600 I went by Lackluster Music the other day and took advantage of their "listen to any album" policy for In the Hot Seat. Admittedly, I actually did not listen to all the songs all the way through. So there is possibility that some redeming value lurks towards the ends of the songs. Nonetheless, I am fairly certain that there is no song of the caliber of Black Moon on this album, and since I have Manticore, there is effectively no equivalent to Romeo and Juliet. (for those who do not have it, the remake of Pictures is a worthwhile track) Hence, I have no real motivation to buy this album above the average offering of Cheryl Crow. If I wanted something that was "Radio Friendly" I could listen to Whitney Houston. I feel certain that she is more competent for that task than Greg Lake. What these other people cannot do is create the driving, intense, and generally mold-breaking music which is found on Tarkus and BSS. For that style of music, Keith Emerson seems more competent than Whitney Houston. Thus, I buy ELP albums when they are not "radio friendly" and I do not buy Whitney Houston albums because I am uninterested in becoming friends with my radio. When Radio Friendlyism is performed by those not competent to the job, I become INTENSELY uninterested. Hence, as of now, I am simply going to wait until ELP comes past on tour (and they damned well better!) and spend my CD money on Bill Bruford albums. (the new Earthworks live CD is pretty cool...). This is a reprint of a message I sent to my brother, Sandman, who encourged me to send it to you. Daveman ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Nov 94 11:35:20 PST From: mfraser@rs.com (Mark McCarron-Fraser) To: J.Arnold@ma30.bull.com Subject: ELP Clones ELP FANS!! Imitation is the sincerest form of . . . Either flattery, or stupidity, take your pick. I recently received a promotional tape of a band called "Cairo". These guys sound quite a bit like ELP. Their keyboardist is clearly a devotee of Keith, happily, they also have a guitarist who sounds a little like Steve Rothery, maybe. Their bassist does sound a bit like Lake, it's hard to say who the drummer sounds like, but you wouldn't be far off if you said Carl Palmer. Their lead singer has a pleasant voice, no one else sings. They have moments where they sound like ELP, and moments where they sound like Triumvirat. (Hard to believe I know, but true.) Cairo also have moments where they sound like Cairo. Not surprisingly, these are their best moments (IMHO). The tape I have includes a 22+ minute song. Anyway, their CD is due out on the Magna Carta label in January, '95, catalog number MA 1081 2. I don't generally like clone bands, I'd prefer to hear something more original. Thought I'd mention these guys in case anyone was interested, and they do have some potential. live long and progress!! - Mark ------------------------------ Digest, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: arnold@iii.net ==\ => NEW (as of 11/17/94) ELP-related info that you / want to put in the digest to: arnold@iii.net =/ Back issues are available from the World Wide Web ELP Home Page: URL: http://bliss.berkeley.edu/elp/ Back issues are also available via anonymous ftp: ftp site: ftp.uwp.edu user name: anonymous password: provide a full email address path: /pub/music/lists/elp/digests/1991/elp-digest-1.* /pub/music/lists/elp/digests/1992/elp-digest-2.* /pub/music/lists/elp/digests/1993/elp-digest-3.* /pub/music/lists/elp/digests/1994/elp-digest-4.* 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. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! ------------------------------ End of ELP Digest [Volume 4 Issue 24] *************************************