ELP Digest Wednesday, 31 Jan 1996 Volume 6 : Issue 2 The "Footprints in the Snow" Edition Today's Topics: Greg Lake Jan 96 [ Greg Lake Web Page is on-line! ] Re: Manhattan CD/Nutrocker/covers Notes from a new reader E-mail Anyone remember PFM? information please Keith's Biography celebrity fans Changing States sources? Re: ELP Digest V5 #26 (Why no ELP Australia tours?) Looking for ELP Sheet Music books I'm perfect are you? Reply for Digest 26 (Keith's motorcycle, etc.) Stirred by the Word Even more Visions of Wonder Prelude ======= As you'll read, the official Greg Lake web page is now accessible. I've added a pointer to it from the ELP web site (http://bliss.berkeley.edu/elp). I've also been tidying things up, updating a few things, etc. at the web site. Check it out. Soon, I hope to spruce up "the look", perhaps add an ELP Digest subscription from, and (time permitting) maybe even some Java stuff. Stay tuned... - John - ------------------------------------------------------------ From: BRUCETUNE@aol.com Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 12:03:40 -0500 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Greg Lake Jan 96 Hey, John: The OFFICIAL GREG LAKE HOME PAGE is finally up. Here is how your readers can get to it: http://www.dynrec.com/pilato/ . That will take them to the Pilato Entertainment Group home page, from there, they can click on Greg Lake's icon to get his page. Please let your readers know that the page is still under construction. Right now there is just a photo, bio and discography and E-Mail address. Coming soon will be sound clips, and weekly updates on Greg's solo and ELP activities[...] The double CD anthology is coming out in June on Rhino Records. Greg is currently writing material for the next solo project. The rumors of a YES/ELP world tour are still just that[...] The revised KING BISCUIT Cd is out on King Biscuit/ MMS/ BMG Records. There is a complete re-design of the cover & booklet. It is out in Canada on EMI. In the meantime, Greg Lake fans can still write to him via my office: Greg Lake c/o: Bruce Pilato Pilato Entertainment Group 277 Alexander St. - Suite 813 Rochester, NY 14607 ------------------------------ Date: 03 Oct 95 11:31:39 EDT From: "Plotczyk, Steve" To: John E Arnold Subject: Re: Manhattan CD/Nutrocker/covers I finally got my "Manhattan Collection" CD from RTV (see ELP Digest Volume 5 Issue 22 Topic 3 - Re: Manhattan Collection CD). It was somewhat disappointing to find the start of "Hello Sailor" truncated. I don't mind Mr. Emerson sharing the CD with other musicians but I really like the beginning of that song and miss it on this CD. I haven't had verification yet but it looks like "The Golliwog Cake Walk" is not played by Keith. And since the rest of his songs on this CD are all on other CDs (Honky has the complete "Hello Sailor") getting this would not add anything to a collection that already has the other CDs. But there is another useful CD that I just found out about (thanks Karen Stober)... Attention: Nutty Nutrockin' Rocky Rocknutters The original "Nut Rocker" by B. Bumble And The Stingers is now available on CD! This is the song composed by Kim Fowley that inspired ELP's "Nutrocker" version on Pictures At An Exhibition. There are a total of 24 songs (mostly instrumental) that also include "Rockin' On 'N' Off" (compare this to the NICE "Azrael Revisited" Rakhmaninov quote) and "Bumble Boogie" (compare this to the ELP "Rondo" Rimsky-Korsakov quote). For B. Bumble And The Stingers' CD - "Nut Rocker" (ACE CD 577) it's $14.98 + $3.50 for UPS or $4.50 for Parcel Post from: Atomic Beat 10390 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 210 Dept. G Los Angeles CA 90025 (310)556-1144 fax (310)556-1299 atomicbeat@aol.com Also, I have been unable to get either a CD or Cassette Tape of Alex Masi's "Attack Of The Neon Shark" (it has a cover of ELP's Toccata - see ELP Digest Volume 5 Issue 15 Topic 19 - Re: ELP covers). Does anyone know of a source for this or any other ELP covers? Thanks. Steve Plotczyk ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 18:25:24 +0900 From: Maurizio MORABITO To: arnold@iii.net Subject: a question for the list Does anybody have or know the lyrics of the album Tarkus? More, I got a bootleg titled , rather well recorded, with a in the cover and labeled . Does anybody know anything about it?" thanks bye maurizio [ Editor's note: The best souce for Tarkus lyrics is the out-of-print sheet music book (see ELP Web page FAQ). I've recently added some Web lyric pointers to the ELP web site. I don't think Tarkus is there, however. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: David_Barrett@qmgateway@gsdlcom.gsdl.com Date: Tue, 10 Oct 95 18:54:54 0500 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Notes from a new reader Hello ELP fans! This is my first posting, as I've only had WEB access a couple of weeks. My first query was ELP and I've been busy reading almost all of the back issues of the digest. I've been an ELP fan since about 1972/73 (I was eleven). My older sister had a 4-album set called "Superstars of the 70s" which featured everything from the Stones, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Alice Cooper to America, CSN, Jefferson Airplane, Yes (3-minute Roundabout), and ELP. (Lucky Man was the track). A few months later Karn Evil 9 hit the airwaves and I was hooked for good. A friend;s older brother (aren;t they great for turning impressionable kids onto great music?) laid Tarkus and Welcome Back...on us and in '77 I saw the Fab 3 (sans orchestra) at the Charlotte (NC) Coliseum. It was my second concert ever and I managed to nab a concert poster from the event. Tickets were only $7.50... I wore out 2 copies of Works Vol. 1. and I went through 3 copies of BSS before I graduated college. I also managed to irritate every roommate I ever had [Toccata and Bullfrog (Vol 2) were great for clearing out a room of unwanted guests, same effect with King Crimson's Lizard album]. I've put up with my fair share of abuse for liking the guys, but I learned how to dish it back. I caught ELPowell in late '86 in Charlotte and managed to nab 3rd row center. Being 20 feet from Keith and Greg was a highlight of my life. They also didn't protest cameras so I netted 24 great shots of the boys. Got some great shots of E during the Common Man solo. Good one of Greg on acoustic during "From the Beginning." I even snapped one of Cozy on Bongos. Once I figure out how to download I may post a couple of 'em. ---o---VIEWS----o--- The Songs: Live Tarkus (esp. Aquatarkus: the final note gives me shivers), Pirates, Fanfare..., Knife-Edge, BSS (whole album; sing a Hymn and dive into techno Hell), From the Beginning, Live Hoedown, Trilogy, The Sage, Curse of Baba Yaga. These were thrilling moments in the development of my musical appreciation. About Love Beach: Now the seatbelt sign's aglow, (where's the airsick bag?) Though my guilty pleasure is..."The Gambler." Memoirs... Is good for a minmalist piece-more like chamber music. I was just tired of E's synth sound. 1978 was a bad synth year. Wakeman's Briotron on Yes's Tormato sounded just like it. Cheap; no fat-low end. No hammond organ. Black Moon: Generally pretty good. Good Hammond on Paper Blood. Reminded me of a funked-up, 90s Knife-Edge. Changing States was the one tune my non-to-marginal ELP friends recognized as ELP. Turned too Broadwayish at the end. Better Days I liked awa Footprints in the snow. I was just so happy they were back together, and that's always what that disc will mean to me. Hot Seat: Confusing. For every good/great song: Hand of Truth, Thin Line, Change and Street War, you have Peter Cetera-Toto inspired drivel. I was never a Keith Olsen fan. I was a SAGA (Canadian Art-poppers) fan till he ruined their sound. The only feather in Olsen's cap seems to be Terrapin Station by the Grateful Dead. Beautiful 15 minute track. He got Lucky. I'm running long so I'll wrap up with a couple more statements and a question about lyrics. I live in the mountains in Asheville, North Carolina, home of Bob Moog (that's THE Bob Moog) and he does occasional seminars at the local college's music school. I'll keep you posted when he may give another one (if anyone's interested.) Also, Asheville has an eclectic radio station. You can hear Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Buffet, Melissa Etheridge AND ELP in the same music set. No Kidding. The Program director, Brian Lane, loves ELP and plays them regularly. The afternoon drive at 5 (showcasing an artist) has several times featured ELP. I've heard the Barbarian and the full 9 minute Fanfare... At 8 in the morning! What a way to drive to work AND wake up those sleepy heads. The good thing is it's the ONLY rock station the area has. OK, now on to lyrics, and I'm outta here. I've been reading with interest the lyrics to "Knife-Edge." Seems many people have slightly varying thoughts on the beginning and end. (cross the abyss/cross the abcess/croissant tabbies/whatever...) I always heard "Tread the rope/cross the abyss." I do, however, have a different view of the final verse. In the 5/24 edition of ELP : From: slottich@his-po.inf.uiowa.edu He writes: When the flames have their season Will you hold to your reason? Will you die with your chance? Can you still keep your balance? Can you wake from the nightmare? I always heard: When the flames have their season Will you hold to your reason? Loaded down with your talents, (or talons) Can you still keep your balance? Can you live on a Knife-Edge? It makes sense because it makes use of the Knife-Edge title. I've been hearing this lyric since about 1980, when I was listening to the original version on headphones. Greg's voice is double tracked to sound like two singers slightly out of sync on the last line, and you can hear the EDGE word come through both channels about a split second apart. The "G" sound is very clear. Aside from that, the last three lines sound very clear on the LatRAH disc. Maybe I enjoyed too much recreation enhancers in college but it's clear in my mind. John, hope you've got room for all this, and It's nice to electronically meet all ELP fans everywhere! A moment changes all things and to end is but to start... David_Barrett@qmgateway@gsdl.com ------------------------------ From: Erik Lathouwers To: "'John Arnold'" Subject: E-mail Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 12:41:00 +-100 Hello all. Simple question... Do you know if Keith, Greg or Carl have there own E-mail adres??? Thanks. Erik [ Editor's note: This is getting to be a frequently asked question. (I'll try to add it to the web site.) Through the Digest, we've learned that there are emial addresses for Keith and Greg's management. But I request that readers use these sparingly. It's nice that they read this and keep us informed and I don't want to wear out our welcome. Here they are: Keith's management: MIDIMastr@aol.com Greg's management: BruceTune@aol.com - John - ] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Oct 95 09:10:46 CAT From: Simon Griffiths Subject: Anyone remember PFM? To: John E Arnold I listened to an old album recently by an Italian group called PFM, does anyone remember them? They were signed to Manticore and sound quite similar to ELP. It seems too much like coincidence that such similar groups were on the same label at the same time. They had a hit in the 70s with a song called Celebration. The line-up also included a violinist. Does anyone have their discography - the album I have is PFM Cook. Simon Griffiths Johannesburg South Africa Internet: sgri@lss.co.za ------------------------------ From: richgill@wavenet.com Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 21:34:01 -0700 To: arnold@iii.net Subject: information please John, I need some help finding the Jan 1992 issue of 'Guitar for the Practicing Musician' in ELP Digest 2-5 which I just downloaded the other night there was a phone # on where to locate the Jan 92 issue. That number is no longer any GOOD!! Also I Would like to get some information (ANY) on a KURZWEIL 250 keyboard. I'm thinking about buying one for my sun. THANKS FOR THE HELP!!! ------------------------------ From: cook@ferndown.ate.slb.com Date: Tue, 17 Oct 95 17:49:58 BST To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Keith's Biography Hi All, Does anyone out there have any information on the progress/issue date of Keith's Biography ? Just a short question, thanks. Cookie [ Editor's Note: I don't have any update. But I'll pass along any news as soon as I hear any. - John - ] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Oct 95 09:51 GMT From: s03smith@ucsalf.ac.uk (Stuart Smith) To: arnold@iii.net Subject: celebrity fans While watching Saturday morning TV this weekend i came upon an interesting idea, it seems that in terms of music circles I as an ELP fan am an outcast and leper. This was brought about by the 'entertainer' Jim Davidson, erstwhile host of BBC TV's Big Break and The Generation Game whom was a guest on Live and Kicking. All the time he was on he proclaimed his love for ELP and their music, i dont know whether he was on a windup act, but this put me in mind of our more famous ELP loving brothers and sister (there must be one). Does anyone know of any that have been 'outed' or have 'outed' themselves to be ELP fans? I know of two now... Payne Stewart - American proffesional Golfer who in an interview proclaimed his favourite peice of music of all time to be Karn Evil 9. AND Jim Davidson It would be interesting to know if there any other famous fans out there, anyone know of any? Stuart Smith ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 10:11:51 +0800 From: John.Lukes@Ebay.Sun.COM (John Lukes) To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Changing States sources? One of our fellow list readers sent me an email asking me where he would find a copy of Keith Emerson's "Changing States" solo CD. I bought mine at Compact Disc Warehouse, a franchise of independent shops on the West Coast. I am sure that several of the mail order firms handle it as well. It seems like this subject was discussed a few months back. Can anyone update us -- it's a CD well worth obtaining, IMHO. -JOHN ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 02:10:27 -0400 To: John E Arnold From: David Wilson-Holmes Subject: Re: ELP Digest V5 #26 Hi John, I would just like to pass on to you an informal thank you for subscribing me into your mail list for the ELP Digest. Having been a keen ELP fan since I was at school having got hooked after listening to there triple live set "Welcome Back etc" which had only just been released at the time. It goes without saying I guess that just like the rest of there musical appreciators world wide that I have collected a large percent of their material and two volumes of transcriptions. Including a transcription of "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Touch and Go", which I forced upon myself because it was unavailable. Such is one of the groups annoying little habits:-( I have only been involved in the Internet for around three months now, and when I did join one of the first searches I did was for Emerson, Lake and Palmer, you can imagine my thrill when I found a dedicated home page to them. Who set it up initially anyhow? A job well done. One thing that still tends to avail me and I sure would appreciate any clues on. Having never seen the band live (apart from video's) and having been in Australia since 1978. Why is it that Australia is never included in their world tours? Anyhow thank you again, and keep up the good work! David ------------------------------ From: christmann@pcbuoa.ENET.dec.com Date: Wed, 25 Oct 95 16:07:49 EDT To: arnold@iii.net Subject: Looking for ELP Sheet Music books I'm in the market for one Tarkus and one ELP Anthology (the one with Pirates) songbooks. On the chance that someone may have an extra copy they'd be willing to sell, I'm willing to pay up to $50 apiece for books in good condition (all pages present, complete, and legible). If I don't get any takers, I'm asking Will Alexander, assuming you read the Digest, Will, what you would consider a fair royalty for my back-up proposition: I own the black Emerson, Lake and Palmer songbook (Take a Pebble, Endless Enigma, Trilogy, etc.). I'll make a copy of it and send it to whoever can send me a copy of one of the songbooks I'm interested in. Would the requested $10 payment to Keith, mentioned in the last Digest, cover the copying of an entire songbook? If you would require more, please let me know. Better yet, couldn't you interest Warner brothers in re-issuing all three books as a complete anthology? Surely there'd be a sufficient market for such an item! Genesis and Yes anthologies seem to sell well... If someone wants to sell me a book, please contact me at the email address below, or at 508 264-6796 Mark Christmann christmann@pcbuoa.enet.dec.com [ Editor's note: that's an east coast USA phone number, so if you call, please keep the time zone in mind - John - ] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Oct 95 14:50:29 UT From: "PAMELA STONE" To: "'ELP digest'" Subject: I'm perfect are you? What ever became of Pete Sinfield? I've read most back issues and he has'nt been mentioned. Did he go the way of Syd Barrett? [ Editor's note: I've gotten email once or twice in the past year from Peter. I'll try to drop him a note soon and ask if he's got anything new we'd be interested. Check out the back issues (from late '94, I think) for a note from Peter that lists an extensive list of songs he's been involved with. - John - ] When I ordered the Greg Lake/King Biscuit CD the kid at the counter had not 1 clue as to Greg is or what ELP had done in the past. Then the store manager tried to argue with me that the album wasn't available for 60 more days. Well I got it in ten. Emerson's CHANGING STATES is in the new blockbuster computer listing so I tried to order it. (Blockbuster is the only outlet we have) ------------------------------ From: Erik Lathouwers To: "'John Arnold'" Subject: Reply for Digest 26 (Keith's motorcycle, etc.) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 14:17:45 +-100 Hello John (and the rest of the world) do you know if Keith Emerson has an E-mail address?? [ Editor's Note: see previous message in this Digest. - John - ] For example... I want to know if Keith Emerson still own's that Norton Hi Rider?? (maybe Mr Alexander can tell me. Hi Hi) In Keyboard (1987) Keith said that ther wil be modules with sounds that he developed available for Yamaha Keyboard. Did that plan continued or...? Thanks from Holland Erik Lathouwers norton@xs4all.nl ------------------------------ From: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 10:00:07 +0100 To: John E Arnold Subject: Stirred by the Word Re: Stirring Words Geoffrey, I guess you are thinking of my quotation in the article "Rock and Revolt" from The Only Way when you are writing > I'm sure you've gotten corrections on this already, but the line in The > Only Way is: > > People are stirred > Moved by the Word I realize that you are completely right! My interpretation or vision of the lines has, however (to emphazise how intriguing poetry may be), since I first heard it in my early teens been: " People are stood, moved by the wood" I have always envisioned an enormous amount of people lined up ("stood"), and deeply moved in front ot a crucifix/cross ("wood"), Lake's criticism then being that it's only dead material and a stupid superstition as it's after all only wood! Honest! Luckily, I didn't elaborate on this in the article, as that to anyone familiar with the real lyrics would have been too stupid... I also agree that what Lake's trying to say is something like > Once you know that you are your own destiny, you don't need the Bible telling > you that there is something more important to live for. Greg shows here an > appreciation at least for humanism and freethought. I've always considered this piece the best secular/humanistic/"freethinking" musical effort ever (without any comparision), and never understood why my secular humanistic friends don't know about it or seem to care for it. Having joined a tradition of a couple of thousand years of great music when reluctantly accepting that Christianity may be true just before turning 20, I've always been puzzled as to why atheists and "freethinkers" just don't make any great music. Why don't we have any hymns to Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, Sagan or Dawkins? Why no celebration with parades, speeches and pumpkins on H.G. Wells' birthday or the signing of the Humanist Manifesto? Please ask Lake, Palmer and Emerson to make a powerfull Oratorio on the great subject of Man's rise from Amoeba to Atheist! I would love to hear it! Being a bit more serious (which not always means "grave"), I would point out a couple of books I believe Lake has not read and which show that Christians both may think ("freely") and enjoy the pleasures of life: "Orthodoxy" by G.K. Chesterton, "Miracles" by C.S. Lewis and "The Dust of Death" by Os Guiness. I would in fact highly recommend anything by all of these! They have nothing much in common with the type of C. (regarding mood, mentality and money) to be found on American Televison. At least not that kind we get to read about in Norwegian newspapers. Bjo/rn Are bjorn-are.davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no ****************************************************************************** - The Weaver in the Web that he made - ****************************************************************************** ------------------------------ From: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 13:05:33 +0100 To: John E Arnold Subject: Even more Visions of Wonder The following is submitted to the list and hopefully for a certain group to read, in the vain hope that it may provoke great future works of art in this or other directions! I'm claiming no future royalties :-) [ Editor's note: Remember, the rest of this particular message is more of Bjorn-Are's "what if", hypothetical conjectures. This is NOT a real review of a real album! - John - ] ---------------------------------------------- The other day I came across this great review from the November 96 issue of Q, on the new ELP album "Dinosaur Dance" which so unexpectedly was released in late October 96: The age of miracles is not past. When everyone had written off the ancient giants under the sun, Emerson, Lake and Palmer have made a striking come back with their "Dinosaur Dance". This is undoubtedly the album of the year. ELP have convincingly captured today's rhythms and politics. The opening "Dinosaur Dance" takes off in an explosive dance rhythm on sequenced synth and drums, suddenly breaking into the same pattern on piano. And listening to the following improvisation really makes one accept that these guys are back home. They are in fact enjoying themselves, as clearly shown in the self ironic lyrics on dinosaurs trying to dance. On "Tarkus Techno" they make references to earlier tracks of their own. However, the techno effects are intensely present and makes it fit the jilted generation. And they develop the themes and sounds in a way which few if none techno groups would even have thought of, relentlessly keeping up the ecstacy of a house party for more than fifteen minutes. Its especially intriguing when they play true Techno on hammond, drums and fuzz pedal, with sudden breaks into a more Gun's and Roses approach on the part called Manticore Metal. In "Jurassic Jungle" ELP surprisingly calmes down, keeping references in the lyrics only, between the jungles and the street life of today. The only exception being the chorus where Jungle rhytms grows out of the Jurrasic age and threatens to overwhelm Lake's attempts at standing up for human concerns in the ghetto. With "Bossanova Bosnia" they play a bossanova (great percussion!) to really provoking lyrics on the United Nation’s and the US’s use of rhetoric in the Balkan War. Its bloody serious and portrays the thundering fiasco of Western peace talks and military threats in the conflict. To make and end to the war the group even threatens to burn a canvass with a painting of the Amercan flag on stage, thus illustrating the gap between threats and possible effects. Of the other tracks the most noteworthy is "American Ambient" where they really outdo themselves in a three piece musical suite using all the effects and sequencing known to the ambients. Its however very fittingly broken into three sections, each working on a musical and lyrical theme of traditional ethics not being able to meet present challenges. At least seemingly, as the last verse hints at the ambient position of perhaps not so much spending energy on redefining and creating new values, as simply returning to what lay behind "traditional ethics" like the old virtues of selfless love and compassion for every human being (and not humanity in the abstract) held in a fruitfull tension with righteous anger, tirelessly fighting against everything that threatens this (with words and - if needed weapons") , even if there are no political or economic gain from it. At least to me this is the musical revelation of the year. ------------------------------------------------------------ So go buy Q next autumn! Bjorn-Are bjorn-are.davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no **************************************************************************** - The Weaver in the Web that he made - **************************************************************************** ------------------------------ Digest, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: arnold@iii.net ==\ \ => The same for now... 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/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. 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 6 Issue 2] *************************************