ELP Digest Monday, 26 October 1998 Volume 8 : Issue 12 The "Let The Maps Of War Be Drawn" Edition Today's Topics: Then & Now CD ELP Tribute CD website Sinfield CD and ELPowell/3 set lists Canario What are they thinking? Videos, shirts, CDs from Manticore ELP photographers- I need your help Three's CD ELP and Jim Davison IoW PaaE lyrics New BMG King Biscuit sampler CD Japanese ELP Website & Web Forum Re: Modular Moog Rolling Stone Article/ Peter Sinfield Polymoog Learning to Fly Nice cd reissue in UK ELP on DVD? ELP t-shirts Prelude ======= Really, really eclectic. Really, really late. Some of this stuff is pretty old. Some of it is pretty new. Some of it is stuff for sale. (Remember that I just pass along the mail. I don't endorse or vouch for the people selling stuff. So, it always pays to be careful.) Some of it is news, hints of possible news, and the normal observation (which passes for slow conversation). Anyway... enjoy. And stay tuned for a revamped ELP Digest web site coming your way soon. - John - ------------------------------------------------------------ From: Prott Bernd , on 10/22/98 2:30 PM: To: "'elp-digest@reluctant.com'" Subject: Then & Now CD Hello ELP fans, The long announced Then&Now Live double CD is out now. I just got mine from CD Services, Dundee, Scotland. The cover art was obviously done by H.R.Giger, even so he is not credited for it, UUUPS. I don't like the THEN portion but just because it's another 74 show (California Jam) and the few selected pieces (Toccata, Take a pebble, Karn Evil 9) not complete. Beside that, the ELP performance is great, as is the sound quality. But why wasn't anything selected from the early days 71 - 73, where there were pieces like Abadons Bolero, Endless Enigma, Benny the Bouncer which up to now never made it to an official CD, or early versions of pieces e.g Tarkus of 71. OK, the first 40 minutes come along with a big deja vu feeling. The NOW portion of the CD (more than 80 minutes) is just great, with pieces of the 97 and 98 !!! tour. IMHO this portion is better in both the sound and ELP performance than the Poland CD, Fanfare is almost 5 minutes longer. With the exception of Creole Dance and Tarkus/Pictures the whole 97 repertoire is covered and all pieces are complete. From the current tour there are A Time and a Place and the 3rd movement of Keith's Concerto. I really like Time and a Place, must have been an ear-opener even for the most diehard Deep Purple fans, it's brilliant heavy rock the ELP way. Boys, do more like this on your next album, this piece has balls. The Concerto suffers a bit from a horrible piano sound, especially the fortissimo portions clatter like hell. Keith, pleeeeease bring back on stage the good old Steinway, it will not let you down like your digital piano. IMHO no digital piano really matches the performance potential , feel and dynamics of a true grand piano. I really like the rest of the CD, the sound is great, you can hear each single note and the performance of the three guys is also excellent. Hey, Greg's voice is almost like in the old days. I especially like the short excerpt of Abadons Bolero within Fanfare. I simply love Bolero, why not use the complete piece to open next years tour. With todays MIDI stuff it should be possible to do a mind blowing version of it. All in all, I think it's a very good album and worth adding it to the collection. Take care Bernd P.S. Many thanks to all of you, who provided hints and information on my Hammond inquiry. That's the great thing about the internet, to have easy contact with other ELP fans throughout the world. ------------------------------ From: Karen Elizabeth Stober , on 10/18/98 8:34 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP Tribute CD website Here it is, the ELP tribute CD website: http://www.hybernation.com/ Check out the cover art. Just what are those pickled things in the jars? Bishop's heads? Happy Halloween, Karen E. Stober home: karen1@mail.idt.net work: kstober@att.com home page: http://idt.net/~karen1/ [ Editor's Note: Thanks for pointing this URL out to me. I hadn't seen this one yet. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: Rene Laursen , on 10/23/98 8:14 PM: To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Sinfield CD and ELPowell/3 set lists At German Music Express I have noticed a CD called Amigos with Pete Sinfield. I have never heard of any other material from Sinfield than Still/Stillusion !. I would like to know if anyone knows what this CD is - is it a compilation ? original material ? - who is playing - when is it recorded etc. Also I am curious about what was the live-repertoire of the ELPowell and 3 constellations. Can anyone give me typical set-lists from their shows? Rene Laursen rl@ssv.dk ------------------------------ From: , on 10/23/98 10:43 AM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Canario This Wednesday I lectured at a Norwegian Journalist University (Gimlekollen Mediahoeyskole) on "Myths in Media". There also was time for a quick tour through the premises and I got to choose a CD from their studio productions (Lynor AS, PoB 4086, 4602 Kristansand, Norway) , which mainly are trad gospel and children songs. As it looked the least "middle of the road", "Guitar Menu" (Lynor 1996) av Per Kjetil Farstad was chosen. It's a record of his influences, a "menu record with chosen tunes from different styles". When later actually looking at the CD I realised one of the studio musicians was the keyboard player Bjoern Ole Rasch who I know a bit. Guess who's his hero... That made me listen a bit more to the music, mainly "easy" jazz, blues, gospel and folk tunes. Nice and warm music, and - though mostly guitar based - good keyboard arrangement on some tunes. Listening to the last half of the CD on the bus today I almost jumped out of the seat. I knew this tune, but from where?!?! ELP? ... Emerson? ... I checked the cover, yes, Canarios! And read the liner notes about this "Spanish folk tune from 1674... The whole idea and musical arrangement evolved in studio. With creative musicians you can do anything. Just listen to the result!" I guess I know who felt the most creative in studio that day! BTW, Bjoern Ole is also a "creative" mind on his spouse Annbjoerg Lien's violin based Norwegian folk music CD's. Has got good criticism in Norwegian papers (also for their live shows). I think ELP fans also may enjoy her CD "Prisme" for rather fast, catching melodies and keyboard arrangement, somewhat prog oriented. Bjorn Are Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.nett.telenor.no - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - I contain multitudes - Walt Whitman - - - - - - - - ------------------------------ From: john_hunter@juno.com (John R Hunter), on 6/29/98 3:21 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: What are they thinking? Hello John, I just read the last Digest and, again, I read others 'reviews' on ELP music and discs and I am surprised at some of the things they say. Let's work backwards, shall we? 'In the Hot Seat' was not a good album, but to write it off completely is silly. 'Daddy' was not only a nice sentiment but a haunting song and if these people have little ones (especially girls) then they might get more from Greg's effort. Also, 'Hand of Truth' was excellent! I read someone said that 'Black Moon' wasn't one of their best efforts. I totally disagree. That album (?) had all of what makes ELP unique. Hard rock, beautiful ballads (esp. 'Affairs of the Heart'), rocked up classics ('Romeo and Juliet' is one of their best adaptations), etc. A couple weak 'pop' efforts but overall an excellent job. More than one person has said how much they LIKED ELPowell. I think Cozy Powell's death is tragic, too, but lets not get overly sentimental. ELPowell was VERY WEAK! Most of what Emerson wrote for that album was unsingable, as Lake proved. And if Lake can't write and sing lyrics for a song, there must be a problem. The adaptation of 'Mars" was the best piece on the album. 'Touch and Go' was very good (better than on the box set) but other than that not much their, folks. "Love Beach' has been ripped and it, too, was not very good but let us not forget the 'Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman' which is excellent from start to finish. Also, 'Canario' is yet another underappreiceiated adaptation. Let's not forget 'Three'. While not very good the three-part 'Desde La Vida' was some of the best work Emerson did that decade. I agree that Berry can't hold Lake's dirty socks, but that piece was great. Enough with the "throwing the baby out with the bath water" reviews. Thanks for your time. John Hunter john_hunter@juno.com ------------------------------ From: "David Cohen", on 10/6/98 11:55 AM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: Videos, shirts, CDs from Manticore This is my first posting to this digest. Unfortunately the ELP show in Philly got cancelled this summer and I was unable to procure some of the videos and shirts and CD's I wanted to get. So I figured, no problem, i'll get it via the website, until low and behold, I find out EVERY ITEM IS $5 SHIPPING PER ITEM. Are they insane? This stuff is expensive enough as it is ($40 for a video?). I could understand $5 plus maybe 50 cents per item thereafer. Whenever ordering Mailorder, shipping needs to be taken into consideration when your decided if a purchase is worth but, with this, it is a no brainer. No buy. That is just ludicrous. I can live without these items, while ELP will have to live without my money. Hopefully we will get another a tour so I can by these items ------------------------------ From: DrumRolls@aol.com, on 9/30/98 9:45 AM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: ELP photographers- I need your help Greetings ELP loyalists! I am looking for photographs of Carl's stainless steel drumset, and I know you just helped a person out with photos of Keith's modular moog system, and wondered if any of my fellow loyalists would be able to 'ELP me out :-) I checked out the websites, and they had SOME- but what I am looking for are shots taken from behind Carl which show the snare, and four toms to his left- the 6, 8, 10, and 12 inch toms. Also shots from the front which would show the same drums. Then I need shots taken from behind Carl which would show the drums and cymbals to his right. I need close up's if you have them. Also, it would help if I could get close up's taken directly from in front both left and right shots. As I have stated in previous articles that John had posted for me, I have replicated Carl's stainless steel set, which I have been playing on since 1974 by incorporating all the same sizes of the drums and cymbals Carl used (I wouldn't use anything except PAISTE cymbals and not just because this is what Carl uses- but because they truly ARE the best sounding, best quality cymbals out there. I have yet to have one crack on me -a drummers nightmare- and I have been using the same ones for years. You just have to treat equipment with respect). I want now attempt having the drums fitted into what Carl called "consoles" which held the drums and cymbal stands-rather than the usual stands (which are always in the way). If anyone can help me- I would deeply appreciate it. Thank you so much!!! Keep up the fantastic work John, this is an invaluable tool for ELP fans!!!! Steve Barber ------------------------------ From: "Rick Weggen" , on 9/30/98 12:32 AM: To: Subject: Three's CD The CD "To the Power of Three" is also available on Internet at the CD-shop Pentagon for only $ 5.99 Vriendelijke groet, Kind regards, Rick Weggen ------------------------------ From: Jamie Martin , on 9/28/98 2:47 PM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: ELP and Jim Davison Further to recent notes about KE9 on The Generation Game, hosted by Jim Davison, there was an interview recently with him in The Sun newspaper (english tabloid) where he spoke about using KE9 as the new theme tune. Apparently it's a specially re-recorded version. In the same interview Davison also spoke about him promoting an English tour by ELP sometime next year to include c. 14 dates with 'revolving pianos and everything'. Fingers crossed! Neil Starling Watlington England ------------------------------ From: Mathias Thallmayer , on 9/28/98 2:04 AM: To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: IoW PaaE lyrics I wonder if anyone has worked out the lyrics of the Isle of Wight version of PaaE [ Pictures At An Exhibition]? Specifically the differences between it and the original album. Thanks, Mathias iconoclast@erols.com ------------------------------ From: "Stephen T. Kilpatrick" , on 8/26/98 1:45 PM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: New BMG King Biscuit sampler CD Last week I ordered the "exclusive" CD of live tracks from progressive artists offered by BMG Music Service. It arrived this morning. Here's the relevant track info: The Show That Never Ends: The Best of Progressive Rock-Live From The King Biscuit Vaults Various Artists Progressive Rock 01. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Hoedown 04:15 02. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9 (excerpt) 08:51 03. Dixie Dregs - Cruise Control 06:08 04. Dixie Dregs - Ice Cakes 05:40 05. Renaissance - Midas Man 04:32 06. Renaissance - Carpet Of The Sun 03:41 07. Gentle Giant - Proclamation 04:58 08. Gentle Giant - Experience 05:58 09. Rick Wakeman - Anne Boleyn 08:40 10. Rick Wakeman - Catherine Parr 08:11 11. Greg Lake - 21st Century Schizoid Man 09:01 12. Greg Lake - In The Court Of The Crimson King 05:47 All tracks are taken from the corresponding releases on King Biscuit Records. Track 2 seems to be Karn Evil 9 1st Impression Part 2. Steve Kilpatrick kilpatri@vms.cis.pitt.edu ------------------------------ From: Akiko Hada , on 8/22/98 9:20 PM: To: John Arnold Cc: UnosukeArakawa Subject: Japanese ELP Website & Web Forum Dear John, I'm writing on behalf of Unosuke Arakawa, a young ELP fan (his father is the same age as Keith!!) who runs the Japanese ELP website. Unfortunately all the information & the Web Forum (message board) are in Japanese, but there are some images (eg. the photo of the Keith Emerson wax figure in the Tokyo Tower Wax Museum - click on the item at the bottom of the menu on the index page) as well as links to fans' pages, some with private photo collection, etc. Perhaps there are some Japanese-speaking ELP Digest readers in North America who are not aware of this Japanese site, and anyone else might be interested in having a quick look anyway. The URL is: http://www.netjoy.ne.jp/~uno-a/ Best Regards, Akiko Hada. ------------------------------ From: "Carlos Alberto Teixeira" , on 8/17/98 7:49 PM: To: Subject: Re: Modular Moog Frank Sonnenberg wrote on ELP Digest V8 #10: + Does anyone know where I can get details about Keith Emerson's modular Moog, including a list of the modules it contains and a picture of it that's good enough to see all the details? - Dear Frank: Take a look at KE's Christmas Album CD cover. Good details on the pictures. Best of luck! - c.a.t. ------------------------------ From: "Dan Krause" , on 8/10/98 9:44 AM: To: "John Arnold/ELP Digest" Subject: Rolling Stone Article/ Peter Sinfield Back in my college days (late 70's) I used to subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine. I recall an article they did on an elderly woman who instructed many of the more popular vocalists of the time. In the article she mentioned some of the people she worked with ... she said that she worked with (I can't remember her name but she used to sing with Big Brother and the Holding Co.) ... but that it was hopeless ... the article was accompanied by a photo of her working with Joe McDonald of Country Joe & the Fish. Anyway ... in response to a question regarding the best singing voices around ... she said that the best female was Barbara Streisand and the best male was Greg Lake .. she said she'd love to work with Lake because ... in her opinion ... he was using only a fraction of his power. I found this amusing at the time because Rolling Stone routinely panned the work of prog rockers ... particularly ELP. Does anyone else remember reading this piece ? What has Peter Sinfield been up to ? Thanks, Dan [ Editor's Note: I remember reading this article as well and thinking many of the same thoughts about it odd juxtaposition in a mag that trashed ELP regularly. Now you've got me interested. I'll see if I kept that and can get a date of that issue so folks can track it down at their local library on micorfilm (assuming that libraries might actually have Rolling Stone on microfilm). I also wonder what Peter Sinfield's been up to. Back a few years ago, Peter sent me a great career summary (look at the ELP Digest web site "Back Issues" to track it down). Peter: if you're reading this, please send along another update. - John - ] ------------------------------ From: "Jeff Hubbs" , on 8/1/98 1:47 AM: To: Subject: Polymoog I just wanted to elaborate on Nick Zales' comments regarding the Polymoog. I own a Polymoog 203A, as distinct from the other preset-only version known well to Gary Numan fans. It is every-key polyphonic, as it uses a divider array to derive all pitches at once much as an ARP String Ensemble or Omni did or any number of electronic organs (e.g. Farfisa, Doric, Univox). Internally, especially compared to those other devices, the Polymoog was extremely ambitious, seeing as it managed to work in variable pulse-width modulation, amplitude envelopes, and key velocity for amplitude. The Polymoog voice consisted of a sawtooth plus rectangular, detunable from each other both finely and coarsely. The sawtooth level was variable. Both had choices of two adjacent octaves, but the saw's octaves and the rect's octaves were offset by one on account of the fact that one of the waveforms was actually derived from the other (I don't remember which or exactly how). Although the Polymoog was polyphonic in the extreme, it exhibited terrible distortion beyond a certain point. However, it also had a "dusty" tone regardless of patching that is quite simply unique to the instrument. Some would arguably find its string preset more aesthetically pleasing than that of the ARP offerings of the time. Laid atop its divider-based guts featuring a separate circuit board for every key that handled the amplitude modulation was a monophonic trigger circuit that ran an onboard Moog filter with its own envelope control. The filter also had triangle and S/H cutoff modulation. The CV and S-trigger from the circuit also went to a couple of jacks on the back which could be connected to outboard equipment (e.g., Minimoog). There was a separate more or less adjustable three-band parametric EQ (called "resonators") and the voice presets had their own idiosyncratic filters associated with them. Outputs of the dry tone, the fixed filters, the resonators, and the mono Moog filter were all available on separate outputs in the back and there was an onboard mixer that you'd use to combine these signals into an additional "mix" output. The Polymoog was doomed by Oberheim's and SC's microprocessor-based synths as well as its own complexity and accident-prone construction, but it has oodles of character. ------------------------------ From: "Brian O'Sullivan" , on 8/1/98 12:42 AM: To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Learning to Fly In V8 #9, Peter Wilton wrote a wish-set-list including: >Learning to Fly* > >* Why is Hoedown, a cheerful tune, but little more, put in the lists of >those who want a "progressive" playlist more readily than a song like >this, based upon a Bartok string quartet? I hadn't realized there was a Bartok connection in Learning to Fly. I assume it's the instrumental interlude just before the keyboard solo? Neat little section! Actually the whole "1st side" of ELPowell is among my favorite Emerson compositions. ================================================== Brian O'Sullivan brianos@ziplink.net Columbia, MD http://www.ziplink.net/~brianos ------------------------------ From: abraxas@btinternet.com, on 7/30/98 11:32 PM: To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: Nice cd reissue in UK The first 3 Nice cds have been reissued in new packaging and new booklets in the UK. They are also picture discs showing the covvers on the label. Castle is the reissue label. The first cd "thoughts of emerlistdavjack" is the best with 2 bonus tracks, Azrial, which is a good version and Diamond hard blue apples, which is the same version already available. The second cd Ars longa Vita Brevis doesn't sound as good as the Sony version and it also lacks America which has been put on the best of cd. This is a shame because the best of contains nothing not available on the 3 reissues. The bonus tracks are just Happy Freuds(mono) and Brandenburger(mono). Both these are the same as the cd versions. There is also some static crackle on Karelia suite where Lee bows his bass guitar. The big "no no" is the third cd Nice. The intro to She belongs to me has been fouled up. Instead of the full.."This is a song by Bob Dylan,, it's a thing called she belongs to me" After the words Bob Dylan the track starts and you can hear some talking under the chords. This is very poor remastering. Again the sound is not quite as good as the Repertoire release. The extra tracks are, Hang on to a dream and Diary of an empty day. Both are the same version as on the album and both are mono. It's a shame I was really looking forward to these releases, but they are marred by carelessness. The booklets are good apart from the cover of "Nice" which is a sloppy copy of the original and whinging sleeve notes inside. My advice is, if you have the sony and repertoire copies don't bother with these, except for thoughts of emerlistdavjack. Shame real shame. A.N.Cox ------------------------------ From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?El=EDas_Casado?=" , on 7/7/98 6:45 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP on DVD? I hope ELP management to have in mind the arrival to the domestic market of new technologies such as DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). I think that all the videos that are going to be released on the Manticore Label should also be launched on DVD format. It would be the best way to sell them.The quality of DVD both sound and image is even better than Laser Disc, and it's the same size as an ordinary CD. They have to bear in mind that most ELP fans have already those video tapes. Sorry but I think I won't buy them unless they are release on digital format (DVD). On the other hand, I am glad that ELP is on the road again. Unfortunately, I live in Europe and can't afford a trip to the States to see them live in August. So my only chance will be to get a boot of this 98 USA Summer Tour. Finally, I completely agree with those who are tired of listening to the same songs in ELP concerts. Aren't they tired of having played for the last 21 years the same final with Fanfare, America and Rondo? I definetly prefer the first half in ELP concerts to the second half. Elias (Basque Country) ------------------------------ From: C320i@grapevinenet.com, on 5/20/98 4:58 PM: To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: ELP t-shirts May 20, 1998 I have located a very limited number of ELP t-shirts from their 97 tour. They are all in large, black in color and have a white ELP logo/crossed swords graphic on the "front only". $15 each, money orders only and it includes 2-3 day US mail delivery. US/Canada orders only please. Neil Corsatea Warren, Oh ------------------------------ Digest subscrition, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest@reluctant.com Back issues are available from the ELP Digest web site: 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 8 Issue 12] *************************************