To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com From: reasoner@mediaone.net (Brian Reasoner) Subject: ELP Aug. 1, 2, 8 (setlists & reviews) Date: 8/12/98 3:49 PM EMERSON LAKE & PALMER Casino Ballroon, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (Aug. 1, 1998) - 90 minutes Flynn Theater, Burlington, Vermont (Aug. 2, 1998) - 90 minutes Great Woods, Mansfield, Massachusetts (Aug. 8, 1998) - 70 minutes ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Aug. 1 ^^^^^^^^ Crossing the Rubicon > KE 9, First Impression Pt. 2 Hoedown The Sheriff Touch and Go Piano Concerto No. 1 III. Toccata con fuoco C'est La Vie Knife Edge A Time and a Place Lucky Man Tarkus (entire suite!) Eruption Stones of Years Iconoclast Mass Manticore Battlefield Aquatarkus E: 21st Century Schizoid Man> Fanfare for the Common Man> Rondo Aug. 2 ^^^^^^^^ Crossing the Rubicon > KE 9, First Impression Pt. 2 Hoedown The Sheriff Touch and Go Piano Concerto No. 1 III. Toccata con fuoco C'est La Vie Honky Tonk Train Blues A Time and a Place Knife Edge Lucky Man Tarkus (all) E: 21st Century Schizoid Man> Fanfare for the Common Man> Rondo Aug. 8 ^^^^^^^^ Crossing the Rubicon > KE 9, First Impression Pt. 2 Hoedown A Time and a Place Knife Edge Piano Concerto No. 1 III. Toccata con fuoco C'est La Vie Lucky Man Tarkus (all) E: 21st Century Schizoid Man> Fanfare for the Common Man> Rondo Initial thoughts on the shows (ELP shows 21, 22, & 23 for me since 1977): The opening two nights (Aug 1 and 2) of the tour were ELP-only, and despite the occasional technical glitches, both were easily the best out of all I've seen since 1992 (I'd even venture to say they were the best shows I've *ever* heard them do). The set the first two nights was a little over 90 minutes, and was 70 minutes for the triple bill. The high energy level and rapport between the three was solid. For those nay-sayers: Emerson's accuracy is back on track, Lake's voice has greater range and control (even better than last year), and Palmer is yet even steadier and more "in the groove" than ever before. The third ELP set I caught at Great Woods (Aug. 8) as part of the DT/ELP/DP bill was shorter than the first two nights (70 minutes as opposed to 90), but the band was even tighter. For the shorter set they dropped "The Sheriff" (DAMN!),"Touch and Go", and "Honky Tonk Train Blues". On to the tunes: Crossing the Rubicon > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This was a great new instrumental (around 2-3 minutes) which may or may not be on the new album. It had a ceremonial grandeur to it, similar to "Changing States" (but different, of course!) Very much in the character of "CS" and "The Score". Karn Evil 9, First Impression Pt. 2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Really excellent, although Lake doesn't play electric guitar (same as last year). One thing I have noticed is that the tempo is much less sluggish than last year, giving it an exciting urgency that had been lacking. For the third show at Great Woods, they made a strange cut in the music -- after Lake finishes the opening vocals, they cut directly to the part where the guitar solo ordinarily starts. I thought this was strange as it only saves about 1 1/2 minutes, and is quite jarring to those who know the tune (which was probably just about everybody at the concert). They should bring back the organ solo part of the tune intact! Hoedown ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For the middle solo, Emerson stepped to his mic and played a HARMONICA SOLO! (Although at the Dream Theater/ELP/Deep Purple show on 8/8, he did a ribbon controller solo with obligatory fireworks and "arse wiping"). As in KE9, the tempo of Hoedown this year is much faster -- again, the piece became much more exciting, similar to the live versions from 1973-74! The Sheriff ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Emerson used Hammond sounds, a la the '72 performances. The first night after Emerson played the ending "saloon" piano solo, he noticed that the piano patch consisted of two layers a full half-step apart (thus making it VERY out of tune!) He asked Will Alexander to come up onstage to fix the problem, and then played the entire ending again (with Palmer doing the percussion again). The ending piano solo is the same length as on _Trilogy_ (not extended like on _Welcome Back..._ from 1974) Unfortunately, it appears that they have dropped "The Sheriff" from the setlist, as they did not play it at the Great Woods show (8/8). Touch and Go ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ They played this at 8/1 and 8/2 (and the first few shows of DT/ELP/DP), but did not play it at Great Woods. Deep Purple fans at the New Jersey show on 8/6 regarded the performance as a tribute to the late Cozy Powell, who played drums with Deep Purple as well as ELPowell. Piano Concerto No. 1 III. Toccata con fuoco ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Very good arrangement for solo piano of the 3rd movement. Emerson was solid as a rock on it for 8/2 and 8/8. After the 8/8 show I had Emerson sign the title page of my orchestral score for the concerto, and he told me that the publisher, Theodore Presser, was making a two-piano arrangement of the whole concerto. (For those of you who aren't familiar, a two-piano reduction consists of the solo piano part and the orchestra part arranged for a second piano). C'est La Vie ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Greg was in fine form, and Emerson stepped out with an accordian (wearing a French beret!) and schmoozed with Lake for the solo. Honky Tonk Train Blues ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ They only played HTTB at the second show in Burlington (8/2) Knife Edge ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A Time and a Place ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ These two are paired together (in full versions). Time and a Place was a great surprise - great synth timbres for ending section, and Lake was in full command of the vocals. The tempo was a little slow at the first show (8/1) Tarkus (entire suite) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A complete "Tarkus"! - the greatest surprise of the evening. *Great* guitar playing on "Battlefield" from Lake on a Fender Stratocaster. His solos on all three shows were completely varied, and his sound and approach had a David Gilmour-esque feel. "Aquatarkus" was short (as on the studio version), and was similar in approach. The audiences seemed ecstatic to hear the second half of Manticore/Battlefield/Aquatarkus rather than the segue into "Pictures at an Exhibition". Speaking of "Pictures", isn't this the *very first* tour ever that doesn't feature at least a chunk of it? Encores: 21st Century Schizoid Man > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ They played up until the beginning part of the instrumental section then segued to "Fanfare". Emerson sang backup vocals on the chorus of "Schizoid"! Fanfare for the Common Man > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Emerson really varied the solo on all three nights, but still incorporates the _Carmina Burana_ quotations. The tune was shortened a bit for the DT/ELP/DP show on 8/8. Rondo ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Rondo included Palmer's drum solo (as usual), and the entire crowd was standing for his solo at Great Woods (8/8). Emerson shut the lid on the baby grand piano case and played backwards. I'm kinda hoping he's outgrown kicking the shit out of any more L-100's . . . but must he continue to "wip 'is arse" with the ribbon controller solo on Hoedown? Other trivia ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ - Keith said that his son, Aaron Emerson (age 26 or 27, I think), is performing in the New York City area with a band called "Don" (KE confirmed the spelling). - Greg said that "Lucky Man" *is not* about the assasination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. - ELP will go into the studio sometime just past the New Year (1999) to work on a new album, though they've obviously worked out new material (from the 1994 long suite of "Man in the Long Black Coat" to this year's "Crossing the Rubicon" which is currently being performed live). BR ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ e-mail: reasoner@mediaone.net reasoner@post.harvard.edu ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^