Emerson Lake and Palmer
Posted by: Opportunity for growth on 07 April 2007
Any ELP fans out there?
Hearing Tarkus for the first time was the most significant moment of my musical life. I was 13 or 14 at the time. Having only recently taken down my posters of The Sweet and graduated to the more 'mature' and 'interesting' 10cc, I thought that was about as far as you could go. I had no idea that there was a whole other world (or worlds) of music out there. Beyond top 20 pop and my mother's Mario Lanza collection. Then we visited an uncle in Shefield and my cousin played me Tarkus.
Christ!
I had never suspected for a moment that music could be like that. I was transported. I was hooked. I bought Tarkus and played it every day. Sometimes two or three times a day, for a year and a half. It was the cornerstone of my world at the time. Now 30 years on, I found myself buying a copy of Fanfare for the Common Man, an ELP 'greatest hits' compilation. Just for the memories. I expected it to sound a bit cheesy and 5th form-like.
Bloody hell, was I wrong. It's stonking! So musical. So well thought out. So together. And so heavy. Tracks like Knife Edge and The Endless Enigma are really really good. But what most surprises me is the sound quality. It's huge, it's deep and it's as clear as a bell. Fantastic! There's a bit in the Endless Enigma where Carl Palmer goes "doof doof doof doof" on the bass drum pedal and it sounds like the council have come to knock down the house and are starting with the wall behind the speakers. Awesome!
Shame about the lyrics though. Some of them are a tad embarrasing
.
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
Always thought Pictures At An Exhibition saw ELP at its best - though I like most of the first four albums - Knife Edge (which, of course, is Janacek's Sinfonietta) is a great track. However, I must take you to task about your criticism of the lyrics, I mean
Benny was the bouncer at the palais de dance
He'd slash your Granny's face up given half a chance.
He'd sell you back the pieces, all for less than half a quid
He thought he was the meanest, until he met with savage sid.
Now Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots
He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots
Benny looked at Sidney: Sidney stared right back in his eye.
Sidney chose a switchblade and Benny got a cold meat pie.
Oh! what a terrible sight,
Much to the peoples' delight.
One hell of a fight.
Sidney grabbed a hatchet, buried it in Benny's head.
The people gasped as he bled: the end of a ted?
Well, they dragged him from the wreckage of the palais in bits.
They tried to stick together all the bits that would fit.
But some of him was missing and part of him arrived too late,
So now he works for Jesus, as the bouncer at St. Peter's Gate.
Surely as deep as meaningful as any lyrics could be ..........
All the best, Rotf
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by ewemon
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
Always thought Pictures At An Exhibition saw ELP at its best - though I like most of the first four albums - Knife Edge (which, of course, is Janacek's Sinfonietta) is a great track. However, I must take you to task about your criticism of the lyrics, I mean
Benny was the bouncer at the palais de dance
He'd slash your Granny's face up given half a chance.
He'd sell you back the pieces, all for less than half a quid
He thought he was the meanest, until he met with savage sid.
Now Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots
He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots
Benny looked at Sidney: Sidney stared right back in his eye.
Sidney chose a switchblade and Benny got a cold meat pie.
Oh! what a terrible sight,
Much to the peoples' delight.
One hell of a fight.
Sidney grabbed a hatchet, buried it in Benny's head.
The people gasped as he bled: the end of a ted?
Well, they dragged him from the wreckage of the palais in bits.
They tried to stick together all the bits that would fit.
But some of him was missing and part of him arrived too late,
So now he works for Jesus, as the bouncer at St. Peter's Gate.
Surely as deep as meaningful as any lyrics could be ..........
All the best, Rotf
Never really got into the whole prog rock thing. Just found it so boring at the time.
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by SteveGa
And there was also
"Do you wanna be the pillow
Where I lay my head
Do you wanna be the feathers
Lying on my bed
Do you wanna be the cover
Of a magazine
Create a scene
Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder "
Never quite understood the ladder bit!
Steve
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by ewemon:
Never really got into the whole prog rock thing. Just found it so boring at the time.
It just depends on the time and it all down to personal taste. Remember we had a chart full of Gary Glitter, Sweet, the Eagles, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder: all fine if you liked it, but it meant nothing to me (maybe my loss, but you can't like everything); it all seemed to be about dancing rather than listening. Gone were the days of See Emily Play, Hole In My Shoe, My White Bicycle and Time of the Season making it in to the hit parade.
So I guess hearing a group that emanated from the Nice (great band), Atomic Rooster and King Crimson, and had Janacek and Elgar (among others) as their influences, was like a breath of fresh air - one thing the music always retained was a sense of humour.
As always there is music you like and music you don't - it's all opinion. So it's welcome back my friend to the show that never ends and pray, like me, that we never have to go through the eighties disco and new romantics scene again (now that really was boring - is there a film worse than Saturday Night Fever: I don't think so).
Here's some more great lyrics
Jeremy bender was a man of leisure, took his pleasure in the evening sun
Laid him down in a bed of roses, finally decided to become a nun.
Talk with the Sister, spoke in a whisper, threatened to fist her if she didn't come clean
Jumped on the Mother just like a brother asked one another if the other is a queen.
Diggin' the sister she was a mister shouldn't have kissed her, but he couldn't say no
Wanted to leave her couldn't believe her, so he picked up his suit-case and decided to go.All the best, Rotf
Just going to
hang another Roger Dean poster on the wall.
PS - Anybody heard
I Can't Believe It's Not Focus?
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by JWM
From a reasonably-sized vinyl collection, Tarkus was the first LP to be put on when I got my LP12 in 1998 - it was my favourite album at the time I first fell in love (lust?) with the LP12 as a '70s spotty adolescent.
I went away from ELP (and all prog, really) for a while, perhaps a decade - it was all too much! But since the LP12's arrival, that lovely vinyl has re-graced the TT on a fairly regular basis.
Being too young to have seen them first time round, I was delighted to see the Keith Emerson Band, with the Nice, a couple of years ago, including a full Tarkus (without 'L' and 'P' being there, it was done just right - almost whooly as an instrumental, with guitar instead of voice, the only sung bit being the 'Epitaph' quotation section, a la 'Welcome Back...'); and to see as well as hear the legendary Moog.
James
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by JWM:
From a reasonably-sized vinyl collection, Tarkus was the first LP to be put on when I got my LP12 in 1998 - it was my favourite album at the time I first fell in love (lust?) with the LP12 ....
.....
James
Isn't that what LP12 is for - why else did Linn call it the Lake Palmer 12: wonder why they forgot Keith? Ah yes, of cource, the Keith 9 or was it Karn-Evil 9 cartridge.
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by JWM
LOL - Happy Easter, ROTF
Posted on: 08 April 2007 by ewemon
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
quote:
Originally posted by ewemon:
Never really got into the whole prog rock thing. Just found it so boring at the time.
It just depends on the time and it all down to personal taste. Remember we had a chart full of Gary Glitter, Sweet, the Eagles, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder: all fine if you liked it, but it meant nothing to me (maybe my loss, but you can't like everything); it all seemed to be about dancing rather than listening. Gone were the days of See Emily Play, Hole In My Shoe, My White Bicycle and Time of the Season making it in to the hit parade.
So I guess hearing a group that emanated from the Nice (great band), Atomic Rooster and King Crimson, and had Janacek and Elgar (among others) as their influences, was like a breath of fresh air - one thing the music always retained was a sense of humour.
As always there is music you like and music you don't - it's all opinion. So it's welcome back my friend to the show that never ends and pray, like me, that we never have to go through the eighties disco and new romantics scene again (now that really was boring - is there a film worse than Saturday Night Fever: I don't think so).
Here's some more great lyrics
Jeremy bender was a man of leisure, took his pleasure in the evening sun
Laid him down in a bed of roses, finally decided to become a nun.
Talk with the Sister, spoke in a whisper, threatened to fist her if she didn't come clean
Jumped on the Mother just like a brother asked one another if the other is a queen.
Diggin' the sister she was a mister shouldn't have kissed her, but he couldn't say no
Wanted to leave her couldn't believe her, so he picked up his suit-case and decided to go.All the best, Rotf
Just going to
hang another Roger Dean poster on the wall.
PS - Anybody heard
I Can't Believe It's Not Focus?
Yeh thats true enough. I loved Atomic Rooster with Vincent Crane in fact I still have the original singles in the house but mainly I was a child born into the 50's who loved 60's music which everyhting from Hendrix to Stevie Wonder.
To me the nearest I really got to prog rock was Deep Purple and their extended solos.
I think I will have a word with one of best mates and borrow a couple of ELP's discs from him for a listen. You never know I might become a convert.
Posted on: 09 April 2007 by JonR
Have literally just now heard a live version of "Fanfare For The Common Man" for the first time - and liked it!
So now I've decided it's time to get into some Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Recommendations for a "starter" album, anyone?
Posted on: 09 April 2007 by Max Bass
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Opportunity for growth:
Any ELP fans out there?
"Hearing Tarkus for the first time was the most significant moment of my musical life. I was 13 or 14 at the time. . . I was transported. I was hooked. I bought Tarkus and played it every day. Sometimes two or three times a day, for a year and a half. ]"
I thought I was the only one with the ELP skeleton in my closet!! At bed time, I would play that piece of vinyl every night through the headphones, till I fell asleep. What a great album, Tarkus!
Finally broke down and bought a copy of it on MFSL cd.
Max
Posted on: 09 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
This would be my choice -
Pictures At An Exhibition is ELP at their brilliant best.
ELP, Tarkus and
Brain Salad Surgery are great records too, but I'd start with
Pictures.
Avoid
Love Beach - it's horrible.
Posted on: 09 April 2007 by John G.
I just bought an old sealed copy of Tarkus a few weeks ago. I have a number of ELP albums in my collection but never managed to listen to or purchase Tarkus.
What can I say, it's a great album, especially side one. I think I might give it a spin right now.
John
Posted on: 09 April 2007 by JonR
ROTF - thanks.
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
This would be my choice -
Pictures At An Exhibition is ELP at their brilliant best.
ELP, Tarkus and
Brain Salad Surgery are great records too, but I'd start with
Pictures.
Avoid
Love Beach - it's horrible.
Go for the earlier stuff. I would throw
Trilogy into the pot as well as
ELP, Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery and
Pictures.
The only downside with
Pictures, I feel, is the recording quality. But as a sense of the 'ELP experience' as originally conceived, it is indeed wonderful.
Works is where ego takes over.
Love Beach is just to fulfil a contractural obligation with the label.
There are also some later re-hash/get together again albums, which sound rather like Emerson's early '80s film soundtrack music - suspect. There is a last hoorah of the old prog dinosaurs in the form of
Touch and Go.
Amongst more recent release live material, there's
Live in Poland which has a decent modern quality of sound; and
Then and Now which includes [part of] their famous 'Cal Jam' (1973/4?) performance, which featured Emerson strapped to his Steinway in a cradle, spinning over and over... (now at the age of 60+ he doesn't do that any more!!!)
James
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by TomK
I thought they were the best (as in "worst") example of the sort of pompous pretentiousness that led to the punk movement a few years later. Tarkus was the worst album I'd heard at that point and I'd still have to rack my brains to come up with a worse one.
Amazing how tastes differ isn't it.
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by John G.
I've grown more and more sceptical of negative reviews. They've kept me away far too long from buying albums I really enjoy. Thank goodness for All Music Guide which easily allows you to sample records before you buy.
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by Opportunity for growth
Here's a photo you'll love Tom.
John and Keith met last year and got on famously. Apparently they share similar views about the music industry.
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by TomK:
.... Tarkus was the worst album I'd heard at that point and I'd still have to rack my brains to come up with a worse one. Amazing how tastes differ isn't it.
Tom have you never heard of Phil Collins - just list all his albums on AMG, they are all far worse than Tarkus or anything else I can think of.
BTW I think
Tarkus is a superb album and
Brain Salad Surgery is even better, but I'd still go with Pictures as my top ELP album.
... pompous pretentiousness eh ..... then please give a listen to this superb Gentle Giant album
Pretentious - For The Sake Of ItPosted on: 10 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Opportunity for growth:
Here's a photo you'll love Tom.
John and Keith met last year and got on famously. Apparently they share similar views about the music industry.
What a great picture - any truth in the Emerson Lydon Palmer collaboration?
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Wel on saturday my 10-year old daughter requested "Benny The Bouncer"...
Posted on: 10 April 2007 by bishopla
quote:
Originally posted by JonR:
Have literally just now heard a live version of "Fanfare For The Common Man" for the first time - and liked it!
So now I've decided it's time to get into some Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Recommendations for a "starter" album, anyone?
Start with Tarkus.
Larry
Posted on: 11 April 2007 by Guido Fawkes
Posted on: 11 April 2007 by JWM
And they said the age of the YouTube over 2 minutes long was dead...
Great stuff. Pictures - wow!
James
Posted on: 11 April 2007 by Derek Wright
Did ELP under that name or another name do a piece based on various US anthems, hymns, patriotic songs, eg America the Beautiful, Star Spangled Banner etc
or am I misremembering hearing something in the late 70s
If so what was the piece called and what record is it on.
Thanks for any info
Posted on: 11 April 2007 by BigH47
I love 'em. Tarkus,P.A.A.E. B.B.S. and Self titled are favourites.
Howard
