ELP Appreciation thread !!!!

richardh wrote: Although one of my favourite bands I do think there is a massive Genesis bias on this website with many preferring the calm preciseness of Banks to the energy of Emerson. Ok fair enough as its a matter of taste but I think it does mean their albums are a bit overated.SEBTP has some dull stuff particularly More Fool Me,The BAttle Of Epping Forest and I know what I Like yet people complain about Benny The Bouncer which is a whole ..ermmm..2 minutes NOT the interminable ten minutes or whatever of Battle Of Epping Forest.Oh well.

Gerinski wrote: richardh wrote: Although one of my favourite bands I do think there is a massive Genesis bias on this website with many preferring the calm preciseness of Banks to the energy of Emerson. Ok fair enough as its a matter of taste but I think it does mean their albums are a bit overated.SEBTP has some dull stuff particularly More Fool Me,The BAttle Of Epping Forest and I know what I Like yet people complain about Benny The Bouncer which is a whole ..ermmm..2 minutes NOT the interminable ten minutes or whatever of Battle Of Epping Forest.Oh well.   Oeps... Obviously I meant "More Fool Me" for SEBTP and not "Mad Mad Moon". My only discrepancy is that I quite like The Battle Of Epping Forest

I might say that the term "Supergroup" was coined for ELP. The other supergroups just followed.

Alberto Muñoz wrote: Gerinski wrote: I might say that the term "Supergroup" was coined for ELP. The other supergroups just followed.   Aren't that term wasn't for Blind Faith??

I think you are right although Blind Faith didn't last long so ELP ended up 'owning' this description.I doubt too many now remember Blind Faith tbh.

Edited by richardh - March 17 2010 at 02:52

Considering that ELP produced the debut, Tarkus, Pictures at an Exhibition, Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery within the space of THREE YEARS dammit, they deserve mammoth kudos for such an enduring body of work that even today for me, is an unimpeachable creative peak that not even Yes, Crimson, Genesis, Tull, Floyd etc can match.

Genesis took 4 years and 5 albums to get to Selling England by the Pound (and one of of those is a complete diaper burrito plus I think large swathes of Trespass is borderline juvenilia)
Yes did 5 albums in 3 years but only hit their prog stride on The Yes Album.

No other prog giant had ELP's sustained level of innovative brilliance from 70 to 74. I do concede that their albums do contain some weaker material (Three Fates/Are You Ready Eddy ?/Jeremy Bender/Nutrocker) but why do some persist in the spurious fantasy that Genesis, Tull, Yes, Crimson and Floyd all consistently made albums where there were no weaker tracks to be seen anywhere ?

It's utter nonsense really.

I am one of  ELP fans. I dont want explain about my opinion. If you want talk about ELP you MUST listen to " Tarkus"  first. I think you MUST listen to ELP version and Jordan Rudess version  of Tarkus and compare these then you can find : Why ELP is one of prog legends.

O666 wrote: I am one of  ELP fans. I dont want explain about my opinion. If you want talk about ELP you MUST listen to " Tarkus"  first. I think you MUST listen to ELP version and Jordan Rudess version  of Tarkus and compare these then you can find : Why ELP is one of prog legends.

or hear LaBrie take a flamethrower to Tarkus (battlefield) as well.....   

ExittheLemming wrote: micky wrote: O666 wrote: I am one of  ELP fans. I dont want explain about my opinion. If you want talk about ELP you MUST listen to " Tarkus"  first. I think you MUST listen to ELP version and Jordan Rudess version  of Tarkus and compare these then you can find : Why ELP is one of prog legends. or hear LaBrie take a flamethrower to Tarkus (battlefield) as well.....    Indeed, I think 'Jimmy the Cheese' is captured for posterity massacring this anti-war paean of Tarkus on the ELP tribute album Encores, Legends & Paradox. He sounds like Glen Hughes after a 'south of the waist only' Brazilian to my ears.

amen to that.....   I won't say it is lost in all the drivel about ELP's pretention.. armadillo tanks and jaw dropping skills but it is definitely underplayed.... is the fact that Greg Lake had one of best voices in all of rock.  Capable of touching your heart with the occasional ELP 'ballad' or getting mean and nasty when he breaks out the 'angry' Lake vocals on gems like Knife's Edge or Time and a Place.  For everything about the music...  and the instrumentalists...  the voice is one.. and often is the most up-front.. and Greg Lake was without a doubt one of the finest vocalists rock music ever saw.   One that many outside of the fishbowl of PA's recognize.

ExittheLemming wrote: Yep, although I'm not a massive Lake fan I do admit that his vocal texture on both King Crimson and ELP almost defines the genre for those who have have maybe only heard the radio friendly stuff. It also seems clear to me that without Greg's erm...'populist hook' that softened the technical maelstrom of Keith and Carl, in all probability ELP might have folded after just 2 albums ?

for all the bitchin about how 'short' ELP's creative lifespan was...  you are right... in reality it is amazing it lasted as long as it did. 

 

Alberto Muñoz wrote: Gerinski wrote: I might say that the term "Supergroup" was coined for ELP. The other supergroups just followed.   Aren't that term wasn't for Blind Faith??

Remark accepted