Why no love for ELP? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Flight123

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Topic: Why no love for ELP?
Posted: June 30 2015 at 07:53

It's a real shame this ever saw the light of day - except for 'Apple Blossom' (which was recorded in 73 anyway) - the knives were already out by then. It's actually far inferior than Love Beach.

lostrom

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 22:21

Works Vol. II is a masterpiece!

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Dellinger

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 22:13

JD wrote:

They've been my favourite band since I was 12 (1970) and I first heard The Three Fates at a summer drop in centre. The big brother of one of my friends had brought his album to listen to and I just couldn't get enough of it. I believe they were mostly mis-understood having been for far ahead of the curve for their time. As as for the critics who bashed them, all I would say to them today is, "and who the hell are you?" No one would say that about any of ELP. So love then or hate them, whatever you want, but you have to respect them, they defined a sound that has only ever been copied and never bettered.

I don't think the problem with their popularity is that they were ahead of their time, since it seems they were more popular within prog circles (and in rock circles in general) in the 70's than they are today.

ghost_of_morphy View Drop Down

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 22:03

ELP was brilliant from Tarkus to Brain Salad Surgery... Works 1 was ok.. the rest can go on the trash pile.

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 20:06

They've been my favourite band since I was 12 (1970) and I first heard The Three Fates at a summer drop in centre. The big brother of one of my friends had brought his album to listen to and I just couldn't get enough of it. I believe they were mostly mis-understood having been for far ahead of the curve for their time. As as for the critics who bashed them, all I would say to them today is, "and who the hell are you?" No one would say that about any of ELP. So love then or hate them, whatever you want, but you have to respect them, they defined a sound that has only ever been copied and never bettered.

Edited by JD - June 29 2015 at 20:06

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verslibre

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 09:10

Flight123 wrote:

I saw Tull in 2011 and the same had happened to Ian Anderson - c'est la vie!

I saw Tull in '89 and he was already fairly thrashed. He sounded good in his 'low' voice but when he tried to jump an octave, it wasn't pretty.

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prog4evr

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Posted: June 29 2015 at 08:01

Big Kid Josie wrote:

...I'm an old fart (55) and saw a lot of great shows in the golden days. Highlights were: ...Rush...Neil Peart was a freakin' drum maniac...best drummer I've seen live, along with Palmer!

Right back atcha, Big Kid - I'm 56. I don't think I saw as many shows as you as a teenager, but I saw some pretty good ones:
- 1976: Chicago at the Anaheim (California) Stadium - still playing the proto-prog goodies in that one!
- 1977: Yes - 'Going for the One' tour at the LA Forum (way before the Staples Arena). Again, they played great ones especially from Fragile, CTTE, and Relayer. Of course, Parallels and Awaken are the BEST off of GFTO.
- 1978: Kansas 'Point of Know Return' tour. Played a couple from their first album, then maybe one each from Song for America, Masque, and Leftoverture - a nice concert with some of their better earlier music.
- 1978: Camel - at UC San Diego where I was an undergrad student - a great, great show.
- 1978: Jethro Tull, led off by U.K. By then, Bozzio was the U.K. drummer. Another great drum talent right up their with Peart. But, Barrimore Barlow of Tull - OMG - an absolutely phenomenal drummer! Have to say he is about my all-time favorite - better than Palmer, better than Peart - better than anybody!

So, yeah, we did get off topic. Back on topic then: I have the DVDs of some of ELP's early shows, especially Isle of Wight. Love their youthful exhuberance in those early shows, and absolutely love the long stringy hair on all three of them!

Flight123

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Posted: June 28 2015 at 11:15

Yes, it's a shame that Lake's voice noticably deteriorated over the years. I saw Tull in 2011 and the same had happened to Ian Anderson - c'est la vie!

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 10:13

When I caught them in 77, it was a 30,000-40,000 seat auditorium, but I was front row---we used to wait outside for 2 hrs indulging in the party scene until they opened the doors and race to the stage and could reach out and touch them, practically. Seemed like a lot more chemistry between Emerson and Palmer than Lake...Lake still sung beautifully, though. That was before his voice started to age.

presdoug

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 10:07

The first and only time I saw them was on the Black Moon tour in Ottawa in January of 1993-great show, and in a small venue, so I could see everything up close. They opened their set with the Tarkus suite, with a bit of other music added to it. My favourite part was a jazz instrumental section led by Emerson on the piano-wonderful!

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 10:03

saw them in '92 too. Saw all 3 shows at Royal Albert Hall.

It was a good show (waaayy better than 2010 when saw then at high voltage) and I was pleasantly surprised as I am no fan of ELP.

Hard to believe now, but this show was broadcast live (i think with 30 mins delay) on BBC radio One....BBC RADIO ONE, the station that plays the sh*ttest form of sh*t with DJs who are all now on sexual offenders register (citation needed).

Best part of show was when emerson got twiddly bit on his moog console to make the RAH reverbarate during the end of lucky man solo You know the DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH bit.

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:58

Off topic...

If you had to go to Auburn, I pity you! Wink

As a grad of Alabama, they are our bitter arch-rival in college football...the winner of the Bama-Auburn game has gone to the National Championship game or playoff every year for the last 5 years...a high stakes game to say the least...think Manchester United vs Liverpool in England...

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:44

Yeah, Beck is to me one of the greatest pure technicians of the guitar there is, and has weathered the years and maintained his edge better than anyone else, along with Hackett.

I'm an old fart (55) and saw a lot of great shows in the golden days. Highlights were:

Blue Oyster Cult/Rush...Neil Peart was a freakin' drum maniac...best drummer I've seen live, along with Palmer!

Eddie Money/Bob Welch/Santana (tho I'm lukewarm on Eddie Money, he had a pretty good guitarist on his debut album...this guitarist, Bob Welch---old Fleetwood Mac blues guy---and Santana jammed on the encore...Santana would just bob his head and groove on their playing, then blow them away...I swear, Santana could hit a sustain note and smoke a cigarette alsmot before it died away!

Van Halen/Doobie Bros/Stones in 77 or 78...the Doobies were actually the best band of the 3!

Kansas on their first album tour, my first taste of prog. Kansas became a pop/arena band, but their first album was an incredible progfest!

Clapton with the Bob Dylan Rolling Thunder Review

Pink Floyd on the Wall tour

Man, great memories...sorry for getting off topic on an ELP thread!

rushfan4

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:35

I think that the first time that I saw them was on the Black Moon tour too. I was definitely amazed by Emerson's keyboard and moog playing and Palmer's drum solo. The second time that I saw them they were touring with Dream Theater and Deep Purple. That was a pretty great show too.

Flight123

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:33

Big Kid Josie wrote:

I hail from Alabama in the USA, .

I was in Auburn, Alabama in 1990 - that explains why I didn't have lengthy discussions about prog rock when I was at the bar Smile

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:31

Man, I bet that was a great show...one thing about the prog bands of old when they toured after the 70's, it was in smaller venues and you were surrounded by die-hard fans...I caught the Moody Blues in Dallas sometime in the 80's, I think, with Patrick Moraz on keys. It was an open-air venue with perfect acoustics and they traded out vocalists (Haywood, Lodge, Pinder) such that none of them lost their "studio voice" during the show. Great show! No one there buy Moody fans...

verslibre

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:31

Flight123 wrote:

I recall 'Tarkus' and 'Pirates' as being particular highlights, for me at least, although I had not heard Black Moon prior to the concert.

I thought it was utterly cool when they launched into "Touch and Go"!

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Flight123

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:29

I think I was slightly overwhelmed to begin with as, at the time, I never thought I would get the chance to see them live. I recall 'Tarkus' and 'Pirates' as being particular highlights, for me at least, although I had not heard Black Moon prior to the concert. Then, I had to wait another 18 years to see them again (I don't care what people say - I loved what may have well been their final performance at High Voltage)...

verslibre

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:26

Big Kid Josie wrote:

I saw Jeff Beck with Jan Hammer in 76

Damn! Color me green.

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verslibre

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Posted: June 26 2015 at 09:24

I also saw ELP on the Black Moon tour, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. It was one incredible evening. I think everyone there was a diehard fan! The next night (which I did not attend) was simulcast on KLOS.

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