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Joined: December 08 2012
Location: Pacoima,CA,USA
Status: Offline
Points: 3145
Posted: February 10 2013 at 05:12
Gerinski wrote:
Yeah, some people may call what they hear in BSS as 'inconsistency', but daring (and being able to) to go from something like Jerusalem to something like Toccata to something like Still You Turn Me On to something like Benny The Bouncer and to something like KE9's 3 impressions... man this I call genius and balls!!!
And I see little love here for KE9 3rd Impression which for me is brilliant, OK the talking computer is a product of it's time and sounds now dated and corny, but for the rest the chord progressions, harmonies and melodies are very good and with more classical inspiration than some people seem to realise.
I love the talking computer sound to me it sounds fine and I love BSS
“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four
"Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28029
Posted: February 10 2013 at 11:35
Gerinski wrote:
Yeah, some people may call what they hear in BSS as 'inconsistency', but daring (and being able to) to go from something like Jerusalem to something like Toccata to something like Still You Turn Me On to something like Benny The Bouncer and to something like KE9's 3 impressions... man this I call genius and balls!!!
And I see little love here for KE9 3rd Impression which for me is brilliant, OK the talking computer is a product of it's time and sounds now dated and corny, but for the rest the chord progressions, harmonies and melodies are very good and with more classical inspiration than some people seem to realise.
KE9 3rd Impression would be my favourite ELP track but for the slightly unconvincing ending. The first 7 minutes is fantastic especially the 1974 Cal Jam version
Joined: September 19 2012
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1238
Posted: February 13 2013 at 00:30
Gerinski wrote:
Yeah, some people may call what they hear in BSS as 'inconsistency', but daring (and being able to) to go from something like Jerusalem to something like Toccata to something like Still You Turn Me On to something like Benny The Bouncer and to something like KE9's 3 impressions... man this I call genius and balls!!!
And I see little love here for KE9 3rd Impression which for me is brilliant, OK the talking computer is a product of it's time and sounds now dated and corny, but for the rest the chord progressions, harmonies and melodies are very good and with more classical inspiration than some people seem to realise.
Yeah, I love the whole of Karn Evil 9 but the 3rd Impression is probably my favourite Impression.
Yeah, some people may call what they hear in BSS as 'inconsistency', but daring (and being able to) to go from something like Jerusalem to something like Toccata to something like Still You Turn Me On to something like Benny The Bouncer and to something like KE9's 3 impressions... man this I call genius and balls!!!
And I see little love here for KE9 3rd Impression which for me is brilliant, OK the talking computer is a product of it's time and sounds now dated and corny, but for the rest the chord progressions, harmonies and melodies are very good and with more classical inspiration than some people seem to realise.
Yeah, I love the whole of Karn Evil 9 but the 3rd Impression is probably my favourite Impression.
I would say KE9 3rd impression is in my top favorite peices of music... Ever.
Joined: November 01 2005
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 417
Posted: February 16 2013 at 12:37
My first ELp album was BSS. I was shocked because I just knew them by "Lucy Man" that I had in a multiartist comp. Even if the Moog solo was what haunted me BSS sound so weird and enigmatic to my ears... Surprisingly, it doesn't cause rejection and only Tocatta took more time to be fully appreciated - by now is my favourite ELP adaptation of any classic piece.
So I believe it was my luck that I didn't feel any rejection for ELP because rationally speaking BSS doesn't seem to me the best introduction. I believe that Tarkus - the suite - is the best option for starters. Always like side 2 with the exception of Jeremy Bender. I never was a fan of the equation "music + humour" but I like Are you ready Eddie and Benny the Bouncer, two tracks made just for fun I believe. I understand the reasoning about ELP never making a whole album withou flaws (or minor tracks) but I believe that BSS is their best constructed work, 5 stars, together with Trilogy. Love The Sheriff and its ending.
What we see here in this thread is that although different persons indicate different albums for the newbie, all agree that their four first studio albums are the best from their work, seconded by Pictures...and the great live WBMFTTSTNE - even if this collection is plagued with the same production issues that has Yessongs.
There seem to be a lot of hatred directed to ELP in this site. Good to have a topic where we can say good things about this band.
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28029
Posted: February 17 2013 at 03:47
dr prog wrote:
I'm always the opposite in here. I prefer Side 2 of Tarkus over side 1.
There are some things I really like about that side (Lake's vocal is exceptional on The Only Way and Emerson rips up the organ on A Time And A Place like nothing I've ever heard before or since) but generally it sounds like a series of unrelated bits and peices. Side one is a complete conceptual work and one of the first to come from a rock band.
Joined: April 03 2009
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 739
Posted: March 16 2013 at 11:38
BSS, Debut and Tarkus in that order for me.
"I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman
Joined: October 16 2009
Location: Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 2
Posted: March 20 2013 at 15:28
I completely agree with richardh in the list he's made of the first albums. I would include, though, Pictures at an Exhibition as an important an album as any of the other first four studio ones. Although mainly based on Modest Mussorgsky's music, it contains a lot of ELP music and the musical arrangements can make you forget for a while it is classical music... or can they make you think prog rock has more to do with the classics than apparently has? Anything between 1970 and 1974 is a correct choice. Though Tarkus may be my favourite composition, Trilogy is definitely my favourite ELP album.
Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623
Posted: March 27 2013 at 22:33
I'm going with the first ELP......after all this time one of my top twenty prog lp's....but then I was in an altered state of consciousness most of that year and was a fan of Lake and KC so I was no doubt biased.
Trilogy next then BSS then Tarkus then Pictures....and I have to sayI never understood why they would always put one or two crap beerhall songs on their later lp's after the first one. They inevitably ruined the flow of the lp's..imo.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28029
Posted: March 28 2013 at 02:48
dr wu23 wrote:
I'm going with the first ELP......after all this time one of my top twenty prog lp's....but then I was in an altered state of consciousness most of that year and was a fan of Lake and KC so I was no doubt biased.
Trilogy next then BSS then Tarkus then Pictures....and I have to sayI never understood why they would always put one or two crap beerhall songs on their later lp's after the first one. They inevitably ruined the flow of the lp's..imo.
A lot of these 'beerhall songs' were very short and probably served as a positive break in the flow. For instance Benny The Bouncer precedes Karn Evil which is just shy of 30 minutes long which is almost a whole LP in those days.
The Sheriff made a nice companion peice to Hoedown. Tarkus side two has a few of these songs but then the whole of side two was a mess in my opinion. People will always focus on side one.At the time the band was still developing and there was I believe a tug of war of musical ideas going on between Lake and Emerson. Side One was Emerson's.
The debut of all there early albums is the one that lacks flow ironically. A series of episodes and Emerson proving what an amazing keyboard player he is. I never understand why that gets so much love although I don't think any ELP album is perfect.
Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20623
Posted: March 28 2013 at 10:05
richardh wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
I'm going with the first ELP......after all this time one of my top twenty prog lp's....but then I was in an altered state of consciousness most of that year and was a fan of Lake and KC so I was no doubt biased.
Trilogy next then BSS then Tarkus then Pictures....and I have to sayI never understood why they would always put one or two crap beerhall songs on their later lp's after the first one. They inevitably ruined the flow of the lp's..imo.
A lot of these 'beerhall songs' were very short and probably served as a positive break in the flow. For instance Benny The Bouncer precedes Karn Evil which is just shy of 30 minutes long which is almost a whole LP in those days.
The Sheriff made a nice companion peice to Hoedown. Tarkus side two has a few of these songs but then the whole of side two was a mess in my opinion. People will always focus on side one.At the time the band was still developing and there was I believe a tug of war of musical ideas going on between Lake and Emerson. Side One was Emerson's.
The debut of all there early albums is the one that lacks flow ironically. A series of episodes and Emerson proving what an amazing keyboard player he is. I never understand why that gets so much love although I don't think any ELP album is perfect.
I see your point but I can't stand those cheesy little silly songs ...just me.
And imo the debut flows beautifully....maybe it was just all those alternate states of mind.
;)
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Joined: February 10 2010
Location: Barcelona Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 5154
Posted: March 28 2013 at 13:49
Moogtron III wrote:
Snow Dog wrote:
I always have and always will love side 2 of Tarkus. I love everything by ELP from the debut to the triple live album. Faultless imo.
I like most of side 2.
I like all of side 2, it may not be all masterpiece but it has more than enough great music to be a very worthy LP side, it's only by comparison to side 1 that people bash it so much. I never skip a song when listening to Tarkus.
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Gerinski wrote:
and I love BSS 
