The ELP (TF v CERT) tiff....

It's patently obvious that TF will defend ELP to the very death if needs be! However it is strange that one band should dominate a persons taste as much as this. ELP were good live. Very showy...but Genesis (with Gabriel) were better and IMHO so were Yes and Rush.

Keith Emerson is a very good key-smith (I love the Old castle from PAAE and Karn Evil 9), but I think that Banks and Wakeman are more adept at blending in with the rest of the band! (And Dave Greenslade is the best Hammond practitioner in the business).

I don't have a favourite band outright all the time, I have a fluctuating taste, from Genesis, Yes, Rush (Old), Greenslade, Camel...these have all been top at some time or other. I would find it hard selecting my 10 favourite albums I'd have to select 100.......

I think TF is very lucky to have such passion for and close involvement with her favourite band.

I would never state categorically that any other prog band is better than ELP, unless I felt I could defend that opinion to the death - and against TF, it would be...

It is heart warming to see people stand by the bands that they love and respect but when it pushes out all subjective thought it can become a danger or even...dull.

I think TF still has some objectivity about ELP as her posting of the 'Love Beach' photo's prove. Every band, no matter how great nearly always produces some dodgy stuff. King Crimson is the band I hold in the heighest regard above all others (even ELO ) but I have to acknowledge that not all their output has been listenable.

More power to the fans that can see the good from the bad and still remain fans.

BTW, if you want pointless arguments, you should check out the Spocks Beard Yahoo group 'Thoughts' where the current argument raging is if The Beatles were any good

Swinton MCR wrote: It's patently obvious that TF will defend ELP to the very death if needs be!

Its that obvious, is it..?..

Swinton MCR wrote: However it is strange that one band should dominate a persons taste as much as this. ELP were good live. Very showy...but Genesis (with Gabriel) were better and IMHO so were Yes and Rush.

I've seen all those bands live.. and quite a few times, and I can tell you from my heart.. that ain't so.  Genesis put more priority on the show than they did the music, Yes seemed to be stiffer than the average band.. and Rush didn't even come close to the same chemistry.. much less have a vocal comparision.  I know its all a matter of taste, but please..

Swinton MCR wrote: Keith Emerson is a very good key-smith (I love the Old castle from PAAE and Karn Evil 9), but I think that Banks and Wakeman are more adept at blending in with the rest of the band! (And Dave Greenslade is the best Hammond practitioner in the business).

Keith has always been at the top of all the greatest rock keyboardist lists cause he simply is just that.  My only complaint about Keith is that he hasn't been giving us the quanity of output I think he's capable of, or he has and just not sharing... which would be really sad!

Swinton MCR wrote: I don't have a favourite band outright all the time, I have a fluctuating taste, from Genesis, Yes, Rush (Old), Greenslade, Camel...these have all been top at some time or other. I would find it hard selecting my 10 favourite albums I'd have to select 100.......

The only other band ever who's made my heart stop for a second during a performance was Pink Floyd.  At Giant Stadium on the TDB tour, when David played that second solo from Comfortably Numb... it almost felt like the end of the world.  Same thing I felt every night on ELP's BSS tour at the ending of Karn Evil 9.... Thats what a band is suppose to do for you.  Give you a little bit of heaven....

Rick wasn't a bad keyboardist.. he was just there to be the background.  Dave was the shining star.  Thats probably why Pink Floyd has survived the test of time, because it was less keyboards - more guitar.

I've seen Rick Wright in a room with just a grand piano and some free time.  He really could play beautifully, he was just very insecure most times and let Roger walk all over him.  Its sad, but true.

Actually more of my female friends are into Yes and Pink Floyd.  ELP was always the concerts that had no line for the women's room...

And you have to admit.. ELP, more so than Yes, were the ones slaughtered for over-indulgence... and yet thats what made them so great...

I think to call Rick a bad keyboard player is pushing it.  Just because he didn't insist on dominating entire songs with massive, over-indulgent solos like Wakeman and Emerson, by no means does it make him bad.  And as Threefates pointed out, Roger was pretty much forcing him out of the band by the time Wish You Were Here rolled around.

As for Dave, it's true that technically, he's probably not in the same league as guys like Howe, Lifeson, Hackett, etc, but he makes up for that with feel.  Steve Howe may be able to play amazing, fast solos, but the day he makes something as flat out gorgeous as Shine On You Crazy Diamond or as powerful as Dogs will probably never come.

ELP was the ONLY band I liked in the seventies.My taste was all over the place then -punk,disco,some heavy metal but ELP always struck me as special.They could be as heavy as hell but as light as a wisper.Musically they challenged everybody and raised the benchmark.Drummers dreamt of being Palmer ,keyboardists were amazed at Emerson's capablities while Lake had the purest singing voice imaginable.A good 3 peice band is a rarity much less one that dominated prog for a period of time (1970-1973).It was only E and L's tempestous relationship that prevented ELP from being THE seventies band.Brain Salad Surgery should have been the start of great things.Instead it stands as a testament to their awesome talent and has been my favourite album for over 25 years.Don't be fooled by poor imitations.ELP were the real prog deal.They burned as bright as the brightest meteor and that is all that matters to me.

I can't help but think that Jan Akkerman smoked the lot of them

Jan Ackerman's chemistry was with Thijs van Leer, JA's solo career is nothing to talk about BUT while with Focus JA can be considered one of the best. Its also undeniable that Gilmore is more of a blues guitar player, with a great grip in this field, but to be "the best" it takes some more. Steve Howe, John McLauglin, Steve Hacket as examples are much beyond Gilmore.

___________

Lunar