ELP Digest Saturday, 2 November 1996 Volume 6 : Issue 26 The "Ham Or Cheese" Edition incorporating the "Happy Birthday, Keith Emerson" edition and the "Happy 5th Birthday, ELP Digest!" edition Today's Topics: Letter from Sundown Records Supernatural Fairy Tales on Rhino Records New Emo cd's Steinway To Heaven Supernatural ELP "are you ready, eddy" lyrics Ready Eddy? Eddy's Sandwich Are You Ready, Eddy? John Wetton & Carl Palmer concerts A review of the Cleveland ELP/Tull Show ELP Digest Item Re: ELP Digest V6 #20 (ELP at Pittsburgh) Just the tickets, Ma'am ELP CONCERT REVIEW sept 11 1996 elp/tull in milwaukee,wi ELP in Moline, Il. CONCERT REVIEWS ELP in Kansas City ELP & Tull in Phoenix re: ELP Digest V6 #23 (and other related news) San Diego ELP Re: ELP concerts re:tull/elp gigs Las Vegas review KC Concert Prelude ======= For the first time since the ELP Digest started 5 years ago, I actually didn't get the Digest out on time for Keith's birthday. My apologies. I'll reduce the size of this Digest by not detailing the excuses. So, Happy Birthday, Keith! (even if it is a few days late). This issue also marks the 5th birthday of the ELP Digest. I'm please to say that we also passed the 1,000 subscriber mark recently. That's 1,000 people who get sent the Digest directly. Who knows how many read it once when you count forwarding, etc. Thanks to all the contributors, readers, and of course to ELP and their managers for keeping us all interested and informed of all things ELP. - John - ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 11:34:29 -0400 From: John Arnold To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: Letter from Sundown Records Hi. I received the following letter in the mail from Sundown Records (the home of the Keith Emerson Christmas Album) that I wanted to share the ELP Digest readers... " Sundown Records Inc. PO Box 241 Newbury Park, CA 91320 USA Phone: 805-375-6938 Fax: 805-375-7506 Hello! It's hard to believe, but it's nearly That Time of Year again. And Sundown Records is once again offering Keith Emerson's The Christmas Album! The album was a rousing success last year, with orders from all over the world. Since Sundown is in the process of relocating, I wated to give you our updated information to pass on to your readers. Our mailing address remains the same, at PO Box 241 Newbury Park, CA 91320, but our phone numbers have changed. The new direct line is (805)375-6938, and our new fax number is (805)375-7506. Any messages left on the voice mail for the direct line are returned promptly. Our email address and web site are temproarily down for reconstruction, but we should have the information for you soon on our new location. The pricing remains the same for the album - $15.98 for CD, $9.98 for cassette, and we are again offering the autographed version of the CD for $21.98. Domestic shipping in $2.00 for the first item and $1.00 for each additional item. Foreign shipping is $5.00 for the first item and $1.00 for each additional. PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to accept credit card orders at this time. All order must be money order, check (US only), or international reply coupon. I hope everyone has been able to catch ELP on their current tour. If you have any questions regarding the Christmas Album, please don't hesitate to contact me... " I'll be sure to post the new Sundown Records web site in the Digest and update the web page as soon as I have it. - John - ------------------------------ Date: 11 Oct 96 11:50:14 EDT From: "Plotczyk, Steve" To: John Arnold Subject: Supernatural Fairy Tales on Rhino Records Supernatural Fairy Tales Rhino has a new 5-CD box set "Supernatural Fairy Tales" (R2 72451) representing "the progressive rock era". And since it has a Nice song and 2 ELP songs, I thought it would be worthwhile to post about it. So here goes. It has a 64 page book that includes, among others, a couple of photos of the Nice and a photo of ELP (all photos are black and white). The liner notes only briefly touch on ELP. I got mine for $79.98 through the Rhino Direct catalog. The entire Rhino ELP catalog is also available 24 hours a day at (800)432-0020. Incidentally, that was the only place I could find "Humbug" on the EP "I Believe In Father Christmas" (72242). And it only took 2 days for my order to arrive. The CD set opens on disk 1 with America by the Nice. Disk 2 has Knife Edge on track 6 and disk 3 has Karn Evil 9 1st Impression both parts 1 and 2 combined with no break between them on track 10. These are all the standard versions so there is nothing unique here. Note that there is a mistake in the 64 page book, on the 4th CD liner and on the 4th CD itself where they all indicate that the 2nd song is "Siberian Khatru". That song is actually "And You And I". The track times are not listed anywhere so I used my CD player to generate that in the table below. Track Time Title Group Year/Album ----- ----- ------------------ ----------------- --------------------- 67:26 Volume 1 1. 6:16 America The Nice 68 - (single) 2. 4:16 Paper Sun Traffic 67 - (single) 3. 5:07 Repent Walpurgis Procol Harum 67 Procol Harum 4. 7:36 Privat Sorrow/ Pretty Things 68 S. F. Sorrow Baloon Burning 5. 6:44 Legend Of A Mind The Moody Blues 68 In Search Of The Lost Chord 6. 10:57 Kings & Queens Renaissance 69 Renaissance 7. 2:36 Sympathy Rare Bird 69 Rare Bird 8. 4:19 Under The Sky Pete Sinfield 73 Still 9. 12:15 Searching Klaus Schulze 70 - (never released) 10. 6:49 Sunrise Kingdom Come 71 Galactic Zoo Dossier 63:39 Volume 2 1. 3:19 The System/Babylon Aphrodite's Child 72 666 2. 7:31 Death Walks Atomic Rooster 70 Death Walks Behind Behind You You 3. 6:23 Der Vierte Kuss Ash Ra Tempel 70 - (never released) 4. 8:18 Killer Van Der Graaf 70 H To He Who Am The Generator Only One 5. 7:20 Oh Yeah Can 71 Tago Mago 6. 5:05 Knife-Edge Emerson, Lake & 70 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Palmer 7. 4:56 In The Land Of Caravan 71 In The Land Of Grey And Pink Grey And Pink 8. 4:55 It Happened Today Curved Air 70 Airconditioning 9. 6:41 Hocus Pocus Focus 71 Moving Waves 10. 8:40 Prophet/ Wigwam 74 Being Marvelry Skimmer 70:02 Volume 3 1. 8:55 Perpetual Change Yes 71 The Yes Album 2. 7:52 Lothlorien Argent 71 Ring Of Hands 3. 4:21 Ladytron Roxy Music 72 Roxy Music 4. 3:59 Radio Supersister 72 Pudding En Gisteren (Pudding & Yesterday) 5. 4:22 Dear Little Mother Savage Rose 72 Dodens Triumf 6. 10:28 The Musical Box Genesis 71 Nursery Cryme 7. 8:08 Roll Over Beethoven Electric Light 73 Electric Light Orchestra Orchestra II 8. 4:13 New World Strawbs 72 Grave New World 9. 3:51 Celebration Premiata Forneria 73 Photo Of Ghosts Marconi 10. 13:22 Karn Evil 9: 1st Emerson, Lake & 73 Brain Salad Impression, Parts Palmer Surgery 1 & 2 63:18 Volume 4 1. 8:00 Dancing With The Genesis 73 Selling England By Moonlit Knight The Pound 2. 9:20 And You And I Yes 72 Close To The Edge 3. 2:58 Virginia Plain Roxy Music 72 Roxy Music 4. 5:55 Warrior Wishbone Ash 72 Argus 5. 3:50 Warinobaril Lard Free 73 Gilbert Artman's Lard Free 6. 7:39 Mozanbique Amon Duul II 73 Vive La Trance 7. 4:42 Round And Round Strawbs 74 Hero And Heroine 8. 5:05 Questions And Nektar 73 Remember The Answers Future 9. 3:56 Fils De Lumiere Ange 74 Au-Dela Du Delire 10. 3:33 Ritorno Al Nulla Le Orme 73 Felona E Sorona 11. 7:45 Without Words Clearlight 75 Forever Blowing Bubbles 62:11 Volume 5 1. 6:31 Star Palace Of Seventh Wave 75 Psi-Fi The Sombre Warrior 2. 2:26 Perfect Mystery Gong 74 You 3. 6:14 Free Hand Gentle Giant 75 Free Hand 4. 2:24 War Henry Cow/ 75 In Praise Of Slapp Happy Learning 5. 5:38 Andra Satsen Samla Mammas Manna 76 Snorungarnas Symfoni 6. 3:15 Let's Eat Hatfield & 74 - (single) (Real Soon) The North 7. 2:42 Traccia II Banco 75 Banco 8. 3:37 Troller Tanz Magma 76 Udu Wudu (Ghost Dance) 9. 7:27 It's A Rainy Day, Faust 72 Faust So Far Sunshine Girl 10. 6:07 Mummy Was An Quiet Sun 75 Mainstream Asteroid, Daddy Was A Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil 11. 6:26 Radar Love Golden Earring 73 Moontan 12. 8:46 Inca Roads Frank Zappa & The 75 One Size Fits All Mothers Of Invention Steve Plotczyk ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 07:24:25 +0000 From: kstober@attmail.com (Karen E Stober) Subject: New Emo cd's To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com (John Arnold) Hi everybody, Happy Halloween! Several new cd's out. First is the cd Keith told me about last August after the Scranton, PA show. It's called "Steinway To Heaven" and features classical grand piano pieces by artists, such as Emo, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz, Dizzy Reed of Guns'N'Roses, Chuck Leavell and others. He suggested I send my artwork, "Virtual Steinway" to Magna Carta. I did, but September was too late, and I didn't have a name to send it to at Magna Carta. They don't have a phone number. Keith's Xmas single has been re-released. It has a re-mixed "Troika", a restored version of "Captain Starship Christmas" and "I Saw Three Ships". Does anybody know what the setlist of the 1996 Japan shows were? Did Keith bring that big old Moog with him? [ Editor's Note: Reviews of the Japan shows will begin in the next ELP Digest. - John - ] Take care all, Karen E. Stober kstober@attmail.com (may bounce) karen1@chelsea.ios.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 13:09:27 +0000 From: kstober@attmail.com (Karen E Stober) Subject: Steinway To Heaven To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com (John Arnold) Hi, Keith has recorded "Dance Creole" for "Steinway To Heaven", Magna Carta MA-9011-2. This rousing, 3:02 long version was recorded at his barn studio on his nine foot Steinway grand, the same that he recorded his "Piano Concerto" on. Keith has about a page of quotes included with the cd. He is the first artist in the collection which is subtitled "Magna Carta's Keyboard Hall Of Fame Series Volume 1, Great Works Performed By The Virtuosos Of Rock". It has a clip art cover of clouds against a blue sky. Gee, my "Virtual Steinway" is a hell of a lot better than that cover. Take care all, Karen ------------------------------ From: Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no Date: 23 Oct 1996 12:02:58 Z To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com (Receipt notification requested) Subject: Supernatural ELP Rhino Record's 5 CD prog-rock box - "Supernatural Fairy Tales" (which got 4 out of 5 points in a Q review, otherwise often a prog-killer magazine) - has interesting liner notes available at http://pathfinder.com/@@8Q5QYwUABTdENM6u/Rhino/Albums/72451lin.html There's even a ELP-joke for our benefit! And its main page is http://pathfinder.com/@@8Q5QYwUABTdENM6u/Rhino/Features/72451p.html Despite some odd choices (and contractual hindrances for e.g. Pink Floyd) I really think Rhino gives a good overview of the prog/art/psychedelia scene of the 70's. Bjo/rn Are Bjorn-Are.Davidsen@s.prosjekt98.telenor.no ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Weaver in the Web that he made - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Our minds were moving parallell Because they never met ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 14:36:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Terry Carroll To: John Arnold cc: doug hayes Subject: "are you ready, eddy" lyrics In the Thu, 24 Oct 1996 ELP digest, Doug Hayes wrote: > Firstly, does anyone know what is being said at the very end of Are You > Ready Eddy?, right before all the laughter? I have always wondered what was > so funny. Any attempt to figure it out on my part has resulted in nonsense: > amochase? I hope it doesn't turn out to be embarrassingly obvious. "They've only got ham or cheese!" "Ham or cheese!" I've always assumed that this was some kind of inside joke regarding Eddy Offord's sandwich preferences. -- Terry Carroll | "In a professional sports league game played in the Santa Clara, CA | United States, the head referee ... shall ... in the carroll@tjc.com | event of conflicting calls, review instant replay to Modell delenda est | determine the correct call." - House Bill H.R. 3096 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 14:53:38 -0800 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com From: John Cornicello Subject: Ready Eddy? I believe that the words spoken at the end of "Are You Ready Eddy" are "They've only got ham or cheese... ham or cheese." Got to see ELP at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington on September 27. It was a great show. The theatre is on the banks of the Columbia River, and the weather was fantastic. The show started right on time, and lasted exactly one hour. The sound was really quite good (especially after reading about early shows). Greg's voice was in great form (one of the best of the 20+ ELP shows I've seen). Carl was in top form, too. Keith was great, too, but sounded a little (just a little!!!) sloppy in a few places. But this is late in the tour, and ELP tend to speed things up as they go, so he could have been fighting to keep up with the other guys. Just wish that the show could have been longer. Or that they do a real "headliner" tour and get closer to Seattle. Well worth the 4 hour drive to get there from Seattle. JohnC ------------------------------ From: Tim Holmes To: dhayes.boulder@worldnet.att.net Cc: John Arnold Subject: Eddy's Sandwich Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 19:11:05 -0000 >From: doug hayes >Firstly, does anyone know what is being said at the very end of Are You >Ready Eddy?, right before all the laughter? I have always wondered what was >so funny. Any attempt to figure it out on my part has resulted in nonsense: >amochase? I hope it doesn't turn out to be embarrassingly obvious. amochase - amocheese - hamocheese - I've only got Ham or Cheese. Something to do with Eddy Offord's catering prowess perhaps? Tim Holmes http://www.psammead.demon.co.uk/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Oct 96 23:11:20 -0800 From: Curt Cassingham To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: Are You Ready, Eddy? John, In his 5 Sept 96 post to The ELP Digest, reader Doug Hayes wondered what they were saying at the end of Are You Ready, Eddy? I believe it's "There's nothing but ham or cheese...ham or cheese!" I read this some time ago in a (Warner Bros?) sheet music book of the album Tarkus. I, alas, only thumbed it in the store rather than buy it... Curt Cassingham http://www.teleport.com/~curtcass ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 07:33:57 -0500 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com From: karen1@chelsea.ios.com (KarenStober) Subject: John Wetton & Carl Palmer concerts The ASIAN ARMADA Newsletter - November 2 , 1996 Issue #90 >WETTON/PALMER IN CONCERT?? >According to an Armada subscriber who will be seeing John Wetton at The >Brook in Southhampton, UK next Friday (Nov. 8), the tickets for the show >say 'John Wetton & Carl Palmer'. If anyone makes it to this show, please >e-mail me!!! >ASIAN ARMADA NEWSLETTER >c/o DAVE GALLANT >dave@clo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 10:41:48 -0400 From: arom@capital.edu (Aaron Rom) To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: A review of the Cleveland ELP/Tull Show Emerson, Lake, and Palmer played in Cleveland last night, and my Dad and I were sure to be there. We've yet to miss an ELP show in Cleveland, and that's a streak my Dad has had since 1971 (I wasn't even born until 1977). It was my Dad's eleventh ELP show, and my sixth. While they only played a little more than an hour, much to the disappointment of the hundreds of rabid ELP fans in the audience, the set was distinguished. They started about ten minutes late, so it was about 7:40 when they took the stage. They came out to a standing ovation, and from that moment on, the crowd was theirs. They started with Hoedown, then Touch and Go, and then Knife Edge. They stuck pretty close to the original arrangements for these. Then came Bitches Chrystal, which hadn't been played live in 25 years (my Dad remembers them playing it at Cleveland's Public Hall in 71). After that, Greg Lake said "thank you," to which an audience member screamed, "No, thank you!!" The boys were obviously in fine form on this tune, and it seemed as though Emerson had never had hand problems at all. Then Emerson did his solo piano piece Hammer It On, which was met by another standing ovation. Greg came out and did Still...You Turn Me On, and I was surprised at the quality of his voice. He can still sing!! Of course, he concluded to riotous applause, a standing ovation, which by this point had become a routine after every tune. They then launched into Tarkus, and for a while there, we thought they were going to do the whole thing, and we thought we had it figured out when they went into Mass, but after Mass they segued into The Hut of Baba Yaga and then into The Great Gates of Kiev, both from Pictures. Greg was in top vocal form for this one, and this medley concluded to yet another standing ovation. They tore into Fanfare and Rondo with a vengeance, complete with a blitzkrieg solo from Carl Palmer. Emo, ever the clever quote-meister, played a snippet of the final movement of Carl Orff 's Carmina Burana, and he also played the Flight of the BumbleBee at lightning speed. After Palmer's solo, Emo then did the usual Hammond bashing, complete with knives. The crowd roared its approval, and roared even louder when Emo threw the second knife into Jethro Tull's amps. The crowd was on its feet before the finale ended, and screamed for an encore, which we got. They came back out, at which point Greg and Keith improvised for a while, proving that Greg could still play some serious acoustic guitar when called for. They then launched into Lucky Man, and everyone sang along. What impressed me was that Greg sang it the way he did on Welcome Back, which is my favorite version of that song. They then bowed and left the stage. I won't say much about Tull, other than a good portion of the crowd was gone before their encore. Which just goes to show you who should've headlined. It must suck to be blown off stage by the opening act. Aaron ROm ------------------------------ From: RBHH01A@PRODIGY.COM (MS LINDA K SHULTZ) Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 13:44:35, -0500 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: ELP Digest Item ELP IN MOLINE AND MINNEAPOLIS Moline 9/8: A special treat here - ELP CLOSED the show! Ian Anderson said there were "various reasons" for the change. Need I say I was delighted at the news? The set list, as best I can remember was: Hoedown Knife Edge Touch & Go Hammer It Out (Emerson piano solo) Bitches Crystal Still - You Turn Me On Lucky Man Tarkus/Pictures Medley Encore Fanfare for the Common Man/Rondo Keith is up to all his old tricks - the ribbon controller (no pyrotechnics, but a "butt solo"), jumping around on the B3, plunging daggers in it, and finally wrestling it to the ground. It is, perhaps, the most abused organ in the world . Keith, Carl and Greg all look fit and seemed to be having a great time - especially Keith. Greg's voice seems stronger than on the '93 tour. It sounds lower pitched than in his younger days, but much smoother than in '93. The audience in Moline was very responsive - especially to "Still . . . You Turn Me On" and "Lucky Man". There are two "classic rock" stations on the Quad Cities area and I suspect these are the two songs that younger audience members had heard most often. Most everyone was on their feet for Fanfare/Rondo . In the excitement I didn't think to check start and end times, but I believe they extended Rondo/Fanfare a little (including a longer solo for Carl) and played about 10-15 minutes longer than when they open the show. I only know it went by all too quickly for me! The Moline venue was a 12,000 seat arena. Sound was OK, though the drums and bass seemed a little too loud too me. However, I was sitting far to one side - that may have accounted for it. Was it worth a 400 mile drive to Moline to see the show? ABSOLUTELY!! MINNEAPOLIS (9/10) ELP was back in the opening slot, however the set list was the same. The grand piano used in Moline was not on stage in Minneapolis. The venue was Northrup Auditorium, which is the former home of the Minnesota Orchestra. It's a theater designed for performance and the acoustics were excellent. Sound here seemed better than in Moline - a more equal balance between keyboards, bass and drums. It had been a hot day here (87 degrees) and, if Northrup has air conditioning, it wasn't working very well last night. The band was again in top form. The audience not quite as responsive as Moline - perhaps due to the warmth of the building. I've noticed at other concerts that Minneapolis audiences tend to stay seated during songs and show their appreciation and enthusiasm in between songs - and that's what happened here. I brought binoculars to this show and kept them glued on Keith for most of the set. I noticed that he tossed the daggers to the back of the stage after he removed them from the B3. Since there were no screams, I assume none of the road crew were in the way . I didn't stay to see Tull in Minneapolis - I was tired, it was too warm in the auditorium, and, for me, nothing can follow ELP. The only improvement I could wish for would be two hours of ELP instead of just one. [ Editor's Note: According to the snippet's of reviews that Bjorne-Are has sent me from the Tull newsletter (and which I'll try to bundle up and send out at some point) indicate that the father of Tull guitarist Martin Barre had died that day and that Tull played first that day so Martin could catch a flight home and be with his family. - John - ] ------------------------------ Date: 12 Sep 96 18:42:32 EDT From: "Timothy H. Peifer" <71313.223@CompuServe.COM> To: John Arnold Subject: Re: ELP Digest V6 #20 I got to see ELP at the Riverplex in Pittsburgh on September 1. I made sure I got there early since I had read the other reviews indicating how early they were coming on. And, in fact, they started 5 minutes early, which caught about half of the crowd by surprise. (Thanks for the warnings.) They played the lineup of music that has been presented before in this forum, so there were no surprises, but it was great just the same. Keith looks like he has lost a good bit of weight since I saw him in '93 on the Black Moon tour. Greg and Carl looked the same. No big moog for Keith this time, (which was a disappointment), but he put on a great showing just the same. I had great seats, so I could see his scar, it is really a nasty looking thing! It looked to me like he did a lot of 3 finger playing on his right hand, ie..his thumb and first two fingers. It did look like he was favoring his last two fingers quite a bit, but it really did not seem to slow him that much. He did shake his hand and arm a good deal, but he never missed a note. Greg was very well voiced, his voice has changed quite a bit over the years, but I think for the better. Although he doesn't quite get "up there" the way he used to...he has a much more well defined voice now. Carl was Carl...what can you say? Nobody does it like he does...! The little change in their arrangement was the fact that after Keith rode his organ, (he couldn't lay the organ on top of him this time, there was no room on stage...he sort of leaned back and laid it on his legs)...they left the stage, and then they answered an encore with Lucky Man...so they added that change. My two complaints were: TOO SHORT! An hour of ELP is WAY TOO SHORT! And the other complaint was that they seemed too rushed. They went from one song to the other..bang/bang, they seemed to almost to be rushing. Jethro Tull was good, this is the first time I have seen them, and they were much better than I thought they would be, but following ELP is something NOBODY can do. In closing, I must say that it was fantastic to seem ELP again, and if anyone has doubts...put them aside...it is a wonderful experience. Sure, I would have liked to see them play 3 hours,but I'll take an hour anytime. If you never have experienced ELP live ....you haven't lived!!! Tim Peifer ------------------------------ Date: 13 Sep 96 03:02:01 EDT From: Andrew Weir <100253.2046@CompuServe.COM> To: John Arnold Subject: Just the tickets, Ma'am You might be amused by this: Today I enquired from various booking agencies and travel agents about the availability and cost of tickets for the ELP concerts in Japan. Once we get past the usual blank 'Who dey'/'Duh?' responses, I find that although these people can book me into an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical in London, or 'Miss Saigon' in Ulan Bator, or even Woody Allen playing solo clarinet in the Big Enchilada... er, Apple, they can't even think of someone to contact concerning ELP. So I went to the Japanese Consulate. Blank. And to the Japan External Trade Organisation. Blankity-blank. And to a major music store. Blink, then Blank. Nobody's talkin'. And the money's still in the bank. Welcome to the Land that Time Forgot! Best wishes Andrew Weir ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Sep 96 18:15 EDT From: wsjoquis@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu (William Sjoquist) To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: ELP CONCERT REVIEW CONCERT IN MILWAUKEE 9/11/96, MARCUS AMPITHEATER (outdoors, mostly pavillion seating) GOOD: To jump ahead a little, let me tell you that Jethro Tull put on a surprisingly polished, energetic, and rockin' show. They were quite entertaining. BETTER: ELP, of course, were great. The mix was better than what I had read in the Digest last week. Gone were the excesses of previous tours, certainly much less equipment on stage than they're known for. None- the-less, ELP blazed through their set with incredible musicianship and prowess. As stated in earlier reviews, GL seemed to be in better voice than the Black Moon tour and I would agree. The ballads were flawless. There did indeed seem to be a bit more "fun" on stage and KE seemed to be more liberal in improvising on some of the classics. Palmer has got more chops than any drummer out there! All in all, I found this all- too-brief set to be a refreshing presentation of ELP at their best. As reported earlier by others who have seen this show, it appeared that ELP was allotted a certain amount of time to perform and that was it. No encores, no returns. They were able to side step some of that at this show by actually leaving the stage after the Tarkus/Pictures medley. This led everyone (at least those who don't read the Digest) to believe that they were done. Thankfully, they did return to thunderous applause and finished their show, concluding with the inevitable Hammond attack. BEST: "A Fanatic Fan's Tale" At the conclusion of the ELP show, there was a 1/2 hour intermission while JT set up. This concert was at an outdoor venue, and so we went out for a beverage and to check out the Milwaukee "ski line" ( we're from rural America!). I noticed that the landing we were standing on over looked the loading dock and stage entrance of the theater. We looked down on the travel buses that were ahead of us. Although feeling a little old to be acting like a "groupie", we stayed out there in the cold Lake Michigan wind, waiting for a sight of E, L, or P. Eventually, Carl Palmer walked out of a door that was directly underneath us and briskly walked the bus. I confess that I was star struck and couldn't even mutter out a, "Hey Carl". Realizing that this was indeed the place to be, we continued to wait while listening to Tull's "Aqualung" being played inside. Soon KE emerged and I had enough presence of mind to call out to him by name. He turned and waved and I asked if he would sign an autograph. He very cordially agreed to do so. The stairway was gated at the top and the security guard would not let us down to see him and so he came up to us! Being very careful not to stammer over my own words, I congratulated him on an outstanding performance. I found him to be very pleasant and he was courteous enough to ask how to spell my wife's name (Cathy) with a "C" or a "K". He shook our hands, said thanks and left. Shortly after, Greg appeared and the event transpired the same way. Greg was even a little humble as he said, "You should go in and listen to Ian." It was like he was wondering why these two people were standing outside wanting to talk to him! ...or maybe he thought we were crazy. Anyway, both of them were willing to climb a flight of steps to greet us and to give an autograph and I thought it the coolest thing that could ever happen! ------------------------------ From: "Ed Janowski" To: Subject: sept 11 1996 elp/tull in milwaukee,wi;elp digest Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 23:59:44 -0500 I am a big ELP fan and hearing word about the guys touring again was great to hear. Being a multi-instrumentalist myself, I've been heavily influenced by Keith Greg and Carl in some way or form;especially on keys..The Milwaukee show started at 7:40pm with the guys coming out and looking very fired up. The two video screens on either side of the stage gave some nice close ups for the fans that were back a ways. Now I read in these very pages about Keith playing a new piece for his solo-I think it's called Hammer It Down;It's like everything else he creates; was enjoyable yet short.. I was about five rows from the front and more to Carl's side;and this was the first time seeing the group that they really sounded like what I can only imagine what it was like back in Prog-Rock's heyday The equipment was a very stripped-down setup unlike last tour where Carl used a lot of sampled electronic drums(although he had two pads for his tympani part in Fanfare.)and Greg used a MIDI bass for the Ribbon-controller section of Tarkus-Nothing like that on this tour which I think really shows that these guys don't have to "hide"behind technology and let it do things for them To quote Keith,"...We Are Emerson Lake and Palmer;and Emerson Lake and Palmer plays all the music.."That's what I thought was and still is impressive..Otherwisethe show went like any other of the shows mentioned.. Personally, I think this tour is a test to see if Keith's hand is really ready for a big full-blown tour and by judging by the show a few night's ago I think in time we may see them again by themselves-the way they should be.... Paul Janowski c/o Ed Janowski ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 03:46:10 -0700 From: Tamara Hedstrom To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: ELP in Moline, Il. 1 I'm writing to you from my wife's Email address as I don't have one of my own. I just went to the concert in Moline, Ill. on Sunday and thought I'd report in,so to speak. For reasons unknown, Jethro Tull played first. Since ELP is my favorite of the two this was great. The crowd was somewhat dissapointing. They were clearly an "I heard the song on the radio," rather than "a large group of fans," crowd. They screamed and roared for everything they knew from the radio and gratiously applauded everything else. So, of course, Jethro Tull got more and louder response than ELP. It saddened me until I remembered that they hadn't given much response to anything Jethro Tull had done that hadn't had much airplay or was totally new. So I hold the radio stations responsible for controlling how simple the music should be for it's listeners. Oh well,on with the show. Jethro Tull played quite well, but Ian Anderson had a lot of trouble with his voice. Singing flat when working in the upper register. He kept clutching his right hand over his ear,so he could have been having trouble with his monitors, or he just wanted people to think that. I don't know. In spite of this he was still very entertaining. Lots of joking around with the audience. He did the joke about ELP still having their own hair which would have been funny had I not read it here already. I had mentioned to the person with me how someone in the Tull camp had made some comment about ELP still playing Lucky Man and stabbing the organ and such, so when Tull opened with Aqualung, she of course turned to me and said"So ELP are still playing Lucky Man Eh?" Oh well, on to ELP They played the rousing taped intro music and then walked on stage waving at the crowd instead of instantly starting. The first thing you notice is their wearing matching outfits. Leather pants,boots and vests, no shirts. Keith and Carl look OK like that, but Greg looked like a a a a let's just say 'wrong.' Keith has grown his hair out, looks quite good. It took the sound crew a little bit to get the mix right, so some of Hoedown was a little mushy, but things got better. After that the only bad thing about the mix was that the bass seemed to drone just a bit which covered up some of the other 'key' parts. Other than that Keith occasionally seemed to be having some problems with some of his patches, 'too loud or too soft' but I don't think anyone noticed. He seemed to be playing more and faster than he did in his youth, or it just looked like he was trying harder. After his piano solo the comment was made about just how many hands does he have. Bitches Crystal was fantastic live. Watching Keith play doubled the excitement of the song. It was like watching a drummer play rolls with 10 sticks. Gregs' voice was excellent that night, confident and strong.(I don't know about other places, but in Peoria, during the Black Moon tour, he was rather hoarse from the heavy touring schedule.) One thing troubled me, though. While Keith and Carl seemed to be playing together,(always looking to each other and playing in sync) Greg seemed, obviously, like he wasn't really there in spirit, just standing still and staring straight ahead. It's the same expression I have on my face in the auto plant where I work. I'm doing my job, but my mind is definately not there. Anyway, on to the encore. When Keith was playing the organ on his back he couldn't get one of the keys to work so he simply tore it out and through it to the back of the stage. I bet his techies loved that. He actually stuck the organ with two large silver knives this time, believe it or not I hadn't seen him do this before, quite exciting. All in all I loved seeing the only idols I've retained into my adulthood, I only wish they would have been the only band. Hopefully, some of those 'Radio' listeners saw and heard something they didn't know existed before and will go out and buy some records. Here's to the three greatest musicians in Rock and Roll, may the KINGS never die. Oh yeah, Why wasn't this the Aqualung-AquaTarkus Tour? Peace, Love and Heavy Organs Michael Hedstrom ------------------------------ From: david_s._presley@uu1358.sedgus.com Date: Wed, 18 Sep 96 10:00:10 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: CONCERT REVIEWS Just a very quick note to express my heartfelt thanks to all digesters that have provided extensive concert reviews. Those of us in the south that have been ignored on this tour can only vicariously experience the events through your words and descriptions. Thanks! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 96 22:10:54 -0700 From: Don James To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: ELP in Kansas City ELP/Tull - Sandstone Amphitheatre Kansas City (Bonner Springs,KS) I looked forward to the show with hesitation, as they were opening for another act. After reading other postings and Greg's interview, I now understand why they were not the headline act. I left the show a little saddened. The performance was lackluster, the house mix was poor and there were problems with the monitor mix. It seemed as if they weren't even trying. This was made even more apparent when you compare their stellar performance three years ago at the Midland Theatre. Keith is still amazing, but lacked some of the spark. Greg's vocal is still a joy to listen to (especially compared to Ian's). Carl's chops are sharp as always, but he made a BLATANT error in "Lucky Man". "Lucky Man" is 6/8 in 2....Carl hit a downbeat on 5. Ouch! As another posting said...an hour of ELP is better than none. I'm anxiously awaiting the return of the shows from the '70s. By the way, have they forgotten the phrase "Welcome back my friends...."? dj ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 00:26:50 -0700 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com From: Bill Kuhel Subject: ELP & Tull in Phoenix Dear John, I just returned from the concert in Phoenix. My 65 year old father went with me. He really enjoyed ELP and couldn't believe what Emerson did to that keyboard at the end of the concert. I thought ELP out did Jethro Tull, however it felt like Jethro Tull was a lot more into the concert than ELP. ELP played the same basic line-up of songs that everyone has been listing and everything sounded good, especially Greg's voice. During one part of the concert when Keith was addressing the audience about what he was to play next, which I think his exact words were something like "a collection of stuff that he has not yet recorded", he stood there grabbing his arm and elbow the whole time. It was obvious on the big screen TVs that he was in a lot of pain. I really wonder if this is why they are only playing an hour as the opening band. Don't get me wrong, ELP was great, but I just got the feeling that they were there just to play some of their music rather than put on a concert. Anyway, I had a great time, especially with my dad being there. He has never been to a rock concert before, but he did recognize a lot of ELP's songs and he was glad he went. John, in regards to ELP's future, is there anyway that the ELP Digest could contact them and let them know how many of us yearn for them to put out a new album that would emulate their style from 1970 to 1974. I wonder if they really understand that it was this style that really appealed to us die hard ELP fans. I did like Works I and Black Moon was fairly good too, but how I would love to hear some new good old synthesizer banging, organ drenched twenty minute songs along with some nasty distorted flavor. Take care, Bill ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Sep 96 10:06:43 EDT To: From: (Brian Podesta) Subject: re: ELP Digest V6 #23 (and other related news) In V6 #23, John Arnold wrote in response to fender@ccs.neu.edu (Bri): >From: John Arnold >To: fender@ccs.neu.edu >CC: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com >Subject: Re: tarkus c-3 and the mix.. >>> some notes: greg forgot the lyrics to lucky man at the great woods show.. >>> i mean, i'm sure he didn't actually forget, (by now ya'd think he'd know >>> them :) but he got flustered and left out `his blood ran [...] so he >>> laid down'.. i felt really bad for him.. he didn't look happy.. >I'm pretty sure that he started getting feedback or that something went >wrong with the monitor mix at that point. It was quite clear that something >happened and he intentionally stopped singing while making a few gestures to >the crew. From my vantage point, it definitely looked like some kind of >technical problem, not that he forgot the words (which I know from >experience is easier to do than you'd think, even for a song you've sung a >million times). >My take on that situation, >- John - John, you are correct. I sat in the 10th row and saw what occurred during Lucky Man. Throughout the show, the sound engineer was having a tough time. During the middle of Lucky Man, Greg began to sing but feedback immediately started. Greg pulled back from the mike and looked at the engineer. He attempted to get closer, but there was a hint of more feedback. You could tell was frustrated, he kept glancing at the engineer. He was unable to sing the last few lines of the song, but the engineer recovered to sing the final OOOH What a Lucky Man he was..., before the heavy bass synth solo by KE. Also, during Rondo, Will Alexander was tucked underneath the piano, playing fisherman with the lines to Keith's hammond. It appeared he was there to prevent Keith from going a bit too far away with the hammond. It was funny seeing Will scrouched down, laughing at Keith. Finally, I recently browsed YES' Web site. There's a great interview w/Steve Howe ELP digester's should check out. Steve talks a bit about ELP. In addition, there's a note indicating Trevor Rabin was asked by ELP to assist with ELP's upcoming recording [?], but Trevor is too busy to participate. Regards, Brian J. Podesta brian.podesta@ummed.edu __________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 23:06:32 -0700 From: Randy Garbiso To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: San Diego ELP What can I say? Tonights' show at the Amphitheatre in San Diego was classic ELP at their best. Tight rhythms, soaring keyboards, and Greg Lakes' reborn vocals. You know 'em, you love 'em. Ladies and Gentlemen,Lake, and Palmer. Tonights' show proved that some music retains an eternal quality that stands the test of time. Although the format for the concert was similar to the earlier dates,there was a bit of a difference. Keith introduced a number he called "Hammering it Down" and proceded to prove the songs' title with heavy Emersonian keyboard riffs that were strong on bass with a steady rhythm staccato. "Lucky Man" was a great surprise, with Keith opting to use the Grand Piano instead of the synthesizer. The difference was rewarding and a welcom change from the synthesized version. Greg Lakes' voice sounded as if it were the 70's instead of the 90's, and Carl Palmers' signature drum riffs brought us back to a time when ELP were headlining the California Jam of the 70's. After a fifty minute set, the crowd had responded well enough to be rewarded with a twenty minute encore that started with "Fanfare" and segued into "Rondo" to complete "Fanfare" that left no doubt that this trio is still thriving well into the 90's. "See the Show, See the Show, See the Show" Randy, a weaver in the web that he made ------------------------------ From: c694547@showme.missouri.edu To: John Arnold Subject: Re: ELP concerts As a fan born the year ELP first broke up (1978), it was a special thrill to see them in concert - a thing I thought I would never do! I attended the concerts at Riverport Ampitheatre in St.Louis and in Bonner Springs, Kansas at the Sandstone (going to college in Columbia, Missouri does have its benefits - namely being just two hours away from either venue!), and all I have to say is - SPECTACULAR!!!! From the opening strains of Hoedown through the end of Fanfare...., ELP delivered an amazing show. I have read some negative criticisms of Keith's playing in other Digest issues, but he was definitely on both nights I saw them play. The crowd in St.Louis really got a kick out of his quote from the St.Louis Blues in the middle of a piece - there was talk that he might do some of Kansas City for the Bonner Springs concert, but apparently he couldn't fit that in. Greg's voice was in great form (part of the reason may be that on this tour he is wearing ear monitors instead of just having foot monitors like on the last tour, so that he can hear himself better instead of having to sing over the music), and Carl's drumming was, as always, amazing - I don't see how he has the energy for that solo night after night (or Keith for the Hammond surfing, for that matter). The song selection was a nice mix of old favorites. I particularly enjoyed the way they reworked Lucky Man so that it wasn't just the same old tune, and the inclusion of a new piece, Hammer It Out, as Keith's solo spot was a nice touch - hopefully this will be recorded in the future on CD. I was lucky enough to meet the band after the show both nights, and they were as amazingly nice and gracious as I could have hoped they'd be. Needless to say, I now have a stack of autographed material and photos I'll protect with my life! Oh - and on a final note, though I was backstage during Tull's show on both nights, the sound still came through loud and clear. Nice job - maybe I'll see them next time! Courtney Key c694547@showme..missouri.edu ------------------------------ From: SLUGGO70@aol.com Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 04:25:30 -0400 To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: re:tull/elp gigs dear sir, I've just read the reviews of the ELP/TULL shows ,and I've just a few comments to make,which you might like to pass on to your fellow ELP fans The tour has been, for us, brilliant, and I have enjoyed being a part of it, but I find it frustrating that some of the less educated ELP fans cannot tell the differance between the sound engineer and the lighting designer. For example,there are two sound engineers:one for ELP and one for Tull. The Tull engineer is NOT rehearsing with the ELP set. If you don't like the ELP sound, don't tar the Tull engineer with the same brush. Also, the reason that your Internet associate saw someone on headphones talking to people during the show was that I am the lighting designer, and I have to tell at least three follow spot operators what to do. Please believe me, I am listening very carefully to the show. Ask my dimmer man, when he's awake. All I can say in conclusion is please get your facts straight before you slag the show and the crew. I am just one part of a very big picture, but all I ask, on behalf of my friends, is that the die-hard fans and brain-dead shit-kickers actually think about who they criticize before they take to the Net. We are part of the entertainment industry, a fact many people in this business forget, and all I ask of the fans is that we are there to do a job to the best of our ability. If, then, you don't like it, I'm sorry, but we have pride in our work, and we do not fuck up deliberately. Final clue:lighting guys---> happy, smiling, sense of rhythm. sound guys---> deaf, no sense of humour, over-paid. See you on the road, A LAMPY. ------------------------------ From: cmbuford@pipeline.com Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 06:28:02 GMT To: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Subject: Las Vegas review Hi John, Thought I'd forward the Las Vegas concert review that ran in the morning daily, the Review-Journal Tull, ELP prove there's life in the ol' bands yet By Mike Weatherford Review-Journal So, Eddie Vedder, you want to put Middle Eastern instruments on your Pearl Jam album. And you, Billy Corgan you want to release an epic Smashing Pumpkins double album with orchestrations, instrumentals and a fancy title. But can either of you guys play Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" upside down, lying on your back? Didn't think so. The progressive rock of the 70s is much maligned these days, and modern bands retain only echoes of its ambitious spirit. But one thing is missing in the dismissive summations of the whole prog-rock movement, such as the generally bad reviews for the new box set, "Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era." These guys might not have (ital)rocked(), in the three-chord garage band definition. But Thursday's double bill of Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake & Palmer reminded us of one fact: They sure knew a thing or two about showmanship. Both keyboard maestro Keith Emerson and Tull frontman Ian Anderson are like the eccentric uncle who shows up at your wedding reception, has a couple of drinks and takes over as the center of attention. The 51-year-old Emerson still closes out a set by vaulting over a Hammond B-3 organ, sticking knives between the keys, and pulling it down on top of him for the upside-down solo. And this after surgery for severe tendonitis inflicted by all those years at the keyboards. Anderson was almost as spry, though he was seldom able to assume his trademark one-legged flamingo position while playing the flute, because he's still on the mend from a broken leg. But he remains an extroverted, theatrical showman, quick with the self-deprecating one-liners After his jazzy flute on "Bourree," Anderson noted that Bach composed the theme 300 years ago, which "sounds like a long time, but it's much less than the combined ages of Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake & Palmer." And Anderson adequately summed up the Aladdin concert hall crowd of graying and balding fans when he noted, "You're looking terrific ... for your age." Fortunately, both bands played with a vitality that made the jokes just that. The downside was that both are in the survival mode and, for the most part, stuck to their FM radio "hits," a tactic that belies their past reputations as adventurous risk-takers. ELP was demoted to an hourlong opening act after their 1992 comeback tour was one of the worst stiffs in Thomas & Mack Center history. The good news was the band was in even better form than they were then, playing as though they had something to prove. Greg Lake's voice was stronger than last time, though his brief solo turn on "Still ... You Turn Me On" revealed his inability to hit the high notes that once came easily to him. Only Emerson's piano solo, "Hammer it Out" "a little bit of stride, a little bit of boogie," he explained could qualify as new music. But the three rewarded longtime fans by resurrecting some seldom-played oldies ("Bitches Crystal") and updating the antique synthesizers on tunes such as "Tarkus" with more organic sounds. And the hour time limit proved a blessing in disguise, as Tull later proved. It was like the Super 8 home movie cameras of ELP's glory days compared with today's video cameras: You had to compress your statement without rambling on endlessly. Palmer even worked a condensed version of his famous drum solo into the "Fanfare for the Common Man/Rondo" closer. Tull was afforded a longer set, and one can only sit through so much flute riffing on jazzed up improvisations of Celtic folk songs before checking the ol' timepiece. Anderson's singing also seems thin and more nasal these days, but that may have had something to do with the headset microphone he wore as much as recent health problems. Fans predictably cheered the "Aqualung" opening and oldies such as "Locomotive Breath" and "Thick as a Brick." But the quintet did drop in clues of its recent burst of activity by including one song ("Dangerous Veils") from its new album, "Roots to Branches," as well as instrumentals from recent solo albums by Anderson ("Divinities," with Tull's elegant keyboardist Andrew Giddings) and longtime guitarist Martin Barre ("The Meeting"). ------------------------------ From: Marc Desaulniers To: "'arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com'" Subject: KC Concert Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 22:12:44 -0500 ELP was great at the KC concert. Tull was real good but ELP was better! Greg's voice was much improved over the last tour. Any idea what MOG's means at the end of the Tarkus album? [ Editor's Note: Please see the various "Ham Or Cheese" references in this Digest for this question. - John - ] Does anyone post a playlist of the ELP songs played on this concert tour? [ Editor's Note: Look over the concert reviews in the ELP Digest back issues available at the web site (http://bliss.berkeley.edu/elp/digest) for set lists, complete blow-by-blow concert descriptions, etc. - John - ] Thanks. ------------------------------ Digest, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com | +=> The same for now... ELP-related info that you | want to put in the digest to: arnold@dartmouth.coordinate.com Back issues are available from the World Wide Web ELP Home Page: URL: http://bliss.berkeley.edu/elp/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! ------------------------------ End of ELP Digest [Volume 6 Issue 26] *************************************